It’s back! I finally found an original, one-owner LOTR to add to my collection for the 2nd (and last) time. I traded one away earlier this year and regretted it. This pin is a masterpiece. This one has 120 plays on it and 100% original bulbs, rubber (getting a bit faded and stiff) and zero mods. I’m starting from scratch, but it’s going to be fun! To Valinor this time?

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Nice toppers! That’s one area I’m really lacking. I have only 1 topper (WOZ) and the only other one I had on Tron I broke.

I agree those two compliment each other. People say POTC is easy, but not if the angle is steep and the rules are set to hard! Then it’s short and punishing.

I hear you. I've destroyed the ring only 3 times in a couple hundred plays. I've had SO many games where I complete the 3 multiballs and then qualify DTR. I usually get very nervous trying to hit those 4 shots, I rarely get to shoot for the ring. Very exhausting pin, such an adrenaline rush and intense pressure during DTR. My wife doesn't care for LOTR (theme), but she played it today with me and she got to DTR for the first time ever for her. She hit 3 of the 4 shots, leaving only the tricky left ramp to complete. She hit the ramp 3 times, but not hard enough to make it all the way up and back around again. It was awesome to see how close she was to destroying the ring for the first time. One more ramp, then 2 ring shots and she was there! Next time, destroy that ring! It's crazy what happens when you do!

I picked up a pair of these about 2 weeks ago. I read good things about them, and I used to have a different LOTR months ago that had them. Only slightly more powerful, but just enough to make the shots a bit crisper and the ring shot more confident. They don't seem to tire during long play either.

Question - can you give me a basic install 101 on how to replace these? I assume simply remove the original coils by de-soldering and then replace these and solder the wires back on? I'm new to soldering, just bought an iron and station. But I would like the stronger flipper coils if I can install them myself.

Any tips are appreciated!

I just bought an external Polk subwoofer for my LOTR, and the Pinnovators hardware to attach it to the game. Do I need the updated files discussed above? I don't have a problem with the stock callouts and music, because I'm not really familiar with the movies. That being said, do I need the other sound packages, and if I try it and don't like it, how easy is it to change it back?

Also, is there a youtube video showing how to properly attach an external speaker to LOTR? I don't want to mess it up.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks for the input, I appreciate it much. I wondered why the additional hardware was needed, if you could simply use clips and attach it to the existing sub in the cabinet. I'm not great with adding sound or light mods. The Polk speaker is still in the box. Maybe I'll tinker with it this weekend and try to get it attached.

Last question. Can you attach multiple pins to a single Polk external sub? I have 2 subs total. One is attached to Tron and works great. I want to add LOTR to that one, and then use the other speaker on 2 other pins. I've seen comments that you can use 2 pins on each sub, and I've seen others saying up to 4 pins on each sub is fine. Does anyone know from personal experience? Is it as simple as snaking speaker wire into the cabinets and clipping to the existing speakers? Are there drawbacks to that method?

Thanks again.

Any recommendations on the best speaker wire to use? Anyone notice a difference and recommend anything?

So evil making children cry with Smaug growling through a Polk subwoofer. Yet, so satisfying! Just wait until my GB screaming ghost makes an appearance...anyone else have that happen at like 3 a.m. when you are trying to play "quietly."

Did you order the awesome Shire protector slide from the path of the dead that allows the ball to variably drop either into the Shire or the wireform? It’s only available from a company called RedshiftLED in Australia. I just ordered one about 2 months ago, and it arrived in about 2 weeks and is awesome. The other mods push the ball onto the wireform always, thus depriving you of some extra souls, as the rules intended.

I’ve attached a picture below of the slide. The other mod I didn’t see you mention is the clear acrylic piece with the famous “one ring” quote emblazed on it. It looks great. I also ordered 2 or 3 different colored (gold, black, white)one true rings and place them on the playfield in different areas. They are cheap on EBay, under $10.

Just some ideas, since you are going all out!

