I remember in 1981 when EBD first came out. It was an instant hit. The group of guys I used to hang out with as a teen and I would play pinball almost every day. I can't count the number of quarters I blew on pinball in the late 70s / early 80s. Back then every mall had at least one huge arcade. Some had more than one. Every bowling alley also had a generous assortment of pinball machines.

By that time though, Space Invaders and PacMan were coming out too and the video games were signaling the end of pinball as we knew it. My friends and I were hard-core pinball fanatics though and spent the vast majority of our quarters on pinball. We used to drive miles out of our way just to go to a certain bowling alley or arcade that had Eight Ball Deluxe. It was without a doubt the most-popular pinball machine back then and I can't think of any machine since that has matched that level of enthusiasm. I remember one sitting right next to a Fathom and guys would be lined-up slapping quarters on the playfield glass of the EBD while Fathom sat there with cobwebs hanging off it.

Then a few years later we had a decent arcade in the student union at college. What was the most-popular pin there? It was an EBD Limited Edition except by then the price had changed from 5 balls for 25 cents to 3 balls for 50 cents. We still played the crap out of it almost every night (whenever we weren't either binge-drinking and/or chasing women).

We used to call the original 1981 edition of EBD "The Bad Guy Machine" because of ghoulish-looking character on the sides of the backbox.

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We called the 1985 "Classic Edition" from Bally/Midway "The Nice Guy Machine" because of the nicer-looking guy on the sides of the backbox with a wedding band on his hand.

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We really didn't have a name for the Limited Edition version. It was always looked at as kind of an oddball but it's still just as good of a player.

Cool story. Now I know I'll hold out for a 1981 model some day just for that side art.
-mof

Playfield question for you guys...doing some work on an 8BD and it looks like someone removed the mylar around the pops. two of the pops have what is best described as a rough, slightly gummy, surface where the mylar was.

Any tips on cleaning that up? Don't want to take the paint off...

Also... I need a new lock for the backbox... looks like the old lock is a different style than what's on other top mounted lock games. Yes? Anyone point me in the right direction?

Use some goo gone it balls right up

I love thinking of EBD as the best location game of all time. 5 different ways to earn a special maximizes the allure of JOM (just one more) because you can take so many paths to earning that special.

When you turn that into a freeball at home, I wonder how that impacts the appeal of that affect?

-mof

Won't that remove the playfield paint too? There's no mylar...just guck on the playfield paint

No it won't harm the playfield one bit. It's good stuff. I always have a bottle of it laying around.

...

Any thoughts on this?

I started a thread looking for help, here: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/eight-ball-deluxe-back-box-lock-help

No question about that. I worked for an arcade company back in high school during this period. We had probably 15 of them between 4 locations. I moved the games and counted the money between our locations so yea. I get it. I also picked up plenty of them at the distributor. We placed these by the front door along with Meteor, Black Knight. But us players always gravited to the locations where the classic stern's were. Which we did not have many of the lower production ones. I do remember the day when they brought in (At another competitor) Quicksilver and Seawitch. Just awesome. Our Fathom's / Medusa's never got played. Though we played Fathom quite a bit. I remember alot of the games and there we plenty that got alot of attention. There are so many great ones from this time. I remember lines to play Space Invaders, Black Hole and Paragon when they came out. Crazy....Even Lost World got love. LOL!!

I just remember hanging out in your arcade and playing EBD until the wee hours of the morning. Always EBD. Sprinkled in some other games here and there, but EBD was the marathon game.

Does anyone know where to buy replacement sockets for the 555 bulbs that are under the playfield? Pbr, marco and pinball life don't have them on their websites

These?

http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/24-8767

That's because they should be upgraded to the 44/47 style... Seriously!

I hate those 555 sockets. When I finally restore my EBD, I and going to replace them with 44/47 sockets. they are a much better connection, in my experience.

I have to assume it was a price issue with Bally to move to the plastic 555 sockets, but they are just the worst design...

I believe Steve Young at PBR has the best price on new 44/47 lamp sockets! If someone knows of some cheaper, please let me know as i'm about to place a huge order for my 5 playfield swaps!

Those are not the ones used on EBD. They insert into the lighting board of later games.

Unless Steve Young at Pinball Resource has the exact 555 sockets, these are more in line with what was used on the playfield.
http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/077-5030-00
http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/077-5026-01

Both PBR and Marco carry replacement #555 lamp sockets. They are the later style but can be used in older pins too. The exception are the sockets in the early 80s pop bumpers. All that I've found out there are the lay-down style and the illumination looks funny under an EBD pop cap and the fit sucks. Also the flush-mounts style don't fit in the factory #555 lamp holes in the playfield without some massaging.

Here are the PBR sockets: http://www.pbresource.com/sockets.html#555

Here are the Marco #555 sockets: http://www.marcospec.com/control/keywordsearch;jsessionid=4E21804B9062E11EDFFADBC1DB13DD36.jvm1?SEARCH_STRING=555+lamp+socket

The 44/47 lamp sockets are called "bayonet" sockets because you insert the lamp and twist to secure. The #555 lamp sockets simply press-in.

