That looks great!

My Rush Pro comes in tomorrow. This game got me back into pinball. I had dozens of machines I bought/restored back in the 90s/early 2000s. Sold them off around 2010 as I moved and had no place to store or use them. Anyway, as much as I love pinball, Rush has been my band since the mid-70s. Seen them in concert dozens of times, including their 3rd to last concert in Vegas in 2015. Rush + Pinball is my dream combo, so of course, I’m back in the hobby now.

Anyway, while I doubt this will ever be acted upon, I wanted to add a few songs I’d love to see in a future firmware release. I’ve seen other similar lists in this thread, so perhaps Stern is taking notes. I realize there’s no way even a small number of these would make it. I’d be thrilled to have *any* on this list, honestly.

Additional songs:

Natural Science (pretty please!)
Xanadu
A Farewell to Kings
Bytor and the Snow Dog
The Necromancer (yeah, I know, never going to happen….)
The Pass
The Camera Eye
Witch-hunt
Presto
The Wreckers
Dreamline
Time Stand Still (bonus trivia: this is the only Rush song with a guest singer. Can you name him/her?)
Red Sector A

Wow. That's terrible! I picked up our Pro today from Fedex Freight. Came in perfect, no issues...

Finally. This is the game that got me back into pinball (a decision, not coincidently, that drained my discretionary funds down to nothing as well). I can't tell you how many games I restored/traded back about 15-20 years ago. I'd be a rich man if I had the space to save those, but what are you going to do? The only game I kept is a LotR (bought new, currently at my brother's place).

I've lost count how many times I've seen Rush in concert (starting in the 70s). Easily over 50, probably close to 70. This game is deep. Going to take a long time to learn the rules. Any fellow Pinsider in Albuquerque is welcome to drop by for a few games.
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I should post a picture, but the build date on my Rush Pro is April 20.

What do you think, that ups the value 10-20%

Haha

Yep, the utterly rare and exclusive Rush Pro Stoner edition. Note, the rare and highly collectable stoner date format. You can't even order extra commas. That's an exclusive to the Stoner edition. As I'm super-generous, I'll trade straight across for your Rush LE.
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Like others, I've had issues getting the inner loop switch to register. I appreciate all the fixes and ideas. My fix was quite simple, and it's worked great for my particular machine. I simply tweaked the wire gate on the switch to lessen the amount of travel needed to register the switch is closed. This has been my standard method for about 30 years in fixing lane switches, and it worked great here, too. Since this, I've had 100% switch activation in the inner loop over a few hours of play.

1) Remove switch from underneath playfield.
2) Put game in switch test mode
3) Hold the switch closed with your finger, and slightly bend the switch upward while holding the wire blade closed at the base of the switch. This will have the effect of moving the activiation point to a shorter stroke of the switch.
4) Reinstall switch* and confirm switch activation on slight depression. Iterate steps 3 and 4 until you get a good "bite" point.
5) That's it.

*be sure to center switch in the lane on reinstallation

I'm well aware others have tried this method without success. It may depend on your particular machine and switch. The key in my case was to 1) hold the switch closed while bending to get a clean bend (see pic), and 2) testing the results and iterating to achieve a "bite" when just slightly depressed from the playfield.
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A “hard” knock sound requires careful spacing of the coil to the striker plate. You want the rod to strike the plate just before it’s fully ejected. This gives maximum time to accelerate the rod before it strikes.

Check your spacing. You may need to move the coil a little further back.

FYI, I installed an Orange Rubber kit on my Rush. I've always liked lighter-colored rubber (Most of my machines had white back in the day when all you had were white or black). Here's a few pics. And yes, I reinstalled the metal target guard I found on the playfield after this as well as the return wireform, not shown in pics. It's always something...

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Thanks for catching this! I took my pics about 80% through my reassembly, but that one I didn't check.

One of my rare Rush concert t-shirts. This was personally given to me by Geddy. I was in the 2nd row for the Vapor Trails show in Albuquerque (August 21, 2002), and I had a couple of casts (arm, ankle) from a kart racing accident and was otherwise pretty banged up. But, I wasn't f*ing missing my Rush! I could barely stand, but I hobbled up and air guitared/drummed/sung along to every song. During the encore, Geddy grabbed this from the dryer, and motioned me up and handed me the t-shirt.

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The way things ought to be...

Sent you a PM.

Obligatory relevant thread content: New code is great! No issues downloading/playing on my Pro. Of all my machines, my cat favors Rush the most. Now, that's an endorsement!

