Southwest Cues

TheBook said:
Bender is completely opposite. Made in Alaska and has his signature metal track rings. That may be the reason that they split. Couldn't agree on the construction method or conditions.

At "only" 300 per year SW makes more cues than a lot of other makers but since I have one and paid a premium I want to brag about it to keep the value up and make a profit or at least not lose. Plus when my name on the list comes up I can flip it like everyone else.

It is amazing how everyone brags about how great they are but how many really play with them? They are flipped and then become closet queens. And yes. The one I have is a closet queen.
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Why don't you play with it?? I played with both of mine, sold one for stupid:(, and sold the other to make a house payment. It's things like flipping them and "putting them away" that make them so expensive. When I sold both of mine, I made money on them.
 
Pushout said:
Why don't you play with it?? I played with both of mine, sold one for stupid:(, and sold the other to make a house payment. It's things like flipping them and "putting them away" that make them so expensive. When I sold both of mine, I made money on them.
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I don't play with it because I have other cues that I like better. As soon as cues start selling a little better it will be on the market. Then it will be the best playing cue ever and the nicest looking SW that I have ever seen. :rotflmao1:

Don't really need the money at this time so I am not deperate.
 
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AK-Stick said:
Can anyone tell me why Southwest Cues have such a following and draw the $$$ that they do. Most of them are not that fancy they are fairly basic still they are $2000.00 plus and have a waiting peroid. I am not knocking them I have one, I just see alot of other quality cues here for the money that are more eye appealing and play as well.
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Bought mine in 1991. Not "pretty" either, but nice wood. Never warmed up to the original shafts, thus had Jerry (who, needless to say, didn't agree with me) make birdseye maple pro taper ones. I've played with it ever since, despite the fact that I own other great cues from famous cue makers. Has thus far stayed dead straight. No problems whatsoever. Not sure it plays "better" than the other handful "best" (I've tried many, but admittedly not all) - but then, it's the cue whose feel has become second nature to me, so maybe it does?

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
 
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When I look at the seemingly billions of $2000ish cues I ask myself a few questions:

A.) Does it have a similar level of quality of construction and attention to detail that a SW does?

B.) Will it hold it's resale value as well as a SW does?

The majority of those cues in the $2000 price range do not pass those two tests IMO. There are a ton of $2000 keepers out there. You never have to worry about that with a SW. As for playability that is completely subjective. I happen to love the one I have but have hit with some I don't care for at all. I can say the same for every cuemakers cues that I have hit five or six different examples of.

South West is an icon in the pool world. For good reason in my opinion.
 
"Southwest"

Southwest = the BEST period!!!! Thank you to Laurie, Mike, And Al for keeping Jerry's dream alive. Jerry designed a great hitting cue, with a unique design. Almost every cue maker out there has tried to copy the look in some way. I love the ones I own, and play with every day. Still want to buy more NEW ones if available. So keep up the good work Laurie, hope I am alive to get my next ones-lol.
 
I have two SW cues that I've been playing with for about 20 years. One, I bought from a guy in NYC for $400. No one even knew what kind of cue it was; we thought it was a Kersenbrock. As it turns out, it was indeed a SW, made for Dalton Leone (aka: Leon). I played with that one while I waited for my ordered cue. Both were made by Jerry.

The cue made for Leon is unique in that it has a birdseye maple grip, with tulipwood points, and it is a Hoppe butt design. Beautiful and very unusual SW. I've never seen one like it.

The second is very simple. Cocobolo points, standard wrap, but also with a Hoppe butt design.

Choosing between the two has never been easy. Tony Watson says the Leon cue is the best he's every played with. Brian White says the cocobola cue has the best hit he's ever experienced. And neither of them particularly like the other one. Go figure.

Neither cue, in over 20 years, shows the slightest sign of deterioration. And when I brought them to Laurie for validation, all the butts and shafts spun perfectly on the lathe.

As for the SW hit, well, I have never used a cue that provides more resonance to my hand. It's hard to quantify, but the feel is just different. So is the sound. My two cues don't sound the same. I guess because of the different woods. The Leon tulipwood cue has a mellow pop; the cocobolo has a sharper report. Both feel lively, just a bit different.

Now, just so you don't think I'm a SW sycophant, I am currently playing with a cue Mike Gulassy made for me. I wanted a cue I would enjoy playing with that I would not feel I had to guard every minute. My Gulassy cue is pretty simple: bacote top and bottom, with curly maple handle. Mike cores his cues, which I was suspect of, but now accept readily. The hit is not quite as resonant as my SWs, but it's super solid and plays great. Best of all, for me, I have kept it in the trunk of my car for two years and it's still dead straight, which I now think may be attributable to coring.
 
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tedkaufman said:
I have two SW cues that I've been playing with for about 20 years. One, I bought from a guy in NYC for $400. No one even knew what kind of cue it was; we thought it was a Kersenbrock. As it turns out, it was indeed a SW, made for Dalton Leone (aka: Leon). I played with that one while I waited for my ordered cue. Both were made by Jerry.

