Diamond pool table -- pro am or professional

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Also, would like to completely disagree with what was said here. Diamond built a better mousetrap...sorry.

Cheers,

JL
I would say different but not really better. The rails are a little different and they added the leveling system but the tables are very close in how they're built. Early Red label Pro's did play kinda funny but that was fixed with the Blues. The GC 4's, 5's & 6's are fantastic tables. Both companies offer great tables. I'f i was buying new i'd get a Diamond mainly because its made in the States and a lot better priced. New GC prices are insane.
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
A better mousetrap? Not! A cheaper copy for sure. Void of the beautiful sound of a gold crown and excellent play. Changing the industry for the worse with a springy table that to this day is disputed after over a century of setting the standard on how a pool table should play. Those who know, they know. ...
The GC3 was a bad design and lousy construction. I hope you are not trying to defend it.

And the GC copied from Diamond, for example the flush pockets.
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The GC3 was a bad design and lousy construction. I hope you are not trying to defend it.

And the GC copied from Diamond, for example the flush pockets.
I wish Diamond would use rubber pockets on the Pro. I know leather is old-school but the dye has been leaving marks on balls for YEARS. Just put GC style pockets in them.
 

ThinSlice

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The GC3 was a bad design and lousy construction. I hope you are not trying to defend it.



And the GC copied from Diamond, for example the flush pockets.



No I am certainly not trying to defend the 3. We all know that was a bad design. Although most players would be oblivious to that. I know I was when I purchased one. Since moved on to a 5.

Bob, hate to tell you this and everyone else who makes this statement but the diamond pockets are not flush. The rails are but that lip that sticks up is anything but flush. Unless your idea of flush is different than mine. Also the red label was a disaster also and they started from the ground up with that design. Even with the blue label they still play springy and bank short. But for a table that is almost half the price, I can understand why people and halls purchase them. The price on installing say 25 Gold Crown VI tables would be crazy expensive. Never the less in many peoples opinions it’s still the best table out there. You can however make shots on a diamond that would never go on a diamond. Hence the reason why one pocket players love it. Along with that deep shelf that you have no chance of kicking that ball out.


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jrctherake

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hi everyone....
I'm going to buy a diamond pool table, either a pro am, or a professional.....I'm curious if a 9' pro am or a 9' professional play exactly the same. Any info would be greatly appreciated
Thanks everybody

I have a 9' pro-am.

IMO....a 9' pro-am is easier to sell than the professional. They also hold their value well.

Having said all that, if you have back problems, you'll want the professional.

The ball return kills my back. I've got towels tucked in the pockets of my pro-am so I don't have to bend over at the return.

As far as playability, they play the same as long as both are set up correctly.
 

jrctherake

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
No I am certainly not trying to defend the 3. We all know that was a bad design. Although most players would be oblivious to that. I know I was when I purchased one. Since moved on to a 5.

Bob, hate to tell you this and everyone else who makes this statement but the diamond pockets are not flush. The rails are but that lip that sticks up is anything but flush. Unless your idea of flush is different than mine. Also the red label was a disaster also and they started from the ground up with that design. Even with the blue label they still play springy and bank short. But for a table that is almost half the price, I can understand why people and halls purchase them. The price on installing say 25 Gold Crown VI tables would be crazy expensive. Never the less in many peoples opinions it’s still the best table out there. You can however make shots on a diamond that would never go on a diamond. Hence the reason why one pocket players love it. Along with that deep shelf that you have no chance of kicking that ball out.


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Anyone that pays retail for a goldcrown is....well....not very intelligent to say the least.

I don't say that cause I don't like em......I do. I love gold crowns.

Reason I say that is because ANYBODY can get a gc for VERY close to what a diamond cost.

You have to learn to be resourceful friend.

Jeff
 

ThinSlice

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Anyone that pays retail for a goldcrown is....well....not very intelligent to say the least.



I don't say that cause I don't like em......I do. I love gold crowns.



Reason I say that is because ANYBODY can get a gc for VERY close to what a diamond cost.



You have to learn to be resourceful friend.



Jeff



I purchased one. Didn’t play close to retail. Still wasn’t near what a diamond goes for and I got a sweet deal better than most.


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ThinSlice

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a 9' pro-am.



IMO....a 9' pro-am is easier to sell than the professional. They also hold their value well.



Having said all that, if you have back problems, you'll want the professional.



The ball return kills my back. I've got towels tucked in the pockets of my pro-am so I don't have to bend over at the return.



As far as playability, they play the same as long as both are set up correctly.



They don’t play the same. Not even close. This is not a correct statement at all.


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tuffstuff07

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Trentfromtoledo on here did mine and a old teammates just two weeks ago.
 