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Aahhhhh! After 6 months of trying and failing to destroy the ring on my second LOTR pin I've owned, I finally destroyed the ring tonight, in 1:21. In fact, I finished all 3 multiballs again, and destroyed the ring a second time in the same game. I got to There and Back Again for the first time ever. I have never even seen it before tonight. Pretty cool! I won't describe it, just in case others are seeking their first trip... I owned a LOTR before, and destroyed the ring 2 or 3 times with that machine. However, it had those medium strength replacement flippers that are slightly stronger than the factory Stern flippers are. My new pin has the factory flippers. They are a challenge to hit the ring cleanly sometimes. I did buy the medium strength replacements coils, but I haven't installed them yet. I am torn between enjoying the challenge, and wanting crisp shots that cleanly hit the ring, which is probably what was intended. I would say it's a 50/50 proposition on my pin to make it up the ramp and into the ring. Definitely takes concentration and a clean shot. Anyway, love this game! Can't wait to destroy the ring again, and to finish TABA, and to get to Valinor. I need to complete the Gifts from the Elves to do that, and finish all the modes? I got to TABA by starting all the modes, but I don't think I completed them all. Must I gather all the Gifts too? I only got 3 gifts tonight.

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They look like this, and I’ve seen them advertised for sale on Pinside in the past. Hopefully it’s ok to post this. I found this one for sale on the website that rhymes with B-Flay! I can’t remember who offered it here. I will check my receipt...

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I agree, it’s strange. My LOTR is a 2004 original too. My flippers feel adequate, but not strong. I can hit the ring shot if it’s clean, but I did notice that by Destroy The Ring time, they seemed a bit tired. My previous LOTR had more pep, but I hear broken plastics are the trade off, if you get carried away.

Every time I play this game I am reminded how perfect the code and rules are. You have so much to do, but it never feels like chopping wood at all. I defeated Balrog last night in the FOTR multiball for the first time. I always started the 3 MBs to get to DTR, but I never finished them. Now I’m trying to collect all the gifts from the elves, which requires a lot of skill and a little luck! They just don’t make them like LOTR anymore.

Great advice/strategy for getting to Valinor. I'm still far from achieving that, but I did finally destroy the ring (twice in the same game) on my current LOTR machine. I'm getting better at sharpshooting the various shots, so I have far less wasted activity. With only 3 balls, and extra ball settings on difficult, there is little room for error. I finally collected 3 gifts recently, my best so far. I have a long ways to go, which is a good thing!

Part of me hopes I never get to Valinor...it's the journey that is just so compelling.

It’s true that both Retro Refurbs and Silly Old Elf are thinner than Tilt Graphics, and harder to work with. I have a pretty tried and true method of applying blades without removing (just lifting it up all the way) the playfield.

PM me if I can help. I’m sure lots of people have great methods that work for them too.

I’m having an issue with my diverter by Orthanc not always closing all the way. It’s not failing fully, so the fuse and connections should be ok, it just struggles to close or open all the way like something is too tight? Anyone see this before?

Thanks!

I'm trying to install one of those Fire Ring LED mods, where you put an LED ring inside the plastic ring. It looks amazing, but the install instructions either suck, or I'm just terrible at this. They include a video, but it's sped up several times, and you cannot see what he is doing behind the ring to remove it. That's where I'm stuck. The written instructions simply say "remove the ring..." and then it moves on with an image of the ring removed. As if we have all removed our rings many times before. I have never removed mine, and I'm not sure which screws to loosen to free it! Plus, it's very difficult to see behind the ring without completely removing the playfield.

Has anyone installed this "simple to install" mod?

I would appreciate a simple description of how to release and remove the ring, then I feel I can probably finish the job.

Thanks very much!

Just remove the 2 huge silver screws holding the 2 gold brackets on the back, you goofball! I figured it out. Kindly disregard, it's late.

Incredible time. Under 20 seconds??? I have a new goal!

