(Topic ID: 57782)
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Fish Tales
Williams, 1992
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1 month later
Has anyone put selective colored LEDs in their original translite and had amazing results that make that thing pop in the right places? I’d love to see some show and tell - but make sure to posts pics without the translite so we can see bulb color placement too and can copy cat the hood ones!!
Also, I’m looking at building a topper or two from scratch as it seems like most parts are available aside from a select few and it looks like you could be all in for about $300 and some time. I’d love to see pics of the wiring harness - every connection - to reproduce as that seems like a part I can’t buy readily.
Thanks all!
Ok...more on the topper. I’ve seen several people have made a topper and a few resources exist; but it sure would be nice if all the topperless FT owners had a complete resource to either make their own topper including a cost estimate (which I think is about $300) - or would have the ability to just buy the board wired up with the lamps and coils and wiring harness so one could simply just buy the fish and dome and be done!! Right?!?? Of course, if we can get brand new toppers going for $300-400; it sure would kill the overpriced secondary market for toppers...eh?
So let’s do it. I’m starting my topper now. I’ve got everything ordered and I’m just a little north of $300 with shipping costs. I’ll probably take a few liberties with minor mods to make production easy for everyone, but it’ll still be good!!
REQUEST: can someone provide the measurements of the board? Feel free to take 360* pics of the topper and post. I wish I had one to touch and see, but I don’t. I mean, I could just roll with it as long as the board fits under the topper and the fish fits on the board...but trying to be true on this part.
PUBLIC SERVICE: if you want a board wired and coiled made up ready to rock and roll - Let me know. The raw costs of the board components are probably about $100, but I’ll summarize everything when I’m done on costs. But if I know people want these I may be able to print extra vinyl screens for the back and what not.
2 weeks later
1 week later
Here’s a guide to build your own brand new fish tales topper for $300 and a bit of sweat equity. All the details are included. No need to spend $800 on a busted topper without the $115 dome!
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/guide-build-fish-tales-topper-from-scratch
025BEB6D-2D40-40E2-888C-C9F5DAC8E56E (resized).jpeg9CD215ED-96AE-4D54-8CE3-CF81EC9FB360 (resized).jpegActually, that topper on eBay is listed for almost $1,000 without the acrylic dome topper. The dome topper is the most expensive replacement part at $115 plus $35 shipping from starship fantasy or planetary pinball.
If anyone is silly enough to spend $1,150 on a topper, I’ll take $900 and ship you a brand new one. LOL!
3 months later
I’ll be lighting that casters club too! My approach will be to use comet matrix system. Probably easiest to use a bendie wedge lamp in a wedge matrix socket. That matrix socket can tie into one of the nearby lights using a bayonet bulb with the matrix extension.
That’s what I’d do but I’m curious if you guys lit it up another way?
2 months later
Quoted from Veemonroe:I now have this nightmare in my mind whereby this machine was always dud, the holes were drilled into the playfield in the wrong place when it was made, and it’s been floating around for 30 years hoping to entrap some poor innocent n00b
LOL. Don’t worry. Everything can be fixed. Everything can be adjusted. You’ll figure it out and this game will be humming in no time. But your posts have made me want to go and check out the positioning of that post on my game just to see how things compare. If I get to it…I’ll post a pic.
3 weeks later
4 months later
I’m going through and upgrading all my wpc games to 5.25” speakers and speakerlightkit.com lights.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/wpc-speakers-amp-panel-upgrade-to-le-stern-style-w-lights
1C10464E-07FE-43F6-87B4-6BBB4C94C176 (resized).jpegD8D15896-4E53-432F-9D58-62D3E5CB0549 (resized).jpeg 1 week later
Quoted from Paseb:Anyone purchased pyle speakers from amazon or other vendors to install on their fishtales backbox\sub.
Trying to upgrade my stock setup but would like to keep cost low.