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ThinSlice

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What are the differences?



pj

chgo



Couple important things. The balls come off the rails extremely fast. They are know for their “springy” play. They bank short which makes them a dream for one pocket players that on other tables couldn’t make the same banks. That springy play also makes the ball rattle the corners of you touch those rails. The deep shelves of the pockets leave the balls hanging in the jaws. Which again is exactly what you want many times in one pocket so your opponent can’t kick it out of your pocket. For a reason I don’t understand the sides play easier than most tables.


These reasons are the obvious ones that come to mind.

Another thing that is not necessarily bad but certainly different is the 4 bolt construction of the rails. When you hit the ball on say on a GC table near the pockets solid it has a tendency to die. Whereas on a diamond the extra bolt and pattern keeps the ball alive.

I have played many diamonds. They are very consistent. That is intentional obviously. I hear all the time that the pockets are flush. I don’t know where people get this from. Diamonds have a lip that sticks up. On the GC I, II, III the pocket liners and the castings did stick up a little and I agree this is annoying. Since the GCIV Brunswick corrected this problem and the casting and the pocket liners sit only about a 1/16” above the rails. Much lower than a diamond. So that problem has been resolved for 3 generations of the Gold Crown tables. However more care must be taken when setting them up because they have more pieces/parts in the corners. Once setup they are sweet though. One of the greatest things about a Gold Crown is that beautiful sound that comes from those pockets when you hit them center. Doesn’t necessarily have to be hard. Like hitting a bullseye on a target. Unforgettable sound that can even be intimidating when your opponent nails it. It makes you strive to hit the center of the pocket just for that sound which is the goal of any player.

I recently found out that the reason why there is no ball return on a Diamond the pro vs the pro-am. Apparently the pro was intended to have a ball return (some like ball returns and some don’t) but, when they went to fit the ball return into the pro it didn’t fit due to the obstructions under the frame. So it was never offered. Seems they fixed that with the pro-am. I personally think the pro is a better looking table than the pro-am. Especially with the rounded corners option and curved pedestal legs. The Pro-am is a boxy ugly table. Every Gold Crown ever made looks better than anything diamond has ever produced. Now as a 7’ table the diamond leads in every area. In a 9’ I will take a Gold Crown all day long.

Last 3 generations of Gold Crowns have slate levelers. The Diamonds always had them and is a superior leveling system. But once setup (At least most of the time) both tables will stay that way till moved.

I won’t get into marks left on the balls from both tables.

Whew.....I need a coffee now.


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iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
To thinslice, I read your comment a few posts back as saying Diamond Professional and Diamond Pro/Am play very differently.

It’s obvious now you meant diamond vs GC.
 

jalapus logan

be all. and supports it to
Silver Member
Couple important things. The balls come off the rails extremely fast. They are know for their “springy” play. They bank short which makes them a dream for one pocket players that on other tables couldn’t make the same banks. That springy play also makes the ball rattle the corners of you touch those rails. The deep shelves of the pockets leave the balls hanging in the jaws. Which again is exactly what you want many times in one pocket so your opponent can’t kick it out of your pocket. For a reason I don’t understand the sides play easier than most tables.


These reasons are the obvious ones that come to mind.

Another thing that is not necessarily bad but certainly different is the 4 bolt construction of the rails. When you hit the ball on say on a GC table near the pockets solid it has a tendency to die. Whereas on a diamond the extra bolt and pattern keeps the ball alive.

I have played many diamonds. They are very consistent. That is intentional obviously. I hear all the time that the pockets are flush. I don’t know where people get this from. Diamonds have a lip that sticks up. On the GC I, II, III the pocket liners and the castings did stick up a little and I agree this is annoying. Since the GCIV Brunswick corrected this problem and the casting and the pocket liners sit only about a 1/16” above the rails. Much lower than a diamond. So that problem has been resolved for 3 generations of the Gold Crown tables. However more care must be taken when setting them up because they have more pieces/parts in the corners. Once setup they are sweet though. One of the greatest things about a Gold Crown is that beautiful sound that comes from those pockets when you hit them center. Doesn’t necessarily have to be hard. Like hitting a bullseye on a target. Unforgettable sound that can even be intimidating when your opponent nails it. It makes you strive to hit the center of the pocket just for that sound which is the goal of any player.

I recently found out that the reason why there is no ball return on a Diamond the pro vs the pro-am. Apparently the pro was intended to have a ball return (some like ball returns and some don’t) but, when they went to fit the ball return into the pro it didn’t fit due to the obstructions under the frame. So it was never offered. Seems they fixed that with the pro-am. I personally think the pro is a better looking table than the pro-am. Especially with the rounded corners option and curved pedestal legs. The Pro-am is a boxy ugly table. Every Gold Crown ever made looks better than anything diamond has ever produced. Now as a 7’ table the diamond leads in every area. In a 9’ I will take a Gold Crown all day long.

