Tony Bautista
- Thread starter Dilligaf
- Start date
They play like "MOST" other cues from makers in the Philippines. Shafts are over sized, cheap shaft wood, cheap tips and ferrules, made to look pretty. When you get done spending $300.00 on new shafts you will have some decent shafts that play pretty well. You can then save your money for a good butt!
Dilligaf
Registered
So have you ever played with one of his cues?, or are you just saying all Philippine cues?
Of course I have owned several Filipino makers cues, several Bautista's. As well as Audrick's, JD, Majestic and some others you have probably never heard of. The problem with all of these makers cues is not the inlay work as they have the pretty part of it down to a science. Hardly one of them I mentioned core their cues...Or at least they did not when I finally got smart and quit buying them...So the butt's eventually warp and the inlays start coming loose. Another thing: It is so humid in that part of the world that when they turn down shafts they never dry out to a moisture content that would be acceptable to an American cue maker. This is why so many of those makers shafts warp when shipped to the U.S. As well as being made out of cheap shaft wood it is never allowed to properly dry out. The combination of those two things is always a recipe for a warped shaft. Put that with the fact it is then turned to make a finished shaft when still wet...Not a good plan.
Now I will admit there are a couple people in the Philippines trying to do good work. But unless they are using Dehumidifiers in their shop and buying some good shaft wood you are never going to get a good cue out of there. At least not something that would warrant half the value of an U.S. Made product.
By all means go buy the cue if you think you would like it, but take it from a guy with some experience in this area. I have owned at least 10 cues from different makers over there. I have only had one that kept a straight shaft and the cue came with two shafts. Every one of them have had cheap shaft wood, tips and ferrules. The shaft tapers are very heavy to keep them from warping while sitting waiting to be sold. Once you have it re tapered it will warp within 24 hours. So go ahead and buy it, just be prepared to spend some money on it if you actually want to use it.
Now I will admit there are a couple people in the Philippines trying to do good work. But unless they are using Dehumidifiers in their shop and buying some good shaft wood you are never going to get a good cue out of there. At least not something that would warrant half the value of an U.S. Made product.
By all means go buy the cue if you think you would like it, but take it from a guy with some experience in this area. I have owned at least 10 cues from different makers over there. I have only had one that kept a straight shaft and the cue came with two shafts. Every one of them have had cheap shaft wood, tips and ferrules. The shaft tapers are very heavy to keep them from warping while sitting waiting to be sold. Once you have it re tapered it will warp within 24 hours. So go ahead and buy it, just be prepared to spend some money on it if you actually want to use it.
I have a Tony Bautista cue I bought from Joyren over there for about $230. It is the best playing cue I have found so far in the PI and I'm quite satisfied with it. I opted for a plain cue without inlays. That's always my preference in cues, for the most part.
Al , has me buying cue parts from Atlas and other suppiers here in the U.S. and put a package all togather and save on shipping . He cuts nothing I can see on quality of products he puts into his cues . I have owned 2 of Tonys cues , both were top notch . Jim
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Dilligaf
Registered
Well there seems to be a mixed bag of opinions, Tonys cues, from what I have seen are very nice.
Thks
I had this cue
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=322612
and omg, it hit so freaking good. I seriously regret trading it for Harris cue. maybe I will get it back some day
Not sure why Kaydon is bashing his work- there are like 10 cuemakers with last name Bautisain PL haha, maybe he got a cue for different cuemaker lol
but the cue I had was stunning, made well, great tips, shafts, pin- everything
nothing but good words especially for the price you pay
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=322612
and omg, it hit so freaking good. I seriously regret trading it for Harris cue. maybe I will get it back some day
Not sure why Kaydon is bashing his work- there are like 10 cuemakers with last name Bautisain PL haha, maybe he got a cue for different cuemaker lol
but the cue I had was stunning, made well, great tips, shafts, pin- everything
nothing but good words especially for the price you pay
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You will get more bang for your buck with a Bautista cue than any cue made in the US. If you are interested in a cue from the Philippines you may also want to check out JD cues.
oh also I have monster JD which plays super awesome with my Varney LD shaft, and made very well and in 2013.
