(Topic ID: 65334)
Tilton, NH
Quoted from Matt_Rasmussen:So, you're worried about color rather than how they play?
For me, no. I'm more concerned with how they play, and do they have acceptable/better durability. But if I'm going to buy some to test out (and potentially leave in if I like how they play) then I might as well get the best-looking ones for my pins / preferences.
I've played the IFPA Saturn bands at a tourney, and I thought they played well (and none of them broke, that day). But they were too tacky/ grippy, making live catches too easy, keeping the ball from rolling off a raised flipper too easy, and felt like it altered timing of on the fly shots by slowing down the ball noticeably from the speed it had in the inlane.
I'll be interested to see if Super bands have similar or different characteristics.
Quoted from Snailman:...and felt like it altered timing of on the fly shots....
These have the same characteristics. I put them on pins I know well and I like them at the moment. The games play differently.
I currently have them on my Tron. They look great, but I wouldn't want them on all my pins. As others have already pointed out, they don't play like normal rubbers. I love that they are more durable, but it's not like normal flipper rubbers are all that expensive to begin with.
Edmonton, AB
Quoted from Snailman:I'll be interested to see if Super bands have similar or different characteristics.
Sounds identical to my experience with Super Bands
My experience with them is not so much the bounce but the grip or tackiness of them. They just grip too much. Shots that I used to make with regular rings I am having trouble making now. For instance, a shot from the right flipper is hitting too far to the right of where I think I'm aiming in effect like I shot too early. What I take from this is that, on the original rubber, the ball would slide down the ring slightly to make the shot. With it being grippy, the ball doesn't slide down the ring before it comes off the bat. So now you need to wait just a hair longer to make the shots. It really comes down to relearning the game if you are going to use these urethane rings. I think that's the biggest learning curve.
Quoted from schudel5:My experience with them is not so much the bounce but the grip or tackiness of them. They just grip too much. Shots that I used to make with regular rings I am having trouble making now. For instance, a shot from the right flipper is hitting too far to the right of where I think I'm aiming in effect like I shot too early. What I take from this is that, on the original rubber, the ball would slide down the ring slightly to make the shot. With it being grippy, the ball doesn't slide down the ring before it comes off the bat. So now you need to wait just a hair longer to make the shots. It really comes down to relearning the game if you are going to use these urethane rings. I think that's the biggest learning curve.
This is precisely why I found the left ramp on Pin*Bot at Expo to be so hard to hit. The ball kept going right, even though I thought I was flipping at the correct time. I agree with you that over time one could adjust playing with the super bands. The problem is that it would completely screw you up when you play a game without them.
So I put a set of blue SuperBands on today and I like them. Was it a huge difference NO. Was it better YES - more precise ball control. And I did not have any problems putting them on - though they are not as easy as regular rubber I didn't need to use anything other than human strength alone (though I did slide a wedge under the end of the flipper as not to bend or hurt it when putting them on).
Quoted from gweempose:This is precisely why I found the left ramp on Pin*Bot at Expo to be so hard to hit. The ball kept going right, even though I thought I was flipping at the correct time. I agree with you that over time one could adjust playing with the super bands. The problem is that it would completely screw you up when you play a game without them.
seriously if it kept going right, you weren't flipping at the right time. You flipped at what you thought was the right time, but was in fact early.
Quoted from calvin12:seriously if it kept going right, you weren't flipping at the right time. You flipped at what you thought was the right time, but was in fact early.
That's my point. On my Pin*Bot at home, I rarely miss that shot. My muscle memory betrayed me because of the super bands. 
I'm not a fan of the bands either. That is my pinbot you are referring to. I had them on since they gave them to be to try out. I'll go back to rubber when i clean the game now that its back home. But it oculd be more than the rubber that threw off your timing. Pitch was about 6.7, level (I think I had it pretty level), and the fact I have my bot with no mylar and a clearcoat, its plays crazy smooth and fast, and my flippers are stock but very crisp. Any of those things, including the bands, could have been why your timing was off. Chances are it was a combo of all that. I know that playing Bride in the other room my shooting was off, that had normal rubber but its was a different machine than mine so it's going to play different.
Quoted from calvin12:I'm not a fan of the bands either. That is my pinbot you are referring to. I had them on since they gave them to be to try out. I'll go back to rubber when i clean the game now that its back home. But it oculd be more than the rubber that threw off your timing. Pitch was about 6.7, level (I think I had it pretty level), and the fact I have my bot with no mylar and a clearcoat, its plays crazy smooth and fast, and my flippers are stock but very crisp. Any of those things, including the bands, could have been why your timing was off. Chances are it was a combo of all that. I know that playing Bride in the other room my shooting was off, that had normal rubber but its was a different machine than mine so it's going to play different.
