Graeme Dott's Parris Ultimate No.2050

[culraven]

He also told me he was practising when John Higgins brought a cue in to try for the first time.John played a couple of frames and flung in a 147 and then said to Graeme that it was no use and he could not play with it.

Seen a few of them on Ebay, "had a 147, but can't get used to it!"

[ADR147]

Seen a few of them on Ebay, "had a 147, but can't get used to it!"

lol but in higgins case it might be true!

[bigandyg]

No might be true Graeme was spotting the balls for him and was asked to stand in line of Johns sight so he could see if cue was vibrating on the shot.

[culraven]

No might be true Graeme was spotting the balls for him and was asked to stand in line of Johns sight so he could see if cue was vibrating on the shot.

Don't doubt it for a second, wonder what cue it was?

[jrc750]

Don't doubt it for a second, wonder what cue it was?

Probably a JP cue (sorry cueman )

[Maverick54]

I have just had an experience with one of the best cuemakers on here in customer satisfaction and I am VERY disappointed. I paid a good price for the cue and when it was less than 2 months old it developed TWO cracks in the ebony at the joint. The one in the butt is about 6" long and the one on the shaft side is about 2" long.

As this cue was and is my playing cue I asked this cuemaker (who everyone seems to like) what could be done about this. His reply was he delivered a perfect product and the cracking is due to the low humidity we have in Canada during the winter and he would do nothing for me. Now there is great customer care!

I have since used a special glue to seal the cracks. This glue expands the wood and also forms a good bond so the two cracks are barely visible now. I have one more step to complete in the process to make the cue as good as new in appearance thanks to help from Andy Travis and Trevor.

My real complaint is if I decide to stop using this cue I will NEVER get back anywhere near the price I paid for it and this cuemakers used cues sell for a premium due to the wait for a custom order. I asked him to sell me another cue at wholesale price which would mean he could keep his original profit and not have any loss on the second cue, but he has refused.

If I sit here and stew about this long enough I may just initiate a string and put up some photos of the original crack and also name the cuemaker as in one of the posts above he is named as giving excellent customer care and I would like to disagree strongly with that statement.

As the cracks appeared on either side of the joint but didn't match up I believe the ebony was either defective or had been stressed when the joint was installed (which he disagreed strongly with). I have had probably over 200 3/4-butt cues here with ebony butts and some of them have been here over more than a year and I have never had this type of crack appear in any other cue. Besides which, I take good care of my cues and sell a lot of them on.

Up to this experience I had thought this cuemaker was a good guy but now I'm not so sure and I will not ever take the risk of buying another expensive cue from him in the future as he offers nothing in customer care if the cue happens to be defective.

Terry

Thats a real shame that you approached the maker in the correct manor to seek a solution to your problem. Its also a shame that an imediate name comes to mind as to who it is.

[sanman]

Or just a good player who buys a cue to er, you know, play with! Trouble with many players is they don't know a good cue from a bad one. As they can't play that well they go looking for faults with the cue rather than try and improve their own game. then you get all this fuss over a few mm out with splices or whatever other nonsense they can find to moan about. Also Ebay and this site haven't helped either because now people want to sell everything on that they can't get on with whereas before the internet people would just buy a cue and stick with it. Now we have a load of keyboard warriors, all having to air their opinions as if they are gospel and muddying names of people who they don't like.

They go to extreme lengths to take artistic photos of cues from individual cue makers who are able to take far more time and effort making a cue as perfectly as possible but could play like **** and then suddenly everyone starts to compare that cue to other makes. Sorry but the splicing of a cue is just not that important to good players, that is what really annoys me when people who cannot play start having an opinion on cues.

mate you need some serious professional help. Your diatribe is becoming monotonous to say the least. If before there might be some doubts as to your vested interests in JP now it seems a certainty. You like JP cues by all means buy them. just dont come here on your high horse and preach down to us on any supposed shortcomings as to our ability or understanding of what we want in a cue. A customers money buys what the customer wants. As for criticism this is a forum open to debate. factual debate.

[cueman]

sanman, don't like it don't read it. No need to get all personal or flustered about it. You said the forum was open for debate yet its okay to slag off JP but not for me to defend him. Little bit hypocritical don't you think.

diatribe and monotony aside I think your cues will be pathetic, so remind me just what you are on this site for? Could it be you with the vested interest to rubbish other makers and push your own cues. Just remind me what kind of vested interest I have with JP then seeing as though you are obviously into conspiracy theories?!!!!

[sanman]

No ones holding u back from debating mate but now u becoming somewhat of a parrot. All your arguments come full circle. As to whether i make good or pathethic cues i can tell u one thing. I take pride in what i do. So whether they are good or bad its not for you to comment sight unseen or tried. But then what would one expect from a blinkered individual as you. And lastly i never knock of all british cuemakers. Just one. I think the woolridge and TW and glover and robin Cook cues in my current collection are top notch cues. Conspiracy theories. Like i said u need professional help. Only in twisted minds as yours. End of this discussion. If you want to prattle along cueman please be my guest. I dont want to enter into arguments with u. U always want to have the last word so please be my guest

[cally]

Just to clear this up cos the point is just not sinking in eh....

The point of ppl having a go at JP is that he sells his cues in 'ranges' so when someone pays a premium for a cue that supposed to be a cut above the rest and you are paying (quite) a premium for extra care and nicer aesthetics in a shaft etc etc.......

Then an ultimate(s) pops up that is out on a few splices (by quite a margin on some). You think that is acceptable? No, NO it's not. That is what the premium price is for see fella. What is the point in having a range of cues if it makes no odds apart from a badge? the premium is for pure aesthetics not for playability. Do you see?

[jrc750]

Yeah what cally said, John Parris, sorry should i say cueman, is totally totally totally wrong on this subject

[narl]

Any cue makers want to weigh in with what is the main cause of splices being slightly misaligned? Dodgy measurements? the splice moving slightly because of the glue when its first clamped? Be interested on hearing from a cue maker on this but this seems to be an area where not many answers are given.

[Maverick54]

Due to the distance of many cuemakers from us and the need to order custom cues over the internet, its no wonder so many poor cues hit the market. We dont see what we're getting until after we've paid.
The answer is to go back in time when we went into a shop and bought a cue of the shelf. You would never consider a cue that wasn't perfect would you? Badly spliced cues would have to be at a knock down price to sell and would only appeal to those on a low budget who were prepared to put up with it not looking its best.
Lots all hope the Internet crashes for good and we get back to the old ways eh????

[klx-inc]

Any cue makers want to weigh in with what is the main cause of splices being slightly misaligned? Dodgy measurements? the splice moving slightly because of the glue when its first clamped? Be interested on hearing from a cue maker on this but this seems to be an area where not many answers are given.

I'd have to say it's all down to how accurately the cue is planed ready to take the splice. ie accuracy of splice alignment with the chevron points on the shaft of the cue. And how straight and flat (untwisted) the cue has been planes.
That has to be most important part of preparing a cue to take the splices!

[klx-inc]

Due to the distance of many cuemakers from us and the need to order custom cues over the internet, its no wonder so many poor cues hit the market. We dont see what we're getting until after we've paid.
The answer is to go back in time when we went into a shop and bought a cue of the shelf. You would never consider a cue that wasn't perfect would you? Badly spliced cues would have to be at a knock down price to sell and would only appeal to those on a low budget who were prepared to put up with it not looking its best.
Lots all hope the Internet crashes for good and we get back to the old ways eh????

That's why it's always best to visit the cuemaker in person when ordering a cue, regardless of distance!
So as he can get a real sense of the kind of feel you want from a cue. you just can't do that online over the internet.