Does anyone know definitively if the original '81 EBD had blue ribbed playfield posts, or red??? I'm a bit of a purist with playfield parts, and I often refer to high resolution images on the original flyers. The original flyer for the '81 EBD shows RED posts, while a LOT of playfield restorations I'm seeing have blue. Anybody still own the original??? Thank you!!

Thank you!! Cheers!

As of last Saturday, I’m a card-carrying member of the club with a beautifully restored ‘81….

YeeeeeeeHAAAWWW!!

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I picked mine up the same way! I added a couple in the exact same places you circled, though on the right, I added one to the eight-ball lane to give it a more symmetrical appearance. I honestly can't remember why I didn't use one behind the mini post though. Hmmm....I might have to investigate further. Also, can't remember if they were wood or machine screws, since I just replaced what was in there with a post with the same thread pattern.

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I also added one here, if for no other reason than to make the plastic easier to remove, but since the left side plastic right above the sling has two, it made it look a little more symmetrical.

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Agree with Mathazar on all points. I use them on my Bally Playboy and my Skateball to preserve the playfield art. My EBD, Centaur and Fathom have CPR restos, so regular waxing makes their use redundant. Keep in mind that if used with your EBD, you may have to raise your inline drop targets or increase the pitch of the machine, since slower balls might get hung up there.

Candy apple red flipper bats with white Titan silicones on mine, for that little extra pop of color.

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Mine is identical to yours. There are assemblies in that area that would sit too close to the rail, if there was one there. If you need to slide the PF forward, there's no need to lift it to relocate. Just support the left side firmly, at the same time keeping the PF weight on the right-side rail while you slide it, until you can safely distribute the weight on the side rails on both sides. Do the same thing to return it to its rested position.

Check in with @NicoVolta. He sells replacement metal spacers.

I guess I should’ve read all the way through before providing the same answer! LOL

The apron and backglass frame are black on the ‘84, as is the front of the cabinet. ‘84 also uses decals (rather than paint) on the exterior with slightly different colors/design.

This is a linear-style Bally flipper assembly. Even at a quick glance, they are very easily differentiated.

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Do you know if the Geetoh S&T board is compatible with the Say-It-Again board that's installed on a Centaur?

Thanks!

@Lovef2k, Ooooooo.......where'd ya get those sweet white pop caps and
trim rings?????

Lower right side of the Squawk and Talk board.

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There's only two places the ball could go from that small area, so I'm not sure how rebounds would be "all over the place" or why they would need to be "predictable", but to each their own. Doesn't look "totally wrong" to me at all, and from a player's perspective it's hardly visible, so I dunno....for me it's a non-issue I guess.

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I learned the hard way that the the left flipper base plate on Centaur is different than all the other linear flipper plates, as it is notched on one end to accommodate a lamp socket.

I noticed too, that after I brought it to the attention of Marco, they modified their store with a new entry for the replacement. Not exactly sure why it would be three bucks more than the one without the notch however.

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/P-6264-134-M

On occasion (though not very often), I'll notice a pop cap askew but I just reattach it as the tabs are all still intact. I have three machines with this type of pop bumper body, and only on EBD has this happened. I've had these three games for over a year now and have yet to have one of the pop bumper bodies break. Of course, now I've just jinxed it.

What happens way more often is that one of the caps will ROTATE a few notches, noticeable because of the graphics heat stamped on the cap. There can be a LOT more goin' on there with a cluster of three, rather than the two on my Centaur.

Picked one up a little over a year ago, and it also has a CPR playfield. I occasionally get some wild spins on the ball depending on which flipper slaps it in there, especially when backhanded from the right, but 90% of the time it easily falls directly on the left flipper.

It appears my bottom plastic has little sharper edge that projects toward the left at the bottom, which might be the reason the ball trajectory seems to be slightly different from others’?? And yes, I’ve also read somewhere that the clear plastics on this game can have inconsistent shapes. Weird…

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So far so good, but you’re right. I’m thinking I could use my dremel to round out that pointy edge without significantly changing the angle at which the ball falls back out. Not fail safe for sure, but better maybe.

