Brunswick, Blake Collender vs Gold Crown

Floater1 said:

Recently, I had the pleasure to hit a ball on the Brunswick, Balke, Collendar Arcade model table! It’s considered a “jumbo” table and you can sure feel it’s weight. How do these old jumbo tables play compared to a Gold Crown?
I sold a Manhattan model, which was beautiful but did not play like a crown; so, I sold it but it was not a jumbo model. I love my GC II and have no regrets but looking for playability comparisons.
Also, I was informed that an Anniversary is a GC on steroids. Is this true?
All input appreciated!!

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The Manhattan set up properly should have played very similar to a GC, Same cushions and pocket specs.

The old Brunswicks need to have major rail surgery to play like a GC.

The Anniversary was built before the GC. The first 2 GCs share the same frame as the Anny and Centennial.


Trent from Toledo

P.s. if you have a GC 2 why are you asking for comparisons?

One big difference, most of the 9 foot Brunswick‘s pre-WWII have 1-1/2 inch thick slate on them, which certainly make jumping balls much easier than on 1 inch thick slate. For this very reason, some players with very hard breaks often initially have a hard time keeping the cue ball on the table when playing on the thick slates.

The Arcade & the GC are two different style tables

The GC Slates & rails are in Shear, meaning the rails & slates are in a squeeze situation, like a clamped sandwich.

The Arcade & older tables rail's are in TENSION, so the rail play can be different.

Maybe one of the mechanics knos how to remedy that, but I don't know. My 6 legged Arcade is for playing GOLF on, it is a 10 foot table.....

Table

Two different types of rail construction is the difference between the antique T-rail design and the modern GC type rail. The way they mount to the slate has a lot to do with how they play.


Rob.M

One other thing to add about the old T-rail tables, the rail caps are not typically very deep, which makes a CB froze to the rail a bit more challenging, since you don't have the bridge options like with the more modern tables, like the Anni, or GC. Trying to bridge over those old leather drop pockets is not as friendly as a modern commercial table either, and I think Trent already mentioned the rail work needed to make them play good and make the pockets play like a modern commercial. Pockets on those old tables were huge and require a better than average mechanic to make them look right when tightened up to todays standards.