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Went to Martin Chesworth's shop in Sheffield yesterday to try a number of cues on the table he has installed in the shop. As well as his own cues, he stocks quite a wide range of other well known makes.
Martin's advice was not to split my old cue as he felt that whilst it would add a useful amount of weight to the cue it would be to the detriment of the balance of the cue.
I then tried a number of 1/2 and 3/4 split cues. This was the first time I had ever tried a 3/4 cue and I found that I much preferred them to the 1/2 split. To me they felt just like a 1 piece. There was no going back then - I was convinced that I could find a better cue for myself than my existing one.
After trying a number of cues in the £100-150 price bracket - including O'min, Peradon, Craftsman etc., I finally settled on a Master Cue 'Tudor' which seemed to give the right 'feel'. It was noticeable that my potting improved when I used it compared to the others - it just felt right for me. Whilst a 3/4 cue may not quite give the convenience I was looking for in a 1/2 split, it is a vast improvement over carrying a 1 piece.
My experience has taught me that whilst you may get some excellent advice from reading the forums, there is no substitute for actually trying some cues. I would compare the experience that Martin (and I'm sure many similar retailers) offers to that you get when you go to an upmarket hi-fi shop. You get sound advice on what will meet your needs, and you can try the goods in the shop with no sales pressure. It may not be the cheapest way to buy but when you leave the shop you feel confident that you have invested your money in a product that will keep you happy for a long time to come. I very much doubt that I would have had as good an experience if I had bought it on the internet.
To summarise, my advice to any would-be purchaser is TRY BEFORE YOU BUY. Like me, you may be surprised to find a cue that is much better for you than the usual list of suspects.
Thanks to everyone who has offered their advice and opinions. Whilst I may not have followed a particular piece of advice, I feel it was all valid and helped to sort out my confusion.
Martin's advice was not to split my old cue as he felt that whilst it would add a useful amount of weight to the cue it would be to the detriment of the balance of the cue.
I then tried a number of 1/2 and 3/4 split cues. This was the first time I had ever tried a 3/4 cue and I found that I much preferred them to the 1/2 split. To me they felt just like a 1 piece. There was no going back then - I was convinced that I could find a better cue for myself than my existing one.
After trying a number of cues in the £100-150 price bracket - including O'min, Peradon, Craftsman etc., I finally settled on a Master Cue 'Tudor' which seemed to give the right 'feel'. It was noticeable that my potting improved when I used it compared to the others - it just felt right for me. Whilst a 3/4 cue may not quite give the convenience I was looking for in a 1/2 split, it is a vast improvement over carrying a 1 piece.
My experience has taught me that whilst you may get some excellent advice from reading the forums, there is no substitute for actually trying some cues. I would compare the experience that Martin (and I'm sure many similar retailers) offers to that you get when you go to an upmarket hi-fi shop. You get sound advice on what will meet your needs, and you can try the goods in the shop with no sales pressure. It may not be the cheapest way to buy but when you leave the shop you feel confident that you have invested your money in a product that will keep you happy for a long time to come. I very much doubt that I would have had as good an experience if I had bought it on the internet.
To summarise, my advice to any would-be purchaser is TRY BEFORE YOU BUY. Like me, you may be surprised to find a cue that is much better for you than the usual list of suspects.
Thanks to everyone who has offered their advice and opinions. Whilst I may not have followed a particular piece of advice, I feel it was all valid and helped to sort out my confusion.
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