For those with the Expression lighting system and that have played JJP Guns ‘n Roses, how do the two compare? I have both Rush Pro (no expression) and a GnR LE, with a zillion RGBs. Lighting on GnR is blow-away impressive. I’m mean, REALLY impressive. Each song custom choreographed, and tons of special lighting effects. IMHO, it’s a quantum leap in Pinball lighting, like nothing ever done before. After a few games of GnR, all my Sterns look barren and plain, honestly. Hoping Stern starts to catchup in this area.

Thanks.

Thanks for your review and comments.

All that said, I love Rush, too. There’s really just one thing that bothers me about this game: the lack of song continuity. You can start a song mode, and if you qualify another stacked mode, the song will change. It appears there’s a fixed priority here for various songs. For example Bastille Day takes priority over all other songs. I think Far Cry is probably the next priority. I’m not sure how they shake out after that. For example, you’re in the middle of Big Money, and the song abruptly changes to Bastille Day. I’m sick of Bastille Day, honestly, on my Rush Pro. One thing I REALLY like about GnR is that the songs modes start, and they stay on that song, all the way through.

I wish the Rush code could be changed and given an option for “current song takes priority”. I play these Music pins in part because I love the music (most especially, Rush). My OCD kicks in when these songs get interrupted.

Ok, /rant off. Thanks for the therapy.

The implementation is elegant for non-expert players and location pins, yes. For us HUO pinheads, it would be enough to do what GnR does, and give an audio clue that another mode has started. That’s why I said give the option of “current song take priority”. You can set it up however you like. IIRC, Rush already givens the audio clue to Bastille Day (“It’s Bastille Day, everyone!”) and in my case, that’s enough to know the hurry-up is underway.

Yes, I want song multiballs to take precedence over the base “song” selected. Of course. My OCD is that stacked modes have songs in a fixed priority. I would prefer a single priority song, based on what mode started first.

I'm guessing most folks are holding out for the Expression system and not installing Art Blades.

New code out. 0.97

Fixed:

- Fixed a machine reset that could occur when players with long
usernames had unlocked the secret feature.

- Wildcard records:
- Fixed an issue that could cause players to get into a state where they
would always have wildcard records available at ball start, even if they
had not earned any.
- Fixed an issue that could cause shots lit for wildcards to not actually
place the wildcard records.

Tweaked:

- Stepper Motors:
- Updated stepper motor adjustments for lift ramp to improve reliability.

- Side Scoop Lock:
- Changed the default adjustment for SIDE SCOOP LOCKS BALLS to ALWAYS.
- NOTE: The existing behavior can be restored by setting the adjustment to
NEVER.

- Expression Lights:
- Improved music lightshows throughout gameplay.

- Cygnus X-1 Wizard Modes:
- Added additional scoring for starting Cygnus X-1 Wizard Modes.
- Improved animations during Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage.
- Added an add-a-ball award for the player upon reaching the halfway point
through the Yellow planet.

That's weird. My selected song doesn't do this. It just continues playing through the bonus screen and into the next ball, doesn't miss a beat...

It’s under Utilities>Install Presets>Home

Think of it as a feature, not a bug. You were on the event horizon, and needed an assist to escape. As you failed, you're stuck in the Black Hole and that ball will never see anything else.

You’re really hardcore when you know The Necromancer and Fountain of Lamneth by heart. God do I love the transition from No One at the Bridge to Panacea. I digress. When and who, exactly converted Prince Bytor from Bad Guy to Hero???

And no mention yet of what many consider to be Rush’ greatest hidden gem: Natural Science. Or the absolute lyrical genius of Anagram.

My pro table with a 4/20/22 manufacture date (hehe!!) had the outlane posts in the hardest setting. FYI.

Orange Silicon for all rubbers.

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Love this game. I sold my Pro to pickup a Prem/LE. Now, I’m waiting to see a resolution of the Node 10 issues on these. I’m particularly reluctant to buy a used game (LE) given this issue. Forcing everyone through a distributor for repairs diminishes the value of used games, especially those with design defects like the Node 10 issues in Rush.

Can't you just disable the lift ramp (leave it up) and continue? This is how the Pros are all the time.

The experienced folks here are giving great advice. Pinballs aren’t plug-and-play OTS consumer products. For better or worse, the commercial operators for which this market primarily served for decades were willing to accept the need for maintenance and intervention, even with nearly new equipment. Pinball machines are brutal on operators. One reason video games were developed and took off in the late 70s/early 80s was in response to the maintenance heavy needs of pins.

