As weaverj mentioned, cycle through Drac's position and maybe that test will sort it out. A ball hit into the scoop may take longer to eject if Drac is anywhere near the opening of the scoop. Drac has to vacate the area before the scoop will eject the ball.

Thanks for the advice (to both of you) to do the Drac test. I will do that here in a bit.

Yeah, I know what you mean about the scoop delay when drac is in front of it (that is normal). The delay issue I'm experiencing is not the same one... it takes like 10-15 seconds of sitting in the scoop before shooting back out, even when Drac is located far away from the scoop. This extra long delay has only happened a few times but must be related to whatever issue there is with Drac.

It could be that the scoop THINKS that Drac is in the way (when he really isn't) and therefore won't kick the ball out.

Maybe you have one or more bad opto sensors for Drac.

Finally joined. Absolutely like this pin.

Yeah maybe so.

When I do the Drac test, he goes from position 1 to position 5, and then returns to position 1. Never stops in between.

Congrats on the find. I’ve been looking for a NIB MBr SE or LE for several weeks. Keep running across distributors showing pins available and when I call or email they say “just sold.” Accidentally emailed the same distributor a few weeks apart and got the same response “just sold”. New to the pin addiction but SMH on why these guys post inventory as available when they dont have it. Still actively looking - Would welcome a recommendation if anyone has one.

Market is crazy right now. There is one SE listed, maybe one of the ones that told you “just sold” but he is price Gouging at $8500 plus shipping (Pinball Pro). The SE normally sold for $7300 plus shipping ($300) Be patient, the dealers are bound to get some more in to sell, and with competition the price will be more reasonable.

Insane .. just ordered a shaker and blue trim for my SE . Kinda wish I bought the topper someone was selling . What’s it worth now 9K
? Lol

Just when I think prices can’t keep going they do !

It just pisses me off that retailers are selling for more when everywhere it says the suggested retail price is 7300. Like... we all have google. We all know what you bastards should sell it for.

Looking at you pinball pro and automated services.

I don't understand this at all. If you had a NIB MBr-SE sitting in your garage right now, would you be selling it at the suggested retail price? I doubt it, so why should they?

As they get harder to find, the price increases. That's the way it's SUPPOSED to work.

Should the owners of JJP POTC machines be selling them at the original suggested price? Note that there is a reason it's called "suggested" price.

Oh yes, I see that.

I'm saying retailers. Not "some guy in a garage." Guys that are selling at a retail establishment when the suggested retail price is well known. But I also get it. They're becoming harder to find, so they've raised their prices because they can. I guess I was hoping people would have held at those prices and not turned into scalpers at the retail level.

Wife and I are swapping for a Bash Se this weekend. So excited to join the group here.

You're swapping your wife for a MBr-SE!? Man, no wonder I can't find one, I'm using the wrong currency.

Thanks for the guidance - I'll keep looking and be a little more patient.

SE just went up on market.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/for-sale-monster-bash-special-edition-39#post-6131408

"I just got a set of golf clubs for my wife..."

"Wow...great trade!"

Except that a NIB machine at a "retailer" is worth even more that one from a guy in a garage.

If you had a choice to by a NIB machine from a retailer or "some guy" (at the same price), which would you choose? I would certainly choose the retailer.

But you seem to think that the retailer should charge less somehow, this is what I don't understand.

No one feels bad for the retailer when he needs to give a discount to move a less-desired (or over-stocked) machine, so why should you be pissed when he up charges for a desirable machine that is (now) hard-to-find. It's how he stays in business.

If they CAN'T sell below retail (per CGC) then they should not be able to sell above retail. anyway, I would take second game at a discount over a NIB game any day of the week.

I agree with this actually. There should be NO upcharges by designated resellers. I already think the distro model is very outdated, but things like price gouging makes them even worse.

If you had the option to buy direct, that would be a different story, but for most pinball machines, that isn't an option. Your ONLY option is to buy from someone designated by the manufacturer to sell them. May as well just have them all put them for sale at $20k from the get go because you never know, some guy in CA might try to sell a used one for that price.

