I'm getting ready to buy a GB Premium but seeing things like this makes me hesitant to do so...Stern is charging more then ever, quality should be going up not down at these crazy prices.
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I could understand if this was one or two reports of the issue occurring but it sounds like we are talking close to a dozen games here...
This isn't an issue that just started occurring either as one owner that posted here has had their game since at least late last year. I bet on some games the issue was noticeable right out of the box while on others it occurred over time.
Quoted from Travish:All it would take is a pass down the router table for them to dovetail the corners. What, like 2 minutes a cabinet.
Well that makes sense but to Stern that's another $1 in labor per game, lol. Seriously though this is absolutely ridiculous.
$5k- $15k and we have to worry about playfield and now cabinet issues? Wtf, both playfields and cabinets are the two things we should expect to be made well on a pinball machine considering those two items have been being made mostly without issue for 30+ years beforehand.
Quoted from DaveH:Well they removed about 40 pounds from games. Putting that in perspective, that is like removing the weight of a 4x8 sheet of half inch plywood. Granted, that's through the whole game. But yes, some stuff is thinner and less durable.
40lbs since changing to the new backbox design or another 40lbs after the backbox design change?
It looks like Stern hasn't advertised the correct weight of games on their flyers for years. The XMEN LE flyer says the game weighs 250lbs. XMEN LE has a backbox made of wood, multiple boards in the backbox, a regular lockdown bar mech, and a regular transformer.
There is no way that current Sterns weigh 250lbs...no way.
Quoted from bellbrand:It's kind of a bummer. I hope stern does something.
Ugh, sorry to hear about your cabinet. When did you get your game? Has your distributor said anything about a replacement?
Quoted from pinbum:Just ordered Williams brackets from Marco, now i just need to get my AS.
Stern doesn't use leg brackets inside of the their cabinets? Has this always been the case?
i wonder if it would be worth it to hold off ordering a new game for the next month or two while this issue is hopefully resolved? It appears that not all recently built games are affected yet a good dozen or so games mentioned here have the issue.
Quoted from rubberducks:It's been reported relatively frequently since they moved away from CGC cabs.
They're not faulty, per se. It's not errant batches. Just cheapened to an extent where some will inevitably begin to separate.
Per the playfield problems, they will have been adequately warned before going in this direction.
It's just that a thread didn't blow up yet ...
Ugh, this sucks. Its possible that Ghostbuster LE owners were not affected as they were made first and could have used remaining CGC cabinets.
As of today I'm not buying a Ghostbusters Premium. The risks for potential issues are too great at these prices. At some point enough is enough and this new issue is the icing on the cake. I'll try calling Stern today to ask about the issue but it looks like my NIB funds may be going to JJP or Heighway instead.
A great theme and cool artwork doesn't mean squat if the games are falling apart.
Quoted from denmark71:Are the corners separating at the top or all the way through to the bottom joint?
Looks like the separation starts at the top and then is only stopped due to the leg bolts / brackets.
I wonder what the hell happened to these cabinets at the cabinet factory. Maybe glue wasn't applied to the front left corner?
Here's a pic of a brand new Aerosmith from another thread...
214cc31dc3774ab290a3b16062515cda86420286 (resized).jpg
Called Stern to ask about the problem and was quickly told there is no issue occurring and that a cabinet every once and a while just doesn't get enough glue. These reports seem to imply more then every once in a while. I called as I've been planning to order a game this week.
Quoted from JY64:Panzer you are doing more harm then good when Stern is getting calls from people with no game that has a issue and have stated they will not buy from Stern it does not help.Stern does not need bitching from the "pinside community" they need well taken photos from both the in and out side of the cabinet good luck to those with issues
Wow. Sorry but I'm about to drop nearly $7k on a pinball machine of all things and want to know if there is a problem with the cabinets. If there is an active problem I would just wait a couple months to order a game.
These are no longer one off reports but represent a pattern of an issue affecting multiple recent games. I hope more people call and that every owner that has the issue complains about it.
Quoted from JY64:You have already stated you will not buy from Stern do you think I should call JJP to address there issues even if I do not buy there game
I've posted in couple threads that I plan to buy a GB Premium very soon, I planned to order this week. I love the Ghostbusters theme and would like to purchase the pin.
However, I'm not dropping $7k on a game if there are active issues with it. Also, I'm not just going to act like there isn't a problem when close to a dozen recent owners or more are posting pics of cabinet issues.
