I am now pondering having a cue made that will be my ultimate cue, my #1 player. However, in terms of points, inlays, design, playability, etc, I don't know where to start to determine what I want in this cue or who I want to build this cue for me.
Can anyone point me in the right direction here?
r/Mike
Getting a cue made for you is a big move, and one you should make when you KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. How can the cuemaker possibly know what you want, when you don't know it yourself? Most makers of cues have a certain hit/feel/balance and aestetic they strive for and the good ones achieve that consistently, even if every cue will be slightly different. You should try as many cues as you can, even if you can't find any you like, you will at least know what you don't like, which is a step in the right direction.
I'm having a custom shaft made to my specs, and plan on having a full cue made if I'm happy with that. In the mean time I'm making due with a Mezz. I didn't use to like Mezz cues, but I've changed my mind recently. The Mezz feel is now the benchmark I'm comparing all cues to. If it can't beat the Mezz, then I'm not buying it. That is based on MY preferences which are as follows: Stiff shaft, non-steel joint, strong "hand shock" (you feel the hit), controlled deflection (not necessarily super low, but not extremely high either). I had the ferrule changed to my preferred material btw. I don't particularly care for the design of most Mezz cues, but to me that is secondary.
You'll get probably 50 different suggestions on custom makers to try, based on what OTHER people like. Some of those people are likely to be dealers or flippers of the cues they are recommending, which makes their recommendations suspect...For every one of those recomendations you'll find someone who completely disagree..Every time the cue question comes up, some guy tries to earn "cred" by recommending something extremely expensive and exotic. Just so you know, some of those cues hit like total crap and are dead as logs. They belong where they are usually found, in a safe, far away from the hands of real players. They're nice to look at though (at least some of them are).
Here is a list of things you should decide upon:
1. Joint material (steel or not steel?, that is the most important question, but there are others (pin size/quick release (standard pin or proprietary)/pin material (yes that's a thing))
2. Ferrule material (Do you want ld-properties, ivory, others?)
3. Shaft taper (anyone can make a pro taper, but try others to see if you like them more). Also, if you decide on a pro taper you need to make up your mind on the length of the taper.
4. Weight
5. Hand shock (if you feel the ball impact in your hand, strongly or not)
6. Complexity of design (some people like a plain jane with beautiful wood, others want intricate inlay work)
7. Style of design (Do you want "tribal", traditional bushka style, SW style, floating points?)
8. Grip (wrapless, linen, leather, exotic?)
9. Do you want an extension?
10 Price (obviously extremely important, but I put it last, because frequently that is the final deciding factor between otherwise equal alternatives)