I got in early and got my LE at MSRP plus shipping. Been the best NIB experience (with the exception of the initial wait of 6 months ) but you can not blame a distributor for raising his prices to cover storage costs and incidentals... sometimes people forget the distributors are really just outsourced warehousing for the manufacturers, providing this service for a slice of the profits. If you have a popular title, holding on to it until demand raises the price just to cash in on the scarcity has drawbacks as well, specifically the storage and security costs of maintaining inventory (overhead, overhead, overhead) which can be substantial on a large item like a pinball machine. There was a time when if you waited a couple of years, cost of a used title was way more appealing than NIB, and nobody was escalating prices for used pinball. There is no longer a good reason to wait, the price reduction that waiting used to get you has all but dried up due to the explosion of home use sales and the rise of the super collectors market. Now used machines that used to go for $1000 are selling for $4000, and any machine who’s MSRP is over $6500 sells for no less than $5500 even two years on... I kind of miss those old days of sub $1K, 2 year old machines.

Hi LTG,

So I ordered a Drac with cut feet and to my surprised it’s the exact same drac that’s in my CGC SE. I also checked CGCs website and they have a pic of drac and it looks like his feet are cut there too.

It’s all good as I will have to shave his feet just a tad bit more and hopefully this solves my SDTM issues. Glad to have an extra drac to do this on, but thought I would share that it seems like CGC ships their games with the modified drac already.

As LTG already said they are made the same. There is no difference outside CGC painting differently. I think some people here has cut or filed Darcs feet but personally see no need for this and is how the original game was. There are some cheap SDTM balls on this game, it is part of the game. I use to think I had the same problem between this and the scoop , but what ever app I first used to level the game must have been off by a hair, seemed when tried a different app, along with just using a small 6" level solved all my problems.

I understand what you’re saying. What I’m saying is my machine from factory came with filed feet. I thought it was odd when my cut feet version came in the mail today and it’s exactly like the drac on my machine. Then I checked CGCs website and the drac pictured on their site looks like his feet are filed as well.

Take a look and judge for yourself.

https://www.chicago-gaming.com/images/mb/mb-drac-coffin-lg.jpg

Also attached my original drac that came with the machine and the feet cut one that l received

65D70ACE-BEE0-4A40-BA14-F70A0AF5550A (resized).jpeg

Hmm. I am not sure I am seeing the difference. Here is some pics of mine, I think they look the same.

PXL_20210213_055304641 (resized).jpg

PXL_20210213_055319084 (resized).jpg

Awesome thanks for posting that. I’m assuming yours is a CGC? See the toes are filed just like the pictures I posted. I believe in the original MB, they were rounded tip.

Like this
https://www.ministryofpinball.com/media/catalog/product/cache/fa50db6c62857c2a2532af6a7ba7b7d3/m/b/mb_dracula.png

Drac (resized).png

Yes it is CGC. I definitely see the difference with that pick. Which version of Drac is supposed to be the best? And which machine do you have?

I have the CGC SE. so looks like CGC addresses the issue and shipped their games with the modified drac. We both have the feet filled one, which is suppose to help with SDTM issues. I have two dracs no, so I will modify one of them and shave just a tad bit more off, as it’s ever so slightly nicking the tip of his feet and sending it down SDTM. It’s frustrating for me because it’s two quick drains off the plunge a lot of times. I can have a monster first ball raking up tons of points and then my second ball is an instant two drains with ball save. Sucked enough and happened enough times for me to purchase a cut drac feet figure but then noticed it’s the same as the one CGC ships with their games.

Learn something every day. Hopefully you can get it dialed in. I have one small issue, I was going to open a ticket on and hopefully get an answer. My right ramp as the ball transitions from the ramp to the wire form sometimes sticks right in the V groove. I think it also slows the ball down making the Ball and Chain a tougher shot on the right verses the left. Not sure if this is the normal clunkyness to the game or there is a way to smooth out. I have tried loosening the wire form pushing it more into the ramp, and also tried backing off just can't seem to dial it in the way I would like it to work.

-4. I don't remember the default setting, other than it was goofy strong.

How can I turn up the General Illumination on my MB CE?

This past week I paid $400 for the ROM that turns my display into a COLOR display and installed it. It seemed overly expensive, but now I'm thinking "Wow what a difference". The animations are so much better in color. I'm not 100% certain but I think I'm also hearing some new call outs that I hadn't heard before.

The problem I need a little help with is that this new ROM seems to have made my MB much darker. Often the back part of the playfield is darn near pitch black until I hit one of the things that turns the lights up for a few seconds. Is there a setting I can adjust to make things a bit brighter? Forgive me if this is a stupid question. It's my first pinball game thus I'm a newbie.

