Trying custom cues before you buy them

8

8onthebreak

THE WORLD IS YOURS
Silver Member
I have been playing pool seriously for 25 yrs, you'd think I'd be good by now, lol. I am now looking for the "perfect hitting custom cue"
I bought a bender, ordered a Carmeli, and picked up a Carolina custom...
In my quest to try different hitting cues, I've spent 6000 $ and still wondering what a Tad, tasc, bluegrass, black, sw,...holy crap...I'd be into it for 100k to figure out which cue "I" like !!!!!!!!

The highest end cue you will probably ever find to try out in any given pool hall is a schon. I can't believe that there is no good way to "try" a custom cue before buying it...frustrating!!! Having to rely on other peoples opinion on the hit.
 
All you can do is go to one of the big tournaments where the dealers are and try 'em out.

I'll tell you this, having owned well over 200 cues, I'm done buying cues over the net, and ordering from cuemakers I'm not familiar with. The results are very random. I've even owned various cues in excess of $5k each from big name makers that I thought played like ca'ca
 
I have owned $75.00 cues, up to $7500.00 cue.
Find a nice hitting cue that feels nice to you! That's it-THERE ARE NO MAGIC (CUES) WANDS.
 
There's not as many "hits" out there as some people think. Blasphemy I know.

After all the factors you can control - weight, balance, shaft type/shaft taper, grip type, joint type, ferrule and tip....

The rest of the factors most people attribute to "hit" will fall into a surprising small number of categories that any good cue maker should be able to provide.

Beyond that your just chasing your tail. ;)
 
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Trying a cue at a tourney.
Do y'all think that you can actually get to know the hit of a cue in 5 minutes of playing with it? Seems to me it would be like trying little samples of food at SAMs club...tastes great cuz u just tasted it and you were starving! Lol
 
dacue said:
THERE ARE NO MAGIC (CUES) WANDS.
Click to expand...

its the indian not the arrow:yikes::yikes:
when you find a cue that feels good in your hands keep it
efren will still beat anybody with house cue even if they are playing with a gus,balabushka,southwest, lambros,josswest,fill in the blank
you get the idea
 
I agree, but under that logic, a 50.00 used Mcdermott would be fine. We chase our pursuit of cues looking for a certain "hit" feel, not because it will make us better pool players...only an idiot would think they could be a better player with a better cue...(with the exception of low deflection shafts) compared to some high deflection ones, LOL
 
8onthebreak said:
Trying a cue at a tourney.
Do y'all think that you can actually get to know the hit of a cue in 5 minutes of playing with it? Lol
Click to expand...

Actually I think that would depend on whether or not you know what kind of hit your looking for?

So my answer would be yes! I have been to several different tourneys with vendors and shot with their cues, and I can tell you in 5-10 minutes whether or not I would even consider buying their cues. I would much rather have that 5-10 minutes over buying it off the internet that is for sure. However most cue makers will let you run a couple racks with it, and I have had one in my hand for like 45 minutes shooting with it. Crazy I know, and I didn't even buy it, but it did spark me to find someone to make what I was looking for.

Basically if you know the hit your looking for then find a cue that does that regardless of the cost, and stick with it. My custom cue I will never part with cause it is mine, and I love it. Same goes with my custom jump and break cues. I put together my arsenal, and some people might like it but some might not. I don't care though cause it is what feels good to me.

My advise would be to listen to the poster above that said go to big tourneys and try them out! It's cheaper that way than to buy them and have to resale them.
 
There are various cue shows throughout the country that are a perfect opportunity to get some hands on experience with various makers' cues.

I would like to throw out there that just because a particular maker's cue plays a certain way...does not guarantee that another one of his cues is going to play similar. The various woods and shaft wood quality can make a difference...even a different tip. So, if you are testing a cue and it feels like a dream...better buy that one.

There are some makers out there whose cues play so consistently from cue to cue...that buying via the internet is not really a concern...as long as you are familiar with their play.

Knowing what YOU like in a cue goes a long way to narrowing the field. Think about cues you have played with that you really liked...what type of joint and shaft taper did they have? You should begin to see a commonality, and that will set you in the right direction.

My last custom cue was done by a maker whom had made a cue I had previously owned and foolishly sold. I felt good and I played well with it. So, I saved my pennies and ordered one up...combining that which I knew to expect and specs I additionally desired. The end result is the great disappearing cue....I don't even notice it while I am playing...it feels completely natural. Utterly satisfying experience.

