southwest cue construction

i had a very good cue maker make me a southwest copy. He used the same woods that are in my southwest, he used a brass 3/8 11 pin like they use and it looks almost identical but his cue has a much lower tone than the southwest, why is this?


you can have a cue maker build you 2 cues using the same method, and the same woods from the same tree and same, tip, ferrule, joint, rings, and pin.
chances are that the 2 cues will play a bit different and have a bit different tone, as you are dealing with organic materials and most are a bit different.

Ab-so-lutely...

FWIW - I hit a few balls with 5 - 6 different SWs from the Franklin days.

They all hit differently.

YMMV

Dale
 
Everything matters. Even the bumper.

And the tip.

I point out my previous findings: I had an ebony Titlist fitted with a phenolic joint and used it for breaking. It had a phenolic insert in the buttcap. It came with an Ultraskin HH installed and broke fine, but I had the chance to get a free Samsara out on so I tried it. Broke well, after a week the phenolic insert in the buttcap shattered. No changes made except the tip. No outside damage.
 
Everything matters. Even the bumper.

And in the case of SW it's a plug down a short 7/8 phenolic tube with a 5/8 id.
The SW dimension is sure intriguing. Thin collar and fat middle section.
Kinda like a skinny fat middle man . Lol
Spider body?
 
I've had 3 Schulers Xrayed. The old one used no metal at the A joint. The two newer ones (prior to '02) used Ray's joint at the A joint as well.

Paul,

You are correct. Ray Ray used his Schuler Joint design in the A Joint.

9 Hall of Fame people played with a Schuler cue.

A least Ray's cue were not warped on a consistent basis. That is the 800 lb gorilla in the room. LOL

Rick
 
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Paul,

You are correct. Ray Ray used his Schuler Joint design in the A Joint.

9 Hall of Fame people played with a Schuler cue.

A least Ray's cue were not warped on a consistent basis. That is the 800 lb gorilla in the room. LOL

Rick

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Dangeruous ground

Does a Coker cue's have a metal pin in the A joint ?

What Tom Coker told me is that He copied SW cue's, cue's....
Bought one put in in a band saw and cut it down the center.......................
and copied it.
This is one time I wish Jim Pierce would chime in .
And what about Jim Pieces cues , some time s you cant tell the difference between a Coker and a Pierce.
For most part if the cue is not made of burl wood Tom Coker doesn't core his cues .....

Is all or the normal SW cues Cored that are not made with burl wood ????
 
I played with a SouthWest for many years. Also owned a Coker or two.

Not even close to the same.

YMMV
 

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I played with a SouthWest for many years. Also owned a Coker or two.

Not even close to the same.

Yep....

Id also like to add that when I bought my Kersenbrock from John Wright in 87 ( which was prabably a SW from what I gather now ) he let me dry hit with every one including four I could chalk up. There were 10 of them. ALL hit very good with no major noticeable difference. No two were made with the the exact woods... Pretty amazing if you think about it. I think that would qualify as exceptional building knowledge and consistent building technique.
 
Why would a metal stud in the "A" joint make any difference in a cue's hit, as opposed to no metal stud? Anybody care to break that one down? It's one thing to make a clear, concise statement. It's something altogether different & more meaningful if the statement is supported with some logic and tangible evidence.
 
Why would a metal stud in the "A" joint make any difference in a cue's hit, as opposed to no metal stud? Anybody care to break that one down? It's one thing to make a clear, concise statement. It's something altogether different & more meaningful if the statement is supported with some logic and tangible evidence.

One theory I heard is that different densities of materials will reflect the sound wave back to the end of the cue where it came from instead of letting it continue on to the opposite end of the cue............where you can feel it with your hand....

That's why a metal joint seems to deaden the hit instead of sharpening it as most people think.

just a theory

Kim
 
Why would a metal stud in the "A" joint make any difference in a cue's hit, as opposed to no metal stud? Anybody care to break that one down? It's one thing to make a clear, concise statement. It's something altogether different & more meaningful if the statement is supported with some logic and tangible evidence.

I can take a stab... Hit and feel are different. I do not think the A joint construction would necessarily affect the hit of the cue but it can be proven to affect the feel, though, which is the resulting vibrations of hitting a ball. Those vibrations move through all of the materials that make up a cue back to the hand holding the cue. Different materials can enhance or interrupt those vibrations. I chose to think of it it terms of mass as opposed to material.

When the cue ball is struck, the vibration waves travel through the shaft towards the bumper. That wave is effected by the shaft taper, type of joint (ie SS collar vs no collar vs phenolic vs whatever, big pin vs small pin, etc) , forearm wood, A joint, handle wood.... A large metal mass at any point would interrupt that vibration. I AM NOT STATING THAT ONE WAY IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER, JUST DIFFERENT.

If none of this made a difference, why would a builder chose BRW over BEM? It changes the way the player feels/hears the vibration.


<~~~rambling.....
 
Why would a metal stud in the "A" joint make any difference in a cue's hit, as opposed to no metal stud? Anybody care to break that one down? It's one thing to make a clear, concise statement. It's something altogether different & more meaningful if the statement is supported with some logic and tangible evidence.


