Quoted from Whysnow:Good to hear. Keep an eye on it and report back if you see any bubbling at posts. It seems to get worse quickly once it starts.</blockquot
Is this your game?
(Topic ID: 228691)
Linked Games
The Beatles (Diamond Edition)
Stern, 2018-
The Beatles (Gold Edition)
Stern, 2018
-
The Beatles (Platinum Edition)
Stern, 2018
Topic Gallery
Wichita, KS
Quoted from Whysnow:Seems that around 300 plays is when some are seeing this show up.
So far just radio silence from distributor and stern concerning the matter.
I encourage owners to closely look over your games and report this. For the premium price, we all deserve premium service.[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Have you removed a post to see what it looks like under the post? With the post removed, does the paint bubble "relax" and go and down to "normal"?
This is on three games I have personally seen now. Including our game.
It appears to be a prep issue combined with a game assembled before the clear could dry.
I have not removed a post yet but am 90% sure that the whole bubble will come up when I do.
Hoping Stern takes care of this soon. We are going on nearly a month with no reply.
When we had GB insert issues, things were all taken care of. When we had Aerosmith cabinet falling apart issues, things were taken care of. When we had node boards blow up in short order, they have been taken care of.
I like to think this will be taken care of also, but getting a bit worried with being blown off for this long now.
I also did not want to wait any longer as other owners need to keep and eye out for this. It is easy to miss unless you know to look at the posts.
Quoted from Whysnow:This is on three games I have personally seen now. Including our game.
It appears to be a prep issue combined with a game assembled before the clear could dry.
I have not removed a post yet but am 90% sure that the whole bubble will come up when I do.
Hoping Stern takes care of this soon. We are going on nearly a month with no reply.
When we had GB insert issues, things were all taken care of. When we had Aerosmith cabinet falling apart issues, things were taken care of. When we had node boards blow up in short order, they have been taken care of.
I like to think this will be taken care of also, but getting a bit worried with being blown off for this long now.
I also did not want to wait any longer as other owners need to keep and eye out for this. It is easy to miss unless you know to look at the posts.
If you are careful and pull the post up slowly it should lift up without pulling on the clear. There might be some stickiness to it but dried clear is not glue. A heat gun and a wooden paddle might allow you to push the bubble to flat condition again. And if there is a small access point you can probably squeeze in a small amount of thin bodied slow setting superglue which will lock the bubbled clear down--that is if Stern does not address this and leaves you on your own.
Strange how that is now 3 manufacturers with the same issue.
Spooky.
Stern.
JJP.
Wonder why this is occurring now as presumably they use different playfields?
Maybe formula of the clear has changed?
Quoted from cottonm4:If you are careful and pull the post up slowly it should lift up without pulling on the clear. There might be some stickiness to it but dried clear is not glue. A heat gun and a wooden paddle might allow you to push the bubble to flat condition again. And if there is a small access point you can probably squeeze in a small amount of thin bodied slow setting superglue which will lock the bubbled clear down--that is if Stern does not address this and leaves you on your own.
I plan on Stern Addressing this.
Quoted from Shapeshifter:Strange how that is now 3 manufacturers with the same issue.
Spooky.
Stern.
JJP.
Wonder why this is occurring now as presumably they use different playfields?
Maybe formula of the clear has changed?
not even remotely similar from what I can tell. pf issues have to be broken down to the root cause if they are going to fix them.
Spooky had a handful of TNAs with minor art chipping under the playfield start posts. That appears to be rectified (fixed in the last 150ish of the run; and no issues in ACNC from what I have seen).
JJP seems to be artwork adherence issues? Not sure as I am not up to date on current status of those.
Stern has systematically been having this bubbling at posts since Maiden and it is apparently getting worse for some reason.
This appears to be a combination of poor pf prep before art layers are applied, then they have not let that dry before applying clear, and then then have assembled before clear has gassed off and is still moveable. This all results in the art and clear bubbling up when they crank posts too tight and the ball smacks the posts for a few hundred games.
Quoted from Whysnow:I plan on Stern Addressing this.
not even remotely similar from what I can tell. pf issues have to be broken down to the root cause if they are going to fix them.
Spooky had a handful of TNAs with minor art chipping under the playfield start posts. That appears to be rectified (fixed in the last 150ish of the run; and no issues in ACNC from what I have seen).
JJP seems to be artwork adherence issues? Not sure as I am not up to date on current status of those.
Stern has systematically been having this bubbling at posts since Maiden and it is apparently getting worse for some reason.
This appears to be a combination of poor pf prep before art layers are applied, then they have not let that dry before applying clear, and then then have assembled before clear has gassed off and is still moveable. This all results in the art and clear bubbling up when they crank posts too tight and the ball smacks the posts for a few hundred games.