I've seen this as being typical of EBD, and on tutorial videos you'd find on YouTube, the multiplier shots are often referred to as risky for this reason.

I have a CPR playfield with a thick clearcoat, and the lowered drop targets caused the ball to hang often. So I used a narrow, wooden paint stirrer that was the EXACT length I needed. Slightly wider than a popsicle stick, but the perfect thickness. Works very well. I also have seen magnetic tape used. No adhesive necessary.

The EBD manual is easily found online in pdf format, but I believe that there are some very minor differences between production runs. a few wire colors, lamp socket configuration, etc.

My game looked almost new when I bought it two years ago, with CPR plastics and PF, so I had to run downstairs to check mine out. Yep, mine look a lot like your CPR's, but my font isn't nearly as sloppy as the one on yours. Your "WHEN LIT" is nearly undiscernible! WOW...

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I've seen this "model number" thing on various cards. I understand the production run and the serial number, but what exactly does a "model number" represent, and what's the relevance of including it on an apron card??

I too have made my own using artwork readily available elsewhere. They really make my games stand out.

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Replacing the cabinet flipper switches did the trick when this happened to me. Good luck.

That's a lot of "stuff" hanging over that beautiful playfield. I'd hate to see one of those crimpers, that big wrench, or anything else accidentally fall on it!

The whole game lighting thing is completely subjective, I know. Here’s my take: Personally, I prefer Comets. Specifically, 2SMD frosted “sunlight” whites in the GI. I don’t use the retros, as they can often be too tall for some of the plastics, especially the clear lane guides. As someone mentioned previously, the clear domes are sometimes too hard on the eyes in playfield GI, and used in the back box, they can throw off hotspots on the artwork. Frosted domes will disperse more light evenly in the back box, In my opinion, the daylights bring more life into the game than the warm whites. I rarely use cool whites in GI (my Fathom is a rare exception), as they look rather sterile, and seem almost fluorescent. I color-match switched lamps in the playfield. I also added a couple of homemade spotlights on both slings, and a 3SMD strip in the trough. It adds some light to the center of the playfield that is traditionally very dark on these early solid-state Ballys. This era had some of the most beautiful art in Pinball, and IMO it deserves to be seen! I’ve done it on all of my ‘81 Ballys, and a few of my earlier games too.

LEDs run so much cooler as well. They will brighten up games that often appear dimly lit with incandescents, but without any stress on the power supply or the boards. They also use 1/3 of the energy, so that in itself is a big bonus.

Another interesting thing with EBD - I read somewhere that the “Game Over” indicator was initially supposed to be printed horizontally on the back glass, but for some reason, they stacked the words on top of each other, rather than side-by-side. Oddly, they never removed one of the two lamps that light “Game Over”, when only one was then necessary. The other lamp just leaves a hotspot behind the glass, so I removed it. Had I not read that, I likely may never have noticed. Now that I’m aware of it, I can’t unsee it, and it triggers my OCD every time I see it on another game!

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I’m not sure I’m following you. Do you have an example?

I used a 3smd strip in the trough, dimmed almost all the way (Comet sells the dimmers....cheap). I also added a spot at the top of the left sling, and the bottom of the right. I used a sunlight white, with the dome removed. Used black heatshrink tubing around the socket and the bulb. Gives the bulb a real snug fit on the lamp housing. I didn't solder them, but used alligator clips instead, jumped to a GI lamp. Makes them removable in about 60 seconds. It's subjective for sure, but the trough light balances out the rest of the playfield, and brings out that cobalt blue real well. The spots illuminate the center of the PF. All my minty 81's have them, as do a few of my other Ballys. This era had arguably some of the most beautiful playfield art ever created, and it begged to be seen. The rest are on my profile page.

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DANG, I guess I already posted most of this example in a previous post. Sorry.

But yeah, I think the strips are all sunlight too. That's what I use for GI lighting MOST of the time. There are exceptions.