What do you think of Southwest Cues?

Indyq is a horrible place to do business and his reputation speaks for itself.

Southwest cues are the standard for non stainless steel jointed cues period.

They have and will always be the Standard. For their quality, designs and performance.
 
What makes a southwest Hit so firm is in the construction of the hanle or ? also what is parabolic taper? I have heard of a pro-taper and a european/straight taper.
 
JolietJames said:
Yeah the weight is an issue. You gotta try pretty hard to make a cue out of light wood be that darn heavy. Has anyone seen a SW under 19.5 oz? I prefer 19 and would LOVE to get an older SW at that weight -if one exists.
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Yes, I have two pre-date SW cues at or under 19 oz. One I ordered, the other I happened upon while I was waiting (3 years, at that time). The one I picked up has a bit of history. It was Daulton Leong's (aka: Leon) cue, which he ordered, but had to sell for some extra cash not long before he was murdered outside Chelsea Billiards.
 
tedkaufman said:
Yes, I have two pre-date SW cues at or under 19 oz. One I ordered, the other I happened upon while I was waiting (3 years, at that time). The one I picked up has a bit of history. It was Daulton Leong's (aka: Leon) cue, which he ordered, but had to sell for some extra cash not long before he was murdered outside Chelsea Billiards.
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If I remember right, both of mine, also pre-date, were 19 ounces.
 
Bigjohn said:
I've owned several over the years and I've liked every one of them. However, They are IMO reasonable if you can get them from SW..but over priced in the secondary market
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+1 to this

I haven't shot with one and I have seen some that are very nice on here that I wouldn't mind owning...but I wouldn't buy one from here. I see a lot of people flip them on here for a nice profit due to the 10 year wait. I can't say I blame them though as I see a lot sold on here so it works lol.
 
A few comments on SW cues.

One, they are not overpriced. They are highly valued, with good reason. Their value, admittedly high, is set by the market, not by an arbitrary measure. So they bring a high price because the buyer is aware of SW's legacy of quality and performance. Overpriced? Hell no. As with most things, you get what you pay for.

Why are they worth so much? I'll give you a first hand example of how uncompromising Jerry Frankling was. I ordered a cue in '87. And waited ... and waited ... and waited. Three years! Over that time, Lori and Jerry and I became friends. Lori is from my hometown in CT. We talked countless times over that three year span.

Finally, my day arrived. Jerry called and when his name popped up on caller ID, I was thrilled. Until he told me that on the last turning of my cue, a flaw appeared in the maple forestock. I said, "Well, damn, can't you fill it with wood putty or something?" He said, absolutely not. Would not do it. Now, we are talking about a tiny flaw - 3/8" x 1/16". He offered to destroy the cue and make me a new one, for which I would only have to wait 6 months. I finally said, send me the cue, if I hate it, I'll send it back.

Well, I hit the cue one time and declared no one would ever get it out of my hands. It's the best hitting cue I've ever touched. Period.

But the point of this was, Jerry's standards were uncompromising and extremely high.

As for Kersenbrock's influence on Jerry. David did teach Jerry how to make cues. Jerry knew nothing about cuemaking before David taught him. And they were partners for a little while. But David is "character," and not someone easy to have as a partner.

In any case, they separated, and Jerry and Lori went on to build the SW reputation. One more thing, David did teach Jerry how to make cues. But Jerry made many improvements and developments on his own. Were that not true, DPT/Omega cues would be as valuable as SW. And obviously that's not true.

And if any of you think Lori was not a major part of the success of the busines, you would be mistaken. Lori has always purchased and stored all the wood. She does just about everything in the shop at some time or other. And her attention to detail and standard of excellence has not changed one iota from the days when she and Jerry started the business.
 
tedkaufman said:
A few comments on SW cues.

One, they are not overpriced. They are highly valued, with good reason. Their value, admittedly high, is set by the market, not by an arbitrary measure. So they bring a high price because the buyer is aware of SW's legacy of quality and performance. Overpriced? Hell no. As with most things, you get what you pay for.

Why are they worth so much? I'll give you a first hand example of how uncompromising Jerry Frankling was. I ordered a cue in '87. And waited ... and waited ... and waited. Three years! Over that time, Lori and Jerry and I became friends. Lori is from my hometown in CT. We talked countless times over that three year span.

Finally, my day arrived. Jerry called and when his name popped up on caller ID, I was thrilled. Until he told me that on the last turning of my cue, a flaw appeared in the maple forestock. I said, "Well, damn, can't you fill it with wood putty or something?" He said, absolutely not. Would not do it. Now, we are talking about a tiny flaw - 3/8" x 1/16". He offered to destroy the cue and make me a new one, for which I would only have to wait 6 months. I finally said, send me the cue, if I hate it, I'll send it back.