The reason Bally went to the #555 lamp in the early 80s was two-fold. One reason was that the #555 lamp runs as bright as a #44 but lasts longer and generates a lot less heat which saves backglasses and playfield plastics. Another reason was the bayonet style sockets corrode and lose connectivity long before the #555 style sockets do.

You have to remember that the sockets in an EBD are going to be 35 years old, but remarkably they usually still work and most can be salvaged with a little cleaning. Instead of the plated metal housing with insulators and other conductors attached in an assembly, the #555 sockets only have two strips of brass/copper contacts inside a plastic housing that just touch two wires on the lamp. With a little cleaning you can usually bring life back to them unless they are totally trashed from sitting outside exposed to the elements or stored in a damp area and ruined by moisture over time or some other environmental abuse. Of course if the pin had bayonet style lamp sockets that were exposed to the same environment, they would definitely be unsalvageable trash.

These #555 style sockets were also widely used in the auto industry in instrument panels and other interior illumination. They too switched from the less-reliable bayonet style sockets. Once a bayonet style socket goes bad you might as-well throw it away because it is never going to be the same again.

I wish someone would manufacture exact duplicates of the style #555 sockets used in EBD but after a few years Bally/Williams and others went to the newer #555 style (like the ones PBR & Marco have on their websites) because in reality they are a little better design than the older #555 sockets but don't fit as well in some cases and don't look the same for a hard-core restoration.

Now if you are planning on going to LEDs or are simply replacing the original #555 sockets because you like the bayonet style better, they will last several years before they start giving you problems again but eventually they will start to corrode and fail just like they did back in the days. Just like the incandescent lamps available nowadays, the bayonet style sockets are cheaply-made in China and don't last forever. The bulbs made today definitely don't hold up nearly as long as they used to.

I appreciate the post. So why do some complain about the old 555 sockets?
-mof

The 555s that need replacing aren't failing due to corrosion . One is broken off the bracket and I had to solder it back on. Another has a Crack and will fail soon. Another just plain doesn't work. I'm sure at some point I'll slap some leds in it but for now I'm leaving it as is.
Thanks for the info gatecrasher. Very insightful!

GateCrasher knows his 8 ball deluxe.

Helped me out a bunch on my restore.

I had to replace a few and the ones I bought were really cheaply made. One or two simply broke, but it may have been that the ones I bought, weren't the best quality. This is especially true with the 555 jet bumper sockets, and I bought them from a well-known supplier.

Using 555 LEDs, I think the lamps themselves are more fragile and likely to get the leads bent if you are not really careful.

If your #555 sockets are no good, switching to the bayonet style is the easiest fix since they will fit perfectly in the playfield. The pop bumper lamp sockets are another matter though. The older bayonet pop bumper lamp sockets are pretty-crappy and tend to fail - not to mention they must be unsoldered (or cut) to disassemble the pop bumper. The #555 pop bumper lamp sockets have connectors on them which makes them easier to remove but sometimes they are broken-off which tends to render them useless. They also have a rubber shock absorber to help the filaments in the bulbs survive the constant shock from the pop bumpers firing.

I try to save the #555 pop bumper sockets if I can because the bayonet style don't fit in the later style pop bumper bodies. The replacement #555 sockets designed for pop bumpers that are available now don't fit worth a crap either. You are good to go either way on the rest of them though. Whatever works best. If the #555 sockets aren't too corroded or physically broken, I try to clean them up and save them. I also buy used assembled playfields if I see one with decent-looking #555 lamp sockets. I haven't seen any NOS ones in a long time now. You always have the option to switch to the older bayonet style if you have to though. If I only need a couple of the original #555 sockets to complete a playfield, I have removed the ones in the coin door to use on the playfield and replaced them with bayonets in the coin door.

When I restore a machine that originally came with bayonet sockets I almost always bite the bullet and replace them all with new ones. They are a lot like the pins in old connectors. If you don't just go ahead and replace them all, you'll usually end-up fighting the old ones. I usually have a big bag of each style. The flush-mount, surface-mount, and the right angle.

I just made a couple custom score cards today for my EBD. I found some existing ones for the Black Knight and the Firepower, but there wasn't a nice one for EBD, so I created these.
I apologize for the lame cellphone photos, but you get the idea.image.jpgimage.jpg

Hey, these are nice, would you share the PDF or JPG or DOC or whatever?

Yay please share. Or I will gladly pay for a set. Looks awesome!

Greeting EBD Owners and Restoration Folks,

I'm rebuilding my 1981 Bally EBD that was damaged in a shipment. Does anyone know where I could purchase replacements the extruded plastic rails that the glass slides into? These are underneath the metal side rails.

-Nate

Anyone know the correct pitch for the EBD playfield?

Looking to buy an original EBD, not the LE. I'm in the northeast - ct, ny, mass, ri area.