All I did was ask a simple question and did so nicely. There's nothing wrong with that when as a potential customer I'm looking to spend nearly $7k on a toy. Also, I've owned multiple Stern games in the past, two of which I bought NIB.
Great explanation Skypilot. Thank you. I wonder why in the heck Stern would change the type of joint being used? If it was to save costs that's just sad considering the prices for these games.
Quoted from Pimp77:I simply do not believe this. Show me the hundreds or LOTR, TSPP, RBION, AC/DC, IM, etc, etc cabinets splitting. You can't. They aren't doing this until just now. Sure maybe there is one or two from DROPPING THE GAME ON THAT CORNER, but this recent problem is not Pinball as usual.
Exactly. Previous reports of this issue happening on newer games are few and far between. This is a pattern now on newer games with at least a dozen games being reported of having the problem. It's not normal.
Quoted from vid1900:Or how about when Williams would ship games that were 1/2 hardboard and half fiberboard?
That would get your guys panties in a bunch, yes?
Again, from the factory:
That was 30-40 years ago, cabinets have been being made better for years. Many mid 90's Williams cabinets are holding up better then the modern Stern cabinets being posted in this thread...
If Stern wants to charge high prices fine but then quality should also be high, quality control should be high, etc.
I went through this thread and there are now 15 reports from users that have and / or have seen the cabinet issue on newer Stern games. All I know is this isn't normal as years went by without reports like this. Sure there's been a cabinet separation issue posted here and there but not over a dozen reports being mentioned within a couple days...
Something either changed, was missed or got screwed up at the cabinet factory on these games being reported with the issue.
Two things NIB pinball customers should not have to worry about in 2017 are cabinet and playfield issues considering that for 50+ years cabinets and playfields have been being made mostly without issue.
Quoted from pindude80:Local barcade owner just posted on facebook that the front seams split out on his GB pro. I think his is a pretty early run, anyone able to say this happened on any games made in the last 6 months to possibly narrow it down? My gut feeling is all of the newer cabinets are/will be prone to this failure.
I know that at least one game with the issue was picked up around early January, the cabinet could have been made made several weeks or months prior.
Another one posted in the Ghostbusters club thread, between that and the one reported by the operator on Facebook that makes about 17 games...
Quoted from kermit24:Rubber pin casters on tile. I used to use those rubber pin casters. The issue with those is that game doesn't slide at all. So if you try to slide or nudge all of the force is on the legs and where the leg connects to the cabinet. Instead I switched to casters that have felt on the bottom that allow the game to slide. Not sure if that is contributing to the issue. They should be more indestructible for sure but I bet those rubber casters don't help.
I don't think I've ever heard of rubber casters on a pin causing a cabinet to split. Thousands of those things have been sold and have been used for years without issue. This issue is likely due to a manufacturing flaw.
Quoted from T-800:Everything I've seen posted seems to have been on routed games. Anyone have info on HUO in non-abusive environments?
Multiple HUO games have been posted or mentioned with the issue. This has to be a manufacturing flaw as this many reports of cabinet's separating has never occurred over the years.
Quoted from pindude80:You couldn't have been more wrong. Take a look at my pics. This is obviously beyond the "small percent" and "occasionally" like you said. I bet there are a lot more out there than people even know about, like me. I didn't know it was there until I looked, I was disgusted when I saw it. There is no reason for this happening in modern times as others have said, cabinets have been being made successfully for 50+ years, sure there was corner separation in the past, but no way at this rate in a babied HUO environment. I guess I have some bad luck with your "small percentages" because now I have a bad cabinet and bad playfield on my almost $7k game.
Exactly. These problems are more then just one offs. I agree about the rubber casters not being the issue, people have been using them for years without issue. Heck I went through several old Pinside threads about rubber casters and nearly everyone is saying how great they are are. This problem is a manufacturing issue and there is no reason for it to be occurring.
Quoted from pindude80:I agree how can he even be somewhat sober, wave the Stern pom poms and say "there is little to any problems."
I won't be buying anything new from Stern for a while, if ever again. The owner of my company's wife approached me last week about wanting to get a pinball machine or 2 for a game room she is putting together. There is no way I can recommend a Stern game to her. She mentioned JJP's WOZ, I will be sending her down that road or buying a nice classic B/W, sorry Stern you did this to yourself.
It's very unfortunate as Stern has some great themes right now. It's disappointing to see profits being put ahead of making a quality product and a quality product is what customers deserve at these prices.
