Diamond Red Label, Blue Label, Etc.

Since day 1, Diamond cushions have played like shit. They bounced the ball harder than every other table, and the rebound angle was more acute (shorter) than any other table. You may have seen my posts over the years calling Daimond tables pin-ball machines. This was from their start in about 1990 through about 2010.

After literally 20 years of players complaining, Diamond finally decided to do something about it. They got Glen from here (who was an employee/contractor of theirs at the time) to help the tables play better. He changed the bevel angle of the wood rail that the cushion glues to. The cushion was still the same, just its mounting was changed.

That made the tables play slightly less bouncy and slightly less short than before. (although not nearly enough, IMO).

To distinguish between the old design and the new design, the color of the logo on the foot rail was changed from red to blue.
 
I can tell you this. In 2002, I built a new home and spent a pile for my first ever high end home pool room. Wooden I beams in the floor of the bonus room and bought what everyone said was the best. A diamond red label home version Arkansas model. They installed it. Played awful! Bouncy and bank short and was absolute junk. I’ve played on about every size and brand since then and before. If all I had to play on was a diamond I’d rather not even play. They are awful.
I like valleys for fun, olhausen for more serious fun and the gold crown if I played well.
 
I believe the labels represent different generations.

The Red Label, kind of eight/pointed, was first, with the Blue Label with the same right points next. Then came the Blue Oval.

Later is better, I believe for improved slate support and rail improvements. You should have specified or you might get an earlier generation.

Lou Figueroa
 
lfigueroa said:
I believe the labels represent different generations.

The Red Label, kind of eight/pointed, was first, with the Blue Label with the same right points next. Then came the Blue Oval.

Later is better, I believe for improved slate support and rail improvements. You should have specified or you might get an earlier generation.

Lou Figueroa
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The change from the blue pointed logo to the blue oval logo was just a logo change. The pointed logos were more difficult to install, and I believe some were also cracking in the field. There was no design change to the table itself that corresponded to this logo change. But correct, the blue oval is the newest.
 
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