I had said I was done with New In Box games. I haven't bought one since my Game Of Thrones. I was irritated with the quality issues, and I was still annoyed that it took 6 months to replace the playfield. It all left a bad taste in my mouth. I've said that I wouldn't buy again until the playfield, and the cabinet splitting issues were proven to be resolved.

I've also railed against the crazy price increases. It is nuts how much these things cost now.

Higher prices, lower quality... and then Stern announced a vault of AC/DC, and I cracked. All the resolve I had disappeared and I placed an order for one.

So now I'm going to document how this level of hypocrisy works out for me. Will I get a good copy of it? Will it have quality issues? Playfield? Cabinet? Decals? The next cost cutting issue? I'll put it all in this thread... including if it comes in perfect. And by perfect, I mean the usual stuff. A switch out of adjustment or even a bad board that needs to be replaced is minor stuff. But if there is a problem in the main structure or difficult to replace parts of the game, I will bitch like there is no tomorrow.

If I'm shining a flashlight on my hypocrisy, I'm also shining one on the current quality state of a NIB Stern game. You will see ever bit of the fit and finish of the game in this thread. Are their issues resolved? The game is ordered, so I will let you know.

Oh, and until I have the answer to how this works out, I'm not going to bitch anymore. I really did give up that right. I can't bitch about prices because I paid them. I'm part of the problem. We shall see how this works out.

I went Pro on this one. The Angus face is gone now, and although the lower playfield is fun for a bit, I'm not that wild about mini playfields anymore.

As for the problems of my GOT, I'll just leave it at Stern needed to replace the playfield, and they did. It took longer than I thought, and was a bit frustrating that I had to keep bugging them to move it along. But that's all the past now. On to AC/DC.

I do wonder if there were other games that would have made me flip flop like this. There were no games on my radar right now.

And seeing this will all be totally transparent, I may as well give deets.

I ordered through Cointaker. I'm sure other distributors would support their customers, but I know for a fact that Cointaker does. They gave great support last time, so I'd be crazy to use someone else after that.

Thank goodness someone volunteered to help me haul this puppy out of the box when I get it

I just ordered the Pinbits plastic protectors for it. I'm looking over a few other mods as well. I don't usually go nuts, just a couple tasteful ones.

I've gone back and forth on a playfield protector for it. On one hand, it would protect it, but on the other, this is really sort of a public airing of the current state of the issues Stern has had. I figured if I was going to be a hypocrite and drop the cash on this, others would be interested in seeing the real condition, any issues, and how it holds up. So I'm leaning towards the usual "give it a good wax and play the snot out of it" as far as the playfield goes.

It's F'n AC/DC, code will not be an issue

It's not like the bell in the premium. The shaft of the bell is a lot longer. And yeah, it looks a bit goofy. The ball on the bottom of the shaft is so low that the normal ball can't get under it. Then the ball on the shaft hits the stationary target. There is no saucer. It's kind of hard to explain, but the ball cant get to the place that escape hatch is for.

As for Pro v Prem, I did give that a lot of thought. I wanted the drops, and the lighting, but the lower playfield really doesn't do it for me. Plus (to be brutally honest), I've seen foggy ones, I've seen good ones, I've seen dirty ones, really the whole range. It just added risk and complexity I didn't want.

And you've played all my games. I've always gravitated towards the Pro models. I find them to be the best overall value in a game. When I did drop 8k on a game I didn't like having that much in only one game. So even though it's only a Pro, are you still going to come down here to put the GC on it?

I talked to Cointaker this afternoon at Pintastic, and my game finally ships out on Monday!! Yay! So after a little hitch in this gittyup, things are moving again.

AC F'in DC. The plastic protectors have been sitting on the counter for about 5 weeks, so it will be awesome to finally put a game under them.

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This is going to take a bit of time. I've been out of the country and just got back last night. When it showed up, the box had some forklift fork holes in it, and various scuffs and crush points (you can see a small one in the pic I posted), so I opened it up immediately with the driver still here. Just one small scuff on the bottom and a tiny nick on the back, so I accepted it. I'm always amazed what a beating packing material takes to protect the contents.

So let's start with the first surprise. The cabinet corners look to be the same design as my Tron. There have been different designs over the years, and I was very surprised to see this:

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Now I need to go move a bunch of games around. I hadn't cleared a spot before I left, so I'll take care of that before I get it up on some legs.

Oh I'll be posting all kinds of pictures. I'm comparing this to the quality of games from Stern over the years. When I saw the cabinet corners I jumped under games finding the one it was most like.

And of course:

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If you ever see a game with this nick, it used to be mine. That's the first nick I put in it moving it from the garage to the gameroom. And anyone that owns more than a few games has done it too

The obligatory half way up picture.

