So I finally bought a cue

[mcast12]

After scouring the web for 2 weeks not being able to decide which cue to buy, I went into John Parris in London. I would consider myself very much an amateur so I'm no cue expert, the only way to decide was to actually feel the cues. I ended up buying a "Classic", 57", 19oz ash 3\4 cue for around £250. JP seems to get mixed but generally good reviews on the net, with my limited experience the cue feels good and looks very well made. I can only compare to club cues and other cheap brands, obviously the JP is feels better. I would love to compare it against a Mastercraft Black Prince or Master PB1 to see if its actually any better than a cue at half the money.

The downside was the buying "experience", the chap wasn't exactly enthusiastic and getting advice was like getting blood out a stone. The shop is a dingy little place hidden away on a small south east London street, not exactly what I pictured as being one of the worlds best cue makers. I feel JP is geared towards the "elite" pros and not your general public amateur.

Is there anyone out there that has tried a JP and other brands, how do they compare? Has anyone been into the JP London shop?

[cueman]

I think you have made a good choice regarding your cue purchase, what you can be sure of is that you won't be able to buy a better quality cue IMO. JP cues are very well made and are excellent playing cues, something not all cue makers produce, despite their cues looking well made. All you have to do now is practice so you get used to this cue, its pointless spending £250+ on a cue and not trying to improve your game.

I have tried several brands of cues down the years from Craftsman, Mastercraft, Mastercue, Trevor White and a few others and I play with a JP Traditional. The only problem with JP is the price but you are paying as much for the name as you are the fact they are based in London.
What I always say is, there are a lot of good cue makers around and the ones I've listed are amongst those but it doesn't mean to say that if you bought a cue from them that it will suit you or improve your game. Pound for pound I'd say Craftsman is the best quality and also make good playing cues with Mastercue just behind them. I was disappointed with the Mastercraft cue I purchased, the ash didn't seem good enough quality to make a playable cue but then again maybe I was unlucky.

[Wannes]

Hi, I'm new here.
I snooker now for about a year en play with een Cue Carft Monarch
,I feel that my game stuck ( sorry for my english).So maybe a new cue will help.Here in belgium, the three major are not for sale, only een JB and only two of them, I've tried them in the shop on a little snooker table and it feel nice.
So I bought the JP PROFESSIONAL standard cue.
I go to the club and play on a great table,it's gone al wrong,somehow it's getting all wrong.Especially the soft pots.
I changed the tip hoping this is better. Unfortunately I can get the Woodridge tip in belgium.I think that JP cue are good but difficult to play with ,and because of that only for the better player. I am aware that I must learn to play the JP yet.Butt still.

[Quackers]

mcast12 and Wannes, you've both bought a cue that, with a bit of care, can last your whole snookering life. A new cue always takes some getting used to - persevere with it if you like its feel and you-re likely to be happy with your purchase.

[Luke Hooper]

precisely what quackers says..

i too went into john parris a few moons ago now when i first started out as i kind of knew straight away that i liked snooker and decided id splash out (bit of an impulse buy really) on a good cue and thought yep, john parris is the dude for me. I was in the shop for about 5 hours, playing around with different cues on the mini table, i was there so long that by the time i was leaving it was pitch dark outside and the shop had been closed for about 2 hours and john had buggered off out the back and said he'll come back in a bit, told me to just play around until i narrowed it down to as least as i could.

i tested the entire range, with it i narrowed down to three i really liked.. two of which were regals, and the other was a limited cue. after playing again i cut out the limited cue and was left with the two regals, both completely different, one about 17 oz, one 19.4oz, i asked john for his opinion afterwards when he came back and he suggested i go for the one i ended up getting because of the chevrons and the fact there were more of them and hte other had a slight gap, but it was all about personal preference..it kind of made sense to me (not knowing much at the time) and he went around hold the cue at arms length and giving it a knock to see which one responds more and etc and in the end said yep, definitely this one... i took his advice and bam, wouldnt have another cue i simply swear by JP, part of me wants to at least sample another one but my expectation is so high that i honestly dont think it can be topped...

John Parris cues FTW!

[CoolBlue]

i tested the entire range, with it i narrowed down to three i really liked.. two of which were regals, and the other was a limited cue. after playing again i cut out the limited cue and was left with the two regals, both completely different, one about 17 oz, one 19.4oz

Luke, given the 2oz or so difference, do you think it was better to go with the heavier cue?

I've always used @ 18.5oz cues - but have never been able to try a lighter cue @ 17oz. Just curious.

Like you say, JP is one of the best.

[Luke Hooper]

to be perfectly honest, i didnt know whether it was better to go for the heavier or the lighter one...i liked them both the same, the only thing that made me choose the 19.4oz one is the chevrons on the ash and also john told me to go for that one as it seemed more responsive..

my cue before that was a cheapo ronnie o sullivan cue from a JJB sports for like 20 pounds (basically when i first started started like playing with a pint and for a laugh knocking a few balls around) i had that for about 2-3 months and then decided that i liked the game and thought id get a decent cue and take it up as more of a hobby..

that cue must of been around 17 ounces, i still have it, it feels very light now...but in times where my JP cue is sitting waiting for the glue on the tip to dry (like thursday) i pulled out the cheapo cue that i retipped and look after as a spare, and was playing around with that like there was no difference.. although i can feel its a lot lighter i just seem to be able to make that fine adjustment when it comes to knowing how hard to hit it, and because its lighter i need to hit it slightly harder, or more firm to do what i want to do with my regular cue..

i personally dont think weight makes THAT much difference, as i can pick up a cue from the clubs rack and knock in a 40 i think its about what makes you feel confident in using, i dont know what it is but every time i uncase my JP i feel like a professional and instantly feel brimming with confidence wanting to knock every ball in and make breaks..

when i use something else, i dont really take it as serious and jujst mess around...

[Woolf147]

Hello mate
You went there at the wrong time. John Parris on holliday know and will be back next wednesday on the 19/05/10.
Shame you didn't meet him. Such a great man and if he was there he will helped you choosing a cue. Anyway you make a good choice by choosing John parris cue. John always in the shop and always happy to help with the cue.