As a company I would think Stern would want to take more pride in the products they build and increase quality, not lower it. I don't like the idea of buying from a company like Stern with the cost savings mindset they currently have.
Quoted from vid1900:The solution is now obvious:
>- Stern will have to stop using wrap around decals. -<
Cabinet corners have ALWAYS split (well, at least since the dawn of Pinball).
But now that the decals wrap around, even the slightest hairline movement will telegraph through the decal; splitting it and becoming **Pinside DecalGate**.
Stern even took the extra effort to change the cab joints from Lockmiter to Lockcap in order to move the seam off of the corner, but that only moves the seam, not preventing the movement of the joint.
It might be time to get rid of fragile decals altogether - and go back to silkscreen cabs.
I don't think wrapped decals would be an issue if the cabinets were not splitting and were instead made correctly. It sure would be nice though to have silk screened cabinets again.
Yes, cabinet corners have split on pinball machines for years but the reports from owners have been rare and even more rare in recent years on new games. It's not due to wrapped decals, it's not due to rubber casters being used, or moving the game with a cart, etc. This is a manufacturing flaw.
For more details on how Churchhill Cabinet Company makes a cabinet see the great article from PinballNews.com below. I wonder if Stern is still using CCC or are they using a different manufacturer for the cabinets? I've also heard rumors that Stern is using multiple companies which could be reason why some cabinets are fine and others have the issue. The new company may be using a different method to assemble the cabinets as well as different glue / wood.
http://www.pinballnews.com/learn/churchill/index.html
"The actual method of building a cabinet looks a little ramshackle but it's a tried-and-tested technique which has produced countless tens of thousands of pinball games.
The front, back, bottom and side panels are glued and interlocked before going into a giant hydraulic cabinet press which applies pressure to form a complete and very solid base cabinet."
Waiting for the new official Stern HD cabinet brackets to come to the Stern Store...
Hopefully the change back to non wrapped decals means that cabinets with them are being made better?
Quoted from daddyxxx:My buddy gb decals don't wrap around....
Interesting. Did your friend just get his game?
Quoted from rubberducks:I don't know why you would think that. The pictured decals are the standard low resolution, low print quality, low material quality GB ones. They're crudley cut and there's a huge gap, with the edge being quite thick and liable to get caught and damage or peel.
Frankly, wrapped ones look better (if the cabinet doesn't separate).
If the decals were better and the cut / fit better I might agree with you that such a change inspires hope.
I hear ya there, makes sense.
Quoted from rubberducks:Um? Why would I like either. Look at the decals.
You think JJP, or original WMS decals look like that? Even the worst, cheapest, crappiest repro decals that you can get for ~€50 per full set look way better than that, and are way better than that.
They look like they're printed on fine grit sandpaper.
Yeah that's not good. So the decals being used on new Sterns today are thinner and of lower quality then those used on games just a few years ago?
I ended up telling my distributor yesterday that I would not be ordering a Ghobusters Premium at this time due to the cabinet issues. I was told earlier in the week by him that Stern may not have Ghostbusters back on the production schedule for another month or so. That's fine as maybe Stern will have fixed this issue by then.
Either way I don't feel comfortable buying a new Stern game at this time and honestly a part of me doesn't want to support a company that puts profits in front of quality. NIB pinball machines are very expensive and as a result we as customers deserve high quality, feature loaded and properly code supported games. If Stern wants to charge high prices that's fine but they as a company need to justify those high prices with a quality product and at this time they are simply not doing that.
Quoted from iceman44:I don't see anybody putting a gun to anyone's head to buy a Stern pin.
Go buy your $9500 DI LE shipped, only 2500 "LEs". What a f ing bargain that is
With a low end price point of $8500 shipped for the regular version it's not gonna be JJP running away with market share, especially making terrible themes like DI
A Stern premium is $7000? And pro is $5200
So you have Spooky in the premium category and no one else at the pro. Take your pick
No one is paying $500 to have a JJP game shipped, lol. I paid $100 for shipping for my Hobbit...a 350lb game. Shipping to Antarctica? Hell, air freight shipping for Alien which is made on the other side of the world is $350...
Played an Aerosmith Pro and Batman 66 premium on route today. No cabinet issues thankfully. Both games did have individual side / front decals vs the wrapped ones.
Quoted from iceman44:You guys know my answer. I love pinball and they kick ass and are a ton of fun.
