Just played this a lot at Zapcon. Best new pin I've played in a very long time, I'm getting one!

This time the rating might be warranted. This is the best new pin I've played in years, it really is that good. And, I'm not a Maiden fan...

It is, Imo it is the best music pin (maybe not by a lot, as both acdc and Metallica are great, and Guns/Roses is very cool) on top of being the best new pin Stern has made in the last few years. If I liked Maiden, I'd like it even more!

The distributors who actually have LE's are driving the ship on this one due to incredible demand. I'll bet there won't be much lag time between payment request and sell to the next guy on the list...

I read a cool story about the songwriters in a band not finishing the lyrics until they sat in the studio and read the lyrics to the drummer just loud enough so he could barely hear them, then had him repeat what he just heard. More often than not the words that came back were better (or funnier) than what they had written.

Umm, that dumpy guy would be Keith Elwin... I think this animation is a great easter egg, but word is it may be removed.

Stern seems always to be pushing to see if anyone will push back...

I heard from an unreliable source that if you want to see the photos you must first submit a video explaining why you should be allowed to see said photos...

Tough decision! One thing for sure, Stern is gonna sell a shit-ton of Maidens...

People buy JBL because they know the name. I agree with Raincity that there are many better choices for the audiophile than JBL-especially for home audio.

Haha! I was kind of speaking more towards their speakers in general, but nice point! Only JBL's I've really been impressed by are their PA powered speakers. Expensive, but man do they sound good!

When you go that far back, your are right--there isn't much. I'd consider some bands precursors right on the edge of metal: Blue Cheer, Sabbath, then Priest and Maiden. Then it took a few more years for real metal to take hold. Maybe Motorhead kickstarted that whole next genre...

Stern is not going to be able to keep up with the demand for quite some time. Those true believers who got their Pro orders in early were smart to do so (I didn't think I was going to like this pin all that much--boy was I wrong, so now I wait). Cranking out LE's and Premiums is only going to slow things down even more. Nice problem to have if you are Stern.

Hahaha! I took a chance and told my wife I had to get a new pin 'cause it was so good--I just had to! (And, I haven't been tempted to buy NIB in a long time, so I had that going for me). Surprisingly she wasn't mad, just told me to make room (I agreed to move one, she suggested two...). Doesn't matter, she'll get mad when it arrives, anyway!

Just checked the IM webpage to see what they were posting about their great new pinball machine. Ummm...nothing. Didn't spend a lot of time on FB, but didn't see anything that came up quickly. I wonder just how involved the band is--I figured they wanted all those LE's to sell to their fans...

I really like Borg and appreciate Ritchie, but I can't think of one of their games that I like better than the layout of Maiden...

That word never made any sense to me, but if it is french (which is must be) it all of a sudden does!

Kinda cute, I'll bet she has legs to match...

If this thread doesn't get back on track soon I may have to issue myself a thread eject...

Yeah, the jump from a Pro to a Premium just doesn't seem to pencil out here. Maiden Pro plays so well there is no way I'm paying another $1700 or so to step up.

Sure be nice when the band finally makes this public so we can see it.

I heard from a second cousin that the LE's are being shipped with opaque covering on all Maiden related surfaces (except the playfield--which everyone has seen a bunch already). It is kinda like buying a new pillow and being bothered by the tags--can't remove the tags (or in this case the covering) under penalty of federal law (or something). However, you may remove the covering by having received written permission from any of the band members (except the drummer)...

Perhaps Stern got tired of waiting on the band to do something (they are obviously in no hurry), said "f@#k it, let's ship them and see if that doesn't get Maiden moving!" We are all quick to jump on Stern, maybe this one isn't their fault. Maybe...

Most likely correct, but someone in the band or their entourage knows enough about pinball and was smart enough to reportedly put the habeas grabbas on 50 LE's when they did the deal.

Well, that's a start. Maybe shipping these did get the ball rolling.

Actually the difference between the Premium and the LE seems OK--looks like you are getting value for the extra $. It is the jump from the Pro to the Premium that does not really pencil out.

I hope no one panicked and cancelled after those initial crappy photos, this really looks fantastic! My expectations for the Premium art just leveled-up.

Man I hope the Premium sucks--I really don't wanna come up with the extra coin, but if it looks anything near as nice as the LE, I'll cave...