Please keep us posted. I'll be looking at my Munsters play field like a hawk from now on.
Quoted from cottonm4:Please keep us posted. I'll be looking at my Munsters play field like a hawk from now on.
I think in order to get to the bottom of this, we need to start looking at the actual playfields and determine which manufacturer has made them.
I think Stern still uses 3 different companies.
I know at one time they were thinking/working to bring pf production in house, but unsure if they ever moved on that???
I am under the impression that there are issues with 2 of the 3 companies they use.
Quoted from Nevus:I’ve had a Beatles gold for about 1 month. I’m really enjoying it. I fell like it’s a really well integrated theme with music and art. The updates to the classic Seawitch layout definitely change the game and make it more enjoyable. Overall it’s a big win for me.
At the very least, my Gold model has more features than typical Stern premiums. Powder coat including the apron, side panel art andart on the speaker grill.
Value is in the eye of the beholder, but I’m quite satisfied.
I picked up my Beatles Gold when it was first released. I've been singing a variation of your tune since taking delivery. Folks that think the Gold is wildly overpriced are clueless.
Quoted from Whysnow:I think in order to get to the bottom of this, we need to start looking at the actual playfields and determine which manufacturer has made them.
I think Stern still uses 3 different companies.
I know at one time they were thinking/working to bring pf production in house, but unsure if they ever moved on that???
I am under the impression that there are issues with 2 of the 3 companies they use.
Where would the name of the play field manufacturer be located?
I have had the apron off of my Munsters and don’t recall seeing production info. But I was not looking for anything, either.
1 week later
Quoted from Budman:Has anyone designed replacement cards for the apron?
Yes. See post #332 above.
Quoted from cottonm4:Where would the name of the play field manufacturer be located?
I have had the apron off of my Munsters and don’t recall seeing production info. But I was not looking for anything, either.
Likely a sticker on edge. Also different wood used.
1 week later
Quoted from Whysnow:Likely a sticker on edge. Also different wood used.
I just checked my Beatles playfield for bubbling, having about 250 plays on the playmeter. Thus far, I am not finding any defects. Below are 2 photos of high traffic areas.
Also, I took a photo of the manufacturer's markings on the playfield's edge. Perhaps someone here can translate those markings.
Last, I posted an apron photo with custom cards installed. Next up is to install the speaker upgrade kit and custom speaker light mod.
20190622_154502 (resized).jpg20190622_154644 (resized).jpg20190701_213643 (resized).jpg20190701_213730 (resized).jpg
Edmonton, AB
Just a heads up to those in the Edmonton, AB area:
A Beatles Gold Edition is now on location at the Rec Room off Calgary Trail.
Plays well, but already has a couple of issues:
1. The “F” drop target in the FOUR bank stays down (even when starting a new game).
2. The rubber inside the Super Jackpot area behind the FAB drop target bank is just lying on the playfield. Fortunately, it does not seem to interfere with the the drops, SJ target, or the path to the left inlane.
Nonetheless, I happy to find this one on location (pretty rare anywhere let alone in in Canada).
Quoted from n49th:Just a heads up to those in the Edmonton, AB area:
A Beatles Gold Edition is now on location at the Rec Room off Calgary Trail.
Plays well, but already has a couple of issues:
1. The “F” drop target in the FOUR bank stays down (even when starting a new game).
2. The rubber inside the Super Jackpot area behind the FAB drop target bank is just lying on the playfield. Fortunately, it does not seem to interfere with the the drops, SJ target, or the path to the left inlane.
Nonetheless, I happy to find this one on location (pretty rare anywhere let alone in in Canada).
Does the FOUR bank give you credit for completion when you knock down the other three targets in FOUR? If not, the game won't be much fun as so many elements of success are linked to completing that FOUR bank (e.g. receiving the lit four target completion award, starting a second song mode on the same ball, increasing the jackpot value as you are about to start HELP multiball, lighting the magnet jackpot in HELP multiball...).
Quoted from iluvak9:Does the FOUR bank give you credit for completion when you knock down the other three targets in FOUR? If not, the game won't be much fun as so many elements of success are linked to completing that FOUR bank (e.g. receiving the lit four target completion award, starting a second song mode on the same ball, increasing the jackpot value as you are about to start HELP multiball, lighting the magnet jackpot in HELP multiball...).
i have been able to start a second song on the same ball, so I would say yes.
I doubt the issues will be fixed anytime soon, but its a nice replacement to the mangled Star Trek that was there before.
Quoted from n49th:1. The “F” drop target in the FOUR bank stays down (even when starting a new game).
Something similar happened to my game, only it was the "R" in FOUR bank. There is a plastic ledge that the targets rest on. It runs the length of the 4 target drop, and is screwed in a few places. It broke at the screw location near the R in FOUR. If not fixed, the plastic will break further and other drop targets won't reset. Easiest to take the whole drop target mechanism out in order to remove broken ledge and replace.