It's all perception and in the mind. However, there is a difference. The best way to explain this is to make two cues exactly the same with the only difference being the "A" joint. I did that and that's why I didn't put metal in the "A" joint. Of course, that's a matter of preference and YMMV.

And, if you want to confuse it more, try making several cues and vary the glue choice. Then, you can take it even further with more samples using various coring woods with varying degrees of thickness and different glues.

After all that, you'll come up with 'your' winning combination for what you like 'your' cue to play like.

Then there is sound..... that feature can be controlled on any cue so it really doesn't matter as any cue can be made to 'thud' or 'tink' with minor adjustments.
 
I agree that denser hardwoods that are known for tonal qualities give more ping sound to the cue. But I do not agree that all of them make a cue more lively. Maple is not much for a tone wood yet it is a really lively wood in the forearm and shaft of a cue.
 
I agree that denser hardwoods that are known for tonal qualities give more ping sound to the cue. But I do not agree that all of them make a cue more lively. Maple is not much for a tone wood yet it is a really lively wood in the forearm and shaft of a cue.

True. Zircote is one them. Awful wood for cues.
I can't explain it.
 
I can take a stab... Hit and feel are different. I do not think the A joint construction would necessarily affect the hit of the cue but it can be proven to affect the feel, though, which is the resulting vibrations of hitting a ball. Those vibrations move through all of the materials that make up a cue back to the hand holding the cue. Different materials can enhance or interrupt those vibrations. I chose to think of it it terms of mass as opposed to material.

When the cue ball is struck, the vibration waves travel through the shaft towards the bumper. That wave is effected by the shaft taper, type of joint (ie SS collar vs no collar vs phenolic vs whatever, big pin vs small pin, etc) , forearm wood, A joint, handle wood.... A large metal mass at any point would interrupt that vibration. I AM NOT STATING THAT ONE WAY IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER, JUST DIFFERENT.

If none of this made a difference, why would a builder chose BRW over BEM? It changes the way the player feels/hears the vibration.


<~~~rambling.....

I like your thinking. :smile:
 
Why would a metal stud in the "A" joint make any difference in a cue's hit, as opposed to no metal stud? Anybody care to break that one down? It's one thing to make a clear, concise statement. It's something altogether different & more meaningful if the statement is supported with some logic and tangible evidence.

Didn't you say any part of the cue construction affects the hit ?
 
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it can be proven to affect the feel, though, which is the resulting vibrations of hitting a ball.

Unfortunately, the only way to prove it would be to test the same exact cue, once with metal & once without.

Those vibrations move through all of the materials that make up a cue back to the hand holding the cue. Different materials can enhance or interrupt those vibrations. I chose to think of it it terms of mass as opposed to material.

When the cue ball is struck, the vibration waves travel through the shaft towards the bumper. That wave is effected by the shaft taper, type of joint (ie SS collar vs no collar vs phenolic vs whatever, big pin vs small pin, etc) , forearm wood, A joint, handle wood.... A large metal mass at any point would interrupt that vibration.

I agree with this logic 100%, except that I don't see it quite the same way as others. Many believe that the metal stud will kill or dull the vibrations, when in fact the metal will actually vibrate at a much higher frequency than the porous wood. Rather than inhibiting vibration, it would be quite passive & act as a conduit. This is why trumpets are made of brass instead of wood. Imagine a guitar made of brass. It would be too screechy. Wood is a better choice because it dampens the vibration to a more comfortable frequency.

If none of this made a difference, why would a builder chose BRW over BEM? It changes the way the player feels/hears the vibration.

Agreed. I am a huge proponent for learning how to choose woods. IMO, this is the make & break factor in a cue maker's success. However, I personally do not believe there's any significant or noticeable impact a metal stud "A" joint can have on how a cue feels, plays, or sounds. Most of the guys who take a stance against metal studs in the "A" joint, do so for the reasons you listed, but then they won't use anything but a big joint pin. Kind of an oxymoron, right?

I'm not arguing with anybody or pointing fingers. Just striking up some conversation. I appreciate the responses & civil discussion.
 
Unfortunately, the only way to prove it would be to test the same exact cue, once with metal & once without.



I agree with this logic 100%, except that I don't see it quite the same way as others. Many believe that the metal stud will kill or dull the vibrations, when in fact the metal will actually vibrate at a much higher frequency than the porous wood. Rather than inhibiting vibration, it would be quite passive & act as a conduit. This is why trumpets are made of brass instead of wood. Imagine a guitar made of brass. It would be too screechy. Wood is a better choice because it dampens the vibration to a more comfortable frequency.



Agreed. I am a huge proponent for learning how to choose woods. IMO, this is the make & break factor in a cue maker's success. However, I personally do not believe there's any significant or noticeable impact a metal stud "A" joint can have on how a cue feels, plays, or sounds. Most of the guys who take a stance against metal studs in the "A" joint, do so for the reasons you listed, but then they won't use anything but a big joint pin. Kind of an oxymoron, right?

I'm not arguing with anybody or pointing fingers. Just striking up some conversation. I appreciate the responses & civil discussion.
If I did not need that 1 oz in there, I just use G-10.
Fkkr hits great .:grin-square:
 
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