Gus Szamboti 70's

classiccues

Don't hashtag your broke friends
Silver Member
Cool story. What do you think is going on with the wrap on that cue?
When my uncle picked the cue up, it had a linen wrap. My uncle asked Gus to put a leather on it. He did it while he waited. He told my uncle this wrap was given to me by a George and now its going to a George. What you are seeing is the results of years of playing, and when Barry tried to re-dye it during a refinish. There was so much oil/sweat in the leather the dye did not hold, except over the A joint buzz ring which is why you see a perfect ring at the top.
 

Dak21st

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Gary Spaeth and his dad Joey Spaeth were the ones that put a word in with Gus for me so I could get one made in the 1976 area
Does the Gus you have reside in the Cincinnati area? If so I may know it.
 

Logdog

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Does the Gus you have reside in the Cincinnati area? If so I may know it.
I am in Ohio but not in the Cincinnati area. I did live there in the late 1970's and hung out at a place called Geri's Palace in Blue Ash and played some at The Western Bowl in Cincinnati
 

Dak21st

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I am in Ohio but not in the Cincinnati area. I did live there in the late 1970's and hung out at a place called Geri's Palace in Blue Ash and played some at The Western Bowl in Cincinnati
Remember western bowl well, 9-ball Charlie’s tournaments I believe on Monday nights. Good action there and at Oakley billiards.
 

Logdog

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Remember western bowl well, 9-ball Charlie’s tournaments I believe on Monday nights. Good action there and at Oakley billiards.
They had an alternating shot partners tournament at The Western Bowl on a weeknight I cannot remember which night that had a ton of entries. I remember winning that one time with Gary Spaeth as my partner which always helped :)
 

measureman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I like Gus’s a lot. They sure are nice.
I never owned one,but the pool room in Jersey there were a 1/2 dozen or so.
Friend let me play with his one day.
Flawless workmanship but way too stiff for me.
It was like playing with a steel pole,just my thoughts.
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
To me, Gus is my favorite cue maker. I could do things with it could do with no other cue
 
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measureman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
To me, Gus is my favorite cue maker. I could do things with I could do with no other cue

I had a Schon (mid 80's)similar construction to a Gus.
I sold the Schon and got a Meucci.
I could do everything with the Meucci that I could do with the Schon but it was easier and required less force.
Less force equals better accuracy.
The Meucci was a great playing cue until it fell apart, and that didn't take long.
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
I had a Schon (mid 80's)similar construction to a Gus.
I sold the Schon and got a Meucci.
I could do everything with the Meucci that I could do with the Schon but it was easier and required less force.
Less force equals better accuracy.
The Meucci was a great playing cue until it fell apart, and that didn't take long.
I had my Gus modified,,,tapered to 12MM...caromish style
Had the ivory ferrules taken off..,
...dowels and all...now 57 inches

Cue repair guy said I was hurting the value...,told him I wasn’t going to lose my money to keep it collectible.
I started with snooker, so my cues are stiff.. like My Josses and Blacks
 

Fatboy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I never owned one,but the pool room in Jersey there were a 1/2 dozen or so.
Friend let me play with his one day.
Flawless workmanship but way too stiff for me.
It was like playing with a steel pole,just my thoughts.
They all play a little different. Most are too heavy for today’s equipment. Ray Martin’s Gus plays great on fast equipment, but it’s the exception
 

Logdog

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
They all play a little different. Most are too heavy for today’s equipment. Ray Martin’s Gus plays great on fast equipment, but it’s the exception
Mine is 20 1/4 oz. Is that considered too heavy now?
 

Fatboy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Mine is 20 1/4 oz. Is that considered too heavy now?
Too much cue, try it you’ll see. There are a few that I can manage on fast equipment but as I mentioned it’s the exception not the normal. On slow equipment they are the nuts.
 

classiccues

Don't hashtag your broke friends
Silver Member
Mine is 20 1/4 oz. Is that considered too heavy now?
No. I had a cue that came to 20.5 oz. I used it for a few years. I thought it might be to heavy, but a regional pro who shot with a 19 oz cue took some shots with it. I explained to him what I thought, after he took a few practice shots, he started running racks. When you're talking 19 oz, 20oz it's really not a lot of weight. Of course an open player will have much more control over his game. My Gus is under 19.5 and shafts slightly thinner and it plays fine. I find b/c and lower players worry more about the cue than A/Open players.
 

Logdog

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
That is really interesting and something that I had not considered before. When I was coming up over 50 years ago, anything under 20 ounces felt almost like a toy. I guess the times are a changing........
 

ideologist

I don't never exaggerate
Silver Member
That is really interesting and something that I had not considered before. When I was coming up over 50 years ago, anything under 20 ounces felt almost like a toy. I guess the times are a changing........
Yes, cloth has nylon in it now. Plays much faster. 20oz is like an aluminum bat in the majors. Way too much
 
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