Styles of Old Meucci Cues

Pool cues made by Bob Meucci became a favorite of many professional pool players beginning in the 1970s. Meucci continues to make high-quality pool cues that start at several hundred dollars. Some custom models command five-figure price tags. Meucci has made hundreds of designs, but several factors are consistent in most authentic vintage Meucci cue sticks.

  1. Logo

    • Older cue sticks, made from 1975 to 1990, have the logo "Meucci Originals" imprinted on the butt cap. Some collectors have assumed this means they have a valuable original, but it was simply the logo that the Meucci company put on all its cue sticks. Since 1990 the trademark has been a stylized script that simply says "Meucci." To recognize a pre-1990s cue always look for the "Meucci Originals" designation in block letters on the butt cap.

    Wood

    • Meucci designed cue sticks that were lighter than most and balanced towards the rear. He achieved the effect, in part, by using maple in almost all the cues he makes. All of his cue shafts are made of hardwood rather than steel, plastic or composites. His cues have a longer taper than most cues at the time did, though many companies have since followed his lead.

    Ornamentation

    • Creative designs along the forearm of the shaft are what visually set Meucci cues apart in the early days. One of the first to see pool cues as a potential artistic collectible rather than just a functional game piece, Meucci added a myriad of designs and ornate filigrees into his cues. At times the company has issued a special edition every month. Some of the prominent early series were incorporated in SJ and SE series. Meucci designed a Roadrunner cue that incorporated inlays of the Roadrunner cartoon character. Varieties of his designs include gold, ivory and inlays of a variety of colorful precious jewels. Most of the inlay work on Meucci cues is done by hand rather than machine. The genuine special or limited editions from the early years often have a serial number or a date stamped into the butt cap.

    Finish

    • All Meucci cues use Irish Linen for the wrap, in either black or white, with a sealing finish over the wrap. some players prefer to sand off the finish to enjoy the feel of the elegant wrap as they play, but this obviously exposes the wrap to degradation over time. Meucci occasionally uses mother-of-pearl for the points of his cues, a rarity among older or modern cue sticks. The joints of many authentic Meucci cue sticks are decorated with intricate chain link or checkered ring designs.