wood selection for best performance

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locobolo

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What woods would you recommend to a customer wanting a new cue who is primarily interested in performance. I've heard that using burls for example absorb alot of feedback and may not play as well as say a birdseye maple cue. A 1,2,3 list would be helpful.
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a lot really depends on the balance/weight you want.

Brazilian rosewood
Ebony
Bacote
Purple heart
pau ferro.........yeah yeah, I know there are more woods, but I'm not going to start a 20 wood list.

These are just 5 woods that are known to hit nicely, but as joey pointed out, whats nice hitting/performing for one player, can be a total dud for another. Not to mention you might be totaly turned off by the look of some of these woods. Not that looks have anything to do with performance but I've had guys come into the shop and say all they want is a great player, not a looker. Add in what weight and specs they want, I go pick them out a piece of bocote or pau ferro next thing you know looks are alittle more important.

Do you like a hard hitting cue? Medium? Soft? Not to mention the joint makes a big difference aswell.
 
Personally I like a hard hitting cue with some feedback that doesn't feel like a shock absorber. For weight I can get used to a difference of a few ounces but prefer to stay around 19. The main thing I am looking for in this post is the difference in woods and how they might affect the play of the cue. What do you recommend for a player's cue if they are not just looking for something pretty?
 
Straight grain maple. Plain & bland, but very tough to beat a good piece of straight maple.
 
I shoot with a brazilian rosewood front with bubinga handle.
G10 pin.
18 oz.
 
JoeyInCali said:
I shoot with a brazilian rosewood front with bubinga handle.
G10 pin.
18 oz.
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From the first time you describe the hit of this cue, I've been looking forward to hitting with one.

I was building one, but it was sold midway through construction:( :thumbup: bitter sweet some times. He ordered it with soft tips, I prefer hard so test hitting it wont be a far comparison
 
RFisher said:
From the first time you describe the hit of this cue, I've been looking forward to hitting with one.

I was building one, but it was sold midway through construction:( :thumbup: bitter sweet some times. He ordered it with soft tips, I prefer hard so test hitting it wont be a far comparison
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I wouldn't sell mine unless I'm realllllly broke.
IF I quit making cues today and I was left with that cue, I'd be happy.
 

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locobolo said:
Personally I like a hard hitting cue with some feedback that doesn't feel like a shock absorber. For weight I can get used to a difference of a few ounces but prefer to stay around 19. The main thing I am looking for in this post is the difference in woods and how they might affect the play of the cue. What do you recommend for a player's cue if they are not just looking for something pretty?
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As others mentioned, any of the maples, rosewoods, purple heart, bacote and a few others are widely available and inexpensive. They are easy to work with, finish well and are in the correct weight range and stability to make a nice one or two piece butt without any weights or coring needed; they will all make great looking, great playing cues with solid hits. I recently turned down a 30" Brazilian Rosewood dowel that I had had sitting around for a few years and made a great playing cue out of it simply and inexpensively. I added some maple windows and a couple rings in the butt sleeve and some maple trim on the front of the forearm, a white joint and butt cap and that was that; no wrap. It looks classy and hits great. You could use the various maple varieties and a few other common, inexpensive hardwoods and build cues for many years without ever making the same cue twice. In my opinion the combination of rosewood and maple makes an excellent, good looking cue......100 million house cues can't be wrong :)
 
Gaboon Ebony , Purple Heart , Alvis , Birdseye or clean grain rock maple , Red Heart , Coyote, etc , take your pick !!! The (shaft ,most importantly) , joint type , ferrel material and tip selection are all contributing factors as to feel . Performance is up to the person , a cue never misses until you pick it up and hit with it, never miscues until you chalk it . Every piece of wood is different , so if you are chasing a hit in a cue , good luck ... Sounds like you would like a Kersenbrach or old SouthWest . McWorter and Thomas Wayne , etc ... Quality seasoned wood, properly and timely machined, makes a solid stable cue . As for your original question , it's just a matter of opinion ... Me , I'd have to hit with it before I paid ...:cool:
 
RFisher said:
a lot really depends on the balance/weight you want.

Brazilian rosewood
Ebony
Bacote
Purple heart
pau ferro.........yeah yeah, I know there are more woods, but I'm not going to start a 20 wood list.

These are just 5 woods that are known to hit nicely, but as joey pointed out, whats nice hitting/performing for one player, can be a total dud for another. Not to mention you might be totaly turned off by the look of some of these woods. Not that looks have anything to do with performance but I've had guys come into the shop and say all they want is a great player, not a looker. Add in what weight and specs they want, I go pick them out a piece of bocote or pau ferro next thing you know looks are alittle more important.

.
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I had a cue made by Mike Johnson (Jensen). I told him all that I wanted was a good everyday player. He said that you cannot beat plain solid Mexican Bacote. The problem is a lot of cuemakers don't like using it because it is oily and harder to finish.

It is a great playing cue but I do wish that it looked better. My regret is that I didn't get it a little fancier but then it may not be the same cue.
 
I'm thinking I want a 13.5 oz butt, no wrap, to put in back of one of my 5/16x18 Z2's. Any recommendations for wood there?
 
Don't get me wrong, I like pretty cues too.

But I would rather start in the right place and choose wood based on what will CONTRIBUTE to the purpose of having a solid playing cue and not start out backwords by having my mind set on a beautiful piece of wood and just doing what has to be done, [coring,etc.], just to make it work.

If I just can't live with recommendation #1 then I would go to #2 and so on.

I notice that alot of the same woods are being recommended so that is a big help.
 
locobolo said:
Personally I like a hard hitting cue with some feedback that doesn't feel like a shock absorber. For weight I can get used to a difference of a few ounces but prefer to stay around 19. The main thing I am looking for in this post is the difference in woods and how they might affect the play of the cue. What do you recommend for a player's cue if they are not just looking for something pretty?
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I would say maple but Cocobolo makes a pretty cue. It rhymes with your handle too:smile: :smile: Cocobolo / Locobolo.
 
1. Bacote
2. Bocote
3. Bacotey

lol, for my money I will lay down and die for a solid Bacote forearm with a Birdseye or Tiger Maple handle. Just provides a hard, solid hit. My player that I built hits like a freight train...choo-choo
 
maple
gaboon ebony
braz. rosewood

its tough to put a number on the % of overall cues with these combos but IMO its higher then say pph and maple or bacote and maple. not only looks but playability too

personally in not a fan of very busy BEM.
 
bob_bushka said:
1. Bacote
2. Bocote
3. Bacotey

lol, for my money I will lay down and die for a solid Bacote forearm with a Birdseye or Tiger Maple handle. Just provides a hard, solid hit. My player that I built hits like a freight train...choo-choo
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http://www.poolndarts.com/p-5930-Rat-Cue/

Over the years, this has been the best seller....by far. My vote is for bacote. Good tone.
 
I agree. I love it as a forearm wood. It can also have good figure without becoming weak. For sure it does not have wide appeal in how it looks. My favorite veneer combo with bocote is black, peacock, light blue, and natural or bleached white. There are other veneer combos that look good too.

Martin


ratcues said:
http://www.poolndarts.com/p-5930-Rat-Cue/

Over the years, this has been the best seller....by far. My vote is for bacote. Good tone.
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I Hate The Look And The Color Of It, But I Really Like The Hit Of Purpleheart When It's Used As A Solid Forearm.

I've Also Been Really Fond Of The Hit Of Ebony On Ebony Cues.
 
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