What makes a Southwest cue so desirable?

Flex

Flex

Banger
Silver Member
Although I have shot with a few Southwest cues, my experience with them is very limited.

I wonder just what about them makes them so desirable.

Is it the construction? Somebody must know how they are built. Are they full splice cues? Or?

Then there is the shaft. I've heard it's parabolic in taper. Is that the key? If I'm not mistaken, Ed Young's cues also have a parabolic tapered shaft.

Is it the pin they use?

Or a combination of all these factors?

About a month ago, Joey Gold took a couple of shots with a Valley house cue, and told me that if he were to retaper the cue and shaft, that there is no cue at any price, say $10,000 or $20,000 that would play better.

It sounds to me like Southwest has a following for some reason, and it's not just the hit of the cues. Perhaps it's just a fashion; I don't know.

Joey Gold told me the metal pin in a cue kills the feel; that a G-10 pin is the way to go. That being said, if I were to take a good sneaky pete cue with a wood to wood joint and have the 5/16 X 18 pin taken out and replaced with a G-10 pin, would the cue play any better?

Lots of questions, I know, but I'm interested in all the answers!

Flex
 
I have 2 , good solid cues well built and pretty but honestly nothing magical about them.

Mystique , history , desirability , perception ,etc , is what it's all about for most things high end. ;)
 
Flex said:
Joey Gold told me the metal pin in a cue kills the feel; that a G-10 pin is the way to go. That being said, if I were to take a good sneaky pete cue with a wood to wood joint and have the 5/16 X 18 pin taken out and replaced with a G-10 pin, would the cue play any better?

Flex
Click to expand...

I have a SW, RC3 with G10 pin, the Deanoc cue, Layani, Lambors, and many other types of joints and shafts. Non of them make me play any better but some feel more comfortable and have a better feel.

All of the great cuemakers in the past used a house cue (titlist). They installed a joint, added a wrap, and put on a better ferrule and tip. Think of it as the old hot rodders starting out with a model T. Still one of the most popular hot rods today.

If you took lessons and put in a lot of quality practice hours the cue will play better. If you replace the pin and tip you may have a nicer cue.
 
South West cues are legend.

I love the design and I think the design is timeless.
Jerry was a great cuemaker and the tradition has been carried on by Laurie,Michael and AL.
The play and hit a very consistant from cue to cue. The shaft taper is most excellent.
The consistancy of construction is excellent on each and every cue.

South West cues are a a true Icon in the cuemaking world and anyone
that doesn't own one or more probably should, if you don't have one you are missing a real treat.

The metal pin "kills the feel" is nonsense. The greatest cues in the history of cuemaking have metal pins. I have played with a whole bunch of cues with all kinds of pins and there is no such thing as "kills the feel".

Anyway I'm a huge fan of South West they are one of a kind and copied by many.
 
Flex said:
Although I have shot with a few Southwest cues, my experience with them is very limited.

I wonder just what about them makes them so desirable.

Is it the construction? Somebody must know how they are built. Are they full splice cues? Or?

Then there is the shaft. I've heard it's parabolic in taper. Is that the key? If I'm not mistaken, Ed Young's cues also have a parabolic tapered shaft.

Is it the pin they use?

Or a combination of all these factors?

About a month ago, Joey Gold took a couple of shots with a Valley house cue, and told me that if he were to retaper the cue and shaft, that there is no cue at any price, say $10,000 or $20,000 that would play better.

It sounds to me like Southwest has a following for some reason, and it's not just the hit of the cues. Perhaps it's just a fashion; I don't know.

Joey Gold told me the metal pin in a cue kills the feel; that a G-10 pin is the way to go. That being said, if I were to take a good sneaky pete cue with a wood to wood joint and have the 5/16 X 18 pin taken out and replaced with a G-10 pin, would the cue play any better?

Lots of questions, I know, but I'm interested in all the answers!

Flex
Click to expand...


EGOS
Nuttin but the truth!
Purdman
 
Many years ago, some champion cut a swath across the country playing with a Southwest. Pool players being the geese they are, thought possession of such a fine instrument, would make them champions too. Hence, poor Jerry and Laurie were swamped with orders.
Simply put, players looking for magic are the best customers one could possibly hope to come across. The waiting list grew tremendously and the legend was born.
The mindset of, if you cant get it, or it is hard to get, or it is no longer being made, is what drives the billiard business.
 
player preference...

2 reasons....each player seems to have a preference in how a cue plays. i've had 2 southwests, i think the ebony forearms play a tad better. southwest have a nice feel, but i really hate that taper, i've never tried one that didn't have that "baseball bat" of a taper though.

or there is the other reason people like them... because the cuemaker met an untimely demise. people for some reason get a hard-on for cues that the cue makers have passed on...
 
I will tell you in 5 years when mine is delivered, if I hate it it will be sold, if I love it it will be kept.
devil.gif


But many like to compare their cue hit to the hit of a southwest, and maybe it is the mystique of a cue with a Picture of a Saguaro Cactus on the Pin.
fragged.gif
 
Concerning the "mystique" cited in the above posts, what other cues approach SW in that regard? I'm thinking Tad, Gina, Balabushka, Szamboti,and maybe a few others.
And what will become the new SW?
(what's the correct pronunciation of Szamboti...with a long "o" like in vote, or a short "o" like in body)
 
The way it plays, feels, hits, looks, all subjective to personal opinion. I've never bought any cue because someone else played with one. I bought it because I liked it. I've had two and it's likely I'll never have another.
 
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