Why buy a cue that is over $300?

Since I started to play pool recently, I started to notice one thing...
I have been playing guitar since I was a kid and now I compare pool cues to guitars... In a way... They are similar. How they look, how they feel, how they hit, how much they cost, etc...
Of course I can pick up a walmart guitar and play, but would I want to? Hell no! Especially if I play for a living or give lessons. I would want my instrument to be able to keep tune, have nice intonation, sound good and look good. If it's not a custom, I'd rather have a good brand name, Gibson, Ibanez, Fender....
The same goes for the cues.
I play with a 160$ cue (well actually it's a 300$ cue , but I got it at a wholesale price), but if I was in a better financial situation, I'd get me some top of the line cue or maybe had one ordered from a famous cue-maker.
Just like many people said in this thread - why go out with a fine looking woman when you can find a crack whore or why drive a Rolls-Royce if you can fit into Kia?
To each his own, of course, and if you prefer cheap stuff, then all hats off to you. When I can afford it, I definitely will upgrade my pool equipment.
Now I cannot even afford to get out to the pool hall and that's the only reason I practice at home on a dresser and on the floor.

No matter who it is, I don't believe that they do not care about their cue. The nicer cue makes you feel better regardless of the skill level.
 
Why buy a Cadilac when a Kia will do the same job??? This is a silly question and we all know why. Why buy anything other than a plain jane silver cuetec?????? Shane beats the world with it!?!???


why pay more than $140 for a cue, that's what you can buy shane's for. then all you have to do is beat the shit out of it and bend the shafts up and your good to go!


best,

Justin
 
I'll say it over and over again. You can get to from point A to point B in either a '76 Chevy Nova, or in a '13 Lexus........................but you're gonna feel better in the Lexus.................and in pool, "feel" is huge part of the game. By feel, I don't mean how the cue feels from an actual hit point of view, but more of a confidence point of view. If I know that I'm not going to be suprised by what happens when I make contact with the CB, and that it's going to react exactly the same way it always does when I address the CB here or there, then my confidence goes up, and when I'm confident, and trust my cue not to suprise me, I play better. And, although there have been many exceptions, I have found that for the most part, the cues that don't suprise me in a bad way, have been cues that were made with very specific tolerances, very specific grades of materials, very specific construction methods, higher standards of quality control, and very specific care and pride. And those cues have typically come from what most would consider custom or higher end cue makers.

dave
 
Example...

Sex is sex... why would you pay for a $300 hooker when a $20 one will do? Think about it... which will you enjoy sex with more?

We all enjoy having "pretty" things rather than plain jane things. Houses could just be cubes but all square rooms, and all white wall with no paintings or pictures on them... etc.

Square cars with 4 bangers and all painted black.

We could all wear plain khakis with white shirts.

Why have a 40" or larger TV when that 24" tube still works?

We spend more money on things to stand out, to look different than the other 50 guys there and because we all appreciate aesthetics.

Will a more expensive cue perform better? Certainly, $300 is not the point at which you don't gain any more performance IMO, it's more like $500 or $600, after that it's aesthetics and there is nothing wrong with that.
 
:thumbup:

I really like these comments! I've been thinking the same thing but I thought I'd stay out of it.

I used to compare a Cadillac and an old Volkswagen. I mean...I like them both but to spend the extra money for a smooth ride, power brakes, and power steering....

You just know why one cost more than the other.


In closing...just take a $500 dollar cue for a ride sometime and you'll see the difference.
 
DoubleD said:
I carry $700 worth of knives on a daily basis. I have three that I love and haven't decided which to carry. I have had times when I have set one down somewhere at work and used a second, but three is admittedly overkill.

dld
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Nice.......I can relate. Altho this one is in a case and not carried.... and yes it glows when Orcs are around

91610-2.jpg
 
I have often thought of this myself.

If you remove resell value and pride of ownership from the mix, when does price over take craftsmanship and material?

What if there was a Consumer Reports for billiard related products, what cue would be the best buy?
 
