Cue Contest

[The Doctor]

I have 2 really nice maple cues with black ebony butt. One 58" and other 57" the shorter one has one knot in.it but this is only fault and you can't see it when looking down cue plate up. Both med stiff shafts. Pictures will be uploaded sion.

[pottr]

yep, forgot to add that; this will a contest in patience

From my point of view that's a good thing. I doubt very much I could justify laying out all that cash at once for a set of cues.
Besides, if they all come at different times then they'll be new and shiny and will each get their fair crack of the whip.

Fair enough if that is what you want to do though, its a lot of money and time to wait for what could be 5 or so cues you don't like the feel of. I've probably had about 20 odd cues made to similar specs and never found one that felt right for me, and mostly including the cue makers you mentioned too!

Completely agree with you. There is a chance that after I've gone through all this I may decide that my old cue is still the one for me. If it hadn't been on the verge of breaking for so long I wouldn't have even considered this.
But I'm way too curious now not to go ahead with it... So, here we are.

You could try sending the cue to Andy Travis and get a new butt made for it to match the present one.

I won't be throwing my old cue out for sure so this is a consideration for the future.

p.s My case holds two one piece cues if you want to leave one at the Conny

So kind Mark I quite like my cabinet idea to be honest.

I am still waiting on a couple of the cuemakers to get back to me. I will update on my dealings as soon as they do.
Stay tuned.

[pottr]

Got my cue back yesterday. Joint looks great, cue looks great... It doesn't feel the same at all, I'm very disappointed.

Played ten frames at home with my pal, couldn't get hold of the white at all. The hit doesn't feel anywhere near as solid and the cue actually feels lighter.

I did manage to run an 87 in one frame but they were on. Does a new joint always have this affect?

[buddfridgeman]

yes mate try Stu...greenbaize 01642/760888 good value cues good guy.

After fifteen years of knocking in balls with the same bat I am facing upto the fact that I need a new cue. The joint is shagged and is being repaired as we speak.

I was thinking that this would be the chance for me to add some weight to the cuemaker debate.

I intend on placing identical spec orders through some top cue makers... I'm thinking 5 or 6 tops and cataloguing my experiences of dealing with them, ordering through them and of course the product itself.

As he is local to me, I have already placed an order for the following with Tony Glover:

One piece
Maple shaft
9.5 millimeter ferrule
58 inches length
18.5 ounce weight
29mm butt diameter
Ebony butt with a front facing Thuya Burr splice over a thick Birdseye maple veneer.
Drilled to accept mini-butt and a telescopic extension (also to be made by the cuemaker).


I intend to forward the same request with Mike Wooldridge, Trevor White, John Parris and Dave Coutts.

Is there anyone else I should contact?

[pottr]

I'm gonna go my spec contest way pal. Gonna let all the cuemakers know about my contest challenge too. Bet they'll be up for it.

[cueman]

I had an end joint fitted to screw in extentions to a cue of mine some years back which completely changed the feel and hit of the cue. I think any alteration will make a cue feel different, trouble is if you really are at one with your cue and get so used to it any alteration will affect your game. Its a psychological problem as much as anything, I doubt you can't play the shots or have the cueball under the same control, you just need to re-learn how to play the shot with the cue now.

Snooker is a muscle memory game whereby you are relying on your muscles to transfer the feel through the cue to the cueball. Its all about feel and once something feels slightly different you need to tell your brain to alter the way your muscles react when striking but this takes time and patience. Its like going back to being a beginner again though when you are an advanced player you will adapt quickly but its frustrating at the same time.

[pottr]

I think any alteration will make a cue feel different, trouble is if you really are at one with your cue and get so used to it any alteration will affect your game.

I guess I was just a touch naive to under estimate the effect the joint would have.

Its a psychological problem as much as anything, I doubt you can't play the shots or have the cueball under the same control, you just need to re-learn how to play the shot with the cue now.

Oh for sure. I know I'll be fine in no time. Like you say, muscle memory.

I think with my cue contest though it's to be expected that they'll all hit differently and it will be fun finding out how.

With my cue coming back repaired and not playing the same... I guess my old friend is gone forever

[Gerry Armstrong]

Did you get an identical joint to the original fitted or is it a different joint entirely?

[pottr]

Identical joint.

[Gerry Armstrong]

Was just wondering in case it was a different joint then you could get an identical joint fitted etc.

But you've already done that.

Bit of a shame but sadly not uncommon as others have mentioned. I have a friend with an old Hunt & O'Byrne that is in a very poor state of repair and that's the reason he always cites for never attempting to have it repaired.

[mrbluejay]

After fifteen years of knocking in balls with the same bat I am facing upto the fact that I need a new cue. The joint is shagged and is being repaired as we speak.

I was thinking that this would be the chance for me to add some weight to the cuemaker debate.

I intend on placing identical spec orders through some top cue makers... I'm thinking 5 or 6 tops and cataloguing my experiences of dealing with them, ordering through them and of course the product itself.

As he is local to me, I have already placed an order for the following with Tony Glover:

One piece
Maple shaft
9.5 millimeter ferrule
58 inches length
18.5 ounce weight
29mm butt diameter
Ebony butt with a front facing Thuya Burr splice over a thick Birdseye maple veneer.
Drilled to accept mini-butt and a telescopic extension (also to be made by the cuemaker).


I intend to forward the same request with Mike Wooldridge, Trevor White, John Parris and Dave Coutts.

Is there anyone else I should contact?

What about Stamford ? Never had one myself, but I thought they had a decent rep ? I'm sure I will corrected if that's not the case lol

[DannyC]

pottr:

It looks like you not only have the same specs as I do but I'm also trying the same thing. I have a TW cue which I was playing with for a year but I kept looking at other types of cues so now I have one on order from MW, Andy Travis, Dave Coutts and I have ordered cues from Robin Cook and John Parris (not an Ultimate).

I recently discovered (at least for me) that shaft flex plays a very big part in what makes me really like the hit and feel of a cue. I have a 1pc Green Baize cue here which has a pure medium shaft flex (recognizing my 'medium' might be someone else's 'medium-stiff' or even stiff.

I would recommend if you like the shaft flex of your present cue then measure the diameter of it every 3" down to 39" or so and send those measurements to all the cuemakers and you should end up with nearly the same shaft flex on the cues you order.

I realize this might be a real pain for the cuemakers however I've found most cues today are made way too stiff for me and I have a hard time finding a cue with the flex that I prefer.

Terry

Any reason for "not an ultimate" Terry?

[pottr]

That new joint in my cue has came apart. Is this common?

[pottr]

Bit of an update.

I will list who I have ordered with, total costs, deposit required and wait times. Just so you get a scope of who's in with what.

Glover Cues:
£415 total
£45 deposit
3/4 month wait.

Robin Cook
£432 total
no deposit required
14 Month wait

Parris Cues
£797.45 total
£100 deposit
11 month wait

Coutts Cues
£682 total
£40 deposit
12 month wait

Trevor White
£491 total
£100 deposit
12 month wait

Unfortunately Mike Wooldridge is too busy to take a firm order but he has promised to bear me in mind should any opportunity to throw his craft into the hat arise.

I have also been contacted by Richy Macdonald who's reputation for making cues is on the rise. I have placed an order with him.
Unfair of me to quote lead times or prices for Mac cues as the cue I recieve has been partially completed before I ordered.

This is the cue I will recieve first and I am very excited

Will keep all posted

[Inoffthered]

Man, that is some serious list you got going on there.. ( and I thought I had cue issues LOL ).