Do you need to use Bally bolts with the B/W leg plates, or will the Stern bolts work?

The Pro didn't play any better (without issues)?

I think I'm adding the B/W leg plates, it can't do anything other than solidify the corner cabinet joint (I'm betting).

My experience is that neither plywood nor MDF are really good at holding a corner joint, especially if stressed.

That is really a good thought, it definitely would not help the stress on the corner.

Sounds to me like the box was forked/dropped/thrashed so they opened it up to see if pin was OK (or not).

After paying what you did for this, I'd also be pissed and feel cheated out of the unboxing. I'd want a better explanation and a monetary atonement, I think.

Totally bizarre, what in the world is really going on here?

None of this makes any sense to me.

Maybe Oribitor 1?

I'm impressed with your tech and diagnosing skills. Stern should hire you for assembly quality control.

I think he's been fixing it a lot more than playing it...

The upgrade to Premium just doesn't pencil out. I'm not sure I'm in for anymore of the Egyptian theme than is already incorporated into the art (and I like the Trooper art better). That being said, if the Premium artwork totally kills it, I just might bite the bullet and upgrade to get the (overpriced) extra features because I like this pin so much.

That is really thinking and would have been perfect, but I doubt anyone at Stern in charge of negotiating licenses knows Iron Maiden from Menudo...

Someone didn't know them well enough to know the significance of obtaining a license to make 666 LE's...

No, I don't think they had that conversation during the negotiations with the band, regardless of what Stern might say.

I got this info from an unreliable source regarding part of the negotiations between the band and Stern. It went something like this:

Stern: So boys, we'd like to buy the rights of the band to do a pinball machine--if you are up for it. We saved pinball, you know... Now, what kind of music do you play, again?

Band Rep: (Incredulously) Well mate, our millions of fans world-wide think we play very good music.

Stern: Super! That's good, kind of like KISS--right?

Band Rep: Yeah, sure--now how much are we gonna make off each machine?

Stern: Same deal we cut with all the other rock bands. And, we make all the Pros and Premiums we want, but only 500 LE's.

Steve Harris: So, the LE's are worth more than the others?

Stern: Oh yeah, we make a lot more money on those--exclusive, you know!

Nicko McBrain: Wouldn't 666 make a lot more sense for us; that last machine would be worth quite a few extra quid...

Stern: ...Nah, we only make 500 to keep up the exclusivity. Why would anyone want number 666?

Steve Harris: You are missing the boat here, Guv'nor, but suit yourself. And, by-the-way, we want 50 LE's for the band...

Stern could have sold 1266 LE's, but really missed a marketing bomb by not creating #666. That particular pin would have been tracked by pinheads in perpetuity and would always be the most expensive IMDN pin in existence if it ever hit the open market. 666 LE's was a no brainer if someone at Stern had been a real fan of the band. But say you really wanted to roll the dice and go all in on Maiden--#1158 would also have generated a lot of interest.

I had talked myself into springing for a Premium--but that is just too much of an Egyptian overload for me. The Trooper cab art gives it more of a balance. I'm happy that others really like it, but I think I'm going Pro...

I wish they wouldn't have swapped the LE and Premium art--then I'd be buying a Premium...

I find it interesting that the band must have liked the original battlefield Premium artwork the best (and wanted it switched to the LE version--which they reportedly took 50 of). Probably caused most of the photo release problems. Bummer, I'd love to have seen the battlefield artwork on the more affordable Premiums.

My guess would be the FF's are a lot more efficient than the JBL's.

If you have a solid line on a 9K LE, please send it my way.

Looks like a long wait--I was told 2-3 weeks for Premiums, next run of Pros after that.

I heard Premiums, but someone else may have better info.

I have a feeling the Premium run bumped another Pro run. I was told 2 weeks ago more Pros would be out end of May, first of June. Gonna be Premiums instead.

Wow, that is really doing some fine tuning! This is really going to be something when the code is completed.

Pretty much like this, I'm told...

81927 (resized).jpg

Would be cool to invent a clip and name it after yourself...

Stern is gonna be grinding IMDN's out for a long time before they come close to catching up with demand.

Not sure, but I'm betting the 4th doesn't have quite the same pop in the UK as it does in the Colonies...

We did all the heavy lifting, you new owners keep this going

Thanks for the heads-up--I'll start hoping mine arrive again.