you get what you pay for... SAYS WHO?

[JohnPT]

I agree with your main points, but look at it this way:

A Ford Focus will get you to the same places a Mercedes will 99% of the time. So why doesn't everyone buy a Focus? Because looks, feel, and attention mean more to some than others.

Ok. Now take that Mercedes and turn it into a limo! Lol. That's kinda what I did when I put a Balance Rite extension on my Custom cue. :thumbup:

 

[measureman]

Ford focus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuDN2bCIyus

Not being contrary, but can you be more specific? What could you do with a $4k black boar that you couldnt do with a $150 lucasi? and be honest... given that it is in the hands of B+ or better player.

I know,I know.
You wouldn't leave the Boar on the table when you went to the bathroom. The Lucasi you probably would.
Other then that if you can play you will play the same with either cue. At least I could.

 

[nineballsafety8]

BUMP for a fresh look

 

[marco21222]

any cue can play just as good as any other if that cue works for you.....I play just as good with my 60 dollar sneaky pete from players as I do with my 2600 sly .....they hit nothing like each other but after a few racks you adjust....just like you adjust in a tourney when you move tables.... but I do prefer the way the sly hits...I worked hard for my sly and love it but sometimes I want to play with a cheap cue depends where I am and how much we are playing for I seen a guy run 7 racks with a broom...has you can chalk a wooden broom handle lol

 

[CK6Speed]

Maybe for some buying a high dollar cue is all about validating themselves as a pool player, but for many it's just because they liked the cue and could afford to buy it so they did. As for me, people ask me all the time why I have so many cues. I just tell them it's because I like the ones I have and couldn't afford them back in the say, but I can afford them now. It really is as simple as that. I'm not looking for a magic cue that will make me play much better than I do now. If I like it and I have the money, I'll buy it.

I agree with the car analogy although maybe not a Focus vs Mercedes comparison. Why buy the Lexus when the Camry will do the job just as well. The answer for me is simple. People buy it because it doesn't do the job any worse and it looks and feels better and if you can afford it why not?

 

[CMarshall]

I'm not able to spend tons of ca$h on custom cues. When I 1st started playing pool seriously in the early 80's, I was BROKE and always used a house cue. I had a favorite cue that I hid behind the bar and used it daily. For probably 4 or 5 years I used that same cue. All the top players at the pool hall used McDermott cues. I always wanted one and drooled over their quality.

Now as a homeowner and a responsible worker, etc I can sort of afford a better cue. I have a table in my house that I bought for $800.00 bucks. I've bought a few cues off of Craigslist etc (the brand name doesn't matter) and I put a McDermott on layaway. I now have three McDermott cues, a G303, a G603 and a Lucky by McDermott one piece house cue, LH21. Honestly, the one piece house cue that cost me $29.00 is the best cue I have! I like the design of the others but as far as playability, the one piece is my favorite cue.

The other two look pretty and I love the quality, etc but even other people that come over, chose the one piece Lucky by McDermott cue. I'm not a league player, I play at home for fun. Three of my friends also have tables and we rotate playing at each others' houses.

Playing pool is a way for me to relax and unwind and have fun. I have my own table and a few decent cues. I'm not a pro, I don't gamble, I will never be in any tournaments. I enjoy pool and my eclectic selection of mainly cheap cues.

It's just funny how my most popular cue is the $29.00 one piece house cue.

 

[SmoothStroke]

Earl, Allison and Shane have done pretty well with a Cuetec.

I have run 100 more than a few times, multiple rotation racks, double digit numbers in 3 cushion....all with a house cue, hard as a rock champion tip...hand sanded with paper that was like a grinder. Warped of course.

Now I like a 20 oz cue, steel joint, 4 oz and better dark maple shaft, short ferrule. Prefer weight forward Ebony.
Anything else after that for me....sucks

Give me a cue with an ivory or synthetic joint. Long ferrule and it goes for firewood

I like what I like and all else is firewood to me. Which means crap, it may be good for someone else.

