How much do different woods really affect the playability of a cue. Is it worth it to pay the extra money for the more exotic harder woods. I actually prefer the look of maple over these woods, but would buy based more on playability. My local pool hall owner tries to tell me that the harder woods give a better hit, but he seems to be quite a salesman in general. What do youguys think? I the layani web site says that they do not believe that the different woods make a difference in playability, but I was wondering you guys would say.
Woods affect on playability
- Thread starter mantis99
- Start date
mantis99 said:
The one wood that I hear over & over again, from Qmakers is BACOTE. I completly agree. If I only had one wood to make a playable Q from, it would be BACOTE. It's yellowish base wood & black grain, is fantasic to look at & the straight grain transfers the feel of the hit, right to your back hand. I love Ebony & Cocobolo, but this is the one...JER
Some Joints make it so it doesn't really matter what wood is behind it. Now what I'm about to say is just an opinion I've never owned or shot with a layani, but looking at the joint I don't think that joint is going to transfer feel as much as some joints, Not that the cue doesn't or wouldn't have a good feel, It's just an observation. Some like the feel of wood to wood, some like Steel joints. It's a matter of taste, and preference. In my opinion, wood to wood transfers feel, hit and even energy better than other joints. To that end my very favorite cues I've ever had that I didn't make are my Lambros cues w/the ultra joint, wood to wood piloted. Then I like the Hercek I had, and my 1989 Black Boar, both of which had steel joints. Example, I have a customer who is playing with a custom pechaur w/steel joint, he and his girlfriend were talking about how good purple heart, and cocobolo hit so great, and knowing there cues I informed them that they probly wouldn't really know what the wood felt like just the steal joint, then I gave them both hits with cue's with wood to wood joints in cocobolo, and purple heart, and did there eyes light up. Quite a difference. This is not to say that a steal joint with cocobolo behind it wouldn't hit differently than a steal joint and Maple, forget about balance, just hit and they are slightly different. Just My Opinion, and Observations. Bacote hits real well too. I prefer ebony.
woods
Bocote in my opinion, has then best hit and feel. Building cues for all these years, I learned early on that Bocote was the best, hit, feel, [ as in feed back], and very stable.No matter if your slap drawing the ball, or stricking the ball with a soft smooth touch, Bocote lets you FEEL the shot better than all other woods in my opinion.
Keep in mind that the joint configeration has much to do with that hit also.
I build flat face wood to wood, and this helps one FEEL a more consistant hit, a little better than with a steel joint or a huge pin, in a wood joint. Many things come in to play about this subject.
Many times you see someone asking {WHICH CUE HITS THE BEST}?
It's a loaded question. No one can answer for someone else.
The guys who ask the question should stop and think about his question. It's impossible to answer, because we all have a differant FEEL. So, therefore, we all have a differant opinion, on this unfair question. My opinion, for what it's worth.
blud
Take it for what it's worth as to what Layani says, no differance, [ PLEASE!]. It's like saying black is the same color as white. Does the pool hall owner build cues for a living? Go from there. Not all hard woods hit better. Most hard woods let you feel the hit easier than a softer wood.mantis99 said:
Bocote in my opinion, has then best hit and feel. Building cues for all these years, I learned early on that Bocote was the best, hit, feel, [ as in feed back], and very stable.No matter if your slap drawing the ball, or stricking the ball with a soft smooth touch, Bocote lets you FEEL the shot better than all other woods in my opinion.
Keep in mind that the joint configeration has much to do with that hit also.
I build flat face wood to wood, and this helps one FEEL a more consistant hit, a little better than with a steel joint or a huge pin, in a wood joint. Many things come in to play about this subject.
Many times you see someone asking {WHICH CUE HITS THE BEST}?
It's a loaded question. No one can answer for someone else.
The guys who ask the question should stop and think about his question. It's impossible to answer, because we all have a differant FEEL. So, therefore, we all have a differant opinion, on this unfair question. My opinion, for what it's worth.
blud
Yes, cocobolo, ebony, Bacote, purpleheart in my opinion hit better than maple. Flaming (tiger) maple is an exeption, Hit is great. But I chose ebony, for hit, and looks.
Hope this helps,
Hope this helps,
alot of it is just the individual piece of wood, I have a ebony/solid ivory points SW that hits the balls soft, and that isnt a recipie for a soft hitting cue, I know Laurie very well and asked her to make this cue for me, not with the intention of playing with it, when I got it I went to Cue Topia and the owner Fred Guarino was there hitting the balls around(he plays better than me-at the time I'd need the 6 and would win with the 7 thus i'm not a great player but far from a banger) anyways Fred said"you know this cue will hit like a log" i agreed with him and said take the first shot with it, he said"wow it feels soft for a SW" he ran a few racks with it before I hit a ball with it, and he was right it is the sofest SW ever, solid ebony and 6 points no laminates, I put my Tad into retirement after useing it for 4 years and play with that SW,
I have also seen old birds eye maple cues that hit hard, perhaps due to the age of the wood, i'm a firm believer in old wood for cues, dave knotttingham and I had many conversations about this topic, generalizing about a type of wood is wrong each cue is its own enitity, hell i hit balls in salt lake with a viking that was worth $100, that played better than any szambodi i ever hit balls with(about 10 different ones)
I have also seen old birds eye maple cues that hit hard, perhaps due to the age of the wood, i'm a firm believer in old wood for cues, dave knotttingham and I had many conversations about this topic, generalizing about a type of wood is wrong each cue is its own enitity, hell i hit balls in salt lake with a viking that was worth $100, that played better than any szambodi i ever hit balls with(about 10 different ones)