Suggestions? Joss, Schon or Custom cue?

O

Overlandy

Registered
Hello everyone, I'm looking to purchase a cue. Whether it's new or used doesn't much matter. I have been looking at Joss, Schon, and Carolina Customs etc. and need some help. I am looking to spend between $400 and $700, maybe more if I really like it.
I am currently playing with a Lucasi LE-28 and an old Adam A/H-1 with the original shaft and Triangle tips on both. I like the hit and feel of the Lucasi a little more because the Adam has a slightly shorter taper and thicker butt, I just do not care for the uneven points and cheesy inlays of the Lucasi. I have a few Meucci cues that I just don't care for much anymore because they are too whippy. I like SS, Triangle tips 12.5 to 13mm, BEM, Cocobolo or Ebony points, and the option of going with an LD shaft without having custom ring work done if possible.
There isn't much of an option as far as trying cues out in my area guys I play with use production cues like Meucci, Lucasi, and McDermott. The only places to purchase cues are from Barstools and Billiards type places with high mark up low quality production cues.
I don't know whether to go with a custom cue keeping in mind resale value, or with a higher end production cue? Suggestions are welcome.
:confused:
 
Hello and welcome to the forums. It seems like you are tired of the lower quality you get with the base model productions. It would be my suggestion to get with a cue maker and discuss the options and he can make you what you want. He will be able to customize not only the look, but the feel and just about anything else you want to get out of your cue. That is why custom is the best way to go.

I recommend Leon Sly, J&D Customs, Scott Gracio, BHQ, Doug Patrick, rhncue, dzcues, to start with, and among any of those guys, you should be able to get pretty much anything you want for a very reasonable price. I would be able to make you a cue but I don't do CNC at all. Spend some time on the phone with some of these guys, or if you want, PM me your phone number and I will sit and talk with you and zero in exactly what you're trying to accomplish..... you will be amazed at how much more satisfied you will feel after just 5 minutes on the phone with a good cue maker.
 
I don't think you'd be disappointed with a Schon. Their stock shaft has (in my experiences) been somewhat comparable to a lot of the LD shafts on the market. Not to mention, they're made in the USA, and they have a lot of absolutely stunning models. What's more, a lot of their models are made in limited quantites - often as few as 12 are made of one particular style - so you'll surely have an original, unique cue.
 
Call me later this afternoon. I don't have anything to sell you but I am pretty sure I can give you SOLID advice. Be it production or custom......

Just call..
Greg
 
Well welcome to the board first off,and secondly I'd say it depends on how long you've been playing and your skill level.If your still fairly new get something a litttle cheaper till your really ready to drop major bucks,if your pretty good now then look at your cue as an investment for work not what you can resell it for and then pick out one that's comfortable to you.
 
carolina makes a fine cue an you wont be disappointed. while schon is also a fine cue and you'd prolly be very happy with it carolina offers a much wider variety of options. you should play with a few different cues before you have a cue made so you really understand what you like in a cue (beside how it looks). plenty of options over in the wanted/for sale section. dont see what you want? just post what youre looking for and you'll have 4 pages of options in 10 seconds :)

good luck

Brian
 
I would give (Rat pool cues a look) at www.poolndarts.com RyanTheewen is a contributor here an a super cue maker. You can buy off the rack an add an extra shaft or pm him an he can walk you through on one of his custom cues. He seems to be a person that cares about customer satisfaction. You get a lot of bang for the buck. Hope this is helpful an gives you more options. Skip :)
 
Two post and one Itrader already. You move quickly. Good luck in your search. I would advise you call the above posters who offered to talk and the advice of buying afew inexpensive used cues first is sound. Sounds like you have a good idea what you want, but it dosen't hurt to try something differant. Then you can resale the ones you don't like. Up till recently I thought all good cues had to have SS joints. Now that I have shot with some wood to wood joints, I may never put a SS joint cue in my case again!

Larry
 
If I had to buy a cue I had not hit any balls with I would pick a Schon, simply because that is what I'm familiar with and I like the way they play.

However, my recommendation would be to hit some balls with a variety of cues before you buy one.
 
suggestion...

i just replaced an old viking with a schon and i love mine. is it perfect for everyone? im sure it's not. but it will be a long time before i feel the need to replace it (although i do have an eye out for a great deal on a Runde-era schon, it's an illness...).
 
