Pool Cues

[jakethebake]

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Stay away from CueTek, I've seen a good number of them shatter on a break.

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hmm, interesting. I haven't seen this problem, but there ARE cheap cues afterall.

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I never broke with my "good" cue anyway.

[HDPM]

I would stay away from cuetec, meucci, lucasi (I have one of those) players and other low end production cues. The sneaky pete advice was good. You might be able to get a sneaky pete from a custom maker for around 250. Meucci has terrible quality control now from what I hear and is a terrible playing cue. The lucasis aren't horrible for the money but the wraps can be bad. I would stick to American production cue companies if you aren't willing to step up to low end custom. Maybe with the exception of Helmstetter. You could pick up a helmstetter from billiard warehouse for around 200. Those are good Japanese made production cues. If I were going to spend 200 on a production cue right now, I'd look for a low end Joss or maybe the helmstetter.

I am not sold on the predator shaft. I have one for the lucasi I mentioned and don't like it a lot. Anyway, If you want to try one you can have a too heavy bad wrap lucasi with one regular and one predator shaft for cheap. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Seriously, check out Indy Q Shop on the net and see what kind of low end custom/sneaky you can have instead of just getting a lucasi or viking or something. The problem I have discovered is that everything is a stopgap until you get something good. And now that I have something good I want the Gina/Josswest/Tad anyway, so I should have just bought that to beging with. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[Iplayragstoo]

I have had a Jacoby cue for a long time now, both a sneaky pete, and a cue I had made for me. They are very reasonably priced, and quick turnaround for ones being made for you. They also have a very solid hit, not a twangy hit like a meucchi. The bottom line is this though, you have to hit a few cues to know what you like period. Good luck! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Ray Zee]

i dont know about new cues but i still have three that famous cuemakers made for me.
one is a frank paradise
a balabuska made around 1969
and a josh west made by billy stroud. replica of a rambow cue but with ivory joints.

needless to say these are cues to die for.

but in general the simpler the cue the better it hits.

[Phat Mack]

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but in general the simpler the cue the better it hits.

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You can get a cue for $50 from a broke pool player that will hit as good as anything made, as long as it's kept clean and has a good tip. It's a matter of trying a bunch of them and finding one with the right "feel." When you pay a lot of money for a cue, you are paying for cosmetics.

[HDPM]

Here's an idea following up on the sneaky pete idea. Clay at Showcase Billiards in Denver makes sneaky petes for right at 200 I think. I have hit with two of them and both were well balanced and solid. I have never owned one of his cues tho. You also might want to try Bob Frey. He worked with Tim Scruggs for a long time and has made a bunch of sneaky petes. I have never hit with one, but I have heard great things about scruggs sneakys (which he no longer makes) and also frey. If you get a sneaky pete by a custom maker you won't get hurt too bad. You will either have a solid cue you like or something you can sell for I bet at least 75% of the small price you paid for it.