ID Old Meucci Custom Cues with Sticker

1/12/2008 6:34:49 PM

ID Old Meucci Custom Cues with Sticker

I have an old Meucci cue. I just don't know how old. I can't find anything like it, so I turn to you all.

Here are some pics of the shaft and the butt and end cap.

I sure hope you can help! It looks like the words "Meucci 20 oz" is handwritten, but I could be wrong.

lucky4life

ID Old Meucci Custom Cues with Sticker

Replies & Comments

tedmauro on 1/15/2008 8:40:12 PM
About 20 years back, Meucci put out a couple of inexpensive cues called the high run and low run. They called it the "Starter Series".

I could not see the pics that well but it looks like the high run to me.

lucky4life on 1/15/2008 9:15:20 PM
So that probably means that it is not really a collectible then, right?

tedmauro on 1/16/2008 11:21:56 AM
I'm not sure but probably not. I'll bet however that it is worth just as much now as when it was new. I think the high run sold for about $140. I'm not positive that it is a high run. Where are you located? Are their any pro tournaments in your area? You could take it to a pro tourney or billiards expo and get a for sure answer.

lucky4life on 1/18/2008 5:05:40 PM
OK, I received the pool cue today, and it still is not much help having it right in my face.

There is actually a clear sticker on the butt that says "Meucci Custom Cues" and "20 oz" in script. It also says "Made in USA" in very small print at the bottom of the sticker. The dot for the "i" at the end of "Meucci" looks to be an 8 ball.

Anyone seen anything like this? Do you still think it is a high end, or a fake possibly?

tedmauro on 1/22/2008 7:26:01 PM
Not sure what it is. Is there a store in your town that sells Meucci cues?

If there is check the logo on the new Meucci cues. I don't recall stickers or decals.

Take some close up pics and search for a cue expert.

Fenwick on 1/22/2008 7:55:15 PM
I can't help identify your cue; sorry, but I might help you find the right path.

The shop where I go to have work done is owned by a Cue collector. He has a book as large as a phone book with thousands of Cues listed. You might do a search here.

google.com/search?q=pool+Cue+Collectors+Book

Might also be a good idea to find someone who has one of these books. Are you a Collector or planning on becoming one?

billiardsforum on 6/27/2017 1:17:50 PM
Not sure if you ever got this old Meucci sticker cue figured out yet, but for the others coming here...

You have an early 1970s Huebler aka Meucci Custom Cue. The most common is the Huebler QB line and yours looks like it might be something similar from that series. Yours has had the bumper replaced, as those came originally with the small pill-style bumpers.

Yours is either a Huebler Meucci Custom QB1 or QB2 (can't tell from the pics, but if it has "pearl appointments" its a QB2, if not, QB1.

QB-1 - Merry widow butt, unwrapped hardwoods of Bubinga or Mozambique, white implex joint, white butt-plate, urethane bumper.

QB-2 - Same as QB-1, with pearl appointments.

Bob made cues out of Huebler for a while before starting Meucci Originals. Bob signed away the right to use the Meucci name early on and I believe these were cues by whoever held the rights at that time.

I just found a few pics the other day. Will post some more later today but for now here is one...

user1556562710 on 4/29/2019 11:31:51 AM
Just before I found this question, I purchased for $450 from eBay what appears to be a match with the QB2, but it has printed on the butt QB4.

My question is:

Have you found any further information of which maker may have used the Meucci naming rights? When I get it in a few days and can take my own pictures, do you want them or should I try asking for info from Meucci folk?

I have not received it yet, but the seller described it as follows:

Here’s a super rare cue.

The original meucci series when Bob Meucci worked in the Huebler factory!

The 2 original stickers are included and perfectly intact on the Butt.

Brass pin, pill bumper, nylon insert and the cue is actually in nice shape for its age. Always in the original case. Original wrap and rosewood points and sleeve.

Source: ebay.com/itm/113702049137

billiardsforum on 4/29/2019 1:10:02 PM
Everything the seller said is more or less correct, except the part about being "super rare".

These Huebler Meucci Custom Cues come up on eBay every couple months and go for between $100-$400 depending on condition. That's not "super rare" or even "rare" - since I can pretty much find, and buy at a reasonable cost, just about any one of the cues from this line without much trouble just about any time I want.

As far as the back-story, I mentioned in briefly in my earlier answer above.

It goes something like Huebler had the rights to "Meucci Custom Cues", which is why Bob had to name his company "Meucci Originals", apparently.