Well, I hit the cue one time and declared no one would ever get it out of my hands. It's the best hitting cue I've ever touched. Period.

But the point of this was, Jerry's standards were uncompromising and extremely high.

As for Kersenbrock's influence on Jerry. David did teach Jerry how to make cues. Jerry knew nothing about cuemaking before David taught him. And they were partners for a little while. But David is "character," and not someone easy to have as a partner.

In any case, they separated, and Jerry and Lori went on to build the SW reputation. One more thing, David did teach Jerry how to make cues. But Jerry made many improvements and developments on his own. Were that not true, DPT/Omega cues would be as valuable as SW. And obviously that's not true.

And if any of you think Lori was not a major part of the success of the busines, you would be mistaken. Lori has always purchased and stored all the wood. She does just about everything in the shop at some time or other. And her attention to detail and standard of excellence has not changed one iota from the days when she and Jerry started the business.
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Very well put,I have played with SW cue's since the 80's.I have had a new one from every decade since then and there quality has remained consistent and their value has continued to rise,I waited 10 1/2yrs for my last one and am on the list for 2 more
 
Excellent cues - but I prefer something that doesn't hit quite so solid. Haven't stroked one in many years but at one time owned a few and chose not to keep any of them as my player. Not being a collector, I can't appreciate paying collector prices for a cue that doesn't play better (or even as well for me) than cues costing far less.

Not meant to diss the cues at all - they are just not for me.
 
I've had more of them than I can remember . The first was their top of the line 6 pt that was $180 ... Ugly ass cue but played like a demon ... Lauri screwed me over on my last order so I refuse to have anything to do with the brand . Very poor business ethics ... I've visited their operation twice and its way overrated like the cues !!! One of the reasons I started making cues ....:angry:;):cool:
 
I have been drunkenly (on occasion) dragging a SW to bars for about 17 years now and it still has the original finish and it is still in good shape. I have many cues and I think SW has one of the most durable finishes out there. As far as the hit I guess I'll try an explanation it is not "tingy" or stiff but it is firm. As many others have said deflection is slight. Personally I prefer it over everything I own but that makes sense since I have played with it for the majority of my adult life. I bought it from SW in 94 for around $800 today it is worth 2K+ so hard to complain there. If I were shopping today and didn't already own a SW and taking into account that they are almost all over 2K used I would probably throw a little on it and order a Searing. If I could find the SW in the $1500 range I may view it differently.
 
"Southwest The Best"

I own 5 Southwests, and wish I could grab a few more. Jerry and Laurie, along with Micky, and Al Lawrence have created the cue that is most admired and copied other than the the Greats-Szamboti and Balabushka. The unique hit and style still persevere all these years. The time and experience that go into each cue is unprecedented, which is why they are so collectible, and sought after. I waited 10 years for my last 2, and hope I am around to collect my next orders. I want to sincerely thank Laurie Franklin for keeping Jerry's dream alive-keep up the good fight. Oh by the way I just won a nice tourney with my Southwest player. Over the years I have witnessed many go up for sale and not last 1 hour-that simply tells the story!!!!! I love my SOUTHWESTS!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
UGOTDA7 said:
Not to derail the thread.......but the irony of this from someone sporting wood for Ferraris is almost too much.

At least with SW you know what you're getting.......
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Let us assume the average Southwest sells for $3k ... With that figure in mind, you could buy 4,000 Southwest Cues for the current market value of the 1962 Ferrari Series II GTO.
 
Str8PoolPlayer said:
Let us assume the average Southwest sells for $3k ... With that figure in mind, you could buy 4,000 Southwest Cues for the current market value of the 1962 Ferrari Series II GTO.
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Uhhhhhh, OK.....and that's relevant how? :confused:

The point is that maybe you should give some thought to the similarities between SW cues and Ferraris in their respective areas. After all, I'm betting that many folks who lack an understanding of Ferraris just might have your two word opinion for them as well.
 
UGOTDA7 said:
After all, I'm betting that many folks who lack an understanding of Ferraris just might have your two word opinion for them as well.
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Yes, AND that would be their opinion, just as I have my opinion.

Then again, maybe I'm not allowed to have an opinion on SW Cues ?
 
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Str8PoolPlayer said:
Yes, AND that would be their opinion, just as I have my opinion.

Then again, maybe I'm not allowed to have an opinion on SW Cues ?
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Sure, you and everyone else can have an opinion.....they're like a-holes after all. But you know what......some sure do stink an awful lot more than others.
 
A couple of friends of mine bought one each for $2500 a pop, waited 10 years!!...insane!!!

I hit with them both, here's my opinion, not worth the price, not worth the wait.

Got my JD custom cue (Ebay) IMO hits better and looks better for a fraction of the price...oh...and I only waited 3 weeks to have it made to my specs, from the Philippines!!!.

Don't let the name fool you.
 
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