The transition of a substantial portion of the market to home-based collectors hasn’t lead to manufacturers changing their ways. Pins are still finicky and require skilled intervention. Warranties are pathetic in this industry, and business practices consumer unfriendly (such as Stern requiring everyone to go through distributors for basically everything). There’s an opening for new manufacturers to change this, and some (American Pinball, notably) recognize this opportunity.

My guess is this is wood that hasn't been properly acclimated for moisture. Wood shrinks/swells pretty dramatically with moisture content. If you don't season wood, you'll get all sorts of problems. Given the shortages in construction materials the last 18 months, who knows where the plywood is sourced. If not properly kilned and dried, shrinkage is the result.

If you apply a finish to wood that isn't properly dry, subsequent shrinkage will look like the planking in these photos. You can get issues the other way, too. Really dry wood brought into moist environments (generaly, RH>50%) can also cause problems. The musical instrument folks are constantly fighting these issues.

Back with Rush after a few month absence. I purchased a Pro back in April, and loved it. Loved it so much, I traded it off for another pin, with the intention of getting a Prem/LE. With the prices of LEs coming down, I finally managed another trade for LE #757. Spent the weekend setting it up, including installation of Precision Flip Gold flippers. Wow! This game is even better than I remember.

I was surprised how differently the LE plays compared to the Pro. Especially during multiballs, with the ramp and ball holds behind the instruments. The expression lighting is everything others have said as well, it really adds to the overall experience. I continue to highly-recommend John Simone's flipper system. The upper left ramp was always dicey on the Pro; with Precision Flip, I hit that shot far-more reliably now. In just my second game on the LE after upgrades, I set a new personal-best album record, collecting 7 of the 10. Now, to unlock Cygnus X1 and X2...

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There's a ton of adjustments for both the ramp and clock in the settings. I lowered the power for both by about 25%. No impact on play. No idea if this helps, but thought it might be cheap insurance for Node 10 failures. Until Stern comes up with the definitive cause.

CN5 carries just 2 switches. I'd think it was the stepper motors on pins CN1 or CN3 that is the likely issue.

That kit looks fantastic. Thanks for the post, I just ordered this as well. Should go well with Precision Flip gold flipper bats.

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Pete, I really appreciate your STL for the Rush inner loop. Downloaded and printed this yesterday. Great job, really does solve the switch issue nicely.

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Filament is "Filament One Gold Glint PLA". Printed at 215C. I didn't bother with supports for the lip, my Prusa Mk3S is pretty good at overhangs if you keep the print speed on these down to about 25mm/s.

Fit was pretty good. I did have to work it down from the fat end to the skinny, and finally found the sweet spot on the metal guide at exactly the place you said: with the end of the diverter in the middle of the switch. I don't think the clip is actually over the bottom of the guide, but it's quite firm and the plastic seems to hold this part down very nicely.

If I were to reprint this to ensure the clip goes under the guide, I'd probably stretch the z-direction in my slicer up to 105% or so. FYI. If you're looking for suggestions, I might consider extending the depth of that lip by another 1 or 2mm or so.

No problem. I actually printed 2 parts, one in gold, one in black. I have three Prusa printers in my print farm (all carefully calibrated with linear bearings, Bear frames, and geared Bondtech extruders). I’ll measure the one I didn’t install later today when I’m back.

edit: best as I can eyeball, the total depth is 19mm.

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I just measured the lane guide on my Rush; it's 18.55mm high. Our parts are the same. I think I found the problem, and its on my end. The slot (on my uninstalled black part) had a bit of printing debris in it. I was able to scrape out just a bit of filament bits, very tiny. I'm guessing with the close tolerances on this part, the prevented it from clamping hard to the guide, and this is what kept the clip from engaging.

I'm guessing there's the same issue with the other part I printed. As it hasn't moved since instalation, I'll wait to take it off and clean it until a problem arises. The lesson for others is to clean that slot after printing to make sure the lane guide can slide smoothly all the way into the slot.

Thanks again, so very much. Sorry to clutter the thread with these specifics; it's a great and clean solution for Rush switch issues on the inner loop, and (personally) I prefer a solution without a clear plastic cover over the lane as that makes playfield cleaning that much more difficult.