I play with expensive cues for the same reason I drive an expensive car and wear expensive shoes. It brings me confidence and confidence is a huge part of this game of ours. When you see someone in Maserati, do you think to yourself, 'well that's dumb, the speed limit is still 65'. If you're like most, you think 'lucky *****, what does he do for a living'?;) its all about confidence.....

sent from Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk
 
Jeff said:
I have often thought of this myself.

If you remove resell value and pride of ownership from the mix, when does price over take craftsmanship and material?

What if there was a Consumer Reports for billiard related products, what cue would be the best buy?
Click to expand...

:rotflmao1:

From what I've been reading lately on AZBilliards...Schlemke would be the best buy for a pool cue.
 
New Technology

I wanted to respond to your statement about the predator LD nonsese. I think the best analogy is golf. You dont see Rory or Tiger playing with perimeter weighted clubs because they have skills like Efren and Earl. Blades/non LD shafts, they could play with anything but have such good feel that they dont need the larger sweet spot. Also, it is their JOB and I would be willing to bet that they spend 12+ hours a day hitting balls. I am just a higher ranked APA league banger and got there playing with a $180 McD jump break with a LePro tip. Changed to more expensive cue (for looks) but put on an LD shaft and maybe it is confidence but I seem to getting out much more consistantly. I think that the $500 mark is probably more accurate unless you buy a production cue. Just my 2 cents.
 
When I was in college I worked in the game room. Back then the game room was an eight lane bowling alley and a pool hall with 2 snooker tables about ten 4 x 8 pool tables, no coin op tables, all by the hour. I played a lot of pool then and could hold my own with most of the local players. But there was this guy, he was an education major. He had the most beautiful cue. It was a 1972 Joss, plain BEM. He said he would play anyone around with a broomstick. I saw him do it many times and never saw him lose, but what he could do with that Joss was pure magic. My point, just because you can do the job with a broomstick, do you really want to?
 
Ares49 said:
Can someone send me links to information or explain to me the benefit of spending a couple hundred dollars or even thousands on a cue stick?

I just recently bought a McDermott G204. It ran me $209

It is a well made American cue, G-Core shaft.

It should do me very nicely for being an intermediate player....

In fact this cue will be better than me for years to come.

But what I notice is that there are a lot of amateur pool players who are shelling out $300+ for these cue sticks that wont make them play any better...

Back in the day people were pocketing balls with straight sticks and maple shafts...

Now we have this predator LD nonsense.

Whats the point? Pool is a very simple game, with a simple wooden tool.

If anyone can give me some insight...I am just recently taking the game more seriously
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Wow-where do you start...
LD ISNT NONSENSE...it's prover technology.
This game isn't that simple and easy, ...those who are serious about the game spend a lifetime trying to understand it, perfect it ...and to date, nobody has. We all learn-even the pros haven't mastered it. If they did, they'd quit cuz it wouldn't offer a challenge any more.

Why do people drive Mercedes? Why big houses? Why nice clothes from Macy's? ......
If people only bought what they needed...luxury companies would not be in business.
It's simple-we buy cues for more than 300 ...not cuz it plays better, ..oh, and by the way, it does play (feel) better.
We like the balance point a certain way. We like that someone took the time to create it, and that it wasn't spit out of a machine. We like the exotic woods hand picked by someone very talented that look beautiful.
We like that the cue maker sifts thru hundreds of pieces of wood, just to find a handful of shaft pieces that meet his standard, to have a certain feel, sound and hit. Pick up a high end cue sometime and play for an hour with it, then go back to a production 300 cue and see how u like it!!!
But mostly, we like the artwork...look at how razor sharp the inlays are in a top custom cue, and then look at the rounded cnc version in the production cues.
We like ivory instead of white plastic. We like ...never mind, lol.

You say potato...we say pot ah to...lol
We just like nice cues. I vowed to never buy a production cue again, just because its production.

You don't need to spend anymore than 300 to get a great playing cue, but someday you may WANT to. After all, I could get to work in a chevette, but I drive an Audi. :cool:
 
Ares49 said:
I have heard great things with the G-Core...but I understand if you dont like them.