It was a great playing game, no doubt. Thanks again for bringing it!
I noticed on that pinbot that when the ball did a slow roll down the inlane the ball would slow a bit when it got to the flipper. It was strange to see that. Other then that played great. Sorry about getting that ball stuck on the OUTSIDE of the spiral.
O
Quoted from Pugsley:I noticed on that pinbot that when the ball did a slow roll down the inlane the ball would slow a bit when it got to the flipper. It was strange to see that. Other then that played great. Sorry about getting that ball stuck on the OUTSIDE of the spiral.
Oh that was you? That was impressive. I've never seen that one before. At least it was an easy trap to remove. I had been having some issues with the ball getting stuck under the spiral behind the 20K long switch actuator. But I didn't see that happen at all after a few adjustments at setup Wednesday.
They are most likely just out of stock. Seems like when something is sold out Terry pulls the link until they get more in. I noticed that Marco is out of stock on some of the colors also. JCS was selling a ton at the open house as well.
Well, my Super-Bands play is still not in. I like them but I don't. They really make the ball move well and faster it seems but it's harder for me to control the ball on the flippers. Maybe, I just have to get use to playing with them for a while. It does seem the more I play on them the better I am getting with them (Or it's just all in my head). I wish they made the small unit for like FG mini Stewie PF. Also, would be nice for the upper flipper for WOZ. I bought may more than I need at the Chicago Expo but I now have color options. They are supposed to be making the post rubbers as well. Which would be nice considering that the new Star Trek loves to drain the ball to the left. With that kind of bounce they should be sweet!
Sana'a
Here is the green Superband after 621 plays on location.
No flaking, no rips, wipes completely clean with a paper towel and some spit.
Easy to install, just make sure you pull it over the small tip last.
Plays maybe like a red rubber with a little more stick to it.
I did not suddenly Rule the Universe, but I did get my initials up for most Martians killed.
Yea, they definitely play differently than regular rubbers. They don't seem to have as much "bounce" at low velocities and you can't nudge the ball off the tip of one flipper over to the other as easily. Dead passes are a little more dead. But drop and live catches seem to be easier. I would definitely have to alter my play style a little bit with these rubbers.
I have some REALLY bouncy green rubbers on my Shadow right now. I love how they look, but It makes the game very difficult. I'm thinking of swapping them out for some super bands. I have three extra blue ones that I bought at Expo. It's not the best color combination, but I'm very curious to know what the game will play like with them.
I have them on four games, three on location and my AFM at home. They definitely play different, but so far I like them. I agree that dead ball bounces are more "dead". They are definitely harder than PBL's red rubber. But this makes drop and live catches easier, and I prefer flipper rubber to be less bouncy rather than more. They also seem to grip the ball better, so it is easier to slap save or keep a ball in play that just glances or hits the tip of the flipper.
They've only been on my location games for a day, so too early for me to report on dirt and wear.
Quoted from caylegeorge:One single game in the PAPA 16 tournament had superbands on the flippers - AFM in A division. The rubber did not play well and there was plenty of talk about it. All the games in the tournament at pinball expo in chicago this past weekend had serious playability issues from a competitive standpoint with these rubbers on the flippers.
I would think the bigger issue with the tournament games at Expo on a competitive level was the fact that nearly all of them needed disclaimers on the backbox to explain what they had to do with each machine to compensate for incomplete or shoddy software / hardware. "Ramp disabled, such and such multiball might not work correctly", ect, ect.... I would think missing / disabled / broken game features would be a bigger issue than using different flipper bands.
I just put them on my Shadow and played a couple games. The game plays way better than it did with the green rubbers, and to be honest, the blue doesn't look half bad. TS is a pretty brutal game, so the fact that the super bands give you more ball control is a good thing. I think I'm going to leave them on the game ...
Quoted from gweempose:I just put them on my Shadow and played a couple games. The game plays way better than it did with the green rubbers, and to be honest, the blue doesn't look half bad. TS is a pretty brutal game, so the fact that the super bands give you more ball control is a good thing. I think I'm going to leave them on the game ...
Nice photos, are you a professional photographer?
Quoted from Matt_Rasmussen:Nice photos, are you a professional photographer?
Thanks! I'm far from a professional photographer. I'm simply familiar with the basics such as shutter speed, exposure, etc ... I think the main reason so many photos on this site look bad is because they are taken with cell phone cameras.
