Thinking of ordering a custom cue

[Mat91]

Good evening

next year I will be in Sheffield, to see the quarters and semis of the world championship. Well and I thought about pre ordering a custom made cue, to collect it, when I'm in Britain.

That's a thought I have for a couple of weeks now. So my questions would be: does it make sense, to get one build without trying the specifications I would like it to have in advance? I always admired the work of John Parris, is he the best option for getting a cue made? And the main question, is it worth to get a custom one, or is it a better idea to just visit a cue maker and try some cues he has got for sale?


Thanks for your help guys
Have a good start into the new week!

[jack_dougles]

Good evening

next year I will be in Sheffield, to see the quarters and semis of the world championship. Well and I thought about pre ordering a custom made cue, to collect it, when I'm in Britain.

That's a thought I have for a couple of weeks now. So my questions would be: does it make sense, to get one build without trying the specifications I would like it to have in advance? I always admired the work of John Parris, is he the best option for getting a cue made? And the main question, is it worth to get a custom one, or is it a better idea to just visit a cue maker and try some cues he has got for sale?


Thanks for your help guys
Have a good start into the new week!

depends on ability and how much you play, think a custom cue from parris will be a major outlay as you probably not 100% sure on ideal specs, think better idea is to visit a dealer with lot of stock and a table, try a few out and see what feels comfortable and if still not happy try custom but no guarantee that it will suit you, and I know from experience as my team in club have the best cues in the league, all custom jobs that I couldn't get away with and all same spec, 57 inches 17 ounces 9 mil tip 4 inch flat 28 mil but so must be something else lol

[itsnoteasy]

You might have left it too late to order a Parris cue, even if you ordered it now eleven months, would be cutting it fine for most of his range, there will be lads on here who will be able to tell you how long they have been waiting or do a search, there was a big thread about Parris waiting times not that long Ago.

[justf]

New waiting times for parris cues. Long wait for top of the range or onepiece, but 3/4 cues not that long to wait.

[Mat91]

God morning

thanks for your answers.

Maybe as an additional info, in the moment I play my old and trusty BCE Jimmy White Signature cue. I really do like it, but most of the time I feel it is a bit short for my size.
It is also lacquered which allows me to play with a players glove only. I tried to get rid of it on another cue but didn't like the results at all.

I play 3-5 times a week so I guess just judging the amount of time I spend at the table, a good cue wood be an option?

@Jack: That is exactly what I fear when spending roughly 600-700£. I mean I don't have a problem to spend that amount of money for a cue that is top of the notch craftsmanship and suits me well, but if not..

@itsnoteasy: I read the thread, that is the reason I asked
whether Parris is the best choice or not Me thinks spending that much money to wait nearly 2 years for a cue is quite...ehem strange?

@justf: A onepiece wouldn't be my choice, to bulky and difficult to transport. Some of me club mates own op cues and I think that bit of a nicer feeling while doing the shot is not worth it. But what do you mean by top of the range? Something like the ultimas?

Well I also read about Trevor White maybe he would be the better option?

Best wishes and thank you all for your support!

[trevs1]

Good evening

next year I will be in Sheffield, to see the quarters and semis of the world championship. Well and I thought about pre ordering a custom made cue, to collect it, when I'm in Britain.

That's a thought I have for a couple of weeks now. So my questions would be: does it make sense, to get one build without trying the specifications I would like it to have in advance? I always admired the work of John Parris, is he the best option for getting a cue made? And the main question, is it worth to get a custom one, or is it a better idea to just visit a cue maker and try some cues he has got for sale?


Thanks for your help guys
Have a good start into the new week!

Hi Mat91,

Getting a cue made to your own specifications and design is fine, as long as you either....

A) Have some idea of what you'd like in terms of shape and size for the cue, or...

B) Are not particularly used to using anything, and would be able to adapt to a new cue.

If you are a regular player and know what you want, then it's perhaps a straightforward process and should be fine. However, if you are not sure what you may like in relation to the shape and size of the cue, it could be more tricky. Having said that, there is no reason why you should not go for it, because working out what should feel ok is not that much of a problem.

If you are of fairly average height (maybe between 5' 10" and 6' 2", then a cue of more or less standard length will be fine. 57.5" to 58" suits most people of this height range. Similarly, a good choice in ferrule size is perhaps 9.5mm to 9.7mm and a standard butt diameter of approx 30mm should feel good too. Weights are a little more tricky to determine as some people prefer more and some less, but as a guide, anything between 17.5oz's and 18.5oz's is usually a good bet, with 17.75 / 18oz's being about what most would choose.

Apart from the dimensions, you'll need to decide on design, and this is personal preference and is for you to choose. The only issue you may have is in the lead time Parris might have, as for certain cues, 11 months may well not be long enough. Call or emial and ask the question, that's not going to be difficult and will let you know exactly what is achieveable.

At the end of it all, even fi you did not like the cue, you would always be able to sell it on and possibly not lose any money at all.

Good luck with your decision and enjoy Sheffield next year.

[justf]

Matt if you didnt know trevs1 is the best cuemaker in the world, seriously! Great advice trv.

[justf]

Matt when I said top of the range I meant in the parris cue range, that is mainly their own limited edition, paragon, special and ultimate range (there are prob others). The elite, champion etc are the parris brands normal range.

[Mat91]

Hi guys,

@trevs1:

Thanks for your input and suggestions!
Really helpful Because I can answer A I think getting a cue custom made is the way to go! I will do some research and also have a closer look on your cues
Thanks again mate!
I don't know if it is allowed here, if yes and if you have a webpage, could you send me a link?

@justf: Ah okay, so I will have to get in touch with Mr. Parris to ask for the time it will take. But I also will check what some other makers a offering

Best wishes!

[biffer]

Hope you have fun while you are over here for the world Championships. Good luck with the hunt for a cue, not an easy task especially if you can’t really hold or play with a finished product before you decide to buy from a cue maker. You probably have already tried this but here’s the link for parris cue builder. At least you will know the price of the cue you want.

[URL="https://www.parriscues.com/cue_builder/"]

[Mat91]

Hi biffer

I'm so excited already to visit the Crucible, that I get goose bumps when thinking of it

Thanks for the good luck wish! I have the specs of the cue I want in my mind. Also the exact colouration and the way the splicing should look like.
I also set myself a budget for this cue, which is roughly (better not tell the girlfriend ) around 700€, which is around 620£ I think. So now I am searching for the works of different cue makers to decide, with whom I wanna work it out. This is supposed to be the one cue you play till you drop So I will take it slow and try not beeing foolish. If it isn't ready next year, than that is so. Better that way, than me buying a cue, which is not what I really want
Best wishes, I keep you informed

Mathias

[The Doctor]

Very wise to take your time to choose.

[hotpot]

Matt if you didnt know trevs1 is the best cuemaker in the world, seriously! Great advice trv.

How about he makes cues as good as anyone in the world