Phoenix Rising (Williams 1978)

Hi Gents,

Wanted to start this topic since it seems there is no club set up for this interesting and little gem that my 5 year old son calls, "The Birdman".

Surprised there is not a lot of chatter on this pin even though 6,000+ units were produced...

Anyhoo..Welcome all!

On a side note - picked this up last night - Backglass is 9/10, Playfield is 8/10, cabinet is OK (need to replace bottom panel)

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#2 5 years ago

DAV

wayout440

Pinside member

Berea, OH

11y 113K 11,267 3 12

That cabinet....

Always liked the playfield art, backglass art is ok...but then they put it in that butt ugly cab.

#3 5 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

Quoted from wayout440:
That cabinet....
Always liked the playfield art, backglass art is ok...but then they put it in that butt ugly cab.

There are not too many Barbie pink cabs, so it's cool because it stands out.

#4 5 years ago

WKP

WhiskeyPinball

Pinside member

Quoted from vid1900:
There are not too many Barbie pink cabs, so it's cool because it stands out.

Both my wife and daughter like the cabinet because of the pink - anything to get the ladies interested in pinball...

#5 5 years ago

DTV

fierodoug

Pinside member

The pink cabinet is fade. The actual color looks really nice. I repainted one years ago, matched the paint under the side rails. Great looking and playing game. Wish I still had it.

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#6 5 years ago

DTV

fierodoug

Pinside member

I should still have the paint code I used from Sherman-Williams for the cabinet in the above image if anyone is interested

#7 5 years ago

WKP

WhiskeyPinball

Pinside member

Quoted from fierodoug:
I should still have the paint code I used from Sherman-Williams for the cabinet in the above image if anyone is interested

That would be really helpful. Thank you fierodoug for the offer.

That cabinet looks great!

#8 5 years ago

SYS6

Pinside member

I like the game, cool for the vintage. Funny how the A & B drops don't reset on game start.

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#9 5 years ago

DTV

fierodoug

Pinside member

Here is the paint code

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#10 5 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

Quoted from SYS6:
Funny how the A & B drops don't reset on game start.

You have to rollover the "Raises A" or "Raises B" inlanes and bring them up into play.

Just one more cool thing about the game.

#11 5 years ago

SYS6

Pinside member

Quoted from vid1900:
You have to rollover the "Raises A" or "Raises B" inlanes and bring them up into play.
Just one more cool thing about the game.

Yes, but my point is when you start a game both banks of four drops are reset. The A & B drops remain in the state they were after the last game, could be both down, either down or both up. This is odd to me as I'd expect them to reset for ball one - I can't think of any other WMS games of this vintage that have this behaviour.

#12 5 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

Quoted from SYS6:
. The A & B drops remain in the state they were after the last game, could be both down, either down or both up.

That's how simple Williams was back then.

There was no way they were going to spend an extra $5 on having drop target memory coils to ensure the game started in the "all down" state (what do you think this is, a Bally?).

#13 5 years ago

MJO

arcademojo

Pinside member

10y 131K 5,513 30

Bout time someone made a club for it. Love mine.

1 week later

#14 5 years ago

WKP

WhiskeyPinball

Pinside member

Finally had some time to revisit the Phoenix. Lots of battery corrosion on the mpu that needs to be fixed...grrr...

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#15 5 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stripping-battery-corrosion-with-a-strong-acid

#16 5 years ago

WKP

WhiskeyPinball

Pinside member

Thank you Vid.

To the hardware store I go to pick up some toilet bowl cleaner that contains hydrochloric acid...

2 months later

#17 5 years ago

???

Coconut_punk

Inactive member

Unknown

6y 5,150 8 1

Quoted from fierodoug:
Here is the paint code[quoted image][quoted image]

Woah! Have had this table in my family for 20+ years and never realized the cabinet color was THAT faded. Thanks so much for posting this fierodoug - would love to follow in your steps and get mine looking original. do you have any advice based on how your cabinet repaint went? E.g. stencils / how you matched the other colors?

Thanks again for highlighting this!

1 week later

#18 5 years ago

DTV

fierodoug

Pinside member

The white and the red I used used were Krylon spray paint. I made my own stencils. Traced the cabinet with tracing paper and a pencil, taped the tracing paper to posterboard and cut out with X-acto knifes. For the base paint, I thinned it with Floetrol and shot it with my HVLP gun. Then did the stencil colors with the spray paint

8 months later

#19 4 years ago

ROB

VectorGamer

Pinside member

Harrisburg, PA

7y 54,150 591 25

School me on this machine: is the ultimate goal to spell PHOENIX? If so that seems like a monumental task. So far I think the furthest I've gotten is O.

#20 4 years ago

SYS6

Pinside member

Yep, that's it. With default settings I think P & H lite together and E lites extra ball.

3 months later

#21 4 years ago

CRC

rodcom

My Phoenix arrives this morning. Very excited to get one.

#22 4 years ago

CRC

rodcom

The Phoenix is has landed. This game is awesome!

Anyone know how to set it to free play?

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#23 4 years ago

ROB

VectorGamer

Pinside member

Harrisburg, PA

7y 54,150 591 25

Quoted from rodcom:
The Phoenix is has landed. This game is awesome!
Anyone know how to set it to free play?

Mine had a credit button installed. So I'm guessing it doesn't have free play.

#24 4 years ago

fireball2

Pinside member

San Luis Obispo, CA

11y 97,550 2,200 17

Love that game. Very underrated. No free play. Many people just set the first free game level really low so you can't help but get a free game every time you play. That way it's always crediting up.

Also the Phoenix looks like... well...

#25 4 years ago

LEV

CrazyLevi

Crazy Levi's Pinball

New York, NY

10y 148K 33,560

Williams games have free play. Set maximum credits to “0” in adjustments.

I think it’s adjustment 18 or something? Easy to look up in operator handbook.

#26 4 years ago

fireball2

Pinside member

San Luis Obispo, CA

11y 97,550 2,200 17

Thanks Levi! I just learned something

#27 4 years ago

CRC

rodcom

Quoted from CrazyLevi:
Williams games have free play. Set maximum credits to “0” in adjustments.
I think it’s adjustment 18 or something? Easy to look up in operator handbook.

Thanks Levi - will do it tonight when I get home.

#28 4 years ago

SYS6

Pinside member

For Phoenix it's setting number 5 (maximum credits) and you set it to 0 for free play.

Be aware that the settings for the function number dips, the lower bank, are in binary - chart 1 and
the settings for the data or value dips, the upper bank, are in binary coded decimal - chart 2

Note that chart 1 is different from chart 2, the man who came up with this idea for different numbering systems must have been a legend in the lunchroom!

2 weeks later

#29 4 years ago

CRC

rodcom

Question what angle do you all have the machine set to?

9 months later

#30 3 years ago

CRC

rodcom