Show Your Topping (High-End) PLAYER Cue

my Flower

My best Player .........

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more pics http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=91552

Berny
 
WOOOW, I guess we have seen some truly topping cues but I still hope there are more to come!

oldneo: for sure that McDaniel belongs to this group, don't worry about that! Thanks for sharing!!

lord_shar: thank you for the additional pictures, it is great to see it in details. Is that your design or Andy's, what's the story of the cue?

wawacue: those are extremely nice! I love those Fanellis and that Nitti the most! Very nice collection, congrats and thanks for sharing!

Berny: OOook, I am speechless. I can see the close-ups of that butt sleeve design with my minds eye, it is extremely nicely executed! Nice player! :)

Thank you all for sharing and keep them coming!
 
Here are my Mc Daniels,this are my Daily Players.
The Ivory Mac for a slow Table and the Amboyna for the others.
The Best what you can buy.
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Ralf
 
What exactly is considered high-end? Is there a money value? or just the intricacy of the cue? combo of both? if you could shed some light on this please?
 
Rift said:
What exactly is considered high-end? Is there a money value? or just the intricacy of the cue? combo of both? if you could shed some light on this please?


WAWA you have a nice bunch of cue .. SHOWOFF Stiil my man..
 
Rift said:
What exactly is considered high-end? Is there a money value? or just the intricacy of the cue? combo of both? if you could shed some light on this please?

I guess this very question could be asked every single time the expression "High-end" is used on this forum.

Anyways, my answer would be something that is either way expensive, or rare or (as a natural outcome of either of these two: both).

For example: 1 of a kind cues, cues built by (in no particular order) Ernie Gutierrez, Tad Kohara, Bill McDaniel, Skip Weston, George Balabushka, Paul Fanelli, Joel Hercek, Pete Tascarella, Michael Capone, Tim Scruggs, Mike Cochran, Gus or Barry Szamboti, Bill Schick, Tony Scianella, Burton Spain, Frank Coster, David Paul Kersenbrock, Andy Gilbert, Paul Drexler, Pat Diveney, Mike Bender... and many-many more.

However there is no limit in value, intricacy or anything. Everyone may (and should) post whatever they feel it is High-end and/or topping / amazing, stunning (and do not forget that simplicity can be stunning too) Literally whatever that you feel like meets this thread.

I hope I could be at help.
 
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Steven, your cue made me see that I forgot one very important aspect in defining what high-end or topping means:

-A cue that is extraordinary in its design, something, that shows creativity and craftsmanship.

Your cue - and in my opinion each and every other piece shown in this thread - belongs to that group without any questions.

Thank you for sharing.
 
poohkiller said:
***SNIP***

lord_shar: thank you for the additional pictures, it is great to see it in details. Is that your design or Andy's, what's the story of the cue?

***SNIP***

The cue's front end was originally patterned after a Gus-style Bill Schick 8-pointer I saw on CueAddicts. However, I had Andy make some changes based on his own style (slightly longer half-points, and clover-leaf points instead of ivory diamonds). The butt-sleeve design was primarily my own. The two Egyptian cartouch scrimmed inlays have both my real name and internet name on opposite sides in Egyptian heiroglyphs. The framed slotted diamonds were a last-minute addition to fill the spaces between the two cartouche inlays. I didn't know what to use for a wrap, so I asked Andy to decide. He chose the pictured embossed lizard skin wrap, and it worked out nicely.

EDIT: The Egyptian cartouche inlays idea came to me while watching Star Gate SG1 and Star Gate Atlantis.
 
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Rift said:
What exactly is considered high-end? Is there a money value? or just the intricacy of the cue? combo of both? if you could shed some light on this please?

i guess it would be a money thing. in my mind it is. some think 1000$ for a cue is crazy. imo you cant touch a cue for anywhere near 1000$ and call it high end.
 
Well, those are extremely nice. I like the Scruggs in the middle the most as it is very elegant, with great color combo too.
 
I don't know if this is considered high end or not but it is to me. This is a 2007 JMW ordered by me. I purposely didn't want any inlays in this cue because the wood is enough to stand on it's own. Like I've said before in another thread, the entire goal of this cue was something that looks simple from afar and then when you walk up on it you're like "GOD DAMN!! Look how beautiful that wood is." I personally think Jim did a fantastic job on this cue. Hope you like it and sorry that there aren't any dents and scratches on it. But it is my main playing cue.
MULLY

James White
59in
19.5oz
3 long points of amboyna burl and 3 short points of ebony into a triple A grade flame maple forearm. There are no bald spots on that maple.
Leather wrap
Amboyna burl butt end
Rings similar to SouthWest.....but not exactly the same.
Delrin butt cap
Moori medium tips on ivory 13mm ivory ferrules

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Barry Szamboti ~ Koa wood into fiddleback maple ~ piloted ivory joint ~ six shafts - 2 Barry 29" - 2 Barry 30" - 1 Predator 312 30" - 1 OB1 29"

Have been playing with this cue since I received it from Barry in 1998.

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Joel Hercek ~ cocobolo into fiddleback maple ~ piloted ivory joint

Have been playing with this cue since I received it from Joel in 1999.

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Ahh, geez, my computer broke down and had to miss a few days... today I get back and what a warm welcome do I recieve? :)

Mully: nevermind the missing scratches and dings, you know, the title of the thread was not show your banged up high-end cues! ;) I really-really like that JMW, your idea and description of its design is perfect! Very nice cue, congrats!

Billiardcue: I've been a returning visitor of your site (thisisamesmister) ever since you provided a link for it on this forum and I instantly fell in love with that 4-point Szamboti. Thank you for sharing!

Big Tattoo: that is an incredible pair of cues!! I can't even tell which do I like better... they are both very nice! I like that ringwork too!

Thank you all for sharing! These have been some true eye-candy.
 
poohkiller said:
Billiardcue: I've been a returning visitor of your site (thisisamesmister) ever since you provided a link for it on this forum and I instantly fell in love with that 4-point Szamboti. Thank you for sharing!
I've been playing with for almost ten years since the day I picked it up at Barry's house, it has been a great cue, has some battle scars.

I play mostly bar room 8 & 9 ball with it and use it to break, I generally carry only one cue and a piece of chalk when I go out to play pool.
 
Thank you for the details! It was a good read, I am always interested in how these cues are used - I mean if they're used for breaking, are they swapped occassionally, played 8 or 9 ball or else with, etc.

I carry my cue in its 1x2 Whitten case - I would have a break cue if I didn't like this setup and case so much - I use a bar cue for breaking however.

Thanks!
 
poohkiller said:
Thank you for the details! It was a good read, I am always interested in how these cues are used - I mean if they're used for breaking, are they swapped occassionally, played 8 or 9 ball or else with, etc.

I carry my cue in its 1x2 Whitten case - I would have a break cue if I didn't like this setup and case so much - I use a bar cue for breaking however.

Thanks!

Yes I swap using them but I use the Szamboti more than the Hercek, both cues are very similar in play and feel. I don't use a different cue for different games.

Using them as break cues means shaping the tips more often but a small price to pay for only having to carry one cue in a Fellini or Ron Thomas case.

If I am going to play in a tournament that has long races I have the original Sledge Hammer prototype given to me by Mike Gulyassy and I will use a larger case and bring it.

Mike Gulyassy played with the Hercek for a week a few years back and told me afterwards that he had been making cues for 17 years, played on the Camel Pro Tour for several years and was on the Mosconi Cup team twice and the Hercek was the best playing cue he had ever used. I thought that was a pretty good endorsement for the cue.
 
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