Gus Szamboti Cues

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XPLAYHARDX

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Cues

I CAN RELATE TO THIS THREAD AS MARK K WHO OWNS A POOLHALL IN WINDSOR CONN. INVITED ME DOWN HIS WAY LAST YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME AND DURING THE VISIT HE LET ME WITH A FEW DIFFERENT GUS SZAMBOTIS AS WELL AS GEORGE BS AND THAT MY FRIENDS IS A DAY THAT I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT HE HAS A GEORGE B THAT IS BY FAR THE BEST HITTING CUE ON THE PLANET. WELL SOMEDAY I TOO WILL OWN A SZAMBOTI GUS OR BARRY AND IF SOMEDAY I CAN PRY THE SPECIAL GEORGE FROM MARKS FINGERS THAT TOO WOULD BE MINE........PINCH ME I'M DREAMING AGAIN:grin:
 
acousticsguru

acousticsguru

player/instructor
Silver Member
The best Szamboti I've ever hit a few balls with was an ivory-jointed one Pete Tascarella pointed out to me at a tournament in Newark back in 1989 - to buy, that is, because he didn't really have anything to sell of his own. I remember it as one of the finest-hitting cues to this day. In hindsight I should really have bought it. The problem was that Pete let me hit a few balls with his playing cue that night, too - one of his own, of course. That remains the best cue I've ever tried, perhaps even better than the one he offered me to buy, which I declined at first (a rare model with inlays, too expensive for me back then), but ended up buying a few days later anyway, thanks to some friendly bantering and bargaining by the mighty Miz.

I'd like to add one thing, though: given the changes in equipment since then, and the "introduction" of so-called low-deflection cues/shafts, I feel a Tascarella holds up best. His shafts beat modern low-deflection shafts at their own game, with great feel (and sound) to boot.

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
 
jetlau3

jetlau3

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
"I'd like to add one thing, though: given the changes in equipment since then, and the "introduction" of so-called low-deflection cues/shafts, I feel a Tascarella holds up best. His shafts beat modern low-deflection shafts at their own game, with great feel (and sound) to boot."


Does this mean Tascarella's are relatively low deflection? I've played with standard shafts my whole life (Buss, Scruggs, Schons, McDs, etc). not sure I'd like the adjustment..
 
acousticsguru

acousticsguru

player/instructor
Silver Member
jetlau3 said:
"I'd like to add one thing, though: given the changes in equipment since then, and the "introduction" of so-called low-deflection cues/shafts, I feel a Tascarella holds up best. His shafts beat modern low-deflection shafts at their own game, with great feel (and sound) to boot."


Does this mean Tascarella's are relatively low deflection? I've played with standard shafts my whole life (Buss, Scruggs, Schons, McDs, etc). not sure I'd like the adjustment..
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I don't know if the Bushka-type steel-jointed Tascarellas are the same, but the phenolic (joint pin similar to that of a McDermott of yore, I'm European, no inches etc. here, afraid I don't know what this type of screw is called - if you do, feel free to enlighten me), definitely. I have owned a 314-2 shaft for a short while, and tried a great number (some Z-shafts also) belonging to students and fellow players/instructors. The Tascarella shaft "feels" (subjectively - don't have a robot to confirm this) as low-deflection as a 314-2, only the hit is as sweet as it gets - the best from both worlds, so to speak. I remember Pete referred to the taper as a pro taper, but I've wondered sometimes if it's not even less (!) tapered than that. Usually easy for me to tell, as I have relatively short fingers - strongly tapered shafts make it almost impossible for me to shoot with a closed bridge and use my usual long follow-through. The 314-2 shaft I owned for a short while (not for the Tascarella custom, don't worry!) wasn't bad, but I soon started poking at the cue ball - not the way I'm used to stroking the ball. Not sure the lengthy explanation helps? Nor, I'm afraid, a picture of the taper:

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=3031360#post3031360

It's really the finest taper of any shaft I've ever tried on any cue, but then, I find it hard to tell what the same taper would do for a different piece of shaft wood, on a different cue etc.

