Congo
Williams, 1995Trying to tear down my play field and get most of the metal off to have it gold plated along with the outer armor. Also decided to clean and fix whatever I could while I had it torn down. Man, what a nerve-racking process. Here are some pics in progress:
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Of course I'll also be removing that rusty, corroded lock bar. I do have one question though. How do I get this last stainless ball guide/guardrail off (the long one in the back corner under Amy)? There must be screws I am missing in the back somewhere:
Wow, the side decals on your lower playfield look really nice. I just received one replacement side decal (they didn't have the other side) from Pinball Australia. Will be looking at options for recreating the other side.
Quoted from superJackpot:When I tore down my Congo, I found this the most convenient way to track where the upper PF parts go. It's the first time I took this approach instead of relying on pictures alone. Reassembly was a piece of cake.
Awesome. I almost did this very thing. Your pics will help. How did you remove the large metal guide in the back left? It's got screws in the front curve and behind it in the corner, then it has spikes that sit in holes on the playfield, but what is on the right side holding it in the back?
Quoted from Phetishboy:what is on the right side holding it in the back?
It was a while ago and I don't recall exactly... but I do believe the controlled gates posed a problem with that piece. I had to remove or at least loosen them to some extent, as they hang over the metal guide. I had pulled the plastics, volcano, rails and ramps etc. before I did this piece.
Quoted from superJackpot:It was a while ago and I don't recall exactly... but I do believe the controlled gates posed a problem with that piece. I had to remove or at least loosen them to some extent, as they hang over the metal guide. I had pulled the plastics, volcano, rails and ramps etc. before I did this piece.
Yep, got it. Thanks.
Quoted from Patofnaud:See if you can find 'cheapo' ones here.
http://www.pinballrebel.com/pinball/cards/
Found the PDF file for the balls one, thanks.
While most plastics and ball guides are removed, I decided to start LEDing the playfield. It's still in the experimental phase, but I am liking the transformation so far. The greens are really adding something. I actually put color changers in near the flippers and love the dynamic of them too. Seemed like the perfect place for them. Here it is so far:
Vs. how I got it:
Quoted from swampfire:D'oh, another Congo pimped out beyond all recognition.
Don't be sad. They're only light bulbs. I guarantee you if Williams had access to different colored LEDs in the 90's, they woulda used them.
Quoted from Phetishboy:Don't be sad. They're only light bulbs. I guarantee you if Williams had access to different colored LEDs in the 90's, they woulda used them.
It's a good point. If games came LED'd back in the day and LEDs were easily available as they are now everyone would love them 
Quoted from jrivelli:It's a good point. If games came LED'd back in the day and LEDs were easily available as they are now everyone would love them
Yep, you hear similar gripes in the arcade world when somebody changes the original T-molding color or buttons on a game. They tie all of their happiness to keeping EVERYTHING original, right down to the ugly and inefficient stuff, cuz that's the way they *think* they remember it. I never actually played ANY 1990s Williams' pinballs in the 90's, so I have no nostalgic ties to what was originally used by the manufacturer. I do what I like and what makes sense.
Quoted from swampfire:The game's artwork is visible in the original (bottom picture); it looked really nice once.
The house lights were on and it was daytime in the non-LED pic. The LED pic was taken at night with all the lights off for effect. Plus, most of the plastics are removed so there is nothing diffusing the glare of the bulbs.
Quoted from Phetishboy:The house lights were on and it was daytime in the non-LED pic. The LED pic was taken at night with all the lights off for effect. Plus, none of the plastics are in place diffusing the glare of the bulbs.
OK. Would like to see a pic when it's all done. I admit that I haven't seen an LED'ed Congo IRL yet; maybe it looks okay. But...I don't use clear #55 lamps for nostalgia; I use them so I can see.
Quoted from swampfire:OK. Would like to see a pic when it's all done. I admit that I haven't seen an LED'ed Congo IRL yet; maybe it looks okay. But...I don't use clear #55 lamps for nostalgia; I use them so I can see.
Hahahahahahaha, good answer. I am completely with you on the "so I can see" part. That's mostly the reason I use the dimmer ablaze LEDs rather then the retina burning coin-takers. I bought my TFTC so completely blinged out in Coin-Takers that it can actually be seen from Space. I hate it.