The LCD and new Spike system and sound is phenomenal. Much better than my Woz as much as I love it
They make kick ass themes with awesome artwork
And you can actually buy one without having to wait months and years. Did Woz and TH time frame of years, now doing Alien, No thanks. Despite code delays I'd rather have a pin to play
They have a load of new pins coming out this year and we will continue to hear the screams of "take my money"
Starting with Star Wars. Did I mention you can't even get on a SWLE wait list that isn't a mile long
And the $5200 pro price is right?
I'm wondering why it's so perplexing to some and why some are so concerned with how other people spend their money
But hey, it's pinball and a lot of shit is perplexing. Especially how we got to standard pricing for a game is now $9k plus
There's something to be said for quality over quantity. I think Stern making more games per year then ever is part of the reason why their quality and code support has been faltering.
Quoted from Gryszzz:Game plays great...No noticeable weakness anywhere.
Not defending Stern, but Gary didn't tell me to put my pins on shag carpet. My nudging played a part.
But still...
Yeah that stinks but at least your cabinet looks good and is intact. I think the wrapped decals are one problem as they will tear if there's enough flex at the corners and another (the newer issue) is that of the cabinets actually separating.
Quoted from Who-Dey:I think it's time for you to quit reading this thread so much. It's got you believeing that every Stern machine has ghosting and chipping playfields and cabinets falling apart and that's not true.
No I don't believe that every new Stern has issues but there are far more quality issues then in previous years. I want the quality issues to end so that myself and others can feel confident buying a NIB Stern game again...
Quoted from iceman44:I've unchecked several "ignored user" pricks. Who is that one? Thought Kpg hit the road. Still a bitter crybaby?
Never mind, sorry Kpg, it was Panzer, back to ignore, pathetically horrible JJP apologist
Wow, so now name calling. Not surprised as that's what you have resorted to over the past 6 months as well as personal attacks against multiple members. I've never done the same to you. You simply cannot believe that others will have a different opinion from you...
FYI Iceman I've been ready to buy a new Stern so sorry for being concerned about dropping $7k on a new pin when 20+ recently built games have cabinets issues.
Stern must know about this issue by now. Hopefully any new cabinets built today are now being made properly again. If so new games built today and going forward should be fine.
However, who knows how many faulty cabinets Stern still has on hand and if those will be used in future games. If two cabinet companies are being used it's entirely possible that 1 of them, not both, is making faulting cabinets and that's why some games have cabinets that are separating while others are fine.
Quoted from Rock914:Rock solid right out of the box!
Wow. Sorry to hear about your game. Just when I thought maybe new games going out are fine...nope. Terrible quality control and at these record NIB prices there's no excuse for cabinets to be made cheaper other then pure greed. I hope Stern takes care of ya and resolves the issue.
Looks like I'll be getting an Alien for my next game.
Quoted from Manimal:I have an alien on order too, but how do you know they will be better? Lol.
Oh they will be (I hope!). The cabinets are not separating and are made well. The playfields are made my Mirco which makes excellent pkayfields. Oh, and the power button is actually in a spot that makes it easy to turn the game on...
Quoted from thundergod76:I honestly think Stern will do nothing to help those affected. I can see them sending some screws and brackets out at no charge. But I'll believe full cabinet replacement when I see it.
I don't see them sending out a full cabinet either, that would be a huge expense for them. They sent out populated playfields though for many games, maybe they will do the same here for cabinets.
When people say this issue isn't affecting many games or there isn't an issue...
Quoted from dzoomer:Well, basic logic and unbiased objectivity has eluded you for a long time...
Oh yes of course. I've only bought 2 NIB Stern's before (excellent games, ACDC and MET), have owned several others, and recently purchased a bunch of GB mods that are ready to go for a new Ghostbusters Premium that I've been hesitant to now buy because 30+ cabinets in recently built games are splitting.
Quoted from Who-Dey:Panzer you have been saying you're going to get a new GB for a year now at least, now you say you're going to get an Alien. You let all the Stern haters worry you so much that you will never buy a GB ever so you may as well just sell those mods because you're never going to use them anyway. Some of these problems are obviously legit, but there are a lot of Stern bashes on here that just like to shit on Stern for no reason. You are actually becoming one of those people yourself.
Well just know I want to buy a Ghostbusters Premium, I wouldn't have bought the mods otherwise. I will buy one if Stern get's their act together. However, there is clearly another quality issue occurring with cabinets and they are not one offs. In my opinion its not worth the risk to roll the dice on NIB Stern game today, not at these crazy prices.