I love all the beautiful cues I see, I can look at cues for hours.
I think the builders today are phenomenal, true works of art to be commended.

I like what I like.

Most people would not know a good hitting cue if it hit them in the face, and that includes me.

Give me an old warped off the rack house cue and I am good to go…ha-ha
True Story

 

[fastone371]

Not a good comparison as a Mercedes can outperform a Focus regardless of the driver's skills. Just put it on a dyno.

The same cannot be said about a pool cue.

I suppose you could compare a new ZR-1 Vette to an Italian, German, or French Supercar, but the cheaper Corvette will out perform almost all of the others at a very small percentage of the cost.

 

[u12armresl]

You're a retarded monkey with polio wearing bunched up panties? better get to a doctor quickly.

Glad you have your moon stick now.

So, before anyone gets their panties in a twist... I am going to go on a medium rant about cues and why there is so much "perfect hit" crap going on.

SO.....

I have been playing off and on for about a decade, and at one point was playing 5+ hrs a day, 365... since joining the Army, I no longer have that luxury. However, in my several years as an avid hobbyist, I have been through upwards of 20 cues. I was always looking for the next big thing when it came to cues and technology and who was the new hot cuemaker... blah blah blah

After spending WAY TOO MUCH MONEY on cues over the years, it has become evident to me that what you spent, or who's name is on your cue is pretty pointless.

For me its all about feel. I like a cue that gives me good feedback, and there is a certain sound that I like my cues to make when I hit a ball well (mostly the tip and ferrule combination account for the sound). So, I have to ask myself, why do I keep looking for the next best thing, when I have now and have had SEVERAL cues in the past that play great.

And what I realized, was that it was 2 fold. The main fun for me was the HUNT, I love doing the research and dreaming up what I think might make me happy. But more importantly, and the part that has my feathers ruffled... is that PART of me was caring about what other peoples reaction were when I answered the question "hey, what kind of cue is that".

SO... what did I do? I benched all of my high dollar equipment, and bought a "McDermott" LUCKY cue... $39 from Amazon PRIME... and guess what fellas (and ladies)... IT PLAYS GREAT. So what if it was made in china, or taiwan, or the moon... i don't care if it was made by retarded monkeys with polio... as long as it plays well.

So will I continue to look for the Tascarella's, Szamboti's, Southwest's, Sugartree's, and whoever else might make people go ooooh and ahhhh... ya probably. But it will no longer be becaue I feel I need to validate myself as a "pool player"... im going to validate myself as a POOL PLAYER, by calling fouls on myself (regardless of if my opponent sees it), by being the first one to extend my hand for a worthy handshake to my opponent (win or lose), by never complaining about rolls (they are good and bad, and both players are on the same table), and by enjoying THE GAME!!!

If I decide I want to buy a nice cue, it will be to appreciate the hardwork and craftsmanship of the person behind the lathe... it will no longer be to give myself "the edge" above the next guy.

MY edge will come from hard work and dedication when I am at the table.



Curious as to your thoughts?

please discuss

 

[fastone371]

Like I said with in reason. A amature in a Ferrari won't out run a Pro in a corvette.

The Ferrari will not outrun the current hi end Vette whoever you put behind the the wheel of the Ferrari,bad example to use. Kind of funny when you think about, makers of taxi cabs build cars that outrun exotic Super Cars. :rotflmao1:
As far as the cue thing, the way a cue hits/feels is so subjective and personal I think it would be very hard to say that everyone or even most would prefer the $2k cue over the $40 cue. It would be pretty easy to test in a blind test, who is gonna do it? Only catch would be that the budget cue cant have that cheap feel that some do, I cant explain it but I think everyone knows what I mean. Surprisingly i found out that I really like the feel/hit of those Cuetech 1 piece house cues. If you could make it look like a custom I could probably be fooled into paying quite a bit for a cue that feels like those.