Lisa
 
ridewiththewind said:
There are various cue shows throughout the country that are a perfect opportunity to get some hands on experience with various makers' cues.

I would like to throw out there that just because a particular maker's cue plays a certain way...does not guarantee that another one of his cues is going to play similar. The various woods and shaft wood quality can make a difference...even a different tip. So, if you are testing a cue and it feels like a dream...better buy that one.

There are some makers out there whose cues play so consistently from cue to cue...that buying via the internet is not really a concern...as long as you are familiar with their play.

Knowing what YOU like in a cue goes a long way to narrowing the field. Think about cues you have played with that you really liked...what type of joint and shaft taper did they have? You should begin to see a commonality, and that will set you in the right direction.

My last custom cue was done by a maker whom had made a cue I had previously owned and foolishly sold. I felt good and I played well with it. So, I saved my pennies and ordered one up...combining that which I knew to expect and specs I additionally desired. The end result is the great disappearing cue....I don't even notice it while I am playing...it feels completely natural. Utterly satisfying experience.

Lisa
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Very well said. I figured out over the years what I liked best...4 point half splice, 19.5 to 20 oz, forward balanced, maple forearm, 60 inches, SS joint 5/16x14, pro taper 12.50-12.75mm, medium hardness tips, ivory ferules, and a wrap (either natural or linen). If you've got that much figured out, then you'll rarely get disappointed by any decent maker. If you stray too far from your favorite formula, then you'll either like or (more likely) be disappointed in what you get.

The best thing is to go to a major billiards expo or one of the big open tournaments and test drive customs at the vendors' booths. Once you figure one type out that really feels good to you, then start looking at fit/finish/design options/pricing to figure out what you would like to order and from whom. Unless one off the rack really hits your fancy, I'd recommend ordering one to your design specs...you'll be that much more proud of it. When I ordered my Carolina Custom, I actually drove 6 hours each way to visit the shop, test drove the various types he had on hand and was able to order one that turned out EXACTLY like I wanted. He had cues with joints/woods/dimensions types that I couldn't sink a ball with, and types that felt like an extension of my body and seemed to shoot by themselves.
 
8onthebreak said:
I have been playing pool seriously for 25 yrs, you'd think I'd be good by now, lol. I am now looking for the "perfect hitting custom cue"
I bought a bender, ordered a Carmeli, and picked up a Carolina custom...
In my quest to try different hitting cues, I've spent 6000 $ and still wondering what a Tad, tasc, bluegrass, black, sw,...holy crap...I'd be into it for 100k to figure out which cue "I" like !!!!!!!!

The highest end cue you will probably ever find to try out in any given pool hall is a schon. I can't believe that there is no good way to "try" a custom cue before buying it...frustrating!!! Having to rely on other peoples opinion on the hit.
Click to expand...

yes, i get people flying in from germany and japan before, just to try what you said it saves them tons of money to find what they like! we stock a million in cues at any given time
 
if you dont like it return it

i have a policy, if you buy one of my cues, and after a few racks decide it not the cue for you. just return for a prompt and full refund. now, i will not refund 6 mo later after you have beat the crap out of the cue.
my way of thinking is if i force a customer to keep a cue that he doesn't like, it gets me a lot of bad rap. if i refund his money i'm a good guy, and get good advertising.
in the last 9-10 years i have made or converted appx 350 cues, i have had less than 2 % returned. i can live with that because my cues are not for everybody in the first place.
i believe what i do is a simple fix to a minor problem.


chuck starkey
 
Customs

Look around at the next pool tournament. Are there two people with the same perceived needs when it comes to cues?? Keep trying cues until YOU are satisfied and then never sell what you have. Give cue builders you haven't heard of a chance. They will definitely surprise you. As with the more highly regarded cue builders they will have cues that play well and don't play well.
Tom Gedris, Triple Cross Cues:cool:
 
I'm one of the most fickle players out there when it comes to hit.. I've played with up to 100 different cues and have only really liked the hit of 2, I mean fall in love with. My Madden and my old Olney, which I regret selling to this day.

I've had some darn pretty cues, some very expensive but still shoot with my custom made Madden... It's not for everyone, but I love the way it plays! Purchasing cues over the internet is risky, especially if you are as picky as I am!
 
