Thoughts about Meucci cues

Spend $300 on a Bob Frey sneaky and play with the other $300. Or... buy a used custom so it doesn't depreciate like production cues.
 
arghhh!! I am so confused

I have 3 Meucci I bought here and there....

They are European series E1 E3 and E5

I hope I did not get lame ones the butts has a flat screw for wieghts

one old huebler black plain

2 schons one is their base model the other is unknown shows LTD on it.
 
Schon and Pechauer are the two production cues that I would consider in your range. By the way, both made in USA.

Good luck.

Best,
Brian kc
 
A teammate has a Meucci. He bought one with a hybrid shaft. He noticed the ferrule was cracked. There was a rep at a tournament and he took the shaft to get it repaired. That was 2 years ago. Every time he talked to them about they gave some excuse about the supplier, back log and etc. He has tried contacting them lately but gets no response. No answer and no way to leave a message.

Stay away from Meucci.
 
I have a PP1. I got it very cheap with a bent pin. Still, it rolled straight.
I learned to play with it and love it. I would never sell it.
Probably just one of the lucky ones.
I concur with the rest. If you have that kind of money to spend you can't go wrong with a McDermott or Schon if you like a production cue. I don't know if its fair to call a Schon a production cue or not.

If you want a custom, you have enuff money to buy either new or used.
Thats probably your best bet. Read the threads and keep your eyes on the For Sale section.

I'd like to be able to tell you to buy the Meucci, because if you get a good one you'll love it, but with all the bad rep, you'll most likely
end up very disappointed.
 
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Meucci vs. today

I've played pool for well over 20 years. The first 17 years were with a couple of Meucci Originals. Back then, they were very good quality and the feel was unique in the market ... long taper, flexy, and back-weighted. When I moved away from Meucci, I wanted a similar feel in a very high quality cue. Call me crazy, but I have found a combination that works very well ... Schon with an OB shaft. The OB-1 is a flexy shaft, long taper, and is light ... which makes the overall cue balance more backweighted. The OB shafts and the Schon are both of impeccable quality. If you like the feel of the old Meuccis, try this combination.

- Glen
 
If you like the hit of a Meucci please don't buy a Schon! The Schons hit VERY VERY stiff compared to a Meucci. You won't like it at first. You WILL have to get used to the stiffness of a Schon.
I thought that Bob sold out Meucci? That's why you see these new Medici's and other crap now. I believe that he sold the rights to the 97 series and later. I could be wrong....
I refinish and repair many Meucci's. They have alot of problems due to the amount of cheap plastic in them, from tip to butt.
I personally would not touch a new Meucci. If you like the hit of a Meucci, find a Meucci Original and have the cracked plastic replaced and refinished then you will have the cue that you are looking for.
You may never find the perfect cue but if you try a custom cue, you can always sell or trade it and try another. It's just not easy to find your holy grail of cues.
Good Luck!
 
Ryan Theewen of Muellers -- certified Meucci cue repairman

I'm not afraid to admit that I have Ryan Theewen of Muellers ("ratcues" here on AZB) rebuilding a Meucci 97-11 for me. It's a cue with enough personal sentimental value to it, that's it's worth the rebuilding cost to see how it turns out. This particular Meucci was the first cue I picked up after a 14-year hiatus from pool. (I'd put down my cues and locked 'em away in a closet right after I got out of the U.S. Navy in 1990, never to pick up a cue again until 2004 -- and that Meucci was the first cue I played with consistently as more or less a "banger" to get back in stroke.)

I once had a 1984 Meucci Original when I was serving, and like an idiot, I sold it. It felt and played supremely well. I loved those original "whippy" shafts with 1.25" ferrules -- you can't get 'em anymore. Smack the cue ball with firm draw, and you better duck -- or else that cue ball slammed in reverse, climbed the cushion nearest you, and smacked you in the foreheard! (Ok, that was a slight exaggeration, but it makes the point. :o )

Like other posters have noted, the post-Meucci Originals stage of manufacturing (where Meucci changed the logo from a block-lettered "Meucci Originals" to a cursive/script-fonted "Meucci") have quality issues. My particular Meucci 97-11 warped in the handle/grip area enough to where it was so noticeable, I was embarrassed to show it to colleagues and friends (it personally didn't bother me shooting -- I just rotated it so the warp was on the bottom -- but I just didn't want anyone else to shoot with it).

Luckily, warps in the handle/grip area are a common-enough problem that folks like Ryan Theewen can fix/rebuild these in his sleep. I can't wait to see the magic he can work on this nostalgic-for-me cue!

Hope this is helpful,
-Sean
 
I had one out of Bob's first catalog, the first one in my area, in fact. I played with them for several years of and on and they seemed to suit me. At this time the quality is about as bad as it's ever been, if not worse. The last one I had came with a black dot shaft, I wanted to compare it to the predator that I used for a while. Much, much better than the predator but not better than any other cue I owned at the time so I sold it.
An original in good shape for a good price would suit you, probably. I'd stay far away from the new ones. Production, go with Pechauer. Or, as has been stated already, get a custom with a Meucci style shaft taper.
 
I've played pool for well over 20 years. The first 17 years were with a couple of Meucci Originals. Back then, they were very good quality and the feel was unique in the market ... long taper, flexy, and back-weighted. When I moved away from Meucci, I wanted a similar feel in a very high quality cue. Call me crazy, but I have found a combination that works very well ... Schon with an OB shaft. The OB-1 is a flexy shaft, long taper, and is light ... which makes the overall cue balance more backweighted. The OB shafts and the Schon are both of impeccable quality. If you like the feel of the old Meuccis, try this combination.