I've been saying I'm going to buy a new GB for a year because there were playfield issues and now there are cabinet issues. If the games were made correctly in the first place I would already own the one I originally preordered from CoinTaker the day the game was announced over a year ago.
Right now buying a new Stern is like a box of chocolates...
Quoted from dzoomer:Remember the JJP cabinet issues? Multiple examples too. https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/hobbit-owners-thread/page/23#post-3255689
Where was Panzer on that? He was on Stern threads with his broken record negativity. lol.
Hmm what Stern threads are you talking about dzoomer? I don't go into Stern game specific threads to bash games, that's not cool and is pointless. Don't make up lies.
I'm very sorry, there are no cabinet issues occurring.
Quoted from dzoomer:LOL, ur crazy, seriously look at your history (Pinside makes it easy, even chronological). These are two of the most recent Stern game specific threads you've commented in.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/gomez-promised-bm66-code-where-is-it?tu=PanzerFreak
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-aerosmith-pinball?tu=PanzerFreak
No Stern bashing there
Oh yes, clearly bashing there in that thread. Oh I forgot any post about questioning quality in a toy that cost $5k-$15k is bashing. Try again. Again, these are not game specific club threads, member only threads, etc. Give me a break. You are now digging through my posting history, lol. Wow.
Complementing Stern's programmers yet questioning how Stern management rushes programmers off to the next project...tisk tisk.
Quoted from Who-Dey:Not true Panzer, not true at all and even if you had problems they will fix it. For every cabinet that has issues there are probably 200 that don't. I've bought four new pins in the last year and I've had zero problems with them. I just play the shit out of them and they keep working working working with no issues at all. I just bought a new AS and my cabinet isn't falling apart. My games get opened at the distributor and if there is a busted cabinet I wouldn't accept it and he'd have to go get me another one.
Glad to hear your Aerosmith cabinet is good. I played one last weekend and it's a great game. That's awesome your distributor is opening the game and is checking it for you. I will check if my distributor can do the same as that would give me at least a little more assurance with buying a game.
Quoted from dzoomer:Your a poster child for confirmation bias. LOL.
I'm going to up vote that post, thanks. In nearly all of those quotes I was also complementing Stern. However, don't question anything! Don't try to offer pros and cons! If you do you are biased. Yes biased towards JJP when I have purchased 2 NIB Stern's and I'm buying an Alien. lol! I've complained about JJP as well, go find those.
Quoted from Who-Dey:We should start a thread to see how many people have new Sterns that don't have bad cabinets. Maybe that would convince Panzer that is ok to go buy his new Ghostbusters machine.
I know there's plenty of new Stern games without issues. That isn't the concern. My concern is that there is a noticeable uptick in games with cabinet quality issues. Your game is perfect, awesome, well the next guy that got a new game has his cabinet splitting. Great for you but it sure sucks for the other guy. Again, rolling dice.
Quoted from wtatumjr:We really didn't hear of this issue with BM66 or even early GB. My GB and AS with problems were built only a few weeks
apart - Feb/March. Stern changed something at this time or the cabinet maker made changes.
AS # 266863 GB # 264865
Yup. Someone posted a while back that Stern is using two cabinet manufacturers. It's entirely possible that 1 of the 2 companies is the cause of the issue and that is why some cabinets are fine while others are having problems.
It looks like Stern also switched back to non wrapped cabinet decals within the past 1-3 months. Some new games still have wrapped decals being installed but maybe they are leftover inventory.
Quoted from CubeSnake:I think that 98% of Pinsiders would be afraid to pick up the phone to make said call.....
As some who was looking at buying a new Stern I called them a couple weeks ago to ask about the cabinet separation issue. I was told that there isn't any issue and that every once in a while a cabinet simply doesn't get enough glue...
That was two weeks ago and to be fair Stern may not have known then how widespread the issue really is.
Quoted from tayamo:Ahhh, that makes sense now. JJP is putting the brackets on the cabinets at the factory. That's why we aren't hearing complaints about their cabinets. The reason I asked, of course, is that the same manufacturer who builds the cabinets for Stern also supplies JJP (and Spooky, too, I think).
As reported by others Stern is using two cabinet manufactures. This may explain why some cabinets are fine and others are not. If JJP and Stern share a cabinet manufacturer I bet it's the one that is not having issues as we have not heard of similar problems (with an usual number of reports) with the latest JJP games.
