Pool cue queston production vs coustom?

Question

if you had a choice which would you spend your money on a coustom cue or a production cue looking for good input between 500 to 1000 to spend

Answer 1

Very true, know your cue maker either personally or by reputation. You could get a fantastic cue for your price range. Like Johnny says, you don't need to spend a lot to get a good cue, but it won't hurt anything to put a little money into it. Make sure you know exactly what you want in a cue before spending that kind of money though. If at all possible, test out cues from different cuemakers and mass producers alike. You need to know how you want the cue to "feel" when you hit the cue ball. How is the joint put together and with what materials? How flexible do you want the shaft? These and other questions will all factor into creating your dream cue. You never know, you might get lucky and find one that is nearly perfect right off the shelf.

Answer 2

Bill they are a peice of wood between 17 abd 21 oz if you can shoot with it its a good stick

The diff between a good stick $100-$ 150 and a top makers signature stick is about 15 to $25,000

Sorry Richard but you told me the same thing

But if sittin heavy spend a few $K for a stick you cant pronounce or I cant spell

Answer 3

Custom. Always a custom cue. There are so many different factors that can affect the play of the cue, and while it's true that a $10 sneaky pete will shoot as straight as a Cognoscenti, but it's a matter of personal comfort. Cue's are made in so many different ways, that a lot of the production cues with laminate finishes and ridiculous pictures aren't even worth the money you buy them for. Stay away from the gimicks, plastic and graphite cues.

Before you purchase a cue, talk to the shooters at your local pool hall or tournaments. Ask you if you can hit their cues and see what you like. Ask what size the pin is. Take a look at how the joint is made (wood to wood, metal to metal, etc). Figure out what kind of wrap you prefer (linen, leather, exotic animal skin or just finished wood).  You want to make sure the cue comes with at least two shafts in good condition. Are you comfortable with the diameter of the shafts? Tips and ferrels are replaceable, but carefully examine where the ferrel meets the shaft to make sure there are no scratches. Finally, what materials do find attractive? (Types of wood, inlay design, inlayed materials) Just don't ever buy a cue without hitting some balls with it first.

Once you really start playing with your cue, you'll notice a difference when you pick up another stick. When you're spending 7-800 plus on a cue, make sure you do your homework, so that you don't get ripped off. The thing is, when you buy a custom cue, it's not just a pool cue, as most may view it. It's really a work of art that a lot has a lot of time, money and precious materials invested into it's production.

Once you find the right cue and make your purchase, you're going to be very happy with it every time you pull it out of the case. The other thing about custom cues versus a production cue, is that custom cues (from the big cue makers) generally don't go down in value - as long as you don't abuse it. Take a look at some of the custom cue makers I've listed below.

Southwest

Phillippi

Scruggs

Cognoscenti

Coker

All of these cue makers, and all well known cue maker's work can be found in the Blue Book of Pool Cues or the Billiard Encyclopedia. Good Luck!!

Answer 4

Very true, know your cue maker either personally or by reputation.  You could get a fantastic cue for your price range.  Like Johnny says, you don't need to spend a lot to get a good cue, but it won't hurt anything to put a little money into it.  Make sure you know exactly what you want in a cue before spending that kind of money though.  If at all possible, test out cues from different cuemakers and mass producers alike.  You need to know how you want the cue to "feel" when you hit the cue ball.  How is the joint put together and with what materials?  How flexible do you want the shaft?  These and other questions will all factor into creating your dream cue.  You never know, you might get lucky and find one that is nearly perfect right off the shelf.  M.D.-BCA Instructor/Referee.

Answer 5

I'd always take a cue from a custom cuemaker over a production cue, even if the cues had the exact same specs.

A good custom cuemaker will spend tons of time sifting through wood to use for all parts of the cue, especially the shaft. His quality control is far above what any production cuemaker can expect or afford to attain. He will test every cue he makes, and if he does not like the way it hits, he will scrap it and start over. On top of that, a custom cuemaker can put together a cue with any specs you want, and if he cannot, he will be more than happy to direct you to someone who can. Most custom cuemakers have their own ideas of how a cue should hit, and if they do not feel they can make what you want, they will direct you elsewhere.

I suggest you visit the forums at http://www.easypooltutor.com This exact same question will get answers from a variety of people including players and several custom cuemakers. I can pretty much guarantee you that they will all say go custom, but they can give you some very detailed responses about the differences between custom and production cues.

Good luck and have fun.

Answer 6

Custom is always better, but a good Q that will be perfect for you, can also be found with that amount.

if you pay someone to make you a custom, and it's not right, then what?. You have to know the maker, and his reputation.