Pool cues which one do you use

[vucko117]

What cue are you using for 9-ball US pool? I am thinking about buying Mcdermott or Mezz cue.

[graemeham]

i personally would go for mezz, they are one of the top pool cue manufacturers but unfortunetly can be very expensive, i currently play with a predator cue and its pretty damn good

[mike13]

Hard to beat a Predtor with 314 or 314z shaft

[jasond28]

I play with Mezz Cue with a Hybrid 2 Pro shaft and its by far better that any cue I've played with. It hits about the same a one piece cue. I've used Predator shafts before in the past and they are quality but I'll take a Mezz cue anyday

[vucko117]

And what about Mcdermott I shaft? Any good? I was also thinking to buy Mezz cue with Pro 2 shaft.... I don't like the feel of the Predator cues.

[Sledgeman]

Predator is overrated. Bad balance and no feel if you ask me. Mezz is a really good cue. Personally i use a Viking G73. The ballance and feel is amazing. Before i've played with Meucci, Bear and Predator but Viking beats them all at just about everything.

[poolqjunkie]

McDermott and Predator are both made in China. I am not saying they are bad, but I dont like to pay $1000+ for a cue made in China myself.
Predator is made in the same place as Buffulo cues.
The OB-1 shaft is made in the US by Samsara cues, but they hit like rubbish and look the same.
I think Mezz is alright, they are quite pricey in the US. They have a million shafts to choose from and many more coming out so it gets a bit confusing.
I think workmanship wise they are in the same group as Joss cues, but Joss is cheaper. Both are mass produced with CNC.
If you like Japanese cues, Keith Andy is hand spliced, rather than CNC machined, and they look really classy.
For a nice cue without too high a price tag I would recommend Keith Josey from GA, USA. His design is unique with his original style, workmanship is always top notch, finish is good, durable, and nicely applied, all made in the US in his shop--and you can get one for less than a Predator.
I have a few pool cues, Southwest, James White, Paul Mottey, and some others.
Since I started learning snooker, I have not touched my 9 ball pool cue for a long time. I used to be obsessed with cues, but I now am more obsessed with a good stroke.

[vucko117]

McDermott and Predator are both made in China. I am not saying they are bad, but I dont like to pay $1000+ for a cue made in China myself.
Predator is made in the same place as Buffulo cues.
The OB-1 shaft is made in the US by Samsara cues, but they hit like rubbish and look the same.
I think Mezz is alright, they are quite pricey in the US. They have a million shafts to choose from and many more coming out so it gets a bit confusing.
I think workmanship wise they are in the same group as Joss cues, but Joss is cheaper. Both are mass produced with CNC.
If you like Japanese cues, Keith Andy is hand spliced, rather than CNC machined, and they look really classy.
For a nice cue without too high a price tag I would recommend Keith Josey from GA, USA. His design is unique with his original style, workmanship is always top notch, finish is good, durable, and nicely applied, all made in the US in his shop--and you can get one for less than a Predator.
I have a few pool cues, Southwest, James White, Paul Mottey, and some others.
Since I started learning snooker, I have not touched my 9 ball pool cue for a long time. I used to be obsessed with cues, but I now am more obsessed with a good stroke.

I see that you have some experience with pool cues. I need a TOP quality pool cue. Which one would you recommend to me?

[poolqjunkie]

American pool cue can be very expensive because of the amount of inlays and work that has been put into it. It really depends on what you like.
Fro example, some players like very intricate CNC inlay works, Thomas Wayne, Cognoscenti, Arthur from Germany...
Then some people like myself like something more classic and simple. I am not too fond of CNC work and I liek to see sharp points with veneers. I like James White, Paul Mottey, Gina, and Southwest. I would say of I have to choose only one, I will go with Gina, because his work are so tasteful, sophisticated and elegant. A Gina can be spotted from across the room. Ernie is a very proud man and he will stand behind his work 100%. But any decent Gina will cost you upward of USD $6000. Will you really use it as your playing cue?
That is why I suggested Josey because he is around the $1000 to $2000 mark, he can make cues with CNC or with sharp points, and he is easy to deal with. He also has no problem fitting your cue with a 314 or any other shafts.

[vucko117]

yes,6000$ is a lot of money... Thank you. I will get in touch with Josey. Thank you very much

[visionaire]

I like Longoni with PRedator Z-shaft

[poolqjunkie]

yes,6000$ is a lot of money... Thank you. I will get in touch with Josey. Thank you very much

I had a few Josey and the best player I had was one of his sneaky pete believe it or not, with the radial pin and his original shaft.

Forgot to mention that Mike Capone is also a great cue maker, very underrated. His workmanship is really good, and his cues play very well. You can get a very nice cue from him for under $2000. And it will hold its value very well.

Cory Barnhart is also a good solid cue maker who does very excellent work. Very good value for the money.

[vucko117]

well I believe that there is no difference in quality between 500$ and 3000$ cues. I think that only inlays add on price. What do you think about that?

[poolqjunkie]

well I believe that there is no difference in quality between 500$ and 3000$ cues. I think that only inlays add on price. What do you think about that?

Well, if you are making a cue and want to sell it for $3000 you obviously have to add some value to differentiate it from that $500 cue that you make. So, in that sense, I would agree that a $500 can be just as good in terms of playability and durability as a $3000 cue.

On the other cue, some cues especially the mass production ones are not very consistent in quality. With that kind of $500 cue, the quality would be most likely worse than a custom made $3000 cue putting the inlay works aside. The difference would be in the quality of wood used, the balance/weight distribution and basically the personal attention spent and the pride displayed in the workmanship. Some production company are set up very well and they might be able to actually offer better finish than a custom cue, and the tolerance of the work might be even tighter since they are using state of the art CNC and so on. But you could imagine the cues would not have received much personal attention as they are more like cues made with a cookie cutter. With that kind of production, obviously the quality is compromised.

I would like to add that not all $3000+ cues have very fancy inlays. You may say find a $1000 Predator cues having way more fancy inlays than a $3000 Southwest cue. However, when you try to sell the cue on the used market, you will notice that those inlays on the Predator will not really bring you much while your $3000 may be sold for more than what you paid for even though it is quite "plain."

[vucko117]

And what about JOSS cues? Are they good