The cue made for Leon is unique in that it has a birdseye maple grip, with tulipwood points, and it is a Hoppe butt design. Beautiful and very unusual SW. I've never seen one like it.

The second is very simple. Cocobolo points, standard wrap, but also with a Hoppe butt design.

Choosing between the two has never been easy. Tony Watson says the Leon cue is the best he's every played with. Brian White says the cocobola cue has the best hit he's ever experienced. And neither of them particularly like the other one. Go figure.

Neither cue, in over 20 years, shows the slightest sign of deterioration. And when I brought them to Laurie for validation, all the butts and shafts spun perfectly on the lathe.

As for the SW hit, well, I have never used a cue that provides more resonance to my hand. It's hard to quantify, but the feel is just different. So is the sound. My two cues don't sound the same. I guess because of the different woods. The Leon tulipwood cue has a mellow pop; the cocobolo has a sharper report. Both feel lively, just a bit different.

Now, just so you don't think I'm a SW sycophant, I am currently playing with a cue Mike Gulassy made for me. I wanted a cue I would enjoy playing with that I would not feel I had to guard every minute. My Gulassy cue is pretty simple: bacote top and bottom, with curly maple handle. Mike cores his cues, which I was suspect of, but now accept readily. The hit is not quite as resonant as my SWs, but it's super solid and plays great. Best of all, for me, I have kept it in the trunk of my car for two years and it's still dead straight, which I now think may be attributable to coring.
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Fascinating, a reply as if by a soul mate (except you're really daring the pool gods leaving a Gulyassy custom in the trunk of your car!) - thanks for sharing!

Do you know if the "resonance in one's hand" has to do with the splicing? I've been playing with a Jerry Franklin 1991 ever since then, and a friend of mine owns a couple more: they're all so different, but interestingly, your observation is true of only two out of our three.

I'm wondering about this mostly because I know of countless SW-alikes such as Stacey cues etc. - one would think the similarity in joint design, collar materials etc. would give them similar hit and feel, but no…

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
 
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tedkaufman said:
I have two SW cues that I've been playing with for about 20 years. One, I bought from a guy in NYC for $400. No one even knew what kind of cue it was; we thought it was a Kersenbrock. As it turns out, it was indeed a SW, made for Dalton Leone (aka: Leon). I played with that one while I waited for my ordered cue. Both were made by Jerry.

The cue made for Leon is unique in that it has a birdseye maple grip, with tulipwood points, and it is a Hoppe butt design. Beautiful and very unusual SW. I've never seen one like it.

The second is very simple. Cocobolo points, standard wrap, but also with a Hoppe butt design.

Choosing between the two has never been easy. Tony Watson says the Leon cue is the best he's every played with. Brian White says the cocobola cue has the best hit he's ever experienced. And neither of them particularly like the other one. Go figure.

Neither cue, in over 20 years, shows the slightest sign of deterioration. And when I brought them to Laurie for validation, all the butts and shafts spun perfectly on the lathe.

As for the SW hit, well, I have never used a cue that provides more resonance to my hand. It's hard to quantify, but the feel is just different. So is the sound. My two cues don't sound the same. I guess because of the different woods. The Leon tulipwood cue has a mellow pop; the cocobolo has a sharper report. Both feel lively, just a bit different.

Now, just so you don't think I'm a SW sycophant, I am currently playing with a cue Mike Gulassy made for me. I wanted a cue I would enjoy playing with that I would not feel I had to guard every minute. My Gulassy cue is pretty simple: bacote top and bottom, with curly maple handle. Mike cores his cues, which I was suspect of, but now accept readily. The hit is not quite as resonant as my SWs, but it's super solid and plays great. Best of all, for me, I have kept it in the trunk of my car for two years and it's still dead straight, which I now think may be attributable to coring.
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So what is the tag number on your car? :grin:
 
acousticsguru said:
Fascinating, a reply as if by a soul mate (except you're really daring the pool gods leaving a Gulyassy custom in the trunk of one's car!) - thanks for sharing!

Do you know if the "resonance in one's hand" has to do with the splicing? I've been playing with a Jerry Franklin 1991 ever since then, and a friend of mine owns a couple more: they're all so different, but interestingly, your observation is true of only two out of our three.

I'm wondering about this mostly because I know of countless SW-alikes such as Stacey cues etc. - one would think the similarity in joint design, collar materials etc. would give them similar hit and feel, but no…

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
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Hi David! SW cues are not spliced, nor cored (at least not Jerry's). I've seen how they are assembled, and it's basically three pieces: bottom, middle and front. I have no idea why they hit like they do.

