Why this cue has a Matte Finish
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Does the finish affect how a cue feels in your hands?
Anyone who has read through the different things I’ve written will know I experiment with different ways of building cues. I’m constantly looking for ways to build better cues. For example, I no longer advocate artificially weighting, or removing weight from a cue because I believe doing so changes the harmonics of the cue. The same is true with intentionally moving the balance point of a cue. I have come to favor the joint pins that use wooden threads, partially because they don’t use brass or other material) inserts that change the feel of the vibration that is transmitted from the shaft. I’m focused more and more on the means of vibration transmission and harmonic balance of the cue. It shouldn’t be surprising that I read about wooden musical instruments. After all they have been made far longer than pool cues. In one way or another vibration is the soul of a musical instrument just like it is for a pool cue. One of the things to come up over and over in my reading was how the finish affects the tonal quality of an instrument. In particular the matte finish (not glossy) is believed by many people to produce a richer more resonating tone. The sound is described as alive and more responsive. The obvious conclusion for someone who believes in ‘different strokes for different folks’ like I do, was I should try this type of finish on some cues. I already knew that some people just preferred the look of a matte finish. It gives a softer appearance to most colors. I simply had not used a matte finish before because most cuemakers try very hard to produce the shiniest finish they can produce. I knew, it seemed to have a better grip (on a cue that did not have a wrap) because I had test hit many cues before the finish was polished to a mirror like shine. But, since I don’t play a musical instrument I had never considered the choice of finish might produce a better feel. I can’t say conclusively the type of finish creates a different feel. I will say the older cues (some of the finest cues ever made) typically had finishes that were not shiny like the finishes encountered today. Often they had just a ‘hand rubbed oil polish’ for a finish. Later a very thin coat of spray lacquer was often used. Could it be that in our attempt to create more perfect and ‘more attractive’ cues we have accidentally reduced their feel? Anyway, I don’t think it is the right choice for every cue. But I am going to make more cues with a matte finish. Below are some of the comments people have had about the effect a matte finish has on a wooden musical instrument. Keep in mind their focus is on the sound the instrument makes. Our focus is on the feel our cues have. Both are directly related to vibration. ................................................. "All matte finish instruments seem to be more resonant than those with gloss finishes (on average)...they come alive in the hands..." "They both have matte finishes...this seems to give them a nice resonance and open tone that is not commonly found on many thick lacquer instruments." "...it also has the alive sound that is commonly heard with matte finish..." "The matte finishes contribute immensely to more resonance than a gloss finish." "They all have a matte finish...this matte finish contributes to a more alive sound...a very resonant sound that seems to come alive in the hands." "...the owner probably thinks the matte finish sound better than the more expensive high gloss..." "...mahogany back and sided mandola with a matte finish...a very warm sound with lots of resonance..." "...it falls short on the resonance and aliveness found in a matte finish mandola..." "Because of the matte finish, you'll find it to have a nice responsive resonance..." "... it wouldn't have the warmth and resonance of the mahogany with matte finish..." "The matte finish bassoon offers a darker and more round sound that is ideal for the chamber player." "...in fact, it appears to be even more responsive...which I'm sure is due to the matte finish." "...the bass response is very resonant...partly due to the matte finish...it's a nice compromise between the gloss finish archtop and the flat style...it still seems to have an aliveness normally only found on flat styles." "Because of the matte finish, this mandolin comes alive in the hands..." "...the matte finish instruments seem to be even more versatile in fitting into a variety of musical settings. The finish seems to influence the tone over and above both the choice of tailpiece and/or body style." |
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