Actual Brunswick Gold Crown iii vs Brunswick Centurion review

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

One more thing here. It’s a metaphor. Am I comparing a top of the line Chevy to a Cadillac where they are built different but ride the same? or a Chevy Cavalier to a Cadillac where they are by no means the same in build or ride. Results coming soon.

 

[PickPocket]

I recently bought a 06' 8ft Pro Centurion & had it set up. The K55 rails are in great shape and slate was perfect. (One owner original). Still had original Brunswick Cloth. (Swapped top Andy's 988)

I'm very pleased with my table & I love the looks of it. I have never owned a GC, but have played on SEVERAL.

The thing about the Centurion is that it's a Commercial Grade table, but it's very straight forward and easy to maintain. (I did need to trim down the corners of my drop pockets).

GC's are built like a brick-shit-house, and from what I've heard can be a pain to work on, compared to other tables.

I couldn't find a GC around me for less then $2500 at the time I was looking, so I feel like I have a great playing table and great value.

Now if.. say I found a GC that was in as good of shape as my Centurion for the same $$, then I'd buy it.

 

[rexus31]

The single piece long rail on the Centurion can be prone to warpage.

 

[HNTFSH]

One more thing here. It’s a metaphor. Am I comparing a top of the line Chevy to a Cadillac where they are built different but ride the same? or a Chevy Cavalier to a Cadillac where they are by no means the same in build or ride. Results coming soon.

I had a 92 Lincoln town car for a few years and it drove nothing like a Ford much less a Maverick.

 

[HNTFSH]

The thing about the Centurion is that it's a Commercial Grade table, but it's very straight forward and easy to maintain. (I did need to trim down the corners of my drop pockets).

Commercial tables aren't built with plywood and particle board. Not sure what you mean?

If you're happy fine but too many people try to justify things that aren't true. I see it all the time with weapon quality.

 

[HNTFSH]

One of the mechanics on here can correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the Centurion to be similar to the Brunswick Medalist, which was a lower cost option to the Gold Crown. The Medalist was also a good table, but not as well built or as durable as the Gold Crown.

Jay - here's an old thread I looked up because I recalled the Medalist was a solid frame. It was far more similar to the GC than the Centurion.

Brunswick Medalist vs. Gold Crown

Is one better than the other or are they the same table? I'm in the market for a pool table and have come across a Gold Crown and a Medalist for the same price. However, I cannot find any information on the Medalist, but I did see a pyramid from...

forums.azbilliards.com

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

I had a 92 Lincoln town car for a few years and it drove nothing like a Ford much less a Maverick.

Well I’m talking Chevys here.

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

The single piece long rail on the Centurion can be prone to warpage.

This is interesting. For reference is that the same with the Gold Crown iiis? They both have the same poplar sub rails with GC listed as Formica over them which is a brand of laminate and C listed as high pressure laminate over them

 

[rexus31]

This is interesting. For reference is that the same with the Gold Crown iiis? They both have the same poplar sub rails with GC listed as Formica over them which is a brand of laminate and C listed as high pressure laminate over them

Gold Crowns have two piece long rails.

 

[HNTFSH]

Well I’m talking Chevys here.

Ya got me.

 

[jimmyco]

"Some might like how the Centurion looks better than the GC"

I don't see it.


Centurion

Gold Crown III

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

Gold Crowns have two piece long rails.

Well that for sure could have an effect on playability. Ok this is good. Everything I read on them says they have the same rails, but they are actually different. This is what I was talking about from the get go. That’s a specific difference that could affect play. Thanks Rexus!

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

"Some might like how the Centurion looks better than the GC"

I don't see it.


CenturionView attachment 612242Gold Crown IIIView attachment 612243

I know! Me either really. But what if they prefer boxy over contoured, do to it matching there style better or if they want the black to pop with some purple or red felt. Actually unless it’s black I wouldn’t put that blue on a Gold Crown either. Green looks way better on that color table, blue looks way better than green on a black one.….but that’s just an opinion. It could just be that I’m used to the green on the crowns though.

 

[maha]

there is plenty good reason to have a furniture looking table in your house. unless of course you live in the basement of your mom's house.

in any product the top of the line ones are the best. but a lower line can be just as good for the person buying it.
otherwise anytime someone bought a chevy or ford, people would say they should have bought a mercedes.

 

[HNTFSH]

there is plenty good reason to have a furniture looking table in your house. unless of course you live in the basement of your mom's house.

in any product the top of the line ones are the best. but a lower line can be just as good for the person buying it.
otherwise anytime someone bought a chevy or ford, people would say they should have bought a mercedes.

Yet here is your advice when suggesting buying up on the better cloth:

"better to pay a little more now and cry just once then have to cry every time you play."

It's really about value not cost, especially when it's a long term investment. Especially considering the gap in price between a used GC and a used Centurion is significantly lower than Chevy versus Mercedes. And one definitely can't sit back and proclaim the Chevy is "just about as good" as the Benz.

 

[rexus31]

Well that for sure could have an effect on playability. Ok this is good. Everything I read on them says they have the same rails, but they are actually different. This is what I was talking about from the get go. That’s a specific difference that could affect play. Thanks Rexus!

One other thing to consider: pocket castings/pocket liners. Gold Crowns have pocket castings that enable the pocket liners to be screwed in place. These recessed allen screws will NEVER come near a ball being pocketed. I believe the Centurion has tack mounted pocket liners. The tacks holding the liners in place inevitably come loose and will damage the balls. It's not a matter of if, but when. Expect to buy a new ball set every so often or accept playing with dinged up balls.

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

“The tacks holding the liners in place inevitably come loose and will damage the balls. It's not a matter of if, but when. Expect to buy a new ball set every so often or accept playing with dinged up balls.”

Another good piece of info you just put up here. I’ll have to put a little epoxy over those nail heads. That way the pocket might come loose, but hopefully the head won’t damage a $300 set of balls. That would suck!

Right now the GC is at +4 total. +1 on frame, +1 for 2piece rails, +1 on screwed in pockets, and +1 on corner castings.

 

[rexus31]

Right now the GC is at +4 total. +1 on frame, +1 for 2piece rails, +1 on screwed in pockets, and +1 on corner castings.

That's because the Gold Crown is a superior table.

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

Looks like corners will be around 4-1/2” to 4-5/8”. They almost made them 4-3/8” but that probably wouldn’t be much fun for the people I’ll be playing with most of the time. They could only get the sides down to around 5-1/4”. The sides were almost 5-3/4” to start with. Those things were buckets!

The rails are ready to go. The cushions were actually good to go. So that means a loose bolt or 2 must’ve made them seem dead before. I did have them replace 2 of the cushions because the pocket angles were incorrect.

If anybody has a dead rail or needs a replacement superspeed cushion but not a full set, I have 4-47” rubbers to sell that will probably be listed in the for sale section later. Or I’d consider a partial trade on them for a good used set of aramith pros. So cushions plus cash for the balls.

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

It’s setup. With new felt do you have to work in the rail lines? The balls are rolling true but coming off the rail about 1/8” on contact. Still going on harder strokes but traveling at the angle they come off on softer shots. So definitely rolling true. I don’t know any other way to explain it. All 4 rails are reacting the same. I can set up 3 or 4 in a row and they still come off. If I roll by hand with some spin can get them to hug it. Or if I hit one ball straight down by itself So it’s probably the balls. But maybe I need to work the lines in. Cue ball is kind of beat up and they came with the table. I might have to wait for some better balls before reviewing. Banks great.