- Glen

This is very good advice if you like the hit of a Meucci cue. I have one OB1 shaft and it hits similarly to a Meucci cue which is not a bad thing. A Schon or Joss cue with an OB1 shaft would be a good combination that would be similar to what you were used to. If you shop around you can find a like new Schon or Joss cue for a very good price on the used cue market. I've owned a number of Schon cues and one Joss cue over the years and they were all good playing and well made cues. With a $600 budget you can find something nice, but i'd steer clear of a new Meucci cue due to some quality issues that i've read and heard about. The new Meucci cues are not the same as the Meucci Originals of years past. Good luck on whatever you decide.
 
Never shot with a Meucci but I think they make a great looking cue. Years ago, the best players I knew used a Meucci, but Meucci's reputation has apparently fallen over the years.
 
Ryan can really fix a warped butt on a Meucci Original? Didnt think that was possible. I have a Meucci Original thats got a shaft AND butt warp. This old cue is nothing fancy....I bought it off craigs list a year ago. Plays fine...but the warp is nasty. Might be worth something to someone if Ryan could take the warp out. I wonder how he does it? Got any idea the cost to unwarp a shaft and butt?
 
bent

I have a black dot shaft.... it rolls and shoots just fine. I have no complaints.

I have a friend that has one that you can shoot around corners with. I have never seen any other cue shaft warp as bad.

I know another player at the local pool hall that has a meucci butt that is warped also. I have never seen any other butt warp like that either.

Are they using green wood.... or what???

Kim
 
Ryan can really fix a warped butt on a Meucci Original? Didnt think that was possible. I have a Meucci Original thats got a shaft AND butt warp. This old cue is nothing fancy....I bought it off craigs list a year ago. Plays fine...but the warp is nasty. Might be worth something to someone if Ryan could take the warp out. I wonder how he does it? Got any idea the cost to unwarp a shaft and butt?

StrokeAnalyzer:

Yes, he can. In fact, Ryan has canned/standardized pricing to do this, because it's a common repair. Ryan's better suited to answering the "hows" of how he does this, as well as quoting you the price (I won't go there -- he's better suited to giving you this price depending on the description you give him). Reach out to him -- he's "ratcues" here on AZBilliards.

However, the basics of what it entails (at least in my case), is cutting-out the entire grip/handle area completely, boring-/hollowing-out the old "A"-joint, reinstalling a new seasoned handle and pin, and letting it hang and cure for several weeks. Then he finishes the handle according to your specs -- including the reinstallation of the poly-coat, or a wrap of your choice. I personally chose to have Ryan install a black-with-blue-speckles roller-pressed Irish Linen wrap to match the black/blue motif of the Meucci 97-11's design. I chose Irish Linen, because I use a rubber carom grip on all my cues as my grip of choice, and I didn't want the cost of the repair to get too excessive with a custom wrap that I'd end up covering with that rubber carom grip anyway. I'm thinking the black-with-blue-speckles Irish Linen wrap is gonna look really sharp on my Meucci 97-11.

I look at it this way -- Ryan's rebuilding the cue to what it *should* have been when you purchased it. I innately and unquestionably trust his work.

So if you like Meucci (or your particular Meucci), don't despair. Ryan's the best place to get any repairs done to it, including removal of "what you might think to be impossible to remove" warps. I'm anxious to see mine -- but in due time, when it's ready, of course.

Hope this helps,
-Sean
 
I have a black dot shaft.... it rolls and shoots just fine. I have no complaints.

I have a friend that has one that you can shoot around corners with. I have never seen any other cue shaft warp as bad.

I know another player at the local pool hall that has a meucci butt that is warped also. I have never seen any other butt warp like that either.

Are they using green wood.... or what???

Kim

They are production cues. They turned out sooo many in the early 80's that they were not waiting long enough between cuts to let the wood breathe. I believe that Rock (plant manager when it was in Sledge, MS.) told me that they were pumping out 700 cues a week at their peak.
You will find many Meucci's warped in the front of the forearm, the middle of the handle and of course the shaft. The wood needs to be somewhat "Green", a moisture content of (6%). If you cut it too fast, diameter wise, you have a warped piece of wood in the future.
 
===== Sold ====
Ill sell the MO I have for $100(you pay shipping). I just dont want to fool with it. I attached some pics of the cue. I'll even throw in that antique case! Its some kinda suede cover with brass hings and clasps.

Meucci Originals specs, not sure of model number.

Weight - 17.5oz
Length - 58.5"
Tip diameter - 13.3mm
Balance point - 18"

Cue Condition :

Shaft is clean and in good condition.
Butt wrap and finish is in good condition.
Hairline crack at butt joint collar.

Slight warp in shaft and warp in butt. Cue warp is most noticable when sections are screwed together. The warp does not affect the playability of the cue. Cue plays fine in my opinion.

I think its a pretty easy fix for Ryan. No miracles required :)

After rework this could be a nice cue for someone that likes/wants a Meucci Original.
 

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Get what you like best.

While it's true, there are a lot of people that bash Meucci's here on AZB and there are some truths to the customer service issues, I have had a good experience personally with a black dot shaft warranty issue recently. It was a little timely, but overall not a bad experience. I also have a 97-28 with 2 red dot shafts for over 10 years with no issues whatsoever. I currently am having a 21st Century series ordered to my specs that should have been here by now, while it's dissappointing to not have it in the anticipated timeframe, there is no substitute for the design of this cue in my opinion, so I wait. I love the look of a fine Meucci, it is a more a work of art than a statement for me. I do like the hit of a Meucci, I currently own 2, this will be my 3rd, and probably not my last. If you like Meucci, get a Meucci, if you want to try something else in your price range, you have sooooo many options, it isn't even funny. In the long run, you have to be happy with your decision. It's all personal preference. Best of luck to you.
 
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