Have other people installed the Spotlight Kits from Comet Pinball? Do I need to get the 6.3v or the 12v version? Seems like a couple of those two headed spots for $20 each might be a better way to go than dropping $350 on a Pinstadium Neo or $499 for a Pinstadium Neo Fusion.

Did you check in the CGC menu ? Page 1-10 in the manual.

LTG : )

I have a MBr SE and bought a topper from CPR. I am going to use industrial Velcro to secure it to the backbox because I don’t want to drill into it. My question is I want to add LED lights to it. What do you recommend and how should I power and tie them into the GI or flashers in the game? Sorry not an expert. Appreciate any help.

819C249E-2987-4694-BF02-262F94070739 (resized).jpeg

Separate power source plugged into the service outlet. I wouldn't tie them into the game.

LTG : )

Ok cool. Totally forgot about the service outlet. Any recommendations on a decent LED strip kit? Really appreciate your help.

Mine did this.

Check the optos on the Drac mech. #1 was malfunctioning on mine and I fixed it by adding a sticker (extending the tab) so that it registers easier. Drac mech got a little sloppy and wasn’t triggering opto 1 consistently. I’ll find a permanent fix soon.

I have Monster Bash remake SE. Left kickback has started to work randomly during gameplay and about 1 in 3 times when you use either flipper. seems to be getting more frequently as well. Helpfully adds 110 to score each time it does it... so if i go for long enough (days probably....) a new high score is mine...... any assistance would be much appreciated. (please make it as simple as possible, this is my first machine and i haven't got to grips with the technicals yet)

Appreciate your response! CGC responded to my ticket and asked me to test/adjust the Drac optos (1,3,4 all have issues according to the test now). They sent me pictures but this is my first pin and I'm really not sure what to do. I will give it a try when I get some time.

I had a similar issue. Had to adjust the spacing between the leafs on the slingshot. They were too close. I used the side that wasn't having an issue as a reference. It took 2 or 3 tries to get the spacing just right but have not had issue since. I'm not sure if this is something that was caused by an excessively hard hit to the slingshot or just happens over the course of time from repeated hits.

I am searching for the paint code for the electric blue on the mbr le. I am wanting to powder coat the coin door and i cant find the paint codes for any of the 3 chicago gaming machines i own. Does anyone have this information if so it would be much appreciated. Specifically the mbr le, atfmr le, mmr royal. Chicago gaming hasn't replied and they have all their voice mails full, so strange.

Turn the game off. Remove the plastic over the sling shot kicker and leaf blade switches. Pull on the rubber ring around the posts, so you have equal pressure on all sides, not tight on the kicker/leaf blade switch side. The leaf blade switches - front long one should be resting on the rubber ring, not pushing it or away from it. Shorter rear one should be close enough so the slightest ball hit triggers it, yet vibration doesn't. There are two leaf blade switches, one each side of the kicker. At least one needs a little adjusting. When bending forward or backward, get as close to the fiberboard spacers as you can.

LTG : )

Just FYI in case others have this issue in the future:

The Drac motor needed to be adjusted and tightened so he sat in the middle of the semi-circular slot (he was sitting up against one side of the slot and rubbing on it). It's all fixed up now!

Perfect that worked with a bit of trial and error. Thanks

Thanks for your help, all resolved now.

I would stay away from pinstadium. Way overpriced light strips and then you would have to spend another $4-500.

I think they are a good product .. they are overpriced but they are also not just a simple LED strip . 100% helps on this game but not cheap and then you will want them on your other games. If you play with lights off helps a lot , lights on not as big a deal

The back left corner, especially the left Bride ramp, is really dark. Increasing the GI did nothing for me.

The closest thing I found was ordering the parts directly from Planetary Pinball. I also reached out - CGC and Planetary do not know the codes, they just sell the parts. I don't imagine it costs much more to just replace the parts than powdercoating the existing ones, I just wish I had a use for the brand new ones I'd be pulling off.

Got my topper from CPR on.

This is super cool. Was it easy to install? I would love to get one for my SE. Do you know the height of it? I have a pretty low ceiling in the basement.

Thank you! I used industrial strength Velcro and 4 L brackets that I used a machine screw and nut attached to the topper through two holes on each side of it. I didn’t want to drill holes into the top of the backbox to mount it. Ran the power cord through the bottom out a vent hole because the service plug doesn’t accept the power plug for the LEDs. Its about 11” high roughly.

Awesome ! Thanks for the info. Looks great!

Appreciate it. I looked at it again it’s definitely 12” or more at the highest point. Especially with the L brackets on.