Don't be mad at me, but I just bought a killer Eight Ball Deluxe 1980 that I found in an Antique Mall by my house for $250! It lights up, but does not play. The field is original, mild wear, needs paint touch ups, and MPU work, but hey! Its an EBD!! Backglass a 10. Cabinet paint a 7..wear a 6_20151003_192952.JPG..really great shape overall. Keep your eyes open! They're sitting around in Goodwills and other weird places. That'll gimme something to do for a couple months. I'll be back on here for help i'm sure when I get into fixing it. I'm new at it. I'm currently restoring a Phantom of the Opera that now looks great...now I'm mixed in the debate to remove the mylar and clear coat or not! scary! IMG_20151003_162753.jpgIMG_20151003_162811.jpgIMG_20151003_162825.jpgIMG_20151003_195908.jpg

Great restore candidate. Nice find!

Awesome price for a truly awesome Classic Bally game! Congrats!

Here are the PDF cards for the custom EBD score cards I made. I printed them on 4x6 cards and cut them out.
EBD score card.pdf

EBD Instruction card V2.pdf

rebuilding the pop bumpers, which spring washer is a replacments of these two?

http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/4705-00002-00

or

http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/269-5002-00

17 cents vs. 89 cents. I say go with the cheaper one. Same reference numbers on both.

Here's a Midway version of EBD I pimped-out a few years ago. Chrome everything and custom repainted cabinet with a clear-coated NOS playfield.

Check out the custom score cards I made for it. I prefer the factory look (with some liberties taken).

IMG_4811.JPG

IMG_4798.JPG

IMG_4803.JPG

IMG_4794.JPG

IMG_4787s.jpg

IMG_4787.JPG

so of course when I ordered from Marco these were the one thing I forgot to buy. Kicking myself as they are so cheap and shipping will be so expensive to get just these from them.

How important are they? Can I get them at a hardware store?

Which non Limited Edition version is more sought after, and why? The first version with the yellow/white apron and painted front, or the second (third) release with black front and black apron?

On the 3rd release, Bally/Midway cheapened out....made the cabinets out of particle board instead of plywood.

The backbox artwork on the original is better too.

Actually, the 2nd and 3rd release of Eight Ball Deluxe both had the same "Limited Edition" score cards even though the 3rd release didn't say it anywhere else.

The 3rd Bally/Midway release is commonly referred to as the "Classic" but it doesn't say that anywhere either. I don't know why they call it the Classic since the real classic is the original 1981 release.

The model popularity tends to be:

#1 The original 1981 release
#2 The final 1984/85 Bally Midway "Classic"
#3 The 1983 "limited Edition"

The 1981 original is by-far the most-popular version. Better artwork and cabinet although the 1985 has the better under playfield lamp twist-socket circuit boards. The 1981 has painted graphics and the 1985 has decals.

But the good news is that they all play the same so you really can't go wrong there.

Is there a big price difference between the versions? Of course, condition is everything, but all things being equal condition wise, what are the price ranges for each version?

The 1981 models are the most sought-after and sell for the most money with all things being equal as far as condition.

The other two are kind of red-headed stepchildren. The 1983 Limited Edition was Bally's last hurrah before selling to Midway and were built using left-over cabinets. The 1985 version was Midway's attempt to capitalize on Bally's most-popular machine from the era one last time.

Even though the LE doesn't seem to get much love...I kinda like it.

Just wish someone could provide cabinet scans to pinball pimp so we can get some quality stencils made.

A Limited Edition is still an Eight Ball Deluxe. It plays just as good as any of the others. Back in the days when these machines were new, we didn't care what version it was. Just so it was an EBD. Nowadays people tend to place more value on the original strictly as a "collectable" rather than anything else because as a player they are all equal.

This kind of goes with another topic I saw on here a couple days ago about "rarity". Both the Limited Edition and the Classic are more rare than the original but rarity doesn't automatically equal higher value on the market.

Is there any way to replace the old decals on the Midway version mine are faded of course. Thanks

No-one has ever made decals, as far as I know.

I always like the mean cowboy better

mean_cowboy.jpg

frendly_cowboy.jpg

Orig. EBD is in fact the very last of all bally games with classic white backbox front edge??

1981 was the last year for the traditional Bally cabinet . None of them had a white backbox (or backbox front edge).

There were eight machines released in 1981:
1: Medusa
2: Eight Ball Deluxe
3: Elektra
4: Embryon
5: Fireball II
6: Centaur
7: Fathom
8: Flash Gordon

Probably the last Bally pinball machine to have a white backbox front edge per say was Silverball Mania released in 1980.

And what an incredible year for pinball that was!

I'd still like to own a Centaur, otherwise I think I have or have had all the early Ballys I want for now.

I snagged a CPR plastic set for my EBD, just haven't had time to shop it out, and I need to order new rubbers for it.*

*Decided before posting this to make a kit at Titan, if anyone else wants a white rubber set for EBD:

https://www.titanpinball.com/kits/index.php/view/id/266

Looking forward to getting the game looking clean and sharp again. Playfield is mylared and decent, worst of it is a little lifting on the mylar at some of the edges.