Cue Advice for Average Player

[ChrisB]

Hey BigMeek, the other half was hoping to get me the cue for my xmas but unless theres a selection sitting in stock at a manufacturer then I know this aint going to happen. I like the mastercraft cues and the green baize cue whic I believe are highly thought of for the money. I have never played with a handmade cue so whatever I get I know its going to take some getting used to, but I am willing to put the time and effort in practicing with whatever cue I end up with.

Is the second hand market any good for purchasing cues? I have seen some mike wooldbridge cues up for sale second hand. Might send AD a message see if he has any suggestions for cue hunting in jockland

[sneaky_russian]

ChrisB I've seen on this forum that these Thailand cues are apparently good value for money, particularly if you want something a little bit exotic. There's lots of posts from this UNCLEVIT chap but I've not read through them all. I'm not sure how you go about ordering and paying for one of these cues. I intend to follow through this avenue in the New Year when I've got some more time. I quite like the idea of owning a fancy looking cue. Purely for show. I saw a photo of one of these cues on this forum. Cue was nice but didn't like the badge much.

Yeah,I didn't like their badge either...But I think on your request they can make you a different one?...
About the price i don't know,I'm thinking for the plain ebony butt (custom made) they'll ask about 130-150...just guessing...
You can also ask Dan Shelton ( on the forum "totxlc" ) he can make you smth VERY NICE in that price range.I'd PM him.
Cheers

[sneaky_russian]

But remember,you MUST have 10 posts on the forum before you can PM anyone!

[sneaky_russian]

Sorry mate, Dan's nickname here is "totlxtc"! got a little mixed up with that one!

[tomah]

Hey BigMeek, the other half was hoping to get me the cue for my xmas but unless theres a selection sitting in stock at a manufacturer then I know this aint going to happen. I like the mastercraft cues and the green baize cue whic I believe are highly thought of for the money. I have never played with a handmade cue so whatever I get I know its going to take some getting used to, but I am willing to put the time and effort in practicing with whatever cue I end up with.

Is the second hand market any good for purchasing cues? I have seen some mike wooldbridge cues up for sale second hand. Might send AD a message see if he has any suggestions for cue hunting in jockland

If you're time restricted, Paul Morris usually has a few handmade cues up on ebay. You might be in luck to see one that fits the spec you're looking for.

[Bigmeek]

Hey BigMeek, the other half was hoping to get me the cue for my xmas but unless theres a selection sitting in stock at a manufacturer then I know this aint going to happen. I like the mastercraft cues and the green baize cue whic I believe are highly thought of for the money. I have never played with a handmade cue so whatever I get I know its going to take some getting used to, but I am willing to put the time and effort in practicing with whatever cue I end up with.

Is the second hand market any good for purchasing cues? I have seen some mike wooldbridge cues up for sale second hand. Might send AD a message see if he has any suggestions for cue hunting in jockland

ChrisB Yep, Xmas looks to be a bit tight. I think you'd be well advised to take your time and make sure you get something that you're happy with. I tried to get my Mastercraft cue made as close as I could to the cue I was used to playing with, weight, length, tip balance etc. I'm not sure if this helped me adjust quickly or not. All I know is that the new cue felt brilliant as it was so silky smooth. Can't say I noticed much difference in handmade V machine in terms of how they play. No doubt tho that there is something special about a cue that has been made by hand especially for you.
I gave up on the second hand route ages ago. Tried bidding for Parris, White etc on e-bay but they go for crazy money. There's a lot of other UNHEARD OF NAMES (Kevin Sharland) selling on e-bay quite cheaply but I kept well away from them. Just felt that you didn't know what you were getting. Well must go. Time for a pint. Let me know what you finally decide.

[ChrisB]

Cheers mate, waiting on Christmas bonus at work so hopefully I will get my budget up a bit more to £250-300

[KeithinFrance]

Cheers mate, waiting on Christmas bonus at work so hopefully I will get my budget up a bit more to £250-300

If you're going to get your budget up towards £300, then you'll be able to get a Trev White cue for that sort of money, and ADR usually has some around that should suit you. You could also go for any of the cues in the GBL range, and Stu at Green Baize sometimes has some M Wooldridge cues in stock as well as the occasional Trev 2nd hand. If you like Thuya Burr and marble maple, then you might just fall in love with the maple burl cues Stu got in recently. The one on the right in this pic is maple burl: http://www.greenbaize.com/forum/imag...rows%20001.jpg

As folks've said, Stu's a top bloke and takes the time to find out what you want and need (not always the same thing!), and any sugestions he'll have will be sound. It's a good idea to give him a bell anyway, and see what he has in stock.