I have seen his previous cue and they had lots of problems- I guess he is stepping up his game!
Old cues from PL are garbage but they are making much better stuff nowadays
I have seen his previous cue and they had lots of problems- I guess he is stepping up his game!
Old cues from PL are garbage but they are making much better stuff nowadays
This guy sounds like a real expert , HUH . I think he's the only one thowing Tony under the Bus . Takes all kinds of experts .
cluelesscuer
New member
He has opinion. Why get on the guy for sharing it? I don't get that.
Yeah, I have a JD cue that is tuxedo style with lizard wrap and a jacoby shaft for $400. Heck of a deal and plays great.
Attachments
Expert?
MR. Baxter,
With all due respect to your opinion it is just that, your opinion. I did not bash MR. Bautista in my earlier post but I do have a story about the last cue that I purchased that was made by him. I will admit it has been several years since I have owned a cue from a maker in the PL, but my last one was a Tony Bautista. A gentleman I knew had 3 new Bautista cues and I bought one of them. This cue was made in 2011 if memory serves. Had never hit a ball. It looked good, felt good with a leather wrap, even had a pretty good hit with both shafts. Shafts were way over sized, pretty close to 14mm at the ferrule. Took it in to a local custom cue maker in the St. Louis area to have the shafts turned down about a mil, ferrules replaced and the rock hard tips changed out. He will remain nameless because he only did the work as a favor to me as he does not work on cues made outside of the U.S. Before the guy got the first shaft turned down it had warped, the second shaft had a tenon in the end of the shaft holding the ferrule. A tenon is okay if it an original part of the shaft, threads cut, etc, but a shaft with a hole drilled in the end of it to accept a tenon? Yup, it was just stuck in there with epoxy! That has bad player written all over it especially when the shaft was not even threaded on the inside to accept a tenon. This was an obvious repair due to someone trying to install the ferrule on an over sized tenon.
How MR. Baxter can you explain the workmanship of a cue maker that would ship a new cue with a tenon glued in place in the end of a shaft? Thus my earlier comment about spending $300.00 for new shafts.
I don't know, maybe it's just me and PL makers, but I have learned my lesson. I would rather play with a cut down bar cue made in the States by a reputable maker than take my chances with a maker on the other side of the planet and no warranty. But I don't sell parts to the man third party either. Hey...You called me out in a public forum, you had it coming.
Maybe MR. Bautista has brought his quality and workmanship up over the last few years. Just giving my EXPERT opinion on what my experience has been. If you choose not to agree with my opinion that is okay, just kindly keep it to yourself. I just may have an opinion about Jim Baxter's Joint Protector's.
I told the OP if he thought that is what he would want to go and buy it. After I spent a few hundred on the last one I had it played decent. Don't think there is going to be any type of resale value or warranty on it though. Even with a warranty I would have not wanted two more shafts from the maker of the cue. I played with mine for a year or so an ebay'ed it. I think I got roughly $200.00 for it which is two thirds of what I had in the shafts. I think if I could have named the maker of the custom shafts I could have gotten more for it, but you live and learn.
So in my opinion to the OP and MR. Baxter...You could not sell me a cue made by any PL maker. They are not built in the U.S. They are not built to the same quality control standards of most of the fine cue builders in the States. The warranties just plain suck. The resale value for investment purposes are not there in any form or fashion, and in my opinion the OP should just go buy a production cue if cost is an issue. At least there will be a warranty. If cost is not an issue find a Made In U.S.A. Maker to do your work for you as at least you will have some sort of guarantee that the maker will stand behind his work.
I think that is reasonable advise and a reasonable opinion!