 

[THE MONTREALER]

You get what you pay for

HI I have at least 20 cues pool cues and snooker cues and i hate to part with them. Some are cheap cues and some are high end cues

Back in the Seventys i had the oppertunity to purchase a Balabushka Original cue from Peter Tascarella made up as follows Rosewood with
green Inlayed points tip size 12 1/4 mm with Ivory Ferrules and weight of 19 1.2 oz length of cue 58 inches with two shafts and the cue was built in the 60 sixties by George Balabushka for $450.00 plus Shipping costs

I still have the letter from Peter Tascarella and every time i look at
the letter my stomach turns.

At the time $450.00 was a lot of Money spoke to a few people and they told me that that cue Today would be worth more than $5,000.00

To this day i regret not purchasing this cue you win some and you
lose some.

Cheers Leonard

 

[mantis99]

I'm sorrry but if you are trying to tell me your McD Lucky cue, plays as good as a Tasc., Sugartree, etc. Your opinion holds almost no value to me. It might play OK with a tip, and retaper, but it isn't going to have premium shaft wood, it won't have the good hit that those cues do, nor will it transfer energy like a well made cue does. Not to mention deflection from a McD lucky shaft compared with a premium shaft. Heck, I've never even seen one that rolled straight... I do have a friend that plays a McD with Keith shafts that plays pretty, after refacing the joint.

I'm not one to go out and drop huge bucks on a name cue, but a nice 350-500 custom from Keith Kues, Pat Diveny, Woodworth, or any other reputable, quality cue maker, will out play most cues. It will hold value, and usually out last the other cue. (i.e. stay straight, finish holds up better, etc.) Hell, I once picked up a Steve Klapp cue for like $225, and it's still one of the best playing cues I've ever hit.

There is no A+B=C formula for cue buying, or playing pool for that matter. However, better gear definitely doesn't hurt your game. I've been beat up on by guys with house cues, and guys with $10k+ cues, I know the argument both ways very well. My gear comes with a sense of pride. I love this game and I work hard at it. My cues are a treat to myself for putting in the time to justify owning such gear. That's my opinion anyway.

All the best,

Justin Hanson

I disagree about the cues playability. I have a few different cues, and one of them is. $30 graphite cue I got at Walmart when I first started playing. I can make the cb do the same thing with that cue that I can do with any other cue I have. They each feel a little different doing it, and their properties of deflection and balance are a little different, but that is nothing that a little adjustment by me doesn't account for. I just don't believe that any decent cue (I did have a few hollow feeling cues that came with my first cheap table that were almost unplayable) really plays that much better than another. I have bought expensive ld shafts too, and while they make some difference, it has just never been what I expected, or anything all that significant.

I was watching an accurate match of Efren a while back from when he had first come over here, and the announcers made it a point to say that he was using a $30 cue. He made the ball move all over the table just like any other time.

Sure a custom cue does hold it's value better, but the difference in play from any decent cue over $100-$120 is negligible.

 

[jburkm002]

There was a link to a YouTube video on here a while back. It was a round table discussion with cuemakers. Some had the attitude that they were selling art. Others were selling art and playability. I don't think price dictates playability. It may dictate craftsmanship but not in all cases. Sure some times your paying for the name. Just like with the shoes you wear. Don't care how much a cue cost but to say they all play the same is just wrong.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[mantis99]

There was a link to a YouTube video on here a while back. It was a round table discussion with cuemakers. Some had the attitude that they were selling art. Others were selling art and playability. I don't think price dictates playability. It may dictate craftsmanship but not in all cases. Sure some times your paying for the name. Just like with the shoes you wear. Don't care how much a cue cost but to say they all play the same is just wrong.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I didn't say they play the same. The hit, feel, and balance point are all somewhat different. However, the amount that actually affects how the cb reacts when it is hit with the tip is negligible. Thus, you can use just about any cue and put similar amounts of action on the cue, and play just as well.