Best of luck,
Keith

[ChrisB]

Thanks alot Keith, I like the emerald gem on GBL, wasnt aware of trevor white prices or mike wooldbridge just know they are very expensive quality items

[ChatLag]

Welshpooltrading is also worth to be considered.
He is also a member here (BITTER) and he always has some nice cues on stock in the price range of about 125 GBP. Reviews here are quite good and the cues offer good value for money.

[KeithinFrance]

Thanks alot Keith, I like the emerald gem on GBL, wasnt aware of trevor white prices or mike wooldbridge just know they are very expensive quality items

Chris, the Emerald gem on GBL?? The only Emerald Gem I know of is a Mastercraft cue, and I didn't know Stu stocked them ... where did you see this? Mastercraft's cues are good value-for-money, and the EG is their top-of-the-range cue, and you won't find another cue of that complexity for that sort of money by any other maker. Another huge advantage with Mastercraft is that your cue can be made to any spec, and it won't cost any extra. Dave and Chris are good guys, and their customer service is excellent, but it does mean going down the custom-made route, which means you can't try the cue before you buy, which you can do with Green Baize and Craftsman.

Over to you ...

[ChrisB]

Sorry Keith my mistake you are right it was mastercraft I seen mate, I think they are closed for the holidays as I emailed Dave a few days ago and not heard anything back. Been in touch with Stu from green baize with what im looking for, so he's getting back to me with some suggestions he doesnt have any mike wooldbridge cues in stock. Ill contact AD147 aswell when he's back his holidays and see if he suggests anything. Getting excited about my cue heres hoping it helps me on the way to my first century haha (74 highest so far)

[dpdubai]

In my experience Welsh Pool cue's are an excellent choice at this money.

I got my welsh black bout 4 months ago I think, the first day I hit the practice table and knocked in a 105 doing line-up variations my highest with previous cue was 92 I think.

The weight and balance of the cue is just right and the workmanships top quality.

Really you wont go wrong with any cue from Paul and made to spec for £125 is better than you'll get from Mastercraft or Craftsman.

[Bigmeek]

In my experience Welsh Pool cue's are an excellent choice at this money.

I got my welsh black bout 4 months ago I think, the first day I hit the practice table and knocked in a 105 doing line-up variations my highest with previous cue was 92 I think.

The weight and balance of the cue is just right and the workmanships top quality.

Really you wont go wrong with any cue from Paul and made to spec for £125 is better than you'll get from Mastercraft or Craftsman.

dpdubai Any chance of a photo/ or some details of the spec? I paid £135 for my Mastercraft and am very happy but would be interested why you think Welsh Pool are better. I'm going to buy myself another cue (probably Ash) and am still trying to make my mind up who to place my order with. I didn't like the design of any of the WW cues I saw on e-bay.

[dpdubai]

dpdubai Any chance of a photo/ or some details of the spec? I paid £135 for my Mastercraft and am very happy but would be interested why you think Welsh Pool are better. I'm going to buy myself another cue (probably Ash) and am still trying to make my mind up who to place my order with. I didn't like the design of any of the WW cues I saw on e-bay.

Well if I'm honest I cant say I'd prefer welsh pool to mastercraft because I've never used a mastercraft.

What I did like about Welsh Pool was better quality pics of the product, more info on the spec and I was speaking directly with Paul which I liked. I bought a Welsh Black the equivalent mastercraft is a Black Prince I think but I've never seen good quality pics of the cue and I know they get good reviews but I dont know anyone that owns one.

Also I think I read somewhere the joint is at 14", I prefer 16" for balance point.
The spec is : 57 1/4, 18.5 oz with 9.5mm ferrule with joint and balance point 16" from the butt.

According to Welsh Pool and many other leading cue makes this is optimum in 3/4 joint cues for getting through the ball in terms of weight, balance etc. But like most things its personal preference also.

I'll upload some images first thing in the morning