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Mr. T? A friend of mine tossed this together for me a couple years ago. This one is my second. If you don't have one, build one. It's the best pin setup device ever. Solid, cheap, and takes a beating.

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I'll post every inch of this thing, with comparisons from other games. Just need to finish moving some other games to get it into the line.

Ok, we finally have a hole!

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I'm going to say that's a good theory so far. This thing does NOT have the lighter cheaper feeling that I didn't like when I had GOT. So far moving it around, it feels like a real pinball machine. But I'm almost ready to get it in position and cut the strap.

And so it begins. There are going to be a lot of pictures and comments coming up.

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Build 2 months ago.

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And because it's SAM, the power cord and power switch is in the right place!

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The cab art is exactly what I expected.

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That middle one isn't purple, that is the reflection of a blue DMD in Tron.

I only use them the move games on the carpet. Once in place I remove them. On concrete I like rubber the best, but most games I have directly on the concrete.

I was worried that the plate for the fire button would be a sticker (like BM66), but reality won over cost cutting and it's still a metal plate riveted to the lockdown bar.

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Bolts, balls and bob in the cash box, as always.

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Two minor issues so far. The translite had fallen out during shipping and was rattling around. Fortunately I don't see and damage from it.

The bolts for the backbox didn't fit well. There was rust and paint in the hole so I had to put the head back now to get the threads cleaned up. No big deal, but I'm posting everything about it.

Of interest, there are some lights removed. There were inserts under the Angus face in the original Pro game. His eyes and mouth had lights, and the nose insert had nothing. Of course without the face, those inserts and lights (and wires) were no longer needed.

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It's LEDs in IDC sockets. All these little questions are making this the slowest in boxing I've ever done

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This is really hard to photograph. In most of the playfield, you can see the grain of the wood. In some areas it's a bit rough to the touch. I hadn't really expected that, and I'll admit, it's a bit disappointing. I've had a ghosted playfield in the past (which was why I said I'd never buy another and why I'm a hypocrite for buying this). But I'll just ignore it for now.

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I had to open up my IM, because I had never noticed this little board. Looks like a set of resistors because they went all LED. The same thing is in the IMVE.

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Someone else will have to tell me if this plate was on the "AC/DC LED" version with the swinging bell. It looks like it's just to make it impossible to get a ball behind the bell, and maybe prevent airballs.

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And it's time to pull out the tools. While checking the playfield before firing it up, I gave a tug on the flipper bats, and the right one is completely bound up. That won't work at all.

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Fixed. It now drops effortlessly when you let go of it. Things like that are pretty normal on a NIB pin. I tend to be a bit fussy about flippers. When they don't work smoothly or drop slowly, blech, I hate it.

I'm sure there will also be some switches that need to be gapped. The usual.

It was just too tight to the bushing (no up and down play at all).

I don't expect them to play test like I do. They get it together, and the consumer usually needs to dial it in. I've had stuff like that from other manufacturers as well. I don't consider it that big a deal and it's something I'll always find in checking the game.

The new DMD surround.

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And the boardset.

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Translite:

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Light em up!

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I like this a lot more than Angus snarling at me on the playfield.

Let's chat about latches. I don't mind the new lockdown bar at all compared the the older receiver on stuff like LOTR. Even though these strike me as cheaper to make, I haven't had any problems with them on games I own. They feel nice and solid, and that's the most important part. It actually strikes me as a better design.

Don't like the playfield pegs (I have never liked them). But that's life.

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And more on the cabinet. This seems braced the same way as the other Stern games within reach.

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Transformer, speaker, goodie bag:

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Hey, door switch! Sorry for being so happy about it, but that bugs my that it's missing on SPIKE games.

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Also, T-nuts are installed for a shaker. Coin door PTO on the right for both 5 and 12 volt takeoff. Tournament button hole and looks like the wiring too.

Umm... you would think I'd know the answer to that... I feel stupid. 6 like the sticker, or 4 like the number of balls included??

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(The trough looked like 4)

4!

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Something else I need to fix...

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I enabled the radio mode while I level and get it into the spot. It sounds pretty good!

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Holy shit this thing is fast! Played a quick test game and it was like a rocket.

I hate to keep piling on to SPIKE games, but I didn't even lock down the levelers yet (still adjusting), yet it feels very solid. My impression is that they built this game a lot like they used to.

So now that I played one, it's time to wax it and install the plastic protectors.

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My WOZ had the same thing, and it was never an issue there either. And it's less noticeable when I shut the work lights off (I have lights right over the games that I usually only have on when I'm working on them).