When cabinets are being made fine for years without issues being reported by members and then all of a sudden there's 25+ reports on Pinside alone about cabinet issues...something is wrong. In the past there's been some one off reports of cabinet issues but not 25+. Logic dictates that something changed with the cabinet creation process or with the wood itself. It's not normal and it's not due to shippers dropping games, rubber casters, players nudging but rather poor quality.
Hopefully the issue has been caught and is already resolved with games being built today.
Quoted from Who-Dey:Yeah Panzer, why don't you call Stern and ask them if the cabinet issues have been resolved and if they say yes then go ahead and order that new Ghostbusters that you have been talking about ordering for the past year. What will your excuse be once the cabinet issues are resolved for not ordering one?
Why do you have to attack me at the end? If the cabinets are being built consistently well again I would have no problem ordering a new Stern today. These new games cost a significant amount of money and I don't want to feel like I'm rolling the dice with thousands of dollars.
Quoted from Who-Dey:I dont think anybody thinks that is acceptable, but new items can and do get damaged during transport which is obviously what happened. He should get a brand new game immediately iMO.
I don't think these issues are happening from transport but rather due to a flaw during the build process. Either something with the joint is different then before, different quality of wood is being used or a different type of glue (or not enough) is being applied.
Games are packed with the front end sticking up so it's not even possible for the corners that are splitting to be dropped on by a shipper.
I just heard about another NIB Aerosmith pro opened last weekend and one of the corner seams was popped out of the box...The issue is certainly not affecting all NIB games but still enough to be a concern as a NIB buyer.
I bet one of the two cabinet manufactures Stern is using is the cause of the problem and that is why some cabinets are perfect and others are having this issue.
Quoted from Rock914:Calm down man! I appreciate what you said I just disagree that shipping is the issue. FYI a down vote is just someone disagreeing with something you said, don't know how that makes us A-holes. Bottom line these should at least be built well enough to weather a bump in the road. If this had been dropped the back would be damages at least slightly.
Yup. I recall moving a Stern Pirates once and the seller had the entire game up on plastic sawhorses.... Well both saw horses collapsed and the entire game dropped onto the ground (carpeted thankfully) from nearly 3 feet. The cabinet was still perfect, no cracks at all. If new Stern games cannot handle being moved around during trucking with padding while in a card board box then I don't know what to say.
Quoted from iceman44:It's the most overblown pile of BS ever. Shit happens and needs to be fixed. And they do.
If anybody thinks another pinball maker can do it better for less, then they are clueless.
JJP still announces a pin and can't get it out the door 8 months later.
We aren't in the F ing 90's where TAF produced 25k machines? Want a pin? It's a different world today. Sorry
You can't design and build games like WOZ, TH or Dialed In in short period of time. Those games are the Ferrari's, the super cars, of pinball right now. I guess Ferrari isn't successful because they are not building as many cars as Ford right? No. Sorry for another car comparison in advance, lol.
Stern appears to be a very successful company. They are making more games per year then ever which is awesome but I think that is also part of the reason why quality and code issues are now coming up more often then in the past.
Quoted from smassa:lol dude gimme a break. Jamming a bunch of mechs into a game doesn't make it fun or more interesting. I couldn't get rid of my Hobbit fast enough. Compare Hobbit to a game like IM which has maybe 1/10th the play field mechs and i'd take 3 IM's before ever bringing in that clunky crapfest of a game back into my house.
That's your opinion which is cool. I think Iron Man is rather boring due to how bare the playfield is and find its heavy use of plastic parts to be unappealing. I also don't find Iron Mans ruleset to be interesting...also just my opinion , a ton of people enjoy the game just like The Hobbit.
Quoted from wtatumjr:I just played my As with the cracked (but fixed) corner. Great machine and really a great balance of all the things we like in a pinball machine. I hope Stern will fix the corner issue but damn, this in is really good pin. I rarely play anything else now.
Good to hear. Aerosmith sounds like a great pin. I really enjoyed playing it on location. I may be ordering a pro.
Quoted from Who-Dey:You going to order another new machine again???
Hey Who-Dey just to let ya know you posted the same reply to me in another thread where I was just asking a question about Aerosmith code... Excellent reply, always thinking positive and being helpful! Please keep bashing me over being hesitant to order a $5k-$8k game after 30+ reports of recently build games have cabinet problems.