In regards to LD shafts, you are obviously a fan since you have an OB2 on everything...once again, why?

Masconi didnt play with one, Efren doesnt. So why should scrubs like us play with them?

Im not trolling or anything, I am really curious what you guys think.
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You do realize that the G-core is an LD shaft right?
 
ddadams said:
I've already told you what I think.


I clearly think this shaft works for me.

It's hard to not take this as a troll post.
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I agree. While I definitely agree that a $400 cue will play just as well as any more expensive cue, I don't like the way he is going about saying it. He appears to be playing dumb to be able to make his point without people giving him a hard time. The "help me understand" tone of the thread seems like nothing more than a way to present his opinion aboutother cues, yet he doesn't even seem to know that his shaft is an LD shaft. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, just say it straight out though.
 
DoubleD said:
I like having things that I appreciate the craftsmanship of. dld
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Double D said it well. I buy and play with big money cues because I feel good to appreciate them.

As far as value to a player...as a tool to shoot pool...Earl Strickland put that question to bed a long time ago. 5 time US champion with a $140 Cuetec.

Blackballed and MSchaffer also keyed on a huge point: expensive cues hold their value or even appreciate! I passed on a Gus Szamboti with 5 shafts for $550 because it was too much money back in college... now that cue would bring easily $7K to $8K

But a cheap cue will almost always be a cheap cue. Just a tool no better than the talent of the player using it.

A custom cue offers more than simple utility. It is art, investment and an expression of a player's pride.[/B]
 
mantis99 said:
I agree. While I definitely agree that a $400 cue will play just as well as any more expensive cue, I don't like the way he is going about saying it. He appears to be playing dumb to be able to make his point without people giving him a hard time. The "help me understand" tone of the thread seems like nothing more than a way to present his opinion aboutother cues, yet he doesn't even seem to know that his shaft is an LD shaft. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, just say it straight out though.
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Not quite, I was honestly curious if there was any benefit in playability past a certain point. I'm not very familiar with all the brands, or the art of cue making or anything cue related really.

Buying my McD was tough because I had no idea what I should be looking for, what weight to buy, shaft diameter etc.

I noticed all of these really expensive cues and started wondering what the benefit is...


I have nice things my self, don't get me wrong. I just bought $300 Wolverine 1000 mile boots...some people will think I'm crazy. I feel like I made a really good purchase. I love my handmade American boots.

Thanks for all the input guys


Btw...I know the G-Core is sort of an LD, not quite like the OB2 or Predator shafts.
 
Then you already know why people buy more expensive cues,,,,the same reason you buy expensive boots.

Expensive cues, kept in good condition will likely remain expensive cues, though I doubt the boots will retain their value, especially after 1000 miles.

While the technology is different, the G-Core is certainly an LD Shaft, just as OB, Predator, Tiger, Lucasi, and a host of other LD shaft manufacturers products are. The only difference is how they get there, but the goal is the same.

At some point you will likely want to replace your new cue with something that suits your eye a bit more. When you can only sell it for maybe half of your investment in it you will realize one of the many reasons for buying nice custom cues.
 
From snarky to serious, I like the responses.

I'm far from rich, but I appreciate quality and craftsmanship. I also appreciate a bargain. I have more cues than I need and have far less than some people have. None of mine are terribly expensive. I have a small collection because I too am seeking a magic wand. I want to find the cue that fits and suits me perfectly. It's all part of the journey. I keep some around because I like looking at them, some for the wood, others for the craftsmanship, and others yet for both.

I've had opportunities to test 15-20 cues at one time (mine and others) and sometimes the cheapest cue moves the cue ball better than the most expensive one. That doesn't mean that the cheapest cue gives the best feedback or is aesthetically pleasing.

The bangers at the bar were quick to say that the cue doesn't matter. Most work with their hands so I asked if nice tools make a job easier. End of conversation.

I also appreciate a newer vehicle even though I swore I'd never buy new when I was younger. I appreciate my custom made hunting knife, custom cowboy hat, nice shoes and boots, etc.
 
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