Brunswick Review
Chuck,
My first table was a late 80's or early 90's Brunswick Madison. I bought it second hand. Because I was getting interested in working on pool tables, I used the Madison as my guinea pig. I tore it down and set it up several times. I did make a few alterations to the frame and connectors to beef it up a little. Toward the end, it had SuperSpeeds and Gorina Basalt.
I eventually replaced the Madison with a trashed out GC 2 1/2 that I completely refurbed. I put Diamond Blacks and 760 on the GC.
Both tables had similar slates with one inch liners.
As far as table speed and cushion rebound angles, both tables played the same. I use several different diamond systems for 1, 2, and 3 rail kicks, so the rails on both tables got a good workout. You could move from one table to the other and use the same aim points for rail shots.
Both of these tables were solid wood. Naturally, the lighter frame on the Madison required more frequent tweaking to keep it tuned up, but it was a great playing table.
So, in my opinion, many furniture grade Brunswicks can be made to play very nicely. The prevailing advice on most forums is not to settle for less than a Gold Crown or a Diamond. That's fine if you can afford it. Unfortunately, those tables are out of reach for many people.
The Madison was not a Gold Crown or a Diamond, but it was affordable and a hell of a lot better than having nothing at all. It got compliments from some excellent local players that liked the way it played.
jfe
