you can awalys replace the cushions on it and put simonius cloth and you'll be fine, the rubber isnt that expensive and will last you for years I have a GC4 that Ernesto D. installed in 2000 and it banks perfectly like it did 7 years ago when he changed the rubber. there arnt any "dead" areas where you can hear that thud sound when the rail seperates from the cushion, a dead rail.
the slate is the slate, I had a GC3 or 2 its been along time and one of the pieces of slate had a low spot in it, about 10" in diameter so when ever a ball was rolling towards it it would awalys roll to the lowesr point in the middle, the maecnic I used notied it and put a skim coat of bondo in it less than 1mm thick and sanded the rough spots with some 600, we put that piece at the head of the table and it was hardly noticable,
my point is that a good mechnic can and will make almost any Brunswick table play good. so shopping for the table is as important as the guys setting it up, my business partner has some fancy ornate wood Brunswick table that is a new modle not a vintage table and the guys who installed it kinda knew what they were doing but balls roll off, you have to shot hard, it would be impossible to play 1P on it, the mechnics didnt know how to play, they were C players on a 8' box on a good day with big pockets, thats a good way to judge a mechnic see how good he plays. my biz partner bought it for looks its furnature, so be it. play your mechnic some where offer him dinner to get to know him and pay his table time, if he beats you then you'll get a good table,
I cant beat Ernesto Domingiz and I cant spell his name either.
but dont think the table is the answere its a combination of things.
