ANDY GILBERT Maker of pool cues from 1989 to
1994 in Traverse City, Michigan, Andy Gilbert started playing pool as a young boy. At the age of 13, he started working in construction, which led to a lifelong woodworking hobby. He continued to play pool and, with his woodworking background, he learned to replace his own tips. Andy went into the glass business and enjoyed playing pool on the road when time allowed. He learned to repair his own cues and soon was doing minor repairs for others. Andy's repair work progressed and, by 1989, he made his first cue in Traverse City, Michigan. With the experimentation and the advice of a couple of cuemakers, Andy advanced his cuemaking skills. In 1994, after a severe cut to his hand that took Andy out of the glass business, he moved to Missouri to make cues full-time. Gilbert cues are easily identifiable by the "G" logo that appears on the butt caps. Andy makes his cues one at a time, by hand, in his one-man shop, and is constantly making improvements in design and construction. He makeseverything in his cues except for the tips and bumpers. He prefers a stiff hit, so he has developed his own taper, which starts to widen right from the thread on the ferrule. Andy likes to target league players, and tries to keep his prices very competitive. Gilbert cues were easily identifiable by a "G" in the butt cap until he recently started signing them on the forearm. Gilbert cues are guaranteed indefinitely against construction defects that are not the result of warpage or abuse.  |