Stern replaced it for me, and I also bought a couple for backup. Unlikely the ledge for 1964 will break, but the FOUR gets pummeled from front by lower flippers and from sides by both upper flippers. And the right upper flipper can really whack the ball into the side if you're doing fast loops and have timing error!
https://www.pinballlife.com/stern-4-bank-target-rest-ledge.html
I know this doesn't help location pin repair, but figured someone might also see this problem.
-Adam
Finally broke 10mil with a 11.7mil score.
Played 3 songs on the first ball and had the 4-ball on ball 2. Still haven't gotten to where I can hit level 5 on all the songs yet, but I am getting closer...
2 weeks later
Finally got to Taxman multiball!!!! My new highest score, 20,399,120.
Pressure was on, as I had used up all extra balls (using max of 3, default setting), and completed the fifth mode on my last ball. If you hold ball in flipper, the timer will pause after a few seconds, so I had to put ball in play 1 extra time after completing fifth mode.
Once qualified, I was able to send the ball around the loop to start Taxman multiball on 1st try from lower flipper. The callouts and build up for Taxman were great! Wish I had the chance to take a video, but my phone was in the office.
We've had the machine since February. I have outlanes closed up as much as possible (ie, easy). Rest of game is factory default settings. Played so much that the factory rubbers were disintegrating, so I replaced all with white Titan competition last month and cleaned and waxed.
I will admit, Stern Star Wars Pro has made me a much better player on other games.
Beatles_Pinball_Taxman_GC (resized).jpgWhile I prefer the gold edition's cabinet art over that of the platinum and diamond versions, the platinum model's translite is my favorite of the three.
Solution? I swapped my gold game's translite for a platinum one.
Mad Amusements recently had a couple of platinum translites on eBay so I bought one. I like the way it mimics the back panel's art style.
I suppose that this swap makes my game a platinum imposter. However, there's no mistaking the gold rails, gold legs and gold emblem on the apron.
20190726_163933 (resized).jpg 1 week later
Speakerlights.com kit and Flipper Fidelity upgraded backbox and cabinet speakers installed this evening. I'm very pleased with these mods.
I particularly like the optional remote which causes the light show to respond to sound.
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1 week later
We joined today after playing a few weeks ago at a local brewery. 3rd NIB (Avengers and Batman 66).....my daughter is a big fan.
Really liking this game for it's apparent simplicity (no ramps, no holes) but it is fast and fun.
My daughter pointed out that it arrived on August 13th....
48529797221_d1b1cec037_z (resized).jpg48529952807_f313471b9e_z (resized).jpg48529952832_b27860b84d_z (resized).jpgQuoted from 82Trooper:We joined today after playing a few weeks ago at a local brewery. 3rd NIB (Avengers and Batman 66).....my daughter is a big fan.
Really liking this game for it's apparent simplicity (no ramps, no holes) but it is fast and fun.
My daughter pointed out that it arrived on August 13th....[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Any more basement pics? Looks like you have quite the set up.
HELP - just got a New Beatles this morning and am having a small problem that often when it switches players - it is "locking in the mode" and then auto plunging rather than allowing it to be selected. Any ideas? Have reset the machine and am updating to 1.10. Stuck switch? Other ideas?
Quoted from rodcom:HELP - just got a New Beatles this morning and am having a small problem that often when it switches players - it is "locking in the mode" and then auto plunging rather than allowing it to be selected. Any ideas? Have reset the machine and am updating to 1.10. Stuck switch? Other ideas?
There is a setting to allow or disallow mode choice. Cannot recall the default setting. This may not be your problem, though.
My machine is set to allow mode choice. A small percentage of the time (<5% I would guess), on a new ball (any player, and ball #), the mode choice is set by machine and I cannot change it. Part of the time I believe that it happens because I pressed flippers to skip bonus too soon after ball drain. Part of the time I think there is a switch or software problem (like a "race" between switch * software). Not enough of an annoyance to make me try to solve the problem, but it is there.
-Adam
Hello everyone. Just got a gold edition myself today, truly a fun game and it's refreshing to have something that looks and plays old school among my more modern machines.
Quick question: Are your power cords grounded/three prong? Mine isn't. Well, it's a three prong plug with the ground pin missing, and this just doesn't seem right. This machine seemed to be used as a floor model and it has 300 games on it and I already had to replace the spring on the top left flipper, so who knows what else about this machine isn't as it came out of the box. I wanted to ask and make sure first before replacing the two pronged plug with a three prong. Thanks.
Quoted from Adaminski:There is a setting to allow or disallow mode choice. Cannot recall the default setting. This may not be your problem, though.