Last 3 generations of Gold Crowns have slate levelers. The Diamonds always had them and is a superior leveling system. But once setup (At least most of the time) both tables will stay that way till moved.

I won’t get into marks left on the balls from both tables.

Whew.....I need a coffee now.


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I would love to have the opportunity to play on a newer generation GC. But that is not an option where I live. We do have one awesome new pool hall, but they have Diamonds mostly, which is cool for sure, but I would like another table opportunity if given the chance. I sure hope they survive the Covid era. We shall see.

As for the sound of the GC, I personallly prefer the quiet, but I understand that others are nostalgic for the GC sound. I also hate hearing Harley's drive by, but I know that others love them for precisely that reason.

Ultimately, none of this really matters, but can be a fun distraction to talk about.

Best,

JL
 

jtompilot

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Couple important things. The balls come off the rails extremely fast. They are know for their “springy” play. They bank short which makes them a dream for one pocket players that on other tables couldn’t make the same banks. That springy play also makes the ball rattle the corners of you touch those rails. The deep shelves of the pockets leave the balls hanging in the jaws. Which again is exactly what you want many times in one pocket so your opponent can’t kick it out of your pocket. For a reason I don’t understand the sides play easier than most tables.


These reasons are the obvious ones that come to mind.

Another thing that is not necessarily bad but certainly different is the 4 bolt construction of the rails. When you hit the ball on say on a GC table near the pockets solid it has a tendency to die. Whereas on a diamond the extra bolt and pattern keeps the ball alive.

I have played many diamonds. They are very consistent. That is intentional obviously. I hear all the time that the pockets are flush. I don’t know where people get this from. Diamonds have a lip that sticks up. On the GC I, II, III the pocket liners and the castings did stick up a little and I agree this is annoying. Since the GCIV Brunswick corrected this problem and the casting and the pocket liners sit only about a 1/16” above the rails. Much lower than a diamond. So that problem has been resolved for 3 generations of the Gold Crown tables. However more care must be taken when setting them up because they have more pieces/parts in the corners. Once setup they are sweet though. One of the greatest things about a Gold Crown is that beautiful sound that comes from those pockets when you hit them center. Doesn’t necessarily have to be hard. Like hitting a bullseye on a target. Unforgettable sound that can even be intimidating when your opponent nails it. It makes you strive to hit the center of the pocket just for that sound which is the goal of any player.

I recently found out that the reason why there is no ball return on a Diamond the pro vs the pro-am. Apparently the pro was intended to have a ball return (some like ball returns and some don’t) but, when they went to fit the ball return into the pro it didn’t fit due to the obstructions under the frame. So it was never offered. Seems they fixed that with the pro-am. I personally think the pro is a better looking table than the pro-am. Especially with the rounded corners option and curved pedestal legs. The Pro-am is a boxy ugly table. Every Gold Crown ever made looks better than anything diamond has ever produced. Now as a 7’ table the diamond leads in every area. In a 9’ I will take a Gold Crown all day long.

Last 3 generations of Gold Crowns have slate levelers. The Diamonds always had them and is a superior leveling system. But once setup (At least most of the time) both tables will stay that way till moved.

I won’t get into marks left on the balls from both tables.

Whew.....I need a coffee now.


Sent from my iPhone using AzBilliards Forums

Diamonds did not always have a leveling system, only Blue labals.

I had a GC4 for ten years. I could shorten a bank darn near as much a the Blue label. The red labels are shit, the GC3 isn’t bad, both are still better than Gandy and a bunch of others.

My satin black GC4 was a good looking table but the 5&6 GC are ugly
 
Last edited:

jtompilot

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would love to have the opportunity to play on a newer generation GC. But that is not an option where I live. We do have one awesome new pool hall, but they have Diamonds mostly, which is cool for sure, but I would like another table opportunity if given the chance. I sure hope they survive the Covid era. We shall see.

As for the sound of the GC, I personallly prefer the quiet, but I understand that others are nostalgic for the GC sound. I also hate hearing Harley's drive by, but I know that others love them for precisely that reason.

Ultimately, none of this really matters, but can be a fun distraction to talk about.

Best,

JL

There a room called Black Diamond close to Newark NJ. Every other table is a Black Diamond or GC5. The one time I was there no one was playing on the GC but it a great place to check out and play on different tables.
 

CGM

It'd be a lot cooler if you did.
Silver Member
Diamonds did not always have a leveling system, only Blue labals.

I had a GC4 for ten years. I could shorten a bank darn near as much a the Blue label. The red labels are shit, just like a GC3, they both and not great tables but still better than Gandy and a bomber of others.

My satin black GC4 was a good looking table but the 5&6 GC are ugly

I don't hate my GC 3 and I think it's far from shit. I'm not saying other tables don't play better but it's a damn fine table.
 
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