As long as the playfield doesn't start ghosting or chipping it will be fine.

While the wax dries, a couple more. Band on the right ramp:

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"Train" on the left (I already ordered a real train because this plastic is kind of crappy)

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And I'm not happy with the design of the bell bracket. I'll need to find something to improve that a bit). I'm sure someone makes a better one. And if it I'll do something custom.

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Another interesting artifact of that plate is that it blocks the players view of the switch behind the bell. So you only see the ball it the clapper of the bell. I'm not sure if that was intended, but I think it's an improvement.

We all know "The Elwin pose" of two balls on one flipper, one on the other. Well this is the DaveH pose, two balls and an LED on one flipper.

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And a bummer because it was during my very first multiball on the game. It flew out of one of the lightning bolts. Must have missed it being loose during the check.

Ok, I guess that's going to continue to be a problem... one flew out again, and another was already loose. I'm not sure if it's the sockets, or the flasher bulbs. Not sure how the clip these in solidly.

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This thing is brutal! I'm used to the Premium, but this thing is just crazy.

I had read that someone played it at a show and found the ramps to be clunky compared to the original. It might have been that copy, because I'm finding them pretty smooth and quick. Even slow slightly missed shots can get around the ramps.

The lighting is good (except for the flashers falling out). Overall the LEDs do well. No flicker, but I'll probably change a few to color. I won't "color bomb" it, just a bit of subtle personalization. But overall you can see the ball well, except when Steve didn't want you to (after the cannon shot hanging onto the ball on the Pro is tougher than the Prem/LE).

I love electrical tape... for a couple weeks. But then it turns to gum and gets places. I'll find some clips or something. I may also do the other lightning bolts (Pinbits I think) which would leave those sockets empty anyway.

I suck at pinball. That is how this game is making me feel. I'm still shocked how much harder the Pro is compared to the Premium. But I love mean games. So it fits in great.

I took another picture of the would grain that is over the whole playfield.

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At some point I'll get a good shot of it with a real camera. I notice it most at the end of the game as I look down at it. Certain lighting effects highlight it. You can feel the grain as you run your fingers over it. There is a swath about two inches wide about a third of the way across the playfield that feels rougher than the rest. I'm not saying it's a problem, I'm saying that it's pretty unsightly.

Will that impact the durability of it? I have no idea yet.

This translite just isn't sexy. I wonder what I can do about that...

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Ummm, yes. Much more sexy...

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Worth it! It looks so good in the game, and the only thing that would make mine better is if it was signed by The King!

I've been having a tough time with the cannon not firing all the time. Sometimes it would load up, but the ball would just sit there when I hit the FIRE button.

It ended up being when the E lane in FIRE (the far right lane) was lit, no cannon. The LED under the E shines right into the opto for the cannon mech. So when that is on, switch 62 never closes. Everything would work perfectly in switch test, but in game was where it sometimes failed.

A minor issue that was really bumming me out... Not just because I missed a big jackpot because of it. Games that don't work right bug me. Hopefully I can get some reliable games on it now.

So a couple before and after pictures of my fix. Really it was just moving the light so it didn't shine into the opto. The benefit is, I can see the Lane light a lot better when playing. And now the cannon seems to fire 100%.

Before:

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After:

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Speaking of wedge bulbs...

Thought I lost one. The white insert on the left ramp has been out, but I've been moving some other games around (changing part of my lineup), so I couldn't get the glass off of AC/DC until tonight. As usual, it was the wires on the bayonet bulb not making contact. I'm just not a fan of bayonet bulbs. Thank goodness a quick tweak had it back, or I would have had to replace them all to color match.

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And a play update after owning it for a bit. I suck at this game.

One huge reason I jumped on AC/DC VE over anything was because of the software. But I really hadn't understood how much harder this Pro plays over the LE. As I play it I know exactly what I want to do, but the slightest miss puts the ball in danger every time. The speed feels a bit crazy still. Sometimes I switch to Tron for just a bit of mercy from the brutality of this game. After I have a party I'll post the play times to figure out if it's just me or the game.

The buzz when you hit the blue standups is annoying (I'll fix
That at some point). Plus I still need to hot glue those bulbs behind the lightning bolts in (they just pop out).

Overall I love the game. And the fact that it already has complete software and something I'll never see (Encore) is cool.

The grain of the playfield is starting to annoy me a bit less. I am worried about durability over time, but we will see what happens.

Subwoofer! I finally took the time to snake a cable through to hook up a subwoofer.

The stock sound on AC/DC VE is pretty good, I've been happy with it. So really the sub is really for sound reinforcement more than anything else. That means it isn't like Iron Man VE that 100% requires a sub just to hear the whole sound package.