I put some 5.25” Kenwoods in that were $32 recently on Amazon (you’d have to drill the right hole larger or buy a new panel for $30). I did it more for aesthetics with speaker lights, the sound is probably better but I’m not an audiophile
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/wpc-speakers-amp-panel-upgrade-to-le-stern-style-w-lights
3712EB08-5D0B-4A79-9065-FBCD74CF6D15 (resized).jpegABD7DEC0-DD95-4E14-BA27-88BAA069DBF5 (resized).jpegQuoted from Paseb:If i want to keep the william logo, is it faisable?
If you’re talking about the W on the speaker grills - yes. They are stapled onto the old wooden speaker panel. Just take those staples out of the old grill and staple the old grill onto the new wooden panel. Do that first thing before adding the DMD or speakers to the new wooden speaker panel.
1 week later
Quoted from Luk3:Anyone know about a topper for one?
Checked online and not seeing an all inclusive topper. Found a background and clear box. That's about it
I would check with planetary pinball to see when they will get the fish back in stock. If they know there is good demand I’m sure they’ll move to get them sooner. I’m assuming PPS commissions them.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/guide-build-fish-tales-topper-from-scratch
1 year later
Back in the club with a game that needs a little love. I always thought this game could use more natural wood to complement that boat In the playfield, so I’m going with a walnut edition.
First up, walnut rails.
Next up, walnut trim around the head. I’m going to make my own topper with a walnut backboard, and wait for it….BILLY BASS baby!! (Mostly because the stock fish is OOS. But I’m still going to put in the knocker on its tail with some protective reinforcement versus letting it sing and move as programmed).
I’ve thought about doing a walnut door, maybe even an apron like cactus canyon LEs. We’ll see how far this goes.
IMG_6592 (resized).jpegIMG_6593 (resized).jpegIMG_6594 (resized).jpeg
And don’t worry, I’ve got my lightning flippers coming…
Socket: https://www.pinballlife.com/twist-in-wedge-base-socket.html
Bulbs: https://www.pinballlife.com/555-bulbs-box-of-10.html
Or you can put in any led. Like comets.
Quoted from gmanrulz46:Anyone know where I can buy this board or lightbulb
Billy bass is about to get a new home. I built a topper for my last fish tales and sourced all replacement parts:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/guide-build-fish-tales-topper-from-scratch
This time the fish is OOS. And I’m going to be straight up here folks…Billy bass is no cheap joke. This is a legit fish replacement for the out of stock fish replacement. It’s what they call a replacement for the replacement. The ol’ thank you for the thank you. And it was only $11 shipped on eBay as I got the cheapest non working parts Billy.
So, these three sets of wires run to simple servos inside Billy. This thing runs off 4 1.5v batteries, so In addition to wiring up the actual knocker, I’m seriously considering wiring up these motors to the 6v GI harness and letting him go nonstop! But I’d have to protect the plastic pieces inside his tail…
Decisions decisions!!
IMG_6654 (resized).jpegIMG_6655 (resized).jpegIMG_6656 (resized).jpegIMG_6657 (resized).jpegFish tales walnut edition
Step 3: get Billy Bass rocking on a walnut backboard. I decided to wired him up like an OG topper, so the lure has a flasher and his tail has a knocker. Walnut back. Walnut trim. Addressable LED strip embedded in the outer trim that syncs with the speaker lights. My initial instinct was blue and there is a mode with some nice blue green movement that looks like water, but I had to land on the yellow. It just has much more inland lake integrity. Plus it highlights the walnut more.
Seriously though, for anyone without a topper waiting on the fish to get back in stock…just buy a Billy bass. His movement is very nice with thr knocker and he looks better than the OG replacement IMO.
IMG_6658 (resized).jpegIMG_6660 (resized).jpegIMG_6661 (resized).jpegIMG_6662 (resized).jpegIMG_6665 (resized).jpegIMG_6667 (resized).jpegIMG_6668 (resized).jpegIMG_6669 (resized).jpeg 6 months later
Quoted from jamescardona:Watch this and I'll tell you
Wait just a second. You’re telling me that they are NOT going to remake a title to sell for $9k when that title is pretty widely available for $4-5k? You might want to check your source again.
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Richfield, MI
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