Agreed, I did the same when I replaced the spinner on my first LOTR. Just gently, but firmly, bend to fit into place. Also, I dig your Strikes and Spares backglass icon! I just bought a really nice one and it should arrive any day now. That backglass cracks me up!

Got to There and Back Again on Friday for only the second time! Love the unique music for that mode. Failed to complete it, but that’s what makes this epic pin one of the best ever. The code is simply great. Valinor is always ahead.

Ugh. So frustrating. I started all 3 movie multiballs and then Destroy the Ring began! I’m pumped. Ready to finish this in 15-20 seconds. My best is 1:15, nothing too exciting. I make the 4 shots right away without a miss, very rare for me, AND I hit the ring shot the first time so “Gollum has the ring, help me!” Starts. Just 10-15 seconds had gone by. I just need to hit the ramp ONE MORE TIME to destroy it, possibly at around 20 seconds which I have heard people do. So ready to post my time! I missed the first 2 shots, but the third was perfect! Straight through! Only, nothing happened. “Help me!” cried poor Frodo. A second shot thru the ring. Nothing. Now 30-45 seconds have passed. Then a minute. Now I’m past caring. 2-3 minutes and a third shot thru the ring. Nothing. Wtf. Grrrrrr. I guess my optos are needing cleaning or adjusting? I keep this pin very clean. So frustrating. Like the game is laughing at me.

Thanks very much you guys. I will try adjusting it first, or swapping it out if necessary. Mine seems to miss exactly when I need it to finish DTR. Last night was my chance at 30 sec or under.

That makes sense. I’ll adjust it. It does register, just not consistently.

Thx.

Wow.

The medium coils are just right. I had them on my first LOTR and the ring shot was very reliable. I traded that one, but later found a minty, stock original with the stock coils. They work fine, and I like the challenge of having to hit the center ramp clean to make it thru, and they do seem a bit weaker later in long games. I bought medium coils again as backups. I may go back to them someday. I think many people like them.

I agree. I bought that Arwen “slide” and it’s awesome.

That’s a truly unique pin now with those new decals. Now get a color DMD in that bad boy!

LOTR still ahead of Nedry’s Island in the finals? No offense to JP, I had one and liked it. But it has not quite earned its place amongst the legends like LOTR has. I traded my first LOTR and immediately knew I made a mistake. Found a mint/original owner and this one will never leave. I had JP for just 3 months. It’s a fun game, but for me was too thin on JP content.

I raised mine up and placed a narrow piece of Mylar under the blue cushion and metal bracket holding it. I actually looked at a nice LOTR a couple years ago, and his game was nice except it had an obvious gouge in the playfield under that metal bracket and blue cushion. I was really surprised it was so chewed up. It was a deal breaker for me, because it was pretty obvious. So I recently protected mine a little bit.

I agree, seems crazy. I found my current LOTR in late 2018. The owner was active in pinball mostly in 2004-2005. He bought nib LOTR, TSPP, Ripley’s and a couple others. He opened them, and then played a few games every month or two. Eventually, he ignored them. LOTR had 124 plays, Ripley’s had 58. He’s a super nice guy. Sold me LOTR to finance a Hobbit, but refused to part with Ripley’s or TSPP, and I tried! I put more than 124 plays on it the first year I owned it.

I assume he changed them, with the power on. But, I’ve seen pins with batteries older than 10 years that hadn’t gone bad. His pins were definitely mint, with no evidence of any play. A funny side story, I just bought a Simpson’s toy for my TSPP from 2003 off EBay. It was still new, inside a sealed box. I opened it and pushed the button and Moe talked! Scared the crap out of me. I was sure the batteries were dead. It had 2 or 3 AA, regular alkaline batteries. 17 years in a box and worked fine. Weird! Others I’ve seen green and leaking after 3-4 years. Who knows.