Here's the change file for code V1.01 that just dropped:

PRO V1.01 - October 18, 2022
==========================
Fixed:

- Fixed an issue that could cause the game to restart when a player scrolled
through instant info while they were on the year 2112.

- Fixed a UI issue that could show incorrect information during Working Man.

- Fixed issues that could show incorrect high score entries during multiplayer
games.

- Fixed an issue that could cause the drop targets to reset despite Freewill
multiball being ready to start.

Tweaked:

- The Spirit of Radio:
- Turned off the flashing arrow for the spinner when the award was maxed.

- Working Man:
- Changed the shot multiplier rule to also multiply the number of minutes
earned on a shot as well as the increase in score for subsequent Working Man
shots.

- One Little Victory:
- Changed Super Jackpot values to start at 5 million points and grow by 500k
each time a Victory Lap jackpot is scored.

- Instruments:
- Changed instrument lights to pulse if they can be activated, and remain
solidly lit if they cannot.
- Changed the drop target completion to always enable the instrument to be
activated.

- Drum Clock Rule:
- Changed the adjustment "DRUM CLOCK TIME IN MULTIBALL BEHAVIOR" to default
to "ALWAYS".
- Added a new adjustment "DRUM POPS WITH MB BALL SAVE" that defaults to NO.
This setting means the drum pops will not advance until a multiball ball
saver has expired.

- Loop rule:
- Changed the rules to allow loop scoring during multiballs.

- 2112:
- Improved handling of game rules when starting and playing 2112 wizard
mode.

- Display:
- Added flipper blowoff to more game animations.

New:

- Ramp Warrior High Score:
- Added a "Ramp Warrior" high score entry for most ramps hit during a game.

Moved to System 3.25

- Updated to nodeboard firmware/protocol v1.01.0

- Updated "Target Game Time" to guarantee the entire time for a single ball
game.

Gold Halographic flippers from Precision Flip on the Rush LE. The play even better than they look.

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The horse blinders look quite a bit better with color-matched rubber from Titan.

https://www.titanpinball.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=33&product_id=159

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I saw that as well. Immediately after, it says the thickness is 1/4", while the "blue nub of death" is considerably thinner, so I'm hoping that statement was related to geometry, not durability. I'll see how the durability is.

I don't think overcurrent to the motor is the issue here. It sounds like its actually the opposite: when a motor isn't 100% wired into the node 10 control board, the board blows. Current that should be going to the motor is going to somewhere in the square controller chip - and *poof* - the magic blue smoke escapes and it no longer works. It's widely known that all pinball electronics run on magic blue smoke. Let that stuff out, and BAM, they're toast.

Moral? Make sure all your motor connections are 100% solid with no chance of disconnect, even intermittent.

I installed Pete_D's loop mod, and it works perfectly. It's an easy 3D print as well. Highly recommended. Thanks again, Pete, great job.

I’m guessing Rush will be the next Stranger Things. Will be more appreciated once its retired, with good examples commanding a resale premium. You couldn’t get close to MSRP for an ST Premium prior to the pandemic. Now, they go for $15K+

Put on a set of precision flips. Then micro adjust angles to your preference. Totally changed my Rush from a brickfest to a flow monster. Amazing difference.

Mando is great! Underated game. I think these are the 3 best, modern Sterns.
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I may finally actually get a skill shot now. The number of times I weak-plunge on the first try is like 95%. Us old folks thank you for this change!

Are these vacuum tubes compatible with the Mezel Time Machine? Thanks.

Knock-on-replay is the most iconic pinball sound from my youth. Getting that "CRACK!!!" during play was cause for much celebration, and everyone in the arcade would look over to see what savant had achieved this great achievement. It's literally sacriledge if the new Sterns won't replicate this experience.

Is your clock still working? When the chip blows, you lose both ramp and clock.

The best line I ever heard (from one of the Rush documentaries) is "Rush fans are the Trekkies of Rock". I've been an obsessed fan of them since 1976, when 2112 blew my 11-year-old mind. Seen them about 45 times in concert. My last was the Vegas show on July 25, 2015 for the R40 concert. This would the 4th-to-last Rush concert, ever.

I was devastated on the news of Neil's untimely death in early 2020. Rush was (and is) more than a band to me. They're a philosophy and a guidestone. The individual determinism in their music speaks volumes. So many of their songs are unique, timely, relevant, and powerful. Cut to the Chase (a fairly obscure track from the fairly obscure album Counterparts) sums it up nicely:

Young enough not to care too much