My machine is set to allow mode choice. A small percentage of the time (<5% I would guess), on a new ball (any player, and ball #), the mode choice is set by machine and I cannot change it. Part of the time I believe that it happens because I pressed flippers to skip bonus too soon after ball drain. Part of the time I think there is a switch or software problem (like a "race" between switch * software). Not enough of an annoyance to make me try to solve the problem, but it is there.
-Adam
Thanks Adam - mode is set to allow so not that.
Yes what you are seeing is happening to me some of the time too - friend thinks it might be a flipper that is getting stuck. Have a better expert than I am look at it on Tuesday.
A few pics of the new Beatles addition - my youngest is already singing all of the Beatles songs!
So the crazy story is that this is a New Machine but not in box! It was part of a give away at Delaware Park Casino for frequent gamblers and was set up on the casino floor but not played. The gambler who won the machine didn’t want it so sold it to me based on a eBay ad that was so shady, I should have walked away, but his location in Delaware got me thinking. Turns out was legit and the casino just dumped it his house and was on his floor unassembled. A few pics including a billboard of the giveaway (taken months ago).
ADC4D711-2084-4A12-B259-167173C125D6 (resized).jpeg482515DB-7F06-4DDD-8D30-7327755A4519 (resized).jpegE273BCB2-28BC-4837-8B78-FBB157269389 (resized).jpegD80D1560-0CB6-4074-A058-D15F0730EC37 (resized).jpeg1A85B6BF-CB86-47C2-9529-48462DE12673 (resized).jpeg24EF8A45-5ECE-4A70-96A7-2951CD0E1326 (resized).jpeg3768DF7A-25AF-431E-9761-3EA0F7518D16 (resized).jpegAB65C934-9DDE-4BF7-9D82-91DB9BCC8C4A (resized).jpegADA930CC-EB87-4E2D-8BD2-A966BF4338F2 (resized).jpegB333B6B3-E521-46FE-B432-7F97A330A632 (resized).jpegEC1152FD-D40A-40CA-8D8A-17B0C71936D2 (resized).jpeg9AB8FEB9-28BB-4603-BB05-C038A099F445 (resized).jpegF1019A74-0D9D-4A96-8B4B-253DDC821CB3 (resized).jpeg405D8751-9882-4CB0-987C-66C711DB4ACC (resized).jpeg22D6B28D-5764-4589-ACE4-C199A547C109 (resized).jpegQuoted from VALIS666:Hello everyone. Just got a gold edition myself today, truly a fun game and it's refreshing to have something that looks and plays old school among my more modern machines.
Quick question: Are your power cords grounded/three prong? Mine isn't. Well, it's a three prong plug with the ground pin missing, and this just doesn't seem right. This machine seemed to be used as a floor model and it has 300 games on it and I already had to replace the spring on the top left flipper, so who knows what else about this machine isn't as it came out of the box. I wanted to ask and make sure first before replacing the two pronged plug with a three prong. Thanks.
Just looked at mine - it is three prong.
Quoted from twenty84:Three of us played mine at a get together last night. Everyone made it it to Help multi ball and the scores were close the whole time. Great multiplayer game![quoted image]
Nice score for everyone!
Added over 5 years ago:E
Question flipper strength on Beatles 1.10 code has bottom two and right at high. Should I turn them down?
Quoted from rodcom:Flipper strength? What is everyone using???
I left mine on the default settings. I had some airballs early on but these resolved with the protector Stern sent out for the FOUR targets. I haven't seen a reason to use different flipper strength settings.
Double ditto back at ya! They will send an air ball kit right out to you and will never see another crazy flying ball again.
Quoted from VALIS666:Quick question: Are your power cords grounded/three prong? Mine isn't. Well, it's a three prong plug with the ground pin missing, and this just doesn't seem right.
Can you post a pic of your power cord plug. Did someone cut the ground pin out? I have bought used extension cords where the ground pin was chopped off. But you can also buy cords that are made with out the ground. I am curious to see if yours has been modified.
THanks.
2 weeks later
Just could not resist the temptation with the NIB Gold pricing finally falling into the mid 6 range and pulled the trigger today. Now I need to figure out how to get it into the gameroom and convince my wife its been there the whole time! Love this stye game and the theme is just perfect really looking forward to it bar any out of box issues.....
It’s a fun game. I finally started hitting some relatively high scores with the accompanying light show and made me like it all the more.
Strangely,the music doesn’t get old.
Love this game, love the music and when people play it they just hit the start button over and over again.
Worth every penny to me!
As I just jumped into the pond and it’s coming Monday, do you guys/gals think the Stern topper is worth the $400? I will assume there are no other options. Can’t find videos showing how interactive the light show is on it. Hate to be cheap now but it does look nice.
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