That looks about right to me. My pin is still pretty stock, with few adjustments. My Balrog sits in the same position, with the line where the ball hits him at the same height as the rubber rings to the left and right of him.

I know I bought mine in a kit, with the posts and screws that came with the acrylic piece. Not sure if that’s not available anymore. Also, search for Army of the Dead figures on EBay, if you need the translucent dead dudes for your upper level. They look great with a green LED strip under them from Comet.

I finally added an LED OCD board to my LOTR and it really makes a huge difference on this pin. Next up is an external power supply, for the several mods I’ve installed. Only missing a shaker, which I understand isn’t as simple on this game?

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Thanks for the tip! Just ordered one. It’s easy to install? How do you designate which switches trigger the shaker? Any switches that you recommend? I’m thinking the Balrog, for sure, and the Path of the Dead switches. And hits to the right tower (Barad-Dur?). And maybe somehow setting it up to trigger when the ring is destroyed. Probably only those, as I prefer the shaker to be infrequent and subtle. It’s nice this shaker has a dial to adjust the shaker intensity. Thanks again.

Do you mean the total you’ve collected so far? So you don’t have to look up and see it on the DMD?

Oh, gotcha!

Brass looks great on LOTR. Even just new brass bolts adds a nice, fairly cheap touch.

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Many LOTR owners prefer to keep the original appearance of incandescent bulbs. I chose to switch to LEDs, but LOTR is a game where you really need an OCD board to prevent flickering and strobing of the LEDs. I’m happy with the brighter (I only go as bright as sunlight white) look and less heat and power involved with the LEDs. Just me tho!

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Are those baby Bally flipper bats on your LOTR? You must really like a challenge! That’s quite a gap!

I’ve had a few good games on LOTR and destroyed the ring 3-4 times. It’s an awesome mode! After that, you still have There and Back Again and Valinor. Lots to work toward!

I like the purple. I added some spooky trees to mine. I just need a fog machine for atmosphere.

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His work is legendary. That brass is spectacular! Chris Royalty is doing great work now, keeping Mike’s love of pinball bling alive. Fossmin could contact Chris about doing something like this.

Yep, I think he’s right. Also double check your return spring. Sometimes they aren’t tight enough and don’t snap the flipper back into position. I had that happen on my BK2k. I put a new tighter spring on and fixed it.

I did the same thing. I bought a DILE in 2018 and loved it. It’s a beautiful pin, one of the best looking ever, for me. The theme is what confused people early on, but it’s really another disaster game. I think Lawlor wanted to be clever with the double meaning of “dialed in,” (dialing in a pinball machine and a reference to the smart phone which is a key toy in the game) and it puzzled some people. But I agree it’s a fantastic game, with lots of things to do and exceptional shot geometry and flow. I sold my first one too quickly and 2 years later I bought another DILE nib. This time it stuck around a year and I played it more. I sold it again, but I’ll probably own one again someday. My first pin I ever bought was WOZ, which is still my pick for best art package overall, but DI is JJP’s best game so far imho, except maybe POTC, which I haven’t owned or played enough to judge. I’ll never sell my LOTR. It’s still my vote for Stern’s best pin yet.

I had to do it…cheese topping!

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I've installed RadCals, which require removal of the bolts from the head and cabinet to apply. They look beautiful, and I'm very happy with the result, but it's a much more involved process to do it right than some suggest. I have spare decals for a couple pins also, and they do not have pre-cut holes for the bolts, so I believe you must remove the bolts to install decals also, and it's a good idea to sand and paint the cabinet before applying new decals or RadCals. There are several videos demonstrating both methods.

Changing it up a little…

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I’ve collected 4 gifts (which I greatly appreciated) and destroyed the ring, but I’ve never completed all 3 MBs or earned all 6 gifts. My journey to Valinor continues. The greatest adventure, is what lies ahead.