I know I'm tempting fate by keeping my Gulyassy in my car trunk. But that was the whole idea of buying a simple, yet quality, $600 cue from Mike. I wanted something I could have available at all times that I wouldn't feel heartsick over if it were lost, stolen or damaged by whatever. I might have to reconsider the trunk, though ... I have gotten quite attached to my Gulyassy :).
 
tedkaufman said:
Hi David! SW cues are not spliced, nor cored (at least not Jerry's). I've seen how they are assembled, and it's basically three pieces: bottom, middle and front. I have no idea why they hit like they do.
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You're right, I've seen it with my own eyes, too. Silly me! :o Well, 20 years ago, so…

What do you mean "at least not Jerry's", by the way? Are the new ones cored?

tedkaufman said:
I know I'm tempting fate by keeping my Gulyassy in my car trunk. But that was the whole idea of buying a simple, yet quality, $600 cue from Mike. I wanted something I could have available at all times that I wouldn't feel heartsick over if it were lost, stolen or damaged by whatever. I might have to reconsider the trunk, though ... I have gotten quite attached to my Gulyassy :).
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As good a cue as money can buy these days, IMHO. But you're right: at least you'd be able to replace it within reasonably short order, as well as at roughly the same price. Do the same, by the way, taking along a Plain Jane or Sneaky Pete depending on where I go (alluding to your: "I wanted a cue I would enjoy playing with that I would not feel I had to guard every minute"). Had no less than three Richard Blacks stolen off me, and no, not travelling the U.S., but back home in li'l ole Switzerland…

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
 
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tedkaufman said:
Hi David! SW cues are not spliced, nor cored (at least not Jerry's). I've seen how they are assembled, and it's basically three pieces: bottom, middle and front. I have no idea why they hit like they do.

I know I'm tempting fate by keeping my Gulyassy in my car trunk. But that was the whole idea of buying a simple, yet quality, $600 cue from Mike. I wanted something I could have available at all times that I wouldn't feel heartsick over if it were lost, stolen or damaged by whatever. I might have to reconsider the trunk, though ... I have gotten quite attached to my Gulyassy :).
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SW cues with points are spliced.
 
JCIN said:
SW cues with points are spliced.
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But not full-spliced, as far as I remember seeing at the shop in 1991, butts are/were segmented into three parts: spliced forearm (e.g. six-point with veneers in my cue), handle (wrap section), butt sleeve. Correct?

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
 
tedkaufman said:
Exactly. Same as what I saw.
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Just noticed you own a 1992 Southwest with Hoppe-style butt. Curious what this looks like. Without rubber bumper?

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
 
AK-Stick said:
Can anyone tell me why Southwest Cues have such a following and draw the $$$ that they do. Most of them are not that fancy they are fairly basic still they are $2000.00 plus and have a waiting peroid. I am not knocking them I have one, I just see alot of other quality cues here for the money that are more eye appealing and play as well.
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In my opinion there are several reasons why they have such a following. One of them is the hit of their cues. Everybody knows that the "hit" is subjective. A lot of the people buying Southwest Cues just plain love the hit of a Southwest. If a person loves the hit of a cue then that is the best cue ever built. If cue feels good but not great to a certain player, that player may be inclined to say it is "overrated" particularly if the cue is costly or has a long wait.

Another is originality of design. There are a lot of people who would rather have a Southwest cue rather than a Southwest "style" cue. The Southwest Cue company build cues according the procedures they have always used which results in a limited production, so the old law of supply and demand kicks in which drives up the price.

Cues are like watches in a lot of ways. A good quartz watch say a Seiko will keep great time and provide years and years of service with little maintenance. So will a Rolex. They both keep time they both go on your arm. Is the Rolex overrated? Some people think so.. Many others do not and they own Rolex watches.
 
A Southwest Cue is like a Rolex watch. If taken care of, it is going to maintain its value and over time go up in value, almost guaranteed. It's going to play great - look great -and never go out of style.

(Wow...edited to add that I did not read the post above mine before typing this. Great minds think alike, I guess?)
 
acousticsguru said:
But not full-spliced, as far as I remember seeing at the shop in 1991, butts are/were segmented into three parts: spliced forearm (e.g. six-point with veneers in my cue), handle (wrap section), butt sleeve. Correct?

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
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You are correct in the method of assembly.

What would you call the construction technique on a half spliced forearm? I would call it a splice. Of course the cues are not full splice. That doesnt mean that they have no splices involved in the technique. In most circles cues referred to as unspliced mean the points are flat bottomed or inlaid. This is not the case with SW cues.

I am guessing this is just one of those internet miscommunications over terminology.
 
acousticsguru said:
Just noticed you own a 1992 Southwest with Hoppe-style butt. Curious what this looks like. Without rubber bumper?

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
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I don't have pictures handy, but both of my cues are Hoppe butt designs. One is cocobolo butt, brown fiber ring for cap and thin rubber bumper. The other is essentially the same, but the wood butt section is tulipwood. Neither has the characteristic SW maple ring at the butt.
 
tedkaufman said:
I don't have pictures handy, but both of my cues are Hoppe butt designs. One is cocobolo butt, brown fiber ring for cap and thin rubber bumper. The other is essentially the same, but the wood butt section is tulipwood. Neither has the characteristic SW maple ring at the butt.
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I see. Curiously enough, mine is an inversion of the traditional design (a variation on a theme, so to speak), albeit also by Jerry Franklin (from 1991): even though the 6 points are Cocobolo (with maple and tulipwood veneers) into a birdseye maple forearm, the ring above the brown fibre butt cap is Cocobolo, and the butt sleeve birdseye maple.

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
 
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