Famous
Billiard cuemaker series – Gus Szamboti ,
Billiard Cues that talk
Whether you are a Billiard enthusiast, a collector, an expert or even a cuemaker,
you will definitely know who is Gus Szamboti (G.S.), if you are a billiard
player and not know his name, then you ought to rethink your enthusiasm
in billiards. Not to worry, I am here to introduce you the renowned and
most recorgnised master of masters Gus Szamboti.
Gus Szamboti was born in 1931 in America Pennsylvania state, suburb of
Philadelphia. He died in 1988 at the age of 57. His initial contact
with billiards was at the age of 8, since then he fell in love with the sport. Because
of his passion for billiards, he has decided to set his life's goals
towards the billiard industry. Since school days, he has aimed to get
in touch with the mechanicla domain, and in 1960 he made it to become
a designer in RCA. In 1969, he sold his beloved Haley for a pile of billiard
cue stick materials. In addition he bought a mini caravan and started
repairing billiard cue stick for his friends. At the same time, he manufactured
his first billiard cue stick and
sold it to his ex-colleague in RCA for $25, and this marked the beginning
of his billiard cue stick manufacturing career.
In 1970, G.S.
Started using blanks with his skills, but failed upteen times, with
persistence he finally suceeded in making his own points. His first
15 billiard cue stick were all sold to a company called WCID. By
1971, G.S. Was armed with his knowledege and technology of making
points, he started to design his points with colors in his own flair
of colors. At that time, even George Balabushka has to praise his
outstanding craftmanship and being the first customer to purchase
his billiard cue stick and this continues till the day he dies. Soon
after, other billiard cuemakers followed footsteps in buying G.S. Points to produce their own billiard
cue stick.
In 1977 Gus Szamboti
produce the first 8 point billiard cue stick, it was very trendy
to have ivory as decoration at that time. As Gus knows that those
inlays will weaken the foundation of the billiard cue stick itself,
thus sacrificing performance; because of this he started to research
the basic principals of making a high performance billiard cue stick.
No matter what materials and joints he design, the emphasise is on
the performance, and that is how it leds to Gus Szamboti's principal
of balance.
Gus Szamboti never
dye his billiard cue stick, and he will use ivory by customer's
instructions; he uses stainless steel for the ring mostly, and always
complete it with an ivory ferrule, slightly longer than normal but
not exceed 1 1/16”.
In 1978, Gus Szamboti's cues are selling at US$300 to $400, and one have
to wait for a year before they receive their billiard cue stick, this
include his friends and families. Often, once the customers receive their
billiard cue stick, they will resell them at a higher price of US$500
to $800 and demand is still increasing. Even Gus knows about this reselling
practice in the market of his billiard cue stick, he still insist on
not rasing his price. Orders started to pile up and Gus knows he has
to expand his business, and because he can't handle the pressure, his
heart disease got worst, finally his doctor recommended an artificial
heart valve transplant.
For the faint
hearted people will be led into depression in no time after hearing
the news, but not for Guz, he continues to go outings with his family
and continues to work alone in his workshop on his billiard cue
stick. Because Gus Szamboti is a perfectionist, he insist that his
billiard cue stick are of optimum quality, therefore the waiting
time for his customers extended to 2 years per billiard cue stick.
His network of clients grew from enthusiast to experts, professionals,
collectors, cuemakers and even wood-working craftsmen. Very often,
you can hear about reports that players drop out of a competition
because he can't't get his G.S. Cue. Even though the delivery date
of his billiard cue stick are slow, this did not stop him from experimenting
and testing for improvement of his billiard cue stick, his goal stays
the same, balance.
Whenever G.S.
Notify his customers that he is starting to make his billiard cue
stick, they will be most delighted to hear that. Besides, whenever
his customers comes to him to repair their billiard cue stick, he
is always very helpful and willingly to do it free of charge, that
is customer service. Slowly, G.S. Started recording his customers
database of their billiard cue stick in order to serve them better.
Gradually, he starts to impart his skills and knowledge to his son
Barry Szamboti, who love billiard cue stick since young, like him.
A must to point
out is that G.S. Shaft seldom weigh less than 4 pounds, it usually
weighs 4.5 pounds. Currently, only his son Barry Szamboti make his
billiard cue stick. Don't be fooled that billiard cue stick signed
with G.S. Is an original, actually Gus Szamboti only initialised
his billiard cue stick for close friends and if customers insist
on it. In 1988, Gus Szamboti died of heart failure, this marks the
end of a Great master who relentlessly pursue perfection on his billiard
cue stick in design, performance and durability. Because of his philosophy
in making billiard cue stick, it leds to the saying, his cue speaks
for himself.
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