ADR147 vs Maximus Ultimate

[ADR147]

I don't know any cue doctors in Aberdeen, any suggestions?

I am about an hour and a half away! - the trouble with cues is that each one is different, you can never really compare one maker to another whoever they are, the cues I have with my badge can vary in quality but I do my best to get the best value for money for the end user. With most suppliers, as any dealer will tell you, the problem is this the first time you order 50 cues the standard is amazing, and 45 of them will be top notch - the next order you place, 30 of them are great and 20 need you to basically rebuild them. This is the case with every trade supplier to all the household names - believe me all the main suppliers in the UK I have had long phone calls with moaning about it. It is the nature of the beast! If anybody ever finds a supplier anywhere in the world that can supply a continuous high level I would be delighted to make their acquaintance!

[ADR147]

I have 3 Chinese made clonkers, chonkers. I have one that I really like, a Grand cue, but the weight is far too far back, 16 inch balance point. It just feels too heavy in the hand and too easy to hit the ball too hard with it. I'm considering some DIY alterations, but I don't want to destroy it, the shaft is nice and I like the splice work on it. I also have a Robin Scott one, which is too long, but nice enough. And I have another Grand cue which is all ash with a little front splice, this one is a 3/4 split and all the grain on the ash lines up perfectly at the joint, which I like, but it's too heavy in the hand, seems to be a theme with Grand cues, if they sorted that out they'd be brilliant value.

I have had them do pool cues for me with mixed results but you are right, as for value, we could not even source the wood in the UK or Thailand for the price they will do a decent cue for - much better than a sports shop cue anyway.

[Big Splash!]

The Chinese will catch up and weight their cues accordingly, we just know this. They'll be making cues as well as the Thais soon enough. So once again, the traders will put another nail into British cue making. You've got a video on this site of Cue Craft making cues really well in the UK at excellent value. But no, let's go Thai. No wonder our balance of payments is a flippin mess. No wonder unemployment is unacceptably high. But hey, profit not people.

[ADR147]

The Chinese will catch up and weight their cues accordingly, we just know this. They'll be making cues as well as the Thais soon enough. So once again, the traders will put another nail into British cue making. You've got a video on this site of Cue Craft making cues really well in the UK at excellent value. But no, let's go Thai. No wonder our balance of payments is a flippin mess. No wonder unemployment is unacceptably high. But hey, profit not people.

What is it you do for a living, you appear to have a lot of spare time to come on here and irritate me?

[dom979]

Dom - apologies for the post last night. Didn't realise until too late you are newer than me. What Chinese cue did you start with, an LP or Jian Ying job?

No problems. I started with a WL sports cue, it came with some really thick lacquer but once I removed that it was very nice other than the grain fill rubbing off and leaving my hands black. I took a few pictures of it, you can see them here: https://imgur.com/a/CcPB7.

How did you find your experience with a woods cue?

[DeanH]

wow! A LEVITATING CUE!

[dom979]

wow! A LEVITATING CUE!

I know, it weighs negative 1oz, I have to be careful it doesn't float away

[itsnoteasy]

No problems. I started with a WL sports cue, it came with some really thick lacquer but once I removed that it was very nice other than the grain fill rubbing off and leaving my hands black. I took a few pictures of it, you can see them here: https://imgur.com/a/CcPB7.

How did you find your experience with a woods cue?

That's what I started with Dom, I still have one( well it's my sons) ours came with a heavily varnished butt and a very lightly oiled shaft, they might have been dirt cheap but I love those cues ,two of the best playing shafts I have used, ( wish I had kept mine )right up there with my Omin and my playing cue now.

[Cue crafty]

[QUOTE=dom979;907065]No problems. I started with a WL sports cue, it came with some really thick lacquer but once I removed that it was very nice other than the grain fill rubbing off and leaving my hands black. I took a few pictures of it, you can see them here: https://imgur.com/a/CcPB7.

How did you find your experience with a woods cue?[/QUO. Yes similar experience. Had a Jian Ying 57" 18oz and surprisingly it was very nicely weighted. It was the painted darts that did my head in eventually. The varnish felt as thick as shalack so that had to go. you can't knock them too much for the money and extensions combined in the price.

[dom979]

[QUOTE=Cue crafty;907076]

No problems. I started with a WL sports cue, it came with some really thick lacquer but once I removed that it was very nice other than the grain fill rubbing off and leaving my hands black. I took a few pictures of it, you can see them here: https://imgur.com/a/CcPB7.

How did you find your experience with a woods cue?[/QUO. Yes similar experience. Had a Jian Ying 57" 18oz and surprisingly it was very nicely weighted. It was the painted darts that did my head in eventually. The varnish felt as thick as shalack so that had to go. you can't knock them too much for the money and extensions combined in the price.

I got the cue, case mini butt and extension all for £25 and that included postage, really cant argue with the price. Think I might try and seal the shaft with some boiled linseed oil as i have been using raw thinned down with a little turpentine, and give the cue another shot just to see how it compares to my other cues.

[dom979]

That's what I started with Dom, I still have one( well it's my sons) ours came with a heavily varnished butt and a very lightly oiled shaft, they might have been dirt cheap but I love those cues ,two of the best playing shafts I have used, ( wish I had kept mine )right up there with my Omin and my playing cue now.

The residue the cue left on my bridge hand meant the cue kept sticking. So i couldn't really judge how the cue played too well, but I think i'm going to try and seal that shaft and give the cue another go, just to see how it plays.

[Big Splash!]

INE: one of the best players in our league uses a Conny Woods cue, 3 star. Faultless for £120 and he's the one hitting the numbers, not the JPS owner. lol

[dom979]

INE: one of the best players in our league uses a Conny Woods cue, 3 star. Faultless for £120 and he's the one hitting the numbers, not the JPS owner. lol

I'm sure they can produce good cue but from my experience of ordering a custom cue from them it was awful. I ordered the cue with a 9mm tip it came with a 8.8mm, the taper was not too dissimilar to an american pool cues taper, and the weighting was around 3oz over what i had asked for. Do you know if the player in your league custom ordered his cue or just choose a 3 star one they had already made that was to their liking?

[Cue crafty]

That's silly money isn't it. I agree though, well worth the effort to strip it down and put a proper finish on. I might do the same as I could do with a second playing cue that I can store down my club and use on those occasions when I'm out for the evening, and don't want to drag a cue case around with me. There are however many temptations on this forum for a second bat. Hmmmmm🤔

[dom979]

That's silly money isn't it. I agree though, well worth the effort to strip it down and put a proper finish on. I might do the same as I could do with a second playing cue that I can store down my club and use on those occasions when I'm out for the evening, and don't want to drag a cue case around with me. There are however many temptations on this forum for a second bat. Hmmmmm��

I just had a look at them on ebay, they seem to be going for around £30 + £13 postage at the moment. They dont post many pictures of the cue but from the images they do post quite a few seem to have a straight grain. I still dont know how they can produce cues for this little money and still have them hand spliced.