I've also read this:

I am told that this cue was made when Bob Meucci was working in Paul Huebler's shop in Linn, Mo in 1973. But someone else says that this cue was made at Quality Billiards in Colorado after Bob left Huebler, thus the designation "QB...".

And from my notes from another contact:

This same line of cues were also built in Paul's shop in 1973 shortly after Bob Meucci moved to Colorado and started making them there. Later he stopped production and moved to Olive Branch and started Meucci Originals.

Apparently, according to Bob's daughter:

Huebler was making these and using the sticker even after Bob left and there was some sort of lawsuit or legal action by Bob to get them to stop.

I'll dig more up about this later when I have more time.

user1556562710 on 4/29/2019 1:47:12 PM
Thanks!

I searched many hours for additional info before I bought the QB4 for my 14 year old grandguy. I only found your above Jun 17 update to Jan 08 comments, a 5 year-old Reddit comment and photos, and a little comment at Proficient Billiards.

No hints on valuation. (That may be an unfortunate reflection on my computer skills. Probably should have had him look...) But I don't really mind overpaying a bit if it inspires him to play more (on my table, if I am lucky!)

Do you think there is something I can do to keep the stickers protected so he can play with it?

billiardsforum on 4/29/2019 2:37:24 PM
He's a lucky guy with a grandparent like you.

As far as protecting the sticker - the main reason, I presume, you'd want to protect it is to protect the value of the cue, but anything you do to alter it from it's original state (e.g. cover it / clear-coat it) would detract from it's collectible value.

I'll email you directly with a copy of the original sales brochure.

Also I noticed your note about the numbering and and what the cue matches in the brochure vs. what is on the sticker. Notice that the numbers under each cue in the brochure that I emailed you aren't the "QB" numbers? They are just pointers to the list of descriptions below. The cue pictured in the eBay ad is most definitely a QB-4 (which is referenced by #7 on the brochure). I was thrown by that when I first saw the series a while back.

PaulMeucci on 12/29/2021 7:13:29 AM
Well my search is over! Now I know have an original Meucci cue. Thanks for the forum and posts.

I bought a brand new cue stick back in 1973 in Dallas, TX at a Mickey Finn’s when I was a junior in high school. The clerk told me it was a Meucci cue. I have the exact same one as is shown the second picture above. I love this cue stick, and always have.

Over the years I broke the original shaft and the butt warped. I fixed the warp and replaced the shaft but now I have to make a trip to Mississippi because I’ll replace the shaft with a Meucci "Ultimate Weapon" shaft but I have to make sure they fit it with period Pearl Rings and new collars. I really want an original sticker on the butt too. Mine never had on. That’s why I had so much trouble confirming it was a Meucci cue. It was just the 5/16" joint pin that was a giveaway.

It’s A Huebler QB2 cue for sure.

billiardsforum on 12/30/2021 1:47:57 PM
@PaulMeucci - I'll caution you, those cues are Huebler cues, and aren't really related to the current Meucci Cues, LLC based out of Byhalia, MS (other than the fact that Bob Meucci worked for Huebler and it was his line of cues from that outfit).

The Huebler Cue company is long gone, and I would guess those stickers will be impossible to come by. I'm sure you could have one made somewhere if you have a clear-enough representation for someone to copy.

If the current Meucci Cues can outfit you with a shaft, that would be great to know. Let us know how you make out!

PaulMeucci on 12/31/2021 9:29:04 AM
Thanks for the info. I’ll have to settle with a Huebler Custom then.

PaulMeucci on 1/7/2022 5:55:39 PM
Oh, what a headache this has become. So, after thinking I had fixed the warp in the forearm I see it has warped again.

Forums I have read say this is pretty much the norm. Some say it’s all in the shaft (not the butt) and that you may be able to continue to use it. I dunno.

So, I got the Ultimate Weapon shaft for it only to find that the collar on the shaft is a tad wider than the collar on the butt.

Well, what now? Find A Meucci butt on eBay? Nope, not paying big money for a used butt.

Can I get a different brand cue that’s affordable (CHEAP) that has the 5/16” - 18 joint so I can make use of the new Meucci UW shaft?

billiardsforum on 1/15/2022 1:09:48 AM
@PaulMeucci - I will reiterate—The pool cue you have is a Huebler cue, Not a Meucci cue.

In my opinion, your mistake is trying to pair it with a shaft from today's Meucci Cue company.