Start your search local! Find a cue maker in your area. If nothing else it will save on shipping.

Larry
 
I have owned 100s of cues, various prices from 25-2500 and have had mixed results. Right now I am playing with a JD cue Joel Dadivas from PI, best cue I ever owned with a ton of inlays and nice veneers, price was around $400. I ask people to let me try there cues if we know one another, do not be bashful, most are happy to show off the cue they own and let you hit some balls with it. I also let people try cues I have all the time too, nothing like he joy of finding that perfect cue for you and playing great pool with it. I would switch cues every few months, this cue I have owned for a year and will not switch. :)
 
bbb said:
efren will still beat anybody with house cue even if they are playing with a gus,balabushka,southwest, lambros,josswest,fill in the blank
you get the idea
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Often said, but not actually true.

The average "house" cue in the average pub, give Efren one of those and put him in a match with Dennis Orcullo, Chin Shun Yang, Wu, SVB, Pagulayan, or any of the other elite players in the world shooting with their regular cue they know and trust in a long set race to 100 and Efren is going to have a tough time winning with that house cue he just picked up randomly off the rack.

IF Efren finds a house cue with the right balance, a decent tip, the right weight, and a deflection he can quickly acclimatize to then he might have a chance of beating one of his peers. But a actual "GOOD" housecue that one can rarely find that has a nice balance, a good tip, the right weight, ect... is actually a pretty good cue. Alot of the trick to 2 piece cues is making them feel more like a one piece, and a few very good players I know actually carried around one piece "house" cues in long snooker cue cases.
 
8onthebreak said:
We chase our pursuit of cues looking for a certain "hit" feel, not because it will make us better pool players...
Click to expand...

If you find a cue with a hit or feel that you find prefferable it actually can give you the confidence and ease in your equipement to allow you to shoot better pool. Will it make you a better player? Not instantly, but now with that cue that you like the feel of you start practicing with it and trusting what it is doing and you will actually very possibly increase the speed at which you improve with that cue compared to practicing with one where you don't actually like the way it feels or hits.

I get FAR more benefit practicing with my main shooter then practicing with a cue I don't like. With my shooter I can trust where I can go on the cueball for english without a miscue, I know the deflection of the cue and the amount of squirt, I am in tune with the way the cue "feels". If I practice with a cue where the hit is something I don't like or I don't know it's intricasies then I am suddenly trying to modify my own game to adjust for idiosyncrasies that the cue might have in an attempt to make it work.

Case in point I have an old Dufferin with a worn out tip and a loose ferrule which is at my parents place. When I visit there and don't bring my own cue I will sometimes play with that dufferin on the goldcrown they have. Practicing with that cue normally gets me nowhere.

Now if I take my own shooter to their house and practice? I actually gain alot from the practice with my own cue. I trust what the cue does and know it's limitations, and I like how the feel of the hit is. Shooting with that cue smooths my stroke over time, the "feel" of the cue lends a sense of rythm and smoothness to my stroke and I gain alot when I practice with that.

And the crazy thing? 2 hours of practice with my actual shooter makes me a better player with the Dufferin as well. The time shooting with my actual shooter just "feels" good such that my stroke starts to get smoother, I start to stroke the ball like I am supposed to instead of trying to force things, and that makes it such that if I DO then take shots with the Dufferin I am shooting the shots with that added flow and more smooth stroke and confidence.

After 2 hours with my actual shooter I will shoot better with the Dufferin then I would doing 2 hours of practice with the Dufferin itself.

I have never been in the "cue does not matter" camp, I do believe it matters. Great players shoot better with equipment they like, lesser players will get better faster shooting with equipment they like.
 
I thought the big dollar cost of a custom had to do with the quality and artistry of the wood work and less with the playability ?

If that is true and you are after a playing cue, why not skip the fancy expensive cues and look at the plain janes, sneaky petes or highly regarded production cues like Schon, Mezz, etc. ?
 
ronscuba said:
I thought the big dollar cost of a custom had to do with the quality and artistry of the wood work and less with the playability ?
Click to expand...

That's definitely not always true.. Case in point, some people just swear by the play of certain cues, there are many names that bring high dollar sale prices by their plain and simple cues. Sometimes even sneaky Pete variety..

Dennis Searing
Sugartree
Ginacue
Tucker

There are many others, some of these Merry Widow plain Janes can bring in the cash ranging from a bit over $1000 to much more..
 
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