Quoted from dzoomer:Those quotes are basically from Panzerfreak in the only last few weeks and only from this thread, with the oldest being 23 days old. Here's what he posted today.
, ,
LOL at that huge bipolar swing, and all in the span of a few weeks. Talk about mental whiplash. He can't even be consistent with his own self, let alone what he posts on pinside. Nothing new. Also back to measurebating the parts and toys I see.
You are the one with the problem by digging through weeks of my posting history, only picking out what helps prove whatever point you are trying to make and then harassing me over and over again.
As I said earlier in the Aerosmith thread to Who-Dey I have noticed a slow down in reports of cabinet splitting issues which may mean that the issue has been corrected by Stern. Reports by owners are the only source customers have to go off of.
What you just did though is rude and is probably the worst form of harassment on Pinside I've seen. I hope you get help.
I stand by everything I previously said. Cabinet issues are ridiculous on $5k-$15k games and should not be on peoples minds when buying a new pinball machine in 2017.
Quoted from dzoomer:It is a hilarious pinside defense to actually blame people that pay attention to one's posts. LOL. Good one
Seriously what is your problem? Trolling and personal attacks from yourself, Who-Dey, and Iceman against members are among the worst I've ever seen on Pinside in the nearly 8 years I've been a member of this site. I don't typically ignore fellow members but I'll make an exception for you 3. Good bye, have fun arguing with each other.
Quoted from Who-Dey:We are not harassing you and we also are not laughing at you, we are laughing with you!
One last post for ya, just as an FYI. You have 239 down votes in this thread alone. You may want to consider a new approach and not try to insult and attack so many members.
1 week later
Ordered....a new Stern today...Ghostbusters Premium. I asked CoinTaker about the cabinet splitting issue and they have received 1 complaint for a split cabinet and the game was apparently made last year. Still, there's at least 30+ reports out there of this issue. CoinTaker did say that the individual with the split cabinet is receiving a new cabinet.
I really hope these issues are resolved but if not I will certainty post about it. The game I ordered was made about 3 weeks ago. I did buy the Williams brackets as insurance and will add corner braces to the top as well. Pinball Life sells the Stern leg brackets for $2.50, the Williams ones are $5...On a $5k-$15k the Williams style ones should be included.
Quoted from Yoko2una:In the voice of Kyle's mom on South Park - what, What, WHAT?!?!?
Yes, I said multiple times that I've been hesitant to spend $5k-$8k on a NIB game when there are 30+ reports of cabinets splitting. I bought a Ghostbusters now as I feel comfortable with the information I have available to make a purchase.
1. The cabinet splitting on newly built games has slowed.
2. I ordered from a well known distributor, CoinTaker, as I know they will go to bat for me if there is an issue.
3. I waited a year after the games release to buy the game. I cancelled my original order over a year ago due to playfield issues which have been resolved.
4. CoinTaker told me they have had 1 report of a customer with a split cabinet and it is getting replaced.
Do I still feel that I'm somewhat rolling the dice? Absolutely. If my game has the issue I will post about it, you can count on that, lol. I also hope that my cabinet is fine as like I said before at these crazy prices this type of issue should not be happening at all.
I did purchase the last GB premium CoinTaker currently has in stock. The game was made about 3 weeks ago. I'm still debating if it would be worth it to again delay and get an even newer built game in 2-3 more weeks.
Quoted from PinMonk:I guess that explains why the cabinet wood is softer and/or less dense on the AS and Batman pins. Hidden cost cutting that's going to bite them. I wouldn't have known if I hadn't had a KISS to compare the screw bite to.
This is the first report I've heard of the wood not being as dense on newer cabinets. It's possible that this is affecting all newer games or it could be just be a one off. Will report back how the cabinet is on my new Ghostbusters Premium once I get it.
If the cabinet wood is softer it likely means that more moisture is in it.
Just had my new Ghostbusters Premium delivered. I'll post some pics later of the corners but just from taking a quick peak inside the box everything looks good. Corners are good, no splitting or wood chunks missing from the bottom. Decals are cut instead of wrapped.
Got the game moved into the basement. Corners look good, see glue coming out a bit on the bottom corners. Build date is 3/25/17. Still putting the Williams leg brackets on before the first game is even played.
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Quoted from pinballinreno:I have no intention of bashing GB or stern and congratulate you on our new game ! Woohoo!
