In my book
BAR NONE #1 for old school:grin:.
BAR NONE #1 for old school:grin:.
In your opinion, what did Gus Szamboti achieve that make his cues so appealing?
- Thread starter branpureza
- Start date
cool . . . like the history as well.
hope the thread brings out more stories, and gus history!
Predators were introduced in '95.
I always like this old vid of him explaining how his cues go together.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9EtqCqbUaE
Eric
That was a great write up about Gus.Tried giving you REP but said I must spread it around first. I would love to sit with Barry S. and hear stories about his dad and his earlier cue building days. That would be over the top. Old school all the way.
Jeff
That was a great write up about Gus.Tried giving you REP but said I must spread it around first. I would love to sit with Barry S. and hear stories about his dad and his earlier cue building days. That would be over the top. Old school all the way.
Jeff
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And BARRY !?
First of all thanks to Branpureza for that thread :thumbup:
It´s a great one and i am learning something again - you got a Rep from me :grin:
But now again i will go further then that. Again the question i already asked some days ago in another Barry Szamboti thread !!
Why are Barry´s Cues going in the same heights like Guz´s
Sorry, but he didn´t achive the things his father has, or !?
But his cues are on a price level that i don´t understand
In my eyes he is mostly copying the designs of his father, maybe a little more modern, but for sure they are super perfectly done,
but there are many other cuemakers out there who work perfect, too.
But maybe you all can explain me why, and hopefuly it´s not only because his name is SZAMBOTI, too.
Erich
First of all thanks to Branpureza for that thread :thumbup:
It´s a great one and i am learning something again - you got a Rep from me :grin:
But now again i will go further then that. Again the question i already asked some days ago in another Barry Szamboti thread !!
Why are Barry´s Cues going in the same heights like Guz´s
Sorry, but he didn´t achive the things his father has, or !?
But his cues are on a price level that i don´t understand
In my eyes he is mostly copying the designs of his father, maybe a little more modern, but for sure they are super perfectly done,
but there are many other cuemakers out there who work perfect, too.
But maybe you all can explain me why, and hopefuly it´s not only because his name is SZAMBOTI, too.
Erich
Barry makes cues in the same tradition as his father and is pleased to carry on in the same time tested way that has proven so wonderful.He loved his father and would never claim to be as good as Gus much less better.
I knew both father and son and in answer to the question "What has Gus Szamboti's greatest legacy been ?" I would not hesitate to say "Barry Szamboti." What more could a father have than a son who not only cherishes his fathers memory but consciously honors his father. A boy who does the same thing the same way and desires to continue a tradition,confident enough in his heritage to remain true and smart enough to know that if it isn't broken you don't fix it.
So it wasn't given to Barry to make the original,but some of the most knowledgable people in the industry believe Barry has made improvements to what was already the best.
I think the comments with critical overtones were stupid,no offense.I am not aware of any contemporary cue makers who make such nice Szambotis.
Dean Campbell
I knew both father and son and in answer to the question "What has Gus Szamboti's greatest legacy been ?" I would not hesitate to say "Barry Szamboti." What more could a father have than a son who not only cherishes his fathers memory but consciously honors his father. A boy who does the same thing the same way and desires to continue a tradition,confident enough in his heritage to remain true and smart enough to know that if it isn't broken you don't fix it.
So it wasn't given to Barry to make the original,but some of the most knowledgable people in the industry believe Barry has made improvements to what was already the best.
I think the comments with critical overtones were stupid,no offense.I am not aware of any contemporary cue makers who make such nice Szambotis.
Dean Campbell
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Well said Dean.
I am the third generation to run the family business and I can tell you that it is not easy to follow in your fathers footsteps.
I am the third generation to run the family business and I can tell you that it is not easy to follow in your fathers footsteps.
I hung out in a room that Gus would visit because he was freinds with the owner who collected his cues. I asked the owner what made Gus's cues so special and he said "Precison and attention to detail.If it was not perfect it did not leave the basement"
Some people will never see the light at the end of the tunnel, specially when that tunnel is his colon and thats where his head is at 99% of the time.
Someone get a tongue depressor and s search light please.
dave sutton
Banned
barry will tell you that he isnt trying to be as good or better then dad (as he says) he just wants to see dads tradition kept alive. now with him and later with the next cuemakers of tomorrow, like myself. people can say i copy whatever. i know gus is smiling above.
on a side note i was lucky enough to visit barry and sit down and chat about cue construction. its a day i will never forget. when he asked how i did this and how i did that i told him i did my homework and if gus did it... thats how im doing it. when people question technique thats all i say. the highlight of that chat (there were many) was when barry asked how i do my ajoint and i said .750 high and .750 round into the forearm. he looked at me, cocked his head to the side, smiled, shook his head yes and said "thats how dad did it." that made me feel good and i could see in barrys eyes he felt good too. that was a bad day for him bc he just lost his dog. literally
i cant wait to go back...
so in my eyes barry doesnt have to be as good or better then gus... he can just be barry.
on a side note i was lucky enough to visit barry and sit down and chat about cue construction. its a day i will never forget. when he asked how i did this and how i did that i told him i did my homework and if gus did it... thats how im doing it. when people question technique thats all i say. the highlight of that chat (there were many) was when barry asked how i do my ajoint and i said .750 high and .750 round into the forearm. he looked at me, cocked his head to the side, smiled, shook his head yes and said "thats how dad did it." that made me feel good and i could see in barrys eyes he felt good too. that was a bad day for him bc he just lost his dog. literally
i cant wait to go back...
so in my eyes barry doesnt have to be as good or better then gus... he can just be barry.
