Diamond/Gold CROWN

Mr. Wiggles

Mr. Wiggles

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thinking of table choices. Can get Gold Crown 8ft. For less than $2000. GC's supposedly are the preference for many years. Play league on many 7ft. Diamonds. Love Diamonds but they do play different. Some say get the Diamond cause this is what most high level(Vegas) tourneys are played on and that's what you play on most. But Diamonds (used) are about $3500. Also is their much difference between a GC2 and a GC3? Can't hardly believe a Diamond could be structurally more sound than a GC. One more ? I know the Formica on the rails of a GC can be replaced with better Formica but can the Formica somehow be replaced with another material that is not so butt ugly?
 
GC rail replacement

Hi,
A few years ago I was touring upstairs at Blatt Billiards in NY.
One of the things that we talked about was GC rails. They rework GCs and sell them with wooden rails. It sounded like they would do a rail only upgrade. If you love the Gold Crowns, it seems like a great improvement. The Formica makes sense for a pool room or bar, but for a home table wooden rails would be terrific. You'd also get rid of that metal edge banding that's ugly and is bound to ding your stick sooner or later.

Good Luck,
Dave
 
Dave said:
You'd also get rid of that metal edge banding that's ugly and is bound to ding your stick sooner or later.

Good Luck,
Dave
Click to expand...

hmmmm....if that was done, just wondering how you'd attach the rail blinds of a GC1 & 2...seeings how they're attached to the rails by the use of that metal banding;)
 
Mr. Wiggles said:
Thinking of table choices. Can get Gold Crown 8ft. For less than $2000. GC's supposedly are the preference for many years. Play league on many 7ft. Diamonds. Love Diamonds but they do play different. Some say get the Diamond cause this is what most high level(Vegas) tourneys are played on and that's what you play on most. But Diamonds (used) are about $3500. Also is their much difference between a GC2 and a GC3? Can't hardly believe a Diamond could be structurally more sound than a GC. One more ? I know the Formica on the rails of a GC can be replaced with better Formica but can the Formica somehow be replaced with another material that is not so butt ugly?
Click to expand...

Keep in mind, when you do find that GC you're looking for as an alternative to purchasing a Diamond 7ft ProAm....by the time you get it set up and ready to play on....you may not like the way it plays either....so then you're looking to call in someone that knows what they're doing to make it play more like a "Diamond"...and sink quite a bit more money into it....total cost shouldn't be to much more than a Diamond overall...but then if you ever decide to sell that GC....well, lets just say...the next buyer is going to be looking to buy it from you...based on the price of other GC's and not be willing to pay you for what you have invested in it so far;)

Here's another thought to buying a used GC...the last 7 GC's I've worked on...were all miss matched in parts, rails, frames...so, you get what you pay for. As for the difference between a GC2 & 3?...well, that would depend on who's been doing the work on them...could have been a hack...but you won't know that until after you buy it...and then it's to late. :eek:

Glen
 
Thanks Dave and Glen

Thanks for your input. I guess that the chopping up of an older table would certainly be common for GC's. Would I be correct in saying the slate would be the number one chop of GC's? Is most damage to slate done by installers or by players? I hear so much about how solid they were built, I guess I thought they were bullet-proof. Are pool tables in general sort of fragile critters. The local owner of AAA billiards here in Okla. City goes a little anal if you lean on his tables, much less sort of sit on the rails which sometimes is necessary to shoot certain shots. The owner is Kent Taylor, ex player and cue maker of pretty nice cues. Of course he is eccentric as many makers are. From what I have read here on az you guys are pros at your craft. Thanks again for your time.
 
Not a mechanic but here are my thoughts.

I totally agree with Glen. If you want a Diamond get one. You will end up spending more trying to convert a table than you ever get back from it and that includes your own benefit not including the resale. In the end it will not be the same as playing on a Diamond

The one draw back that I have against wood rails unless they are Diamond wood rails is the tendency to becomes dented from the chalk cubes. This happens when players put the chalk down on them. Over time the rails will look distressed. The Formica is a little more durable.
 
A well taken care of commercial table (Diamond or Gold Crown) should last a very long time. Longer than most people will live.

The problem is that the older a table is the more times it has been worked on.

In theory this is no problem at all.

In reality parts will be missing, parts will be broken, parts will be mismatched, and many many more fasteners than you can imagine will be stripped/cross threaded by people that do not know the difference between 8-13 ft lbs and 30+ ft lbs. Slate is not as static as it would appear. It can move and change and warp over time. Early Gold Crowns might not even have slate.

The more research you do. The more informed you become. The happier you will be with whatever decision you make.

Good luck and have fun.
 
MoonshineMattK said:
A well taken care of commercial table (Diamond or Gold Crown) should last a very long time. Longer than most people will live.

The problem is that the older a table is the more times it has been worked on.

In theory this is no problem at all.

In reality parts will be missing, parts will be broken, parts will be mismatched, and many many more fasteners than you can imagine will be stripped/cross threaded by people that do not know the difference between 8-13 ft lbs and 30+ ft lbs. Slate is not as static as it would appear. It can move and change and warp over time. Early Gold Crowns might not even have slate.

The more research you do. The more informed you become. The happier you will be with whatever decision you make.

Good luck and have fun.
Click to expand...

You get some greenies on this post buddy:D
 
TheBook said:
Not a mechanic but here are my thoughts.

I totally agree with Glen. If you want a Diamond get one. You will end up spending more trying to convert a table than you ever get back from it and that includes your own benefit not including the resale. In the end it will not be the same as playing on a Diamond

The one draw back that I have against wood rails unless they are Diamond wood rails is the tendency to becomes dented from the chalk cubes. This happens when players put the chalk down on them. Over time the rails will look distressed. The Formica is a little more durable.
Click to expand...

You get some greenies too:D
 
only the new ones

Don't you have to buy a new Diamond regardles of size to get the correct rail angles?

Some times money and quality of play may be at odds.

Correct me if I'm wrong Glen... Didn't you just resently work with diamond to correct their angles? And did they apply that engineering to all of their tables?
 
tedantle said:
Don't you have to buy a new Diamond regardles of size to get the correct rail angles?

Some times money and quality of play may be at odds.

Correct me if I'm wrong Glen... Didn't you just resently work with diamond to correct their angles? And did they apply that engineering to all of their tables?
Click to expand...

Yes, back in May of this year I advised Diamond to some changes I'd like for them to consider making in their rails to kind of help the play of their tables to be a little better, not that what Diamond had was wrong for the last 25 years....but, just a little better to smooth out the banks and the speed of the cushions. Well, after spending some time with them all back at the factory, they took my advice into consideration and made some changes to their design of the rails, learning something in the process. That's what my job with Diamond is,...a consultant...to advise if you will, because of all my experience working on all kinds of pool tables over the last 28 years. plus inventing and building my own line of coin-operated pool tables.

I'm happy with the changes that Diamond made and in time, we'll find out if we made the right choices....today...as Diamond is always looking into the future...always looking to make their tables better...and that's the one thing I enjoy the most about working with Diamond....the quest for the best:D

Glen
 
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