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
 
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Chip Roberson

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Still have it

First time I played with one of Gus's cue's--May of 78 at the Azaillia Festival
in Wilminton NC--Carolina beach. My road partner at the time Timmy Daniels
and I were at Rick's--30 tables (place is gone now) and just about every one of them going with some kind of action for two whole days. I was playing with a Scrugg's cue at the time and was doing well until I shattered a ferrule on the second afternoon of play.
Tim had just recieved one of Gus's cues , still in the wrapping as it came from Gus--He handed that to me and then it was on. Was playing in a 5 handed 9 ball ring game--for little to know money--5 bucks on the 5 and 9
I started running out and running out until the game broke down a few hours later--I won 2500 bucks in that little ring game, split my winnings with Tim and then bought the cue on the spot for 300 bucks---Still have the demon
to this day--she sports new shafts that Barry made for me a couple of years back with Ivory ferrules---and I never break with her, hopefully she never will break from me.
 
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Tommy

Good Timez Billiards LV
Back in 1990 when I managed the pro shop @ Hawaiian Brian's there were 5 of Gus personal sticks not ones that he maid to sell. One was given to Rodney Morris, which he used on tour (not sure if he still has it). At the time the remaining cues were not for sale being they were personal sticks of Gus. At that time it was the only sticks of Gus that was inlaid with 14k gold. Offers got as high as $75,000.00. Don't think Brian ever sold them. The remaining cues have never been hit not even one ball
 
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msquared

msquared

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Szamboti cues

I know the cue your talking about. LOL It's under my bed. LOL I know the feeling when i played with a szamboti cue for the first time. I fell in love with the way it drove threw the cue ball. I had to have one. This is why i play with my hoppe szam everyday. You can't get that hit from any other cue.

Msquared (mike mitchell)

Fatboy said:
I recommend them to everyone, I'm not being sarcastic. If you know someone who ones one ask them if you can hit a few balls with it and you'll remember it forever and you'll want one ;). I remember the first time I played with one I was a C or C+ player and I could tell there was magic in that cue. The owner was nice enough to let me use it for 30-45 minutes. A couple years later I was a B+ player another friend let me use his(he had just got it) I played for 3 hours with it(my friend bought it from him 5 years later)

I let anyone who can play C speed and above play with a couple of Szams I have, I hope they remember them like I did my first few times. If you cant share what you have you shouldnt own it. So If you own a Szam or 20 of them be generous and let people experience them

Same goes for Barrys cues.
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classiccues

classiccues

Don't hashtag your broke friends
Silver Member
Sealegs50 said:
I don't know how many cues Gus owned. But classiccues has one of his cues for sale, #995.

http://www.classiccues.com/szamboti_gus.html

I bought a Gus just over 6 years ago. It was some of the best money I have ever spent.

Greg
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Greg,
Thanks for the plug. Gus liked his cues at 59" and north of 20 oz. A bit old school for todays player. In fact a lot of cues by Gus are 19.75 oz or heavier and to find lighter ones is tough.

58" lg is probably most common but 57.5 / 59 are also out there.

I grew up in NJ and Gus cues were the cue. If you bought one for 500 from Gus you could almost double your money instantly. I remember picking 2 up with my uncle and getting them from Gus was really special. I remember hitting the first balls with one and thinking this was the sh*t.. but I had a 600 BMX bike and was still paying it off lol....

JV
 
Sealegs50

Sealegs50

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
classiccues said:
Gus liked his cues at 59" and north of 20 oz. A bit old school for todays player. In fact a lot of cues by Gus are 19.75 oz or heavier and to find lighter ones is tough.

58" lg is probably most common but 57.5 / 59 are also out there.

JV
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59.5"
20.4 oz.
19.75" balance point
2 shafts from Gus
2 shafts from Barry

This cue did not belong to Gus. Just another example of his work.
 

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