Looks good. I see a lot of people using the green bulbs under the slings, and it makes the Ghost Tribe men look ill.
That's where you are wrong. If games came with them, yes for the reasons below. However, incandescent bulbs are able to dim, and the creators of the game knew it. Take AC/DC, AWESOME with LEDs, because it was built from the ground up with LEDs in mind.
Also, trying to retrofit most WPC games with LEDs ensures you are going to lose at best, some of the lighting effects. Even with Sterns, SM and WPT relied on the different brightnesses as progress indicators in the inserts.
With that being said, and it's obvious I'm not a huge LED fan, Congo looks friggin sweet with LEDS. I think it depends on the colors and sizes, but Congo is Awesome.
Quoted from jrivelli:If games came LED'd back in the day and LEDs were easily available as they are now everyone would love them
Quoted from swampfire:Looks good. I see a lot of people using the green bulbs under the slings, and it makes the Ghost Tribe men look ill.
Actually, they looked ill when they were white. Now they look like mini Incredible Hulks.
Quoted from Phetishboy:I actually picked up a Congo promo/press/video store display kit off of ebay a while back that has some cool swag in it. Big cardboard cutouts, logo translights, etc. It's still boxed, should probably see what's in it.
Cool! I'd definitely like to see pics of that. The game looks awesomely cheesy and fun.
Quoted from swampfire:Cool! I'd definitely like to see pics of that. The game looks awesomely cheesy and fun.
Too bad it's sealed. I really want to play it, but I don't want to decrease the value of what could become the most sought-after board game of all time.
I'm not deadset against LEDs but I find the ghosting prohibitive on most of my older games. Nothing worse than having an insert half lit when it's supposed to be off. My Williams IJ came with LEDs and that's the behaviour it exhibited. Perhaps some of the more expensive LEDs can correct this, or non-ghosting game roms??
But mostly, it's the soft rise and fall of bulbs that I like. The cascading of lights looks best with bulbs IMO. Rapid on/off flashing of LEDs becomes bothersome to me (STTNG with LEDs previous owner installed was really bad). If I find I cannot track a ball, losing it in the strobe effect of LED insert lights, out they come.
No question the LED bright white looks much nicer that the yellowy white of bulbs. Colours really pop with LEDs in attract mode but they are not so compliant in game mode. TOM is a great example of this.
I think some games take well to LEDs. DM is one I've heard. Congo may be another. But for now, I'm sticking to coloured incandescents.
BTW, I've seen WOZECLE in person. Now that is how leds should be done! Very smooth, gradient.... perfect! Obviously a true bottom up design with LEDs in mind. The future looks good for LEDs when implemented like that.
Quoted from Phetishboy:I'm also still working on my topper.
I'd still fix that to the top of the game I don't think it would be out of place. At least it would be on display.
Finally got my last back box GI string working. While I had the light box down, I LEDed it out the best I could with the leds I had left over from my other 2 projects. This translight is perfect for colored LEDs, as it has colors separated into cut and dry sections. Reds, violets and oranges near the volcano, blues in the sky, green in the jungle foliage, oranges and purples in the character's clothes, golds in the Congo logo, whites in the diamonds, etc.
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Wow your Congo Looks great! I have a Congo and I will say that I am going to copy your led color scheme and do it to my machine. I love the way you made the playfield match the translight in color layout (I assume this was done on purpose, if not you did a perfect job unintentionally). What exact led’s did you use, the pinball life single or double led’s?
Quoted from Hammerhead1550:Wow your Congo Looks great! I have a Congo and I will say that I am going to copy your led color scheme and do it to my machine. I love the way you made the playfield match the translight in color layout (I assume this was done on purpose, if not you did a perfect job unintentionally). What exact led’s did you use, the pinball life single or double led’s?
I used ablaze 1 frosted and colored LEDs and ablaze 3 superbrights. The color matching kinda worked out on its own. I did the playfield first and did not have the translight in the machine at the time. Once I saw it in pics I was like, whoa they DO match nicely.
Quoted from billsfanmd:pinball life leds? looks great.
Yep. Terry has done me right so many times that I am happy to give him my business. Plus, they cost a lot less, and I'm cheap.
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Avon, MN
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