Buying table advice, $4500 Diamond vs $2000 Brunswick

Secaucus Fats said:
I say get the Gold Crown. With the money you save you can get a nice table light, plus a new set of Centennials, and still have some money in your pocket.

Sure, Diamond is a nice table, but then again, so is a Gold Crown. Some people will always steer others into the priciest option, after all..it's not their money.
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took the words out of my fingertips.
 
twilight said:
I really appreciate the replies from everyone. There's no one really in my area that appreciates pool like I do. I ask most of my friends and they'd rather get a flat screen HD TV for the prices I'm looking to spend on a pool table, so that's not too much help. I'm glad there are some real enthusiasts here to give me perspective. I like both tables, Diamond a bit more, but do I like it for $2500 more, not sure, I just found out about these two tables a day ago.

After my wife and I built our dream house in the country, I went from playing in the city 20 hour a week to having only played once in 8 months for 3 hours. Occasionally I'll take out my cues (customs) to just look at. *sigh* I can wait another 4-5 months to buy a new Diamond and the budget won't be tight, but I have two used ones available right now, pretty sure either could sell in 4-5 months. 4-5 months.... man that's 1 year without pool.

At this point I think I could be happy with the GC as it's been a long time without pool. I bet my skill level would suffer more from not playing for 1 year as opposed to having a decent gold crown in the house. I mean a good table is better than no table and a gold crown is a good table right?

Some people have replied saying that I could get a brand new Diamond Professional Oak table for right at $5000. I looked at the diamond web site but does anyone know if $5000 includes shipping and installation?

I told the guys with the tables I'd think about it over this weekend and call them monday. I need another day or two to think as this will be my table for life. Currently, I'm battling the "you snooze you loose" philosophy vs "all good things come to those who wait."
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No, the pricing on the Diamond web site does not include shipping or set up...as they have no idea where the table is going...or what's involved in getting it installed.

Depending on what area you live in...you might be near one of the table mechanic's that can rebuild a Gold Crown to play to todays standards, but expect to fork out anywhere from $1,000 to $1,500 after the table is already to your house. If you don't live near one of the 6 other table mechanics that can do this kind of work correctly....good luck with your Gold Crown;)
 
King cobra, I've seen your posts all over AZ, you seem very knowledgable. Would you buy a new diamond table say Oak for $5000 or this older diamond table (found out it was built in 1997) for $5500. Is there any difference in build quality/technology? I'm not worried about aesthetics, I like oak, but $500 more for cherry isn't bad. I could go with either wood, i'm wondering if construction or quality has improved over the years or if the older tables were more solid.

Spencer
 
brandoncook26 said:
I would go with a Diamond, as that is my preference in table. However, I would not go with that particular Diamond. $4,500 is out of line for a used Diamond pro regardless of the shape, and especially without an accompanying light. I bought my Diamond pro for $3,000 and it came with the full-size light. I have two friends that recently purchased Diamond pros (both oak) without a light. One payed $1,500 for a table about 80% condition and the other $2,000 for about 90% condition.

There are better deals out there if you look for a little while. I believe you can buy a tournament used Pro-am with the ball return and a light delivered from Diamond for less than $5,000. Call Diamond (812-288-7665) and see what kind of options they have. Look on eBay and see if there is anything close to you, that's where I bought mine from. I have also seen Diamonds for sale in Texas here on the WFS forum.

You can find something a little cheaper and with a light if you do your due diligence.
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I agree with Brandon here. For me, patience was the order of the day, as I wanted what I wanted, and my budget dictated what was obtainable. I eventually scored my 9' Diamond pro table on ebay and paid $3,100. It came w/ the Dymondwood, which I highly recommend, the black embroidered cover, and a set of Super Aramith Pros - a decent deal, IMO. I think that waiting for a better deal could serve you well, as it did me. I wanted to buy a table once and only once, so hence my extreme selectivity.

Now, a couple of thoughts on your lighting situation. My table did not come w/ a light, so I just went to Home Depot and wired two of these together. It works great, and I find it hard to beat for under $120 total investment for the lighting. You can confirm this by asking Brandon here, as he has played on my table plenty of times. I would note, however, that I mounted these lights directly to the floor joists in my unfinished basement, where the ceiling is just under 8'. The height of the light was just about right. Your own situation may require mounting them higher or lower. One other note is that this solution has lasted me 4 years now, and I've not even had to change a bulb yet - and I use them a bunch, just ask my wife, who has not yet divorced me over pool yet - ha ha (nervous laughter...).

Good luck with your search.

Oh yeah, remember that whatever you choose, make sure it has 6 pockets...
 
All good advice!

If noise is a factor, the overall heavier construction of the Diamond makes it the quieter of the two.

Good luck!
 
twilight said:
I've done my searches through the forums and found the threads that pair up Diamond and Brunswick in terms of preference and quality. I think both are great but this thread is more about my specific situation. I have two choices and I'm trying to see which would be better.

Gold Crown III $2000 used.
Formerly in a pool hall for 3 years, very good condition. Will need to buy new felt, find a way to move it, and a mechanic to set it up. I need to find a table mechanic around Austin TX and don't know if there are any good ones in the area or how much it would cost to do the work. I've read many times that a great mechanic can make a table play great, or a bad mechanic can do the opposite.

