Very interested in answers for Congo. I have seen WH2O with full LEDs, really quite a spectacle.

Congo was UNBELIEVABLY gorgeous with LED's. Completely different play field

I am not sure that buying the kits is the way to go unless it is your first time, then I would recommend it.

Congo is meant to have led's. I can post a pic later.

It is nice in most pins. I would not order kits from Marco. I would by LEDs from cointake.com or pinballlife.com

Would love pics and maybe send me a list of what you used is possible? I am picking one up next weekend. Definitely want to do the inserts/backbox and something with the volcano flasher, but am not sold on GI yet.

I would buy from cointaker, and I would pick out the LED's myself personally. My buddy has bought a few kits and they always seem to be short something or something wrong. But cointaker does make it right....

I also think most FULL conversions are overbearing...I only use LED's sparingly...but everyone has their opinions....also LED's in the GI usually sucks too...

I do have full LED in my backboxes though...sprinkled in some colored bulbs and flashers as well in certain spots...

Having just recently ordered a kit from cointaker I would say don't get a full super kit. Not sure what I was expecting but what I got wasn't it. To me the kits are for those who like the look already but want less power consumption and less heat.

If I had to do it all over again I WOULD still buy from cointaker but I would do a little experimenting with colors first. Also I wouldn't get any minis. Love the led loom and really like cointakers stuff I just should have played around with more colors and types before I took the plunge.

I run a excel sheet and open the PBL LED page when I am making the order. Just match the color of the insert as closely as possible to what is available. If in doubt, I choose white. If you really want to make a difference in appearance vs just saving heat and electric, don't use the single light LED/s from PBL but rather the 3 light ones...

I would say cointaker lights are a bit better? PBL is more local to me though, that is why I usually buy there.

I agree that Congo is beautiful with LED's. I just picked one up about a month ago and it came decked out with them. Awesome effects on that game. I also agree that plunging into the LED market is hard. I have wanted to do more with LED's but find there are to many varieties types and sizes to figure out what works by experimenting. The cost is just to great for that for me.

I wouldn't buy a kit. My STTNG came with a kit installed and it was way to bright. I have since toned it down a bit and done my other 5 machines with LED's. It just takes a little experimenting over time. For example I use the Cointaker mini's instead of the supers in the majority of the inserts. On the older games like my Genie, I use the warm white frosted. They don't give off the stark look that I found in many of the other LED's. I'm putting them in my TAF this evening.

buy from cointaker and use our PINSIDE discount while your at it. thats how i roll.

another great reminder! And, thanks again to CT and B_R

LEDs are great but kits seem expensive , done both now just buy the LEDs myself. I ended up changing most of the kit I bought.

are you referring to a specific type of gi? i'd go 44 white frosted from pinballlife i love them. if you want a plastic more illuminated then go regulatr 44 white. i love pinballife. just ordered some more today, thanks for the 20$ voucher whirs.

The FT super kit i bought from Cointaker was not very well configured in the first place, furthermore there was several LEDs missing.
I'd take my time and order them separately.
I know that a lot has happened to cointakers LED's in the last year, but i'd still go with PBL and Pinball center's noflix series for GI.
Getting tour LED's right is time consuming but actually a lot of fun. it's one of those areas where you can be really creative.

I wouldn't order a "kit".....I went with Pinball Life for the non ghosters, love em! Just order a bunch of each, you'll need em....

Yep Balls, just ordered more today myself.....so you like the frosted whites too? I thought color matching was way to go..no?

Cointaker kits are awesome! More detail and color coding put into the kits

yes definitly cointakers with our discount or pinball life.

not marco, too expensive and the choices are not that great.

post photos when your are done i'd like to see that.

Not the best shot but I can't find the others.

IMG_0137.jpg

In my opinion, WH2O is one of those games that's just begging for LEDs. I just finished doing mine. I still may make a few tweaks, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Note: the photo makes the playfield appear much dimmer than it is in person. I had to turn the exposure way down in order to avoid hotspotting.

WH2O.JPG

ice,
i was referring to the g.i. bulbs as frosts, but i use normal whites or colored as well. i hardly ever use frosted ghosts under the playfield, but for horizontally mounted lamps i use the 'concave' pinball life so that the whole or most of the insert gets light (the ghosts are a single direct beam). i'm finally putting leds in my sharkey's shootout, only 70$ (no g.i.'s though, but 4 906 flashers as well as insert leds). was 50$ after my 20$ voucher thanks to whrisoncestood.

btw gweem,
your WhiteWater looks gorgeous, only looking at one pic. i bet she glows and invites you in with all the lights in the room turned off P1010343(1).jpg

i had to attach my DM i love it so much, couldn't be happier with my custom led kit. NOT A PREORDER.

that Demo Man looks very nice. great use of colored bulbs.

If you had some darker shots and a bulb list as a reference that would be great!

+1 Make up your own kits, it's more fun.

OK, I'm known as not being a fan of LEDs, but that looks pretty nice. Do the LEDs have that slight strobing flicker, or blind you while playing? If not, that's a set-up I'd like to play!

That DM looks awesome Balls....and the WH2O is a beauty too Gweem, I can't wait to get my next order from PL

The flicker you mention is barely noticeable, no there no blinding issues really, unless the LED is in the open without being under a plastic or insert then yes it can be blinding. Iam not a fan of them as G.I. though, I still use the 47's in those areas.

pinball life

I just like the pop led's give. They bring a game to life imo. I am thrilled with my TZ's LED attitude.

IMG_0280.JPG

I usually go with Cointakers kits and they tweak them to my preference. Chris at cointaker does amazing work when he makes his kits. He does not just throw White in everywhere. He takes his time and color matches them up. I have never been dissatisfied and I have bought MANY kits from them.

Your TZ looks great !!

Get a kit if you are lazy and don't mind putting out some extra cash.

Here are 3 more examples of CT kits.

DSC001070000.jpg IMG_1681.jpg IMG_10400000.jpg

I don't think I am lazy at all. Kits are perfectly fine to purchase.

They make the inserts nice and bright, but you can't really see the playfield, which is where most of the art is

My JP is miserable looking with the kit I purchased. TFTC is great, I couldn't be happier with it. I am going to tweak TFTC a bit more but JP I will have to probably purchase 20 more LEDs to get it to look the way I was planning.

In person I think the pf art is still visible. Not in photos so much though.

So your congo is the cointaker kit?

Yes it is the CT super brite kit but I did ask them to give me warm retros for the GI. I prefer them.

. I tried warm white retros in my hulk and it just made the plastics look icky. Taking it they work better in more modern games ironically. Any chance you could snap some dark shots. I'm really tempted to place an order for these before I even get the game in my door

Exactly. Biggest drawback to Led's. It's a shame to see some of these abominations.
Might have to put your shades on.

Sorry, I cannot take more shots. I had some and can't seem to find them. I sold Congo.

The ToM dont look that good, to much purple, and my eyes hurt from the picture. the other machines look great!

Thats why I stick with Regular incadescents #47's for G.I., no LED has looked good in G.I. locations.

I don't know if I am Artistic enough to convert a pin over to LED's.. I would like to do my current project Zaccaria's Devil Riders with them, but don't know where to even start. I looked on PBL and it had a small sample pack, but not really enough to do anything with.. I guess except exactly that "sample"
Combine that with the cost.. I'm sticking #44 back in DR's as I go for right now.. Maybe some day I'll splurge and spend $100 on some?

I use LEDs, but that ToM is hideous in my opinion.

I think using colored LEDs in the GI generally needs to be used sparingly.