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Gus
When I took a tour of Gus' basement almost 30 years ago, he pointed to piles of wood laying about and said, "20 years old. 30 years old. 15 years old" He wouldn't consider making a cue with 'new' wood. He had a dehumidifier set at a specific amount and said he kept the humidity constant year round.
He also wasn't afraid to tell a buyer no. I asked for specific veneer colors and he said no, but that he was sure I'd like the colors he picked. (I did.) It took years to get a cue, but once you had a cue of his a new shaft took 1-2 months and an ear full about any dings his cue might have gotten in meanwhile. Just because you bought the cue didn't mean you were allowed to mistreat it. He took every ding personally, believe me.
His machines were all spotless and lightly oiled. He wanted to throw my wife out of the shop because she leaned on one of the machines. He was obviously meticulous to a fault and more than a bit of a perfectionist. Both good qualities to look for in cue maker. At that time, I believe Barry was making furniture as Gus mentioned that one of his sons was doing that. I remember thinking at the time that it would be pretty damn hard to work with Gus as he obviously would never settle for less than perfect.
He did have a soft spot though, and offered me a bed one night when he found out I was sleeping in my car one winter while on the way to Florida.
When I took a tour of Gus' basement almost 30 years ago, he pointed to piles of wood laying about and said, "20 years old. 30 years old. 15 years old" He wouldn't consider making a cue with 'new' wood. He had a dehumidifier set at a specific amount and said he kept the humidity constant year round.
He also wasn't afraid to tell a buyer no. I asked for specific veneer colors and he said no, but that he was sure I'd like the colors he picked. (I did.) It took years to get a cue, but once you had a cue of his a new shaft took 1-2 months and an ear full about any dings his cue might have gotten in meanwhile. Just because you bought the cue didn't mean you were allowed to mistreat it. He took every ding personally, believe me.
His machines were all spotless and lightly oiled. He wanted to throw my wife out of the shop because she leaned on one of the machines. He was obviously meticulous to a fault and more than a bit of a perfectionist. Both good qualities to look for in cue maker. At that time, I believe Barry was making furniture as Gus mentioned that one of his sons was doing that. I remember thinking at the time that it would be pretty damn hard to work with Gus as he obviously would never settle for less than perfect.
He did have a soft spot though, and offered me a bed one night when he found out I was sleeping in my car one winter while on the way to Florida.
I do know that Barry honours his dad well, a couple of years ago, I rang him up to have him made me a cue, I recalled vividly that I addressed him Mr Szamboti, he said in a humble tone and asked me to addressed him as Barry, Mr Szamboti is his dad. Since then I have got myself a player from him. But what I want to say pertaining to Barry is that if he is like most kids, decide to pursue another career other day cue making, wouldnt the cue making industry be deprived of such a huge talent? Imagine who is in a much better position to restore a cue made by Gus other than Barry?
The hit. It's so pure that you have to feel it in comparison to a lot of other cues to understand it.
A lot of other cue makers build cues that are solid, and pretty, but few stand the test of time.
Mr. Szamboti built cues that were simply the best with no structural flaws. It's really that simple. Like a top of the line Mercedes, they were perfectly engineered.
Certainly Ernie Gutierrez should get more credit for the state of modern cue making than he does but Szamboti simply made great cues and provided great blanks to give other people a head start on great cues.
A lot of other cue makers build cues that are solid, and pretty, but few stand the test of time.
Mr. Szamboti built cues that were simply the best with no structural flaws. It's really that simple. Like a top of the line Mercedes, they were perfectly engineered.
Certainly Ernie Gutierrez should get more credit for the state of modern cue making than he does but Szamboti simply made great cues and provided great blanks to give other people a head start on great cues.
To my tastes, his sense of artistry and balance in cue design and decoration is second to none. He was a gifted artist. There is understated beauty and elegance in every Szamboti - and it's definitely macho. I never get tired of looking at his designs.
He also was a talented machinist, made many of his own tools and parts and set the standard of his day. His cues have been selling for large dollars for a good many years too.
Chris
to me...Gus's work personified the meaning of what a top notch cue was supposed to be....his attention to every detail from cue to customer was unmatched.....he took what George had done and took it to a whole new level....to me, Gus as a man and his work as a maker has always and will always be the "bench mark" for all those who follow......