 

[roberthans]

Stake

Every so often and fairly regularly someone says if you take a Rambushkatierrez against a golden tomato stake everyone will pick the Rambushkatierrez. Has anyone ever tried a blind test with non and low level players(or even experienced players) to see if this is true?

 

[Banks]

Every so often and fairly regularly someone says if you take a Rambushkatierrez against a golden tomato stake everyone will pick the Rambushkatierrez. Has anyone ever tried a blind test with non and low level players(or even experienced players) to see if this is true?

Where I hang out, they've got a few oddball cues in the mix. A couple that are half red and half black, a couple that are old, cheap jointed cues and so forth. People tend to gravitate to either a cue that rolls straight(roll on the table), what they think looks better or a specific weight that they think is best. Not sure they could tell a house cue from a Black Boar.

I ditched my primary player for a cut bar cue. Came within a couple of balls of besting my high runs for banking and 8b last night. Most people can't stand playing with my cue, but I ditched a couple of decent cues in favor of it and am going on almost 2 years of playing with it. People occasionally tell me to try their cues.. I do and they just feel like any other cue to me.

 

[Straightpool_99]

.................

 

[qbilder]

It's all personal. I would prefer a Timex watch over a Rolex because the Timex is digital & it's no big deal if I lose it. I don't want a fancy watch, anyway. Both tell accurate time and both have long lasting quality. A guy who doesn't see the big deal in having a custom cue so he buys a cuetec instead, may be the same guy who prefers to wear a Rolex. I don't think he's an idiot for it. It's personal. Nobody is right & nobody is wrong. There's no disputing the fact that a Rolex is higher quality, finer, better looking, and still worth something after being used. Same with a custom cue. A cue can be made to fit a person's preferences. But if said person has no preference, a custom cue is pointless. Again, it's very individualistic. And to the OP'd point, sometimes it's nice to take the Rolex off & wear a Timex for a while to keep things in perspective.

 

[buckshotshoey]

Not sure how this old post got resurrected, but its a pretty good one.
Great playing cues come in all price ranges. The acid test..........
Pick 3 cues of the same model, with same tip, and test against each other. Well made cues will feel and play pretty close to the same. Low quality cues will hit and feel ....and sound...differently.

Several years ago, I had 3 players on the team that used Players (edited) cues. All 3 had LePro tips. All 3 were from same model line but were different designs. ALL 3 FELT AND SOUNDED DIFFERENT.

Recently, I had opportunity to hit 3 Predators. 3 different models, but all with 314-2 shaft.
All 3 felt and sounded the same. Thats why I am a fan off high tech shafts. Replace the shaft and the next one feels and plays the same. Same can be said about a high quality maple shaft. Viking makes great shafts. Schon makes great shafts. OB and Predator make great shafts. Pechauer makes great shafts.

The point being, ladies and gentlemen, is producing quality takes time and money. These companies have a lot of wood waste. Discarding matetial that doesnt make the grade. Curing process of blanks take time. Thats how you gain radial consistency, and stable wood that resist warping over time. And the biggest benefit is the feel stays consistent from one cue to the next.

I will stress radial consistency as higher on my list then deflection. Thats why I like a 314. Take a cheaper cue and mark it. Hit some balls using left or right english keeping the mark pointing up. Now turn the cue 90 degrees and hit some more balls. Low quality wood, or wood with a hidden defect, will show's itself here. All things being equal, you do get what you pay for.

 

[Mitchxout]

I agree with your main points, but look at it this way:

A Ford Focus will get you to the same places a Mercedes will 99% of the time. So why doesn't everyone buy a Focus? Because looks, feel, and attention mean more to some than others.

This is an interesting analogy. According to Consumer Report Magazine, Mercedes is one of most unreliable cars available. Basically, you're buying prestige, not performance.