Sneaky Petes!!! Josey, Pechauer, Little Al Romero or Putnam???

Guapo

Guapo

AzB Silver Member
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****Edit**** I decided on the Little Al Romero. I bumped this thread to ask if anybody knows what toppings Little Al likes on his pizza. I will be going into his shop tonight.***Edit***

I plan on purchasing an interim Players SP in the next couple of weeks and upgrading the tip. I'm just tired of playing off the wall and want something to call my own.

I will be purchasing my Players SP from Crown City Billiards in Pasadena.

I stopped by on Tuesday just to see what kind of cheap SP's he had to offer. To my surprise, Corey Harper pointed me to the Players which I was considering after seeing it online.

I would much rather support a local business and much more so knowing he's a pro player. Gotta keep the money local!

He was extremely helpful in answering any question I had on just about any topic that popped into my mind. If anybody is in the Los Angeles area and planning on making a purchase, big or small, I highly suggest they go through him.

I only plan on playing with my Players SP for a few months. I then plan to buy one of the cues mentioned above. I was originally set on the Pechauer but keep hearing good things about the others mentioned.

Keep in mind, I'm relatively new to the game so I don't know much about quality and feel. I just know I like heavier cues and I'm not into fancy inlays. That being said, I do want to keep the cue for a good while.

So I'm asking for your guys' experience and opinion. Which would you choose and why? Also, please mention if you've only played with the one you're recommending or if you have also played with one of the others in question.

Pechauer (retails for about $270):
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Josey Basic Cocobolo ($360)
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Little Al Romero SP (beginning at $220)
I've just recently began considering these and after a quick search on AZB, lots of people have nothing but good things to say about them.

I couldn't find pics but he's another local guy. Hard Times is about 20-25 minutes from where I live. So supporting a local business is an added bonus.

Now lastly, Shawn Putnam SPs. I have no idea what his SP's start at. That being said. I'd like to keep the price range at about 300-400 dollars.

Thanks in advance!
 
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Ive had that Pechauer for over ten years. Its a great cue. It shoots real straight and jumps and breaks like a champ.
 
I just went thru the exact same analysis and ended up with the Pechauer (same as your pic) I LOVE it, but have not tried the others.

I would add that there is/was a Putnam for sale (in so cal) for $250 in the for sale section.

I dont think you can go wrong with anything you listed (you did your homework!), its more of a personal preference between these choices.
 
I can only comment on your first two as I've only owed those two. I would take the Josey hands down, not only will you be getting a custom cue made to your specs but the resale value is much higher as well. I'd call Keith and tell him exactly what I wanted and never look back. :)
 
I play with a Josey fancy SP and they play lights out. For that price, you'll get a bang up player that also looks outstanding too.
 
Buy local!

When it comes to custom cues and/or shafts, there is nothing better than hitting a few balls with it before purchase. Everyone has a different level of tolerance when it comes to taper rolls, shaft imperfections, etc. Buy local, especially when you have a cuemaker with an excellent reputation like Al Romero.

I talked to him on the phone once about pool equipment. He told me a member of Efren's entourage (not a groupie :thumbup:) would cut off all the good, used Elkmaster tips from the house cues that Efren wanted for later use.

With permission of course.

Yukon Ed
 
Of those, I have a Pechauer and a Josey, and for me it's the Josey hands down. If your looking for a really stiff hit, Pechauer fits the bill nicely, but the Josey just feels right to me.

If you decide on Pechauer, I've got a top shelf one that I would sell at the upper end of your budget. Most likely it's fancier that what you want though.

It's this one: pechauer cue
 
MRP2k12 said:
Ill vouch for the pechauer, i had a brown stain one not like the one in your pic and it hit great..i ended up trading it for a old joss cue and regret it.
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That's another great stain that it comes in. I'm a sucker for burgundy/wine.

jonesy said:
Ive had that Pechauer for over ten years. Its a great cue. It shoots real straight and jumps and breaks like a champ.
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10 years! That's pretty impressive and says a lot about it.

michael4 said:
I just went thru the exact same analysis and ended up with the Pechauer (same as your pic) I LOVE it, but have not tried the others.

I would add that there is/was a Putnam for sale (in so cal) for $250 in the for sale section.

I dont think you can go wrong with anything you listed (you did your homework!), its more of a personal preference between these choices.
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That's funny that we narrowed it down to the same SPs. I love SPs. Even tho I don't plan on buying one yet, I'm constantly browsing the W/FS section just to check them out.

Thanks for the heads up on the Putnam, I hadn't seen too many on here.

Good to hear I can pick some winners! haha:thumbup:

magnetardo said:
I can only comment on your first two as I've only owed those two. I would take the Josey hands down, not only will you be getting a custom cue made to your specs but the resale value is much higher as well. I'd call Keith and tell him exactly what I wanted and never look back. :)
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Very valid points. The more I look at the Josey, the more I like it a bit over the Pechauer. You bring up another important point, I would like a longer than standard cue but I'm sure all of these listed can accommodate that, for the right price.

Also, I just remembered that Pechauer offers a lifetime warranty.

wambamcam said:
I play with a Josey fancy SP and they play lights out. For that price, you'll get a bang up player that also looks outstanding too.
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+1 for Josey

Yukon Ed said:
When it comes to custom cues and/or shafts, there is nothing better than hitting a few balls with it before purchase. Everyone has a different level of tolerance when it comes to taper rolls, shaft imperfections, etc. Buy local, especially when you have a cuemaker with an excellent reputation like Al Romero.

I talked to him on the phone once about pool equipment. He told me a member of Efren's entourage (not a groupie :thumbup:) would cut off all the good, used Elkmaster tips from the house cues that Efren wanted for later use.

With permission of course.