MR. Baxter,
With all due respect to your opinion it is just that, your opinion. I did not bash MR. Bautista in my earlier post but I do have a story about the last cue that I purchased that was made by him. I will admit it has been several years since I have owned a cue from a maker in the PL, but my last one was a Tony Bautista. A gentleman I knew had 3 new Bautista cues and I bought one of them. This cue was made in 2011 if memory serves. Had never hit a ball. It looked good, felt good with a leather wrap, even had a pretty good hit with both shafts. Shafts were way over sized, pretty close to 14mm at the ferrule. Took it in to a local custom cue maker in the St. Louis area to have the shafts turned down about a mil, ferrules replaced and the rock hard tips changed out. He will remain nameless because he only did the work as a favor to me as he does not work on cues made outside of the U.S. Before the guy got the first shaft turned down it had warped, the second shaft had a tenon in the end of the shaft holding the ferrule. A tenon is okay if it an original part of the shaft, threads cut, etc, but a shaft with a hole drilled in the end of it to accept a tenon? Yup, it was just stuck in there with epoxy! That has bad player written all over it especially when the shaft was not even threaded on the inside to accept a tenon. This was an obvious repair due to someone trying to install the ferrule on an over sized tenon.
How MR. Baxter can you explain the workmanship of a cue maker that would ship a new cue with a tenon glued in place in the end of a shaft? Thus my earlier comment about spending $300.00 for new shafts.
I don't know, maybe it's just me and PL makers, but I have learned my lesson. I would rather play with a cut down bar cue made in the States by a reputable maker than take my chances with a maker on the other side of the planet and no warranty. But I don't sell parts to the man third party either. Hey...You called me out in a public forum, you had it coming.
Maybe MR. Bautista has brought his quality and workmanship up over the last few years. Just giving my EXPERT opinion on what my experience has been. If you choose not to agree with my opinion that is okay, just kindly keep it to yourself. I just may have an opinion about Jim Baxter's Joint Protector's.
I told the OP if he thought that is what he would want to go and buy it. After I spent a few hundred on the last one I had it played decent. Don't think there is going to be any type of resale value or warranty on it though. Even with a warranty I would have not wanted two more shafts from the maker of the cue. I played with mine for a year or so an ebay'ed it. I think I got roughly $200.00 for it which is two thirds of what I had in the shafts. I think if I could have named the maker of the custom shafts I could have gotten more for it, but you live and learn.
So in my opinion to the OP and MR. Baxter...You could not sell me a cue made by any PL maker. They are not built in the U.S. They are not built to the same quality control standards of most of the fine cue builders in the States. The warranties just plain suck. The resale value for investment purposes are not there in any form or fashion, and in my opinion the OP should just go buy a production cue if cost is an issue. At least there will be a warranty. If cost is not an issue find a Made In U.S.A. Maker to do your work for you as at least you will have some sort of guarantee that the maker will stand behind his work.
I think that is reasonable advise and a reasonable opinion!
Dilligaf
Registered
I understand a difference in opinion and that's why I was asking, I have had 2 pl cues and both are still good players, just don't like the balance or the weight.
I do believe, from what I have been told, that Tony was an apprentice to Edwin Reyes. Tony's cue are with out a doubt a beautiful cue and from what it sounds like are only getting better. Thanks for ALL the info, maybe someday I will find myself with one of his cues.
I do believe, from what I have been told, that Tony was an apprentice to Edwin Reyes. Tony's cue are with out a doubt a beautiful cue and from what it sounds like are only getting better. Thanks for ALL the info, maybe someday I will find myself with one of his cues.
Tony makes quality cues. People have different experiences. I live in the Philippines so I have no issue with humidity and the shafts. I store my cues in an air conditioned room. I don't have any experience with one of Tony's cues shipped to the US so I can't say.
Just saying that Tony makes really nice cues that are excellent to play with.
--Jeff
Just saying that Tony makes really nice cues that are excellent to play with.
--Jeff