Diamond Professional Cherry wood $4500 used.
Formerly in a house, unknown time 3+years, great condition. I called up Diamond and can have them put on new modified rails, new felt, move and install for $1000 more ($5500 total.) Problem is I only had a $4000 budget. I managed to squeeze another $1000 by selling some stuff and I can throw in another $500 from my next paycheck. Perfect, but I would not be able to buy a light for months.

I guess I need help trying to figure out if the costs of moving, felting, assembling and the cost of new cloth for the GCIII would equal the amount I would have to pay to get the Diamond Professional. The diamond is in a slightly better condition, but would the cost difference be worth the table condition? Lastly, can I play with only an overhead light with 2 60 watt light bulbs? I have perhaps a week to decide. Choices, choices. Any help/advice would be appreciated.
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Go to the US Open and after the tournament is over you can take one home for cheap. A friend of mine got a new Gabriel for 2 grand from Valley Forge. Just have a truck or something available. They disassembled it for him and he had to pay my Diamond installer to set it back up, before I got mine assembled (bastard :grin:).
 
Imagine yourself playing pool on your new table around 1 to 2 years from now.The choice should become clearer.
If you don't get the one you really want you'll kick yourself after its too late.

good luck
 
brandoncook26 said:
I would go with a Diamond, as that is my preference in table. However, I would not go with that particular Diamond. $4,500 is out of line for a used Diamond pro regardless of the shape, and especially without an accompanying light. I bought my Diamond pro for $3,000 and it came with the full-size light. I have two friends that recently purchased Diamond pros (both oak) without a light. One payed $1,500 for a table about 80% condition and the other $2,000 for about 90% condition.

There are better deals out there if you look for a little while. I believe you can buy a tournament used Pro-am with the ball return and a light delivered from Diamond for less than $5,000. Call Diamond (812-288-7665) and see what kind of options they have. Look on eBay and see if there is anything close to you, that's where I bought mine from. I have also seen Diamonds for sale in Texas here on the WFS forum.

You can find something a little cheaper and with a light if you do your due diligence.
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100% agree.

ken
 
For what's It is worth; I bought a GC IV about a year ago. Is it perfect? No, it has big pockets, I should have put new rails on it, and maybe had somebody else set it up.
Am I happy? You bet, I never thought that I would have a table that nice, just waiting for me downstairs.

Hard to guess about alterative universes, but if I had got a Diamond I bet I would have been just as happy.

I got the GC because they are relatively plentiful, inexpensive, and I love how they play and look.
Don’t spend too much time second guessing, you just need to pull the trigger and it'll all work out.

Dooh, I should have bought an Anniversary!

Good luck,
Bill
 
Brunswick

I own 8 gold crown fives and sorry diamond fans these tables by far are the better tables. I have many top pros play in the club and all rather the gold crowns. Sir if u cant afford a new gold crown, The three is just fine. But i do agree that is a little high for that table, i just sold a three for 1000.00. But if you get a three and you want to spend a little money on it i can give you a guys number that make that three shoot just like a tournment five table. So if you need any help chosing a table i hope this helps.
 
I'd go with a Diamond but not necessarily that one.. Priced a bit high IMHO..
 
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I would go with the one that I had the money for they are both great tables IMHO; table movers will generally charge you more $ to do Gold Crowns because they have more parts than Diamonds...

IF money was no object I would buy the Diamond, because that is what most of the tournaments and clubs I play in use; if it was the other way around I would go with the Gold Crown...

I think the Gold Crown is a heavier table as well if I recall correctly...

BTW: It is yet to be seen if the Diamonds will have the longevity that the Gold Crowns have as there are not any 50 year old Diamonds yet !

There are some clubs here in Vegas that claim they have more problems with the Diamonds than Gold Crowns...

350 bucks is the going rate for a flat move, re-setup in Las Vegas, Nevada for any table but a Gold Crown...

AND there are some real low-life's in this area that claim to be competent (on craigs list and elsewhere) with decades of experience and will JACK YOUR S*IT UP...

Doing some research on these individuals will find their business licenses have been pulled by the state attorney generals office and they have multiple BBB complaints just to say the least...
and a little more digging will reveal they have changed business names multiple times...

Summary: only deal with a currently licensed pool specialist (with references you can call like a major pool room or corporation); whom has a retail storefront and business license in good standing and has for sometime... then its pretty hard for them not to stand by their work... and for you to get satisfaction if they don't...
You may pay a few extra bucks, but it will be worth it in the long run...

If you want to Diamondize your Gold Crown the cushions alone are going to run you about $350 (Artemis Intercontinentals); there are a lot of bargain basement cushions out there for under a 100 bucks a set; accept no substitute go with the Arities or go with nothing at all; so it pays to find out if you are going to need to replace the cushions BEFORE YOU BUY; not after it has been moved and setup or you will be doubling at minimum your costs in that respect...
Cushion facings are pretty cheap so making tight pockets on a Gold Crown is no significant expense if you do it when the cushions are redone (also do the cushion replacement and table re-felt at same time)...

Because you are going to get tagged again with yet another 350 minimum labor cost to come back and re-felt the table you just paid to have moved and setup...

Do the buy, move, re-felt, re-cushion, re-setup at the same time...
You will save hundreds...

Nothing will screw your game up faster than playing regularly on a jacked up table...

Buy a table cover and good brush set at same time too, you will be glad you did.

Space: make sure you have 5 foot around the table from the edge of the cushions (playable area)

peace
 
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