What Difference Does an Expensive Cue Make
2/23/2011 8:44:42 PM
What Difference Does an Expensive Cue Make
Some high-end cues are so expensive, and I want to know what differences one would expect when playing with a high-end, high-priced pool cue. Thoughts?
lizard_king420What Difference Does an Expensive Cue Make
Replies & Comments
Mitch Alsup on 2/28/2011 10:47:56 AM
In general, 75% of the performance of the cue in in the tip (the $2 to $30 part), 15%-20% is in the shaft (the $30-$300 part) and 5%-10% is in everything else (the $20 through $20K part).
A $60 cue will play well if you adjust to it. A $600 cue will play well if you adjust to it A $6K cue will play well if you adjust to it {Notice the pattern?}
Taken care of, a cue will last more than one lifetime; so the cost is moderate per year or per rack of pool.
Once you start getting into the $400-$600 range, you can have a cue professional made to suit your game for about what a manufactured cue will cost. So, basically, everthing in the $600+ catagory and manufactured is chosen by personal choice.
But lets say you know nothing about selecting a cue, how they function, and what the differences might be. In this case, just pick a cue that your eye likes and your hand likes and your bank account likes, and call it a day. No reason to spend much more than $60-$80. Treat this cue as a learning experience. This cue will get banged up, dented, bent, and maybe even broken once or twice as you figure out how to keep a cue undamaged. Then after a few tips, a couple of years of use, mutiple bangs and dents, you will have acquired the knowledge of how to hold the cue so as to avoid these issues in the future. It is at this point that you are in a position to buy a more expensive cue.
Once you are in a position to buy a more expensive cue, you won't need my help in style, costs, or who does the work.
Gconn on 5/21/2011 2:45:22 AM
thanks to Mitch Alsup for the reply :) Nice answer
bustya on 6/28/2011 2:24:38 PMQuality and performance is what you should pay for and get with a more expensive cue. If your a money player you know what hits good, if you just shoot pool it won't make much difference unless you just want to show off a name brand... The custom cues cost more because of what they are, hopefully a one of a kind creation. If the maker is a player of any kind he knows how to build performance into the cue. A lot of makers can't make 2 balls in a row, so how do they know what plays good. I'm a cue maker and can play some, I build old school, hand made cues. It's all about the wood. If you use good well seasoned wood, chances are the cue will play well and hit solid, with quality construction.
I see all these CNC cues that are beautiful, but all that inlay doesn't make the cue stronger , or play better or hit more solid, just costs more... You get a low cost solid butt with lots of inlay... It's a lot of work writing the programs, but at machine shop prices, not a great value in my humble opinion... It's a tool to play the game and if you love the game get a good cue, the shaft is what you should pay a lot of attention to... Now days you should shop around, do research, and find some value for your fast becoming worthless dollar. Good luck.
tronsistor on 1/8/2012 6:16:34 PM
I was thinking of getting a new cue, but I love the cue I presently have. When I bought it I paid $100 for it, but I love it because the shaft is black graphite over a maple core. I never have to use talc on it, only after I used it for 2 years it had to clean it with some cue cleaner, and it was as smooth as it was when I first bought it. I wipe it down after each game, and usually clean it every 4 months.
What Difference Does an Expensive Cue Make
- Title: What Difference Does an Expensive Cue Make
- Author: lizard_king420 (Kyle Brandtjen)
- Published: 2/23/2011 8:44:42 PM