I like GB its a lot of fun (my wife hates it, but its her loss)
Im looking at your pictures and see that in spite of no separation or breakage, the joints are not fitted properly or tight.
The strength of that particular joint is based on its tight fit.
Those loose fitting miters do nothing to add stability, glue is no substitute for a fight fit in woodworking.
I know its not furniture, or furniture grade, but still if one was commissioned to build a crate capable of bearing heavy loads, the corner joints would have be tight.
So I think you are smart to put in putting in corner bracing at this time, it can only help. I just wish there was a way to support the very top of the front corners. Maybe regular "L" corner brackets, they are thin enough.
Good luck, I think its a great game.
Thanks.
I just checked my STTNG and TZ which are 25+ years old and the joint on the bottom of those cabinets look pretty much the same as GB. All have a little gap at the start of the joint. Also, looks like the same type of miter joint.
Quoted from jk2171:Panzer...did you buy an AS too? My AS Premium arrived last week with no cab issues either.
I wish! Would have been very happy with either game but went with Ghostbusters for this one.
Glad to hear your games cabinet is ok as well. What is the built date on your AS Premium?
Oh, in regards to the Williams leg brackets I used 1/2" stainless steel screws without washers, worked perfectly. Out of the probably 14-16 screws I put in only 2 didn't grip well.
Quoted from arcadenerd925:Did you go with #8 or #10's?
#8's, I don't think I saw #10 1/2" stainless steel screws at Lowe's.
Also noticed while looking at the bottom joint on my Hobbit that it's using a double miter joint. To be fair that game weighs 350lbs, 100lbs more then newer Sterns and I'm sure needs to be built to a higher spec due to the weight of the game.
I'll give JJP this, when it comes to the cabinets they use they have the better product. The cabinets are built better, use higher quality wood (and miter joints) and have a far better finish on them compared to Stern cabinets.
Quoted from rotordave:They also cost $3000 more than a Stern Pro.
rd
Yeah as they are Stern Pros...Stern LE's cost nearly the same if not more (Batman 66 LE) then JJP games yet have the same cabinets as Stern pros.
5 months later
Quoted from chucksmith:As of Starwars LE and Premium only. The Pro does not have the reinforcement. I suspect this is a trial of sorts to see if the added corner brackets result in less split cabinets than the non-reinforced cabinets.
I should add that I have yet to hear of any SW cabs splitting be it LE/Prem or Pro.
That's ridiculous that Stern is not putting the brackets on pro models. Pros are still very expensive at around $5550 and are purchased by many route and home buyers. Theres been one price increase after another but Stern won't include a bracket that cost them a couple bucks on a $5500 luxury item...sad.
Well, I've had my Ghostbusters premium for 5 months and thankfully there's been no issues with the cabinet. I did install the Williams brackets day 1 though and I refuse to use rubber feet casters on any new Stern game so it can move a bit easier when players nudge (less stress put on cabinet).
It's good to hear that Stern is finally putting the heavier duty brackets on LE / premium games but for the prices of NIB pros (still very expensive and a luxury item) there's no reason not to include them with that model as well.
Quoted from Pinzap:Wow. This is a pinball machine. Not a delicate piece of china. This just floors me that any pinball machine would need to be treated with kid gloves. Don’t get me wrong. If any of my friends were to rage tilt on one of my pins, they’d be asked to leave immediately. But a little nudging and slapping, even with rubber feet (or on carpet like my basement) should not be a problem we should be working around.
I can’t blame you for being out on NIB Stern for now. I’m hoping they get their act together for GOTG.
I'm all for nudging but I think doing so with rubber feet casters doesn't allow the game to move at all which results in uncessary stress on the cabinet. For most games this isn't an issue...with the latest Sterns I'm not taking a chance.
1 year later
Quoted from MK6PIN:Hesitate to post...MunstersLE has plywood bottom, extra bracing, and seems to be the most solid Stern I've seen in memory...does Iron Maiden have the plywood, etc.? Sucks to see this pic...
That's great to hear that Stern is using plywood bottoms for Munsters LE's.
For the price Stern is charging for their latest pros, nearly $6k, they should also come with a plywood bottom and proper bracing. It's crazy to think that a $6k pinball machine that is designed for commercial use is having corner cuts in regards to the quality of wood and the lack of proper support brackets. The equivalent would be an automaker putting plastic doors and using lower quality bolts on basic models.
Stern needs to make more items consistent across all of their models. Plywood cabinets and proper bracing should be standard regardless of the model.
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