So how does it sound? Good! I set it just loud enough to enhance the bass line without making it muddy or overwhelming the music. Not required, but a definite improvement.

I'm also thinking about changing the LEDs in the GI. The color temperature of the GI is a bit "off" to my eyes. I think that is partly because it's between Tron and IMVE that both have GI shades that were customized for the games. So AC/DC probably just needs the same treatment to fit in.

As for playing... I'm still swearing loudly at the game. Constant drains followed by outbursts. This game can be a beast. I haven't played a Prem/LE since I got this, so that will be interesting to get my hands on one now that I've had this for a while.

I've become very selective about when I fire at the targets. I tend to try to setup a multiball before shooting at them. Usually it is Jam multiball, just because looping the left ramp is a fairly "easy" shot. It also can build up the FIRE on the inlanes quickly to light the song jackpot. At least that is what I try to do. The game usually has other plans for me. Mostly because I get greedy and figure if I have Jam ready, I should setup another. And the left ramp is an advantage of the Pro because I can shoot it all day without the crossover bridge loading the cannon.

However... I also agree. There should be a 2 second ball save on the Pro after you shoot the cannon and hit your target, but not if you miss. That would be fair. But right now the last thing I would do is complain about rules on AC/DC. Buying a new game and having it come with exquisite rules like this one did is a massive bonus. There are so many ways to play this game.

I've heard that about AC/DC before. My thought on it is that sometimes people get locked into a strategy that leads to the most points. A lot of times, that is Hells Bells, which can bring a shit-ton of points if done correctly. I've been playing the first song the game offers me at game start to try and avoid that. If it offers up TNT or Thunderstruck (danger!), those are what I play. So right now, it still feels huge to me as I work on each song. Also on my Pro, the games are really short, so I haven't had any chance to get bored yet

But if it does happen, I'll just push it out the door. But right now it feels like it is going to be around a long time. It fits in well with the rest of my games, so I'm happy with it.

I've had an intermittent trough issue for a while in the game. The ball would drain, but the game didn't notice it. Usually a quick nudge of the game would make it register, but annoying if the ball save time ends while that is going on. Also VERY annoying if playing multiball the second to last ball drains yet the multiball scoring keeps going. Today it was an endless ball search that brought out the tools.

Turns out one of the switches in the trough was installed a bit wonky and the leaf of the microswitch had an exaggerated bend in it preventing a slow ball from tripping the switch. So the ball would just hang on the switch.

Nutdriver and (surprisingly because it was a microswitch) a switch adjustment tool on the actuator arm. Registering every time now.

I think it's a keeper, so odds are it's going to get a couple upgrades soon. Most likely the color DMD. I'm still 50/50 on getting the pinbits lightning bolts. Just because I think they might be too bright. But DMD first anyway.

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(That's after the fix)

I saw those on the site, and was actually considering them. I've just never seen them in real life. So those are not as blinding as the white? The white looks great for a concert, but in the game I have a hard time seeing the ball after they flash.

It still looks like crap. The inserts are crazing, but no ghosting that I've noticed. It's dimpling in a way I would consider normal. In other words, yes, it dimples because it's wood against a steel ball, but they are not the deep craters some other newer Stern games get. I didn't put up a fuss. I've had a playfield replaced by Stern, and to me it needs to be worth the 6 months of complaining. So it is what it is.

As for the game itself, I blame Brian for messing me up and telling me about song bonuses, because as he said, why just get a song jackpot when you can collect it as 3 bonuses... and that insanity has messed up my playing

I haven't had time to get the pinbits lightning bolts (I decided to do the blue ones). I also didn't order the ColorDMD yet. Need to get those done.

Time for an update.

So the game has about 300 plays on it so far. I know that doesn't sound like much, but I've got a few games, so play gets spread around.

That all means it was time for a quick wipe down and a fresh coat of wax. Overall the game is holding up just fine. I've had minor issues with the flashers behind the lightning bolts. Even with the tape idea to fit them in tight, the entire socket moves. So fairly quickly it is right in the players line of sight. I've tried incandescent flashers in there, but the color temperature didn't look good with the other LEDs. So it's back to the LED flashers, and I open the game once in a while to straighten them. I'll order the good lightning bolts this week and end that problem.

It also got a ColorDMD last week, and it is awesome in this game. I was waiting until I needed more than one, and that finally happened (MET joined the room last week too).

The playfield doesn't seem to be having any issues. Inserts are crazing, but that's life. No ghosting or any major issues.

Overall I'm very happy with the game. It's a ton of fun, and frustrating enough to keep you coming back to try again.

Time to finish the cleanup and give it a ride.

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