Yukon Ed
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Even though no one else has mentioned him here. I'm still very impressed with everything I've read about his SPs in older threads. I hadn't really considered the advantage of being able to play with it before buying!

angldemn said:
Of those, I have a Pechauer and a Josey, and for me it's the Josey hands down. If your looking for a really stiff hit, Pechauer fits the bill nicely, but the Josey just feels right to me.

If you decide on Pechauer, I've got a top shelf one that I would sell at the upper end of your budget. Most likely it's fancier that what you want though.

It's this one: pechauer cue
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So you're the second person that has owned the Josey and Pechauer and vote for the Josey. Definitely something to think about.

You mention the Pechauer has a stiff hit. What about the Josey feels right to you? Why do you prefer it?

As for your link, it's a really nice cue but it is a little fancier than what I'd like.


Thanks for the opinions fellas! Keep them coming!
 
Are you just limited to the makers you listed? I only ask because I looked at one of Chris Nitti's SP's at the SBE this past weekend and for $350 I think it was the best deal in the house.

Chris builds an exceptional cue and the SP I looked at had very nice ringwork and the finish was flawless.

Just throwing it out there as something you may want to consider.
 
Little Al = Local Support + excellent cue + oldest of the 4, so not as many chances to get his cues + Seems to hold resale (at least on AZB). :thumbup:

You would be able to try some out if he has them in stock than customize to your specs if liking the hit.

All seem like great playing cues & I've owned and shot w/Josey, which I liked, and played with a friends Little Al cue that was older, and liked it very much, too.

Dave

Good luck w/your choice.
 
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Little Al makes a great, consistant cue. He is meticulous in choosing his shaft wood. I have seen him throw away many shaft dowels that many cue makers would use. His longevity at Hard Times says a lot about him. If you live only 20-25 minutes away, to me it would be no brainer. You can't go wrong with a Al Romero cue.
 
Monstermash said:
Are you just limited to the makers you listed? I only ask because I looked at one of Chris Nitti's SP's at the SBE this past weekend and for $350 I think it was the best deal in the house.

Chris builds an exceptional cue and the SP I looked at had very nice ringwork and the finish was flawless.

Just throwing it out there as something you may want to consider.
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Those are some damn nice SPs! Thanks for the suggestion.

12squared said:
Little Al = Local Support + excellent cue + oldest of the 4, so not as many chances to get his cues + Seems to hold resale (at least on AZB). :thumbup:

You would be able to try some out if he has them in stock than customize to your specs if liking the hit.

All seem like great playing cues & I've owned and shot w/Josey, which I liked, and played with a friends Little Al cue that was older, and liked it very much, too.

Dave

Good luck w/your choice.
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GaryB said:
Little Al makes a great, consistant cue. He is meticulous in choosing his shaft wood. I have seen him throw away many shaft dowels that many cue makers would use. His longevity at Hard Times says a lot about him. If you live only 20-25 minutes away, to me it would be no brainer. You can't go wrong with a Al Romero cue.
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12squared, you bring up a great point about Little Al no longer taking orders sooner than the rest.

At this point I think I'm leaning towards one of his SPs. I'm all about the local support.

The fancier Josey's also look very nice. The inlays add some style but they're not too overdone.

The Renfro said:
http://www.crowncues.biz/

Good people who have had their fair share of rough seas over the last 3 years.... For just a little more cash than you have mentioned you can have way more than a sneaky........
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Thank you for the suggestion but I'm not into those type of cues at the moment. Who knows, maybe down the road.

Either way, hope their business picks up. The pool industry needs it. That's why personally, I think I would much rather pay a bit more for a new product rather than buy one used. I'd prefer to support the actual makers.
 
GaryB said:
Little Al makes a great, consistant cue. He is meticulous in choosing his shaft wood. I have seen him throw away many shaft dowels that many cue makers would use. His longevity at Hard Times says a lot about him. If you live only 20-25 minutes away, to me it would be no brainer. You can't go wrong with a Al Romero cue.
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I have owned 4 Al Romero sneaky petes and to this day still have one that I probably will never sell. I too used to visit his shop once a week back in the late 80's through early 90's when I would play in Hard Times Thursday Night USPPA tournaments. Man I sure miss Al and playing at Hard Times. My current hometown has no pool hall and very few places to place with nice 9 foot tables.

Kevin
 
I had the Pechauer SP for a long time, and it was a great cue. I would use it whenever I went in to check out a new place to play and didnt want to use one of my upper end cues. Pechauer makes a great cue. They offer an excellent value.
 
Kevin Lindstrom said:
I have owned 4 Al Romero sneaky petes and to this day still have one that I probably will never sell. I too used to visit his shop once a week back in the late 80's through early 90's when I would play in Hard Times Thursday Night USPPA tournaments. Man I sure miss Al and playing at Hard Times. My current hometown has no pool hall and very few places to place with nice 9 foot tables.

Kevin
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The part I bolded is definitely a strong testimonial. Must suck living in a town like that!

I guess I'm a bit spoiled living in LA...

DavidMNienow said:
I had the Pechauer SP for a long time, and it was a great cue. I would use it whenever I went in to check out a new place to play and didnt want to use one of my upper end cues. Pechauer makes a great cue. They offer an excellent value.
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Thanks for the input!

At this point, I think I might get the Little Al Romero. At the very least, check out his shop before considering the rest.
 
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I've only played with an Al Romero cue out of the ones you mentioned. 12squared is spot on with his comment. I've seen Romeros in the FS section and many get sold the same day! Go with Al and you get a great cue at a great price, along with some sense that if you ever want to sell it you can very quickly (and maybe with a profit).

Kevin is right, I also don't see myself selling my Little Al or buying another cue in the near future, unless it's getting another sneaky or a break/jump from Little Al!
 
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