I have the original Stern coils on my 2004 LOTR, but I bought a backup set of the medium strength coils just in case back in 2018. Haven’t needed them as my stock coils produce fairly strong shots, and I can backhand the right ramp. I do have to make the center ramp shot cleanly to avoid rejects, but I like the challenge. Each pin might be slightly different, with different pitch, playfield condition and other factors.

Yep, it’s rare I put more than a game or two on it at a time, so they don’t get heated up often. But I do notice a slight dip in strength at the end of a long game.

Pinshakers offers a specific shaker you can buy for Stern SAM and Whitestar that comes complete with everything you need (so you don’t have to convert anything) and allows you to assign specific triggers, like the Balrog or POTD or whatever switches you like. I bought one a few weeks ago but haven’t gotten to that yet. I will install mine soon and share my results. Others I’m sure have this shaker too.

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I’ve had the original, stock coils in mine for years, and they do make the center ring shot a slight challenge after a long game, but I can still make the shot if it’s a clean shot up the middle. I did buy the medium coils as backups if mine ever become a problem. So far, so good. My problem is me, I always take forever to make the 4 shots during destroy the ring mode. My best is like 1:30…not quick. I’ve made the 4 shots in under 30 seconds a few times, but then I struggle to hit the ring. Gotta play better!

I’m confused so forgive me, but does your center ramp not have a flap on it? Nobody else mentioned it, so maybe there is a reason, but I’m confused as to what I’m seeing. I can’t imagine that ramp would function properly with no flap, but maybe some people go without it.

Yep, I figured your ramp was replaced with a brassed ramp and without the flap. It just took me a minute to notice it. If the transition is smooth maybe you don’t need it, but if you get any hop there, it could effect the spinner function. Sounds like a minor adjustment to allow the spinner to spin more freely will help it return to resting position.

I bet you get it balanced correctly. If it remains stubborn, I would order the new spinner and decal set for $15 or so mentioned above. I know I replaced mine on my first LOTR and had success.

Yep, that’s the way I do it, although I’ve seen many operators just get a running start and jump that hump. I lift the back of the playfield while holding the apron. They do sell alternate rails that I believe eliminate the hump, but I haven’t tried them myself. I saw them on display at an expo.

I really like the ring shooters. Mine has the red acrylic. I don’t know if these are still available, but they look nice and shoot smooth.

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Congrats on adding such a great pin! It’s not quite 20 years old, but LOTR is already a classic. I’m on my second one and can’t see ever letting it go again. The lighting effects are a big part of the game, so incandescent lights look great on LOTR. LEDs do look good with an OCD board, paired with warm white LEDs mostly and a few colors in certain areas, like green near the potd. A gazillion cool mods and upgrades too. As far as heat affecting the inserts, it’s not a big problem for HUO pins that only get light play and aren’t left on all day. But that’s just my opinion! Enjoy your game!

That’s what all those critters are for, catching airballs.

For mine I used thin 2-sided tape for the figures and trees, and I added a green led under the potd.

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This is my LOTR auto plunge.

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I finally installed an OCD board in my LOTR for the inserts and I’m very happy with it. Non-ghosting bulbs do perform better than standard LEDs without the OCD board, but I still noticed ghosting and flickering on my game. Now the lights look great and gradually come on and off like incandescent bulbs. LEDs produce less heat and use less energy too, which is nice if you tend to leave your game on for hours at a time. Many people do prefer the original bulbs on LOTR.

I still have my stock coils, and they are plenty strong for the 1-2 games I play every few days. I do occasionally notice some lag after a long adventure, but I can still hit the ring and sword ramp. I bought a pair of the medium coils for this pin just in case, but haven’t needed them yet. My first LOTR had the medium coils and quite easily made the ring shot. Just a matter of preference and probably some degree of variation pin to pin.

That’s a bummer, Chip. The fire ring mod is one of the coolest I’ve seen. I installed one on mine, but I’m sure I have the original opto boards (my LOTR is a 2004). I still had difficulties with mine, but it was user error. I installed something wrong and had to go back in and redo it. Once it was working, it was fantastic. The Palantir/Eye of Sauron mods are great too. The volcano mod is awesome too. The mod list is long on this pin!