I had Super Bands on all my games at Pinball Expo in Chicago, and after getting them home and cleaning and checking the Super Bands, there is no wear, and they clean up super easy, just wipe them off and they are good to go. I like the way they play, and think that they are an improvement over the color rubbers that I used before, and the fact that they all play the same no matter what color is a big plus for me. I will be putting them on the rest of my games as soon as I can stock up on some more! 
Game counts on my games from Expo were
AFM 1143
Metallica 1161
SM 976
I have not got counts on the other older games yet, but I will post back when I get them.
Phoebe
I had the chance to play the Superbands last night at a friend's house on several machines. My assessment is that they are similar to traditional black rubber in bounce but are much more tacky which makes it easier to control the ball. They also feel slightly more powerful to me and shots probably can be made more accurate. My only complaint is the tackiness takes some getting used to because it changes the timing when the ball is rolling on the flipper.
They look clean and bright and appeared to be durable although I was not looking particularly for damage.
My main question for pinheads is this: Why have people been using red rubber over black if they wanted their games to play easier? I never have understood the fascination with red flipper rubber which to me slows down the game by forcing the player to take more time to control the ball and thus is not generally as much fun.
Quoted from gweempose:I think the main reason so many photos on this site look bad is because they are taken with cell phone cameras.
Haha, yuuuup. I have a nice DSLR, and yet, the camera I have on me at all times is my iPhone. It's rare that I actually get the Canon out for a pinball shot.
I need to try these, having less than stellar experience with the Saturn Rings, one of them snapped already. 
Unfortunately the two colors I really want, translucent purple and green are out of stock! #firstworldproblems
Quoted from gweempose:Thanks! I'm far from a professional photographer. I'm simply familiar with the basics such as shutter speed, exposure, etc ... I think the main reason so many photos on this site look bad is because they are taken with cell phone cameras.
Looked like you lit the shot too.
Quoted from Matt_Rasmussen:Looked like you lit the shot too.
Lighting is key when it comes to good shots. I didn't use anything special. Just a halogen work light diffused off the ceiling.
Quoted from DrJoe:All colors of Super-Bands will be in stock this week!
Sweet. If you update this thread when you do that that would help.
Quoted from Aurich:Sweet. If you update this thread when you do that that would help.
Super-Bands will almost always be in stock in all colors at either distributor. We had a hard run at Expo and immediately afterwards and got caught a little short. Feedback has been tremendously positive.
Quoted from DrJoe:Super-Bands will almost always be in stock in all colors at either distributor. We had a hard run at Expo and immediately afterwards and got caught a little short. Feedback has been tremendously positive.
Who's the other distributor, I only checked Marco?
Quoted from Aurich:Who's the other distributor, I only checked Marco?
Pinball Life I think. They had them up and then they promptly disappeared - they must have gotten a small shipment 
The superbands on my AVLE and ACDC feel great. Similar to black rubber with a couple red rubber characteristics as well. They feel smooth and buttery. I compare it to an old Penthouse photo versus a Playboy photo. Better or worse? That's subjective, but still quite nice.
Quoted from DCFAN:My main question for pinheads is this: Why have people been using red rubber over black if they wanted their games to play easier? I never have understood the fascination with red flipper rubber which to me slows down the game by forcing the player to take more time to control the ball and thus is not generally as much fun.
I avoid black flipper rubber for two reasons: A - It's ugly, and B - It makes the games dirtier. I generally try to match the flipper rubber with the game's artwork. The problem is that some colored rubber is way too bouncy. That's why the super bands are a good choice on some games. I don't think I would necessarily want to use them on all my games, though. They definitely provide WAY more ball control. This can be a good or bad thing depending upon the game.
Put a set on my TZ. I don't notice much of a difference in the bounce. But the difference in how it grips the ball is night and day.
So much better control and aim. I can now hit the slot machine scoop almost every time I aim for it now.
On my first game with the Super Bands installed, I got a 2.6 billion point game. My typical "good game" with standard rubbers is usually between 1.2-1.7 billion.
A HUGE thumbs up from me on gameplay and the way the translucent rings really make the playfield art stand out in a good way. I'll judge how durable they are at a later date.
4 months later
any idea if we are going to see other sizes for the super-bands product line? I'd like to see these made so that I can swap out the nasty looking dull yellow pieces that bally originally installed on the RFM
RUBBER BUMPER YELLOW 3/4" X 5/8" 23-6551
3/4" Outer Diameter, 5/8" high Yellow rubber bumper with 3/16" center hole used on many Williams and other brand pinball machines.
23-6551.jpg
http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/38-6551
I'd also love to see the current black offerings done in a transparent black
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