Why buy a custom cue over a factory made one?

ChicagoRJ said:
No advantage whats so ever. Now, if you buy a custom cue, it could go up in value depending how "popular" the cuemaker is now, or will be in the future. But, like a stock, it could also go down in value as well.

Advantage of custom is you get exactly what you want, you choice of colors, woods, weight, shaft taper, etc. So, not a bad thing, but like buying a car, lots of option only adds to the price, not gonna make the car go one bit faster :)

For the most part, most production cues will not go up in value, and most will always go down. But, you are ahead of the game, because you put out a lot less dollars initially, so you might come away the same or ahead in 5 years or so.

Disadvantage is you take what they got, but most production companies have a wide variety of models, and you can get just about any weight you want with lots of wood choices, and shaft sizes.

And many folks play with custom cues with LD (production) shafts.

So, if you are looking for a magic bullet it is not there. You can use a Balabushka, but if your aiming, stroke and head are not in the game, it means nothing, nada, zilch. Pick up a house cue, and take the time to line up the shot, have a good PSR, proper mechanics and have a plan, and you'll win more games than any cue will do for ya :)

PS: I own custom and production cues, but they all have OB shafts :)
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I have to agree with RJ here. Production or Custom is not the question , its finding a playing cue that feels right to you , not to your buddy at the pool hall, not to anyone here at AZB , but to you. Try out as many as you can it may suprise you when you find the cue thats just right to you may not be anything you were thinking about

Best of Rolls
 
DanielDeTinne said:
Thanks for all the great feedback. I think I will be getting the OB cue.
I have tried the I3 shaft on a friends cue. I played with it all night. It was great. I played with it a few times sense and always find that I shoot a little more consistent with it. I have also played with a Predator 314 2. I did not like that.
I rarely see the OB cues around but have read great things about them. I figure if I don't like it then I can always sell it or trade and get a I3 shaft for what I have now.
Thanks again everyone for all the feedback.
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There you go...if it fits & you like it, buy it. You mentioned Josey in an earlier post..I love mine. But that doesn't mean it's the cue for everybody.
 
Shaft

Before you ditch the Mcdermott try i2 shaft. you might just keep it.:cool:
 
If I were to go with a production cue I would get a Mezz Cue.
I have hit with several of them using the WD700 shaft and I have to say I was VERY impressed with the Balance & Solid Hit the Mezz Cue produced.

With buying a custom cue, Carmeli & Judd Fuller are really easy to deal with and you get a lot of cue for the money.
 
Idea for OB

Royce,

Where in Mass or close by can I try out all your cues - I'm kind of in the same boat as the OP, but I want to try stuff out - on your website it lists a place in Billerica - no website, no location, and number just rings through?

Cue companies should create something like the golf fitting carts - small package - try all the combos out from a production cue company and then order.

I could even see this being a service you sent out to folks. In other words you have a kit - I pay $100 or something for you to ship me the box with the 7-8 butts and 4-6 shafts - you of course insure the package - I try them out to my hearts content for say three days and then I ship them back to you, if I purchase a cue my $100 fee for the demo package comes off my cue price. Either way you probably make money and I can't see needing more than a few of these demo kits... especially for those of us in a spot without a dealer close by.

Best
John
 
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jmurphy said:
If I were to go with a production cue I would get a Mezz Cue.
I have hit with several of them using the WD700 shaft and I have to say I was VERY impressed with the Balance & Solid Hit the Mezz Cue produced.

With buying a custom cue, Carmeli & Judd Fuller are really easy to deal with and you get a lot of cue for the money.
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This is really good advice from someone who knows what they are talking about that would probably save you major dollars if you are serious about finding a cue that plays really well, but I doubt that you will take it.
 
Hugo, Get yourself down to Jersey in five weeks and you can fondle and test shoot thousands of cues for days. Super Billiards Expo.

I too have both custom and production cues and my favorites are a Schon SP BW-2 and a bottom of the line Predator SP. Custom has a lot more to do with ego.
 
DanielDeTinne said:
I have been playing pool for a little over a year now. I own a few McDermotts and want to sell one to try something different. So here is my question. Is there an advantage to buy a custom made cue over say an OB?
Other than beautiful inlays. My current go to cue is a McDermott M54AC with a G-core shaft that has a custom taper on it. I am leaning towards an OB cue with a Pro2 shaft.
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I am curious. Why so many cues? What are you looking for?
 
Custom or Production

I am a Schon, Pechuaer, Jacoby, and Viking dealer and think that all have their place in the market. I can say that I have played with each, as well as, several customs and I have my personal preferences but every player is different. I feel it really is about what feels good and right for your own personal game. These days it seems like everybody and their brother who isn't buying customs plays with a off the shelf LD shaft anyway, so if you have a production LD shaft you like buy a butt you like to go with it and buy Mark Wilsons "Play Great Pool" and practice til you get to the level you wish to play. Hell, buy the book and play with your current cue if you can only afford one or the other, the book will help your game infinitely more than a new playing cue. Now if you want a cue I have access to, feel free to get a hold of me via PM. THx
 
jhugo said:
Royce,

Where in Mass or close by can I try out all your cues - I'm kind of in the same boat as the OP, but I want to try stuff out - on your website it lists a place in Billerica - no website, no location, and number just rings through?

Cue companies should create something like the golf fitting carts - small package - try all the combos out from a production cue company and then order.

I could even see this being a service you sent out to folks. In other words you have a kit - I pay $100 or something for you to ship me the box with the 7-8 butts and 4-6 shafts - you of course insure the package - I try them out to my hearts content for say three days and then I ship them back to you, if I purchase a cue my $100 fee for the demo package comes off my cue price. Either way you probably make money and I can't see needing more than a few of these demo kits... especially for those of us in a spot without a dealer close by.

Best
John
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Cue fitting similar to golf club fitting is an awesome idea
 
If I were to buy a new cue, I only can target a custom because of the length of the cue. I'm on the shorter side and 58" is a little too long for me with the balance feeling weird. My current cue is 55.5".
 
It's your personal choice. Production cues are by definition mass produced by machines and aren't going to be very richly designed. Handcrafted cues on the other hand use carefully selected materials that form intricate inlays and elaborate designs.
 
rayjay said:
A production cue is a tool. A custom cue is a precision instrument.
:thumbup:
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This x10!

McDermott can build me a fancy cue, but it will always be 58", their joint and butt diameter, their shafts, their tapers, etc.

The cue I have being built now is 60", 20+ oz, and has a 6" extension. All made of wood that I chose and exactly how I want it. Having a conversation with the cuemaker over the past few months is also fun. It's like waiting for Christmas!
 
There are many production cue companies out there with lots of great designs, shafts, features, and etc. And you can surely find something within your price-range. Having owned lots of production and custom cues myself, there is no greater satisfaction than working with a skilled craftsman hand in hand. Having the opportunity to not only choose the different woods and exotic materials out there, but being able to have a say in the design aspect is a privilege and once-in-a-lifetime feeling. While most of the people on AZ have owned lots of cues, and most have had customs built....I guarantee you this...YOU WILL NEVER EVER FORGET YOUR FIRST CUSTOM CUE!!!! Just my $.02
 
Bug every single person you see with a cue and ask them to allow you to hit some with it. Don't worry if its production or custom. Once a cue feels "right" in your hands then worry about whether you want a production or custom. You'll only really know by trying different types of cues with different setups.
 
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