63Kcode said:
Two post and one Itrader already. You move quickly. Good luck in your search. I would advise you call the above posters who offered to talk and the advice of buying afew inexpensive used cues first is sound. Sounds like you have a good idea what you want, but it dosen't hurt to try something differant. Then you can resale the ones you don't like. Up till recently I thought all good cues had to have SS joints. Now that I have shot with some wood to wood joints, I may never put a SS joint cue in my case again!

Larry
Click to expand...

Your spot on Larry..i played years with a SS joint..as soon as i went wood
to wood it was all over..bang..best hit ever..though i still preffer the Piloted
joint..seems to even out the hit..either way its W2W for me to!!Randy:thumbup:
 
Overlandy said:
Hello everyone, I'm looking to purchase a cue. Whether it's new or used doesn't much matter. I have been looking at Joss, Schon, and Carolina Customs etc. and need some help. I am looking to spend between $400 and $700, maybe more if I really like it.
I am currently playing with a Lucasi LE-28 and an old Adam A/H-1 with the original shaft and Triangle tips on both. I like the hit and feel of the Lucasi a little more because the Adam has a slightly shorter taper and thicker butt, I just do not care for the uneven points and cheesy inlays of the Lucasi. I have a few Meucci cues that I just don't care for much anymore because they are too whippy. I like SS, Triangle tips 12.5 to 13mm, BEM, Cocobolo or Ebony points, and the option of going with an LD shaft without having custom ring work done if possible.There isn't much of an option as far as trying cues out in my area guys I play with use production cues like Meucci, Lucasi, and McDermott. The only places to purchase cues are from Barstools and Billiards type places with high mark up low quality production cues.
I don't know whether to go with a custom cue keeping in mind resale value, or with a higher end production cue? Suggestions are welcome.
:confused:
Click to expand...

i admit to being highly biased towards Schon. I am also completely biased about OB shafts. The advice you have been given about trying as many cues as possible is excellent advice for anybody that is able to do so. You indicate your situation dictates otherwise. Schon probably has the cue for you and OB definately has one of the most highly praised LD shaft selections on AZB. or anywhere. I have no experience in the resale cue business....but Schon has a loyal following and great word of mouth advertising (the best kind) so I should think they retain their value as well as any, especially the LTD series. If You decide to go the custom route in the price range you indicate......I think retained value for resale would probably not be much different. The highlighted portions in my quote of your OP can be solved by OB for almost if not all cues being made.....Dan
 
You can't go wrong with a Pechauer either. They are underrated but they are some of the best playing production cues IMO. Plus they make some good looking cues within your budget. I bought a used Schon in good condition from a local guy and it played WAY too stiff for me. If I had the money then I would have put a 314^2 shaft on it and it probably would have played much differently. But the Pechauer suggestion is just my 0.02. :)
 
bazkook said:
You can't go wrong with a Pechauer either. They are underrated but they are some of the best playing production cues IMO. Plus they make some good looking cues within your budget. I bought a used Schon in good condition from a local guy and it played WAY too stiff for me. If I had the money then I would have put a 314^2 shaft on it and it probably would have played much differently. But the Pechauer suggestion is just my 0.02. :)
Click to expand...

I agree -- J. Pechauer's product is ALWAYS good stuff. There's a reason why Predator keeps choosing J. Pechauer to make their Special Edition cues, year after year:

http://predatorcues.com/predator_cues_special_edition.php

J. Pechauer are a flag ship wrapless production cue maker, and fine cues they are!

Another good option for the price range the original poster outlined, is Jacoby:

http://jacobycustomcues.com/

Jacoby makes all of Tiger Products' cues, and I have a Tiger TPC-3 that I absolutely love.

But as several other posters mentioned, you just can't beat a custom for the purposes of interacting with the maker to create something just for you!

Hope this is helpful!
-Sean
 
$400-$700 I'd go Schon..

I'm sure your getting a lot of advice but IMO I'd go with a Schon.In your range of $400-$700 you can buy a great looking Schon that will play great and with some very nice inlays and exotic woods.The other upside is that they do hold their value even in this economy.I own several Schon's and i just can't say enough about them.And if you look in the wanted/forsale section here you'll find a few at great prices.Good luck and this is just my 2 cents:smile:
 
personally I like Schon. they were a standard for many years and many todays contemporary designs based on Schons
 
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