These are really nice, I hope more of these can be made. I bought this “ramp” version from Australia twice, once for each of my LOTRs. Protects the plastic and the shire very well, but still allows the ball to randomly choose the shire or the wireform. Looks like they vanished about a year ago.

They make brackets to correct the leaning stand up targets. I’ve installed a few on some other Stern pins (Tron, etc) and they work well. LOTR is one of the very best pins to modify. There are so many great options from the path of the dead mod, volcano, fire ring, etched plastic, Palantir mod, and many more. Have fun!

Warm white or Sunlight LEDs look pretty nice on LOTR, if you have the inserts OCD board. I installed one last year and it made a huge difference. The LEDs flickered badly before I added the OCD board. Incandescent bulbs do look great in LOTR tho.

These work well too, for $6 from Mezel Mods. You can get them for narrow stand ups or the wider/square ones like the Palantir. Takes maybe 15 mins to install.

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Wow. A top 20 score on LOTR is impressive. And reaching Valinor puts you in select company. I need to start playing my LOTR more! Heckuva game!

Speaker Light Kits are bonkers nice. A bit of work to install (on my EHoH at least), but well worth it. So many colors, patterns, effects. Highly recommend.

You’ll be able to find a minty JP2 again for a few years if you decide you miss it. You’ll get to experience owning a LOTR, a fav theme of yours. This has been my favorite Stern for years, and I love JP2, Tron, GB and EHoH. But LOTR is really a complete package. Some say the pf art is somewhat cut/paste/photoshop. I don’t mind the art, and the cab looks cool. I had a custom translite made for mine. For your JP, you should be able to trade for a pretty high-end LOTR with minimal wear, I would think. Mods are nice, but condition is key (imho). You can always enjoy adding mods yourself, there are a ton of great options for LOTR. I’m on my second LOTR and this one will hopefully stay always. Good luck w your decision!

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Usually bent plastic helps block the DMD from reflecting on the upper half of the playfield. I would think apron or sling lights wouldn’t be blocked by it. You may want to adjust any lamps that are reflecting, or consider different flashers? I find frosted domes on standard LEDs reflect less. Or move your playfield characters around to block the lights!

It doesn’t resemble LOTR much, but the game I love to play multiball in is White Water. If you can keep feeding No Way Out up the middle, you can spread all 3 balls out (or 2 balls in Whirlpool mode) and keep shooting Insanity Falls for big points. It feels like ball management instead of frantic slapping and simply keeping balls alive. For me, more pins are chaotic that way. BSD has a really fun multiball, but it’s more intense and harder to manage.

You are in luck! Marco Specialties…$20

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Fantastic! I found my current LOTR in 2018 from the original owner, who rarely played it. It was absolutely stock. Since then, I’ve added so many mods (my fav pin to mod) including Niro Palantir mod, flaming ring, potd platform and figures, Cliffys, LEDs with OCD board, color DMD, ring shooter rod with red acrylic, alternate translite, etched acrylic, volcano mod, Arwen ramp/slide by RedShiftLED, and more. I have the shaker you can customize to react by triggering specific switches, but haven’t installed yet. I should install my separate power supply first. The one major mod I don’t have yet is Pinsound. I’m tempted after hearing yours!

Ok LOTR friends. I goofed and broke a prong on my (White Star) sound board trying to install Pinsound. It’s the microprocessor at U209. Are these available anywhere, or do I need a skilled person to repair it? The chip refused to come out after 19 years in place, and I bent a few prongs. After straightening they wouldn’t cooperate, and one got brittle and broke off. Ugh. No sound for me for awhile.

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Thanks guys! I did order that one just in case, but after about 12 tries, I think I successfully soldered the prong back on. Fingers crossed I don’t fry the sound board. But I have hope. Here is the chip I think I fixed.

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PinSound is rockin on my LOTR! Now I just need my soldered prong to stay intact on that chip!

That prong was a bit longer when soldered on, so it’s only about halfway plugged into the socket. Even if it snapped off, I could grab it with some needle nose pliers. I have a couple backup chips ordered, just in case.

Which Pinsound file for LOTR do most people feel is THE alternate package to have? How do I know which one it is? Thanks!

Loose wire or cold solder on a wire to a tilt switch? Just a first guess.

I have the same prob on my Tron topper. It’s one of those Laserific led toppers. I have like 4 of those led remotes, but none will change the color. It’s just white all the time. Not sure of the solution.

Agree. Pinsound is pricy, but it’s a major sound makeover on this title. I’m not even a fan of the movie series and I still appreciate the richer, fuller soundtracks available on Pinsound. I’ve converted to Pinsound on just two pins, BSD and LOTR.

The skulls are cool, and will make a unique surface to mount the AotD figures on. The ball won’t be visible traveling underneath, which may not matter. Otherwise, it’s a good solution if the cloudy surface bothers you. Post pics.

On most micro switches you can pop the actuator arm off and swap them out. Lots of different lengths and designs. I’ve occasionally tweaked a finicky switch with a different arm, and improved function. The Cherry style micro switches have tiny round “buttons” or tabs (not sure what to call them) that the switch arm snaps onto.

You’ll always remember where you were…

2Niro makes great mods. The fire ring is one of those perfectly subtle yet awesome upgrades. I found that one tricky to install, but it took me longer because I goofed in the middle and had to backtrack. It’s awesome tho. I finally upgraded my Palantir/eye to the 2Niro version 1.0 with the lcd video of flames. Love that one too. So many awesome mods for LOTR. Mine is a 2004 I bought from the original owner who rarely played it. He cleaned it and changed the batteries, and put a few games on it each year, 125 plays over 14 years. Still had the goodie bag inside. I’ve modded it out and added Pinsound, LED OCD board and color DMD. I have the shaker you can customize to activate with whatever switches you want, just haven’t installed it yet. Still a Stern masterpiece.

Thanks! Maybe I will do that. I’m sure this shaker is compatible with alot of pins. I’m not personally a huge shaker person anyway.

That’s interesting, because when I installed Pinsound in my LOTR, I heard nothing when I turned it on. I was confused, and thought something was wrong. I had always kept my machine volume at 1 or 2. I could hear the music very faintly as I turned it up. Finally, I turned my machine volume up to 15-20 and could hear it fine. Maybe my Pinsound volume is turned way down? For whatever reason, I needed my machine volume way up. Works great now! I love Pinsound on this title, and on BSD.

Few pins from that era have a journey this long or a finale so challenging it’s mythical for most players. I’m a decent player, but Valinor is out of my reach. Admittedly I only play LOTR occasionally, but my best games have only gotten me TABA, with 3-4 gifts. I’m excited when I destroy the ring, which I’ve not done in so long I now have a mental block about it.

Is it the 12-13v bayonet flasher bulb that goes inside Balrog? Is it a pain in the butt to remove and change it out?

I recently sold my second and most prized LOTR, so I’ve left the club again, for now. LOTR is still my #1 pick for best Stern pin and probably my favorite pin overall. It’s just awesome in every aspect. Code is legendary, and Destroy the Ring is just a great, reachable mini-wizard mode. Also my favorite game to add mods to, with the POTD figures, the volcano, the ring of fire, Pinsound, the list is long. It was tough to let go of, but went to a family that absolutely loves everything LOTR, and they are having a blast with it, just their second pin.

So I’ll sign off with a picture of just the LOTR painting I have left, and Banjo, alone a top Lonely Mountain. And my sad DTR best time of 1:21. I knew I could do it in under 30 seconds, but I always flubbed the ring shot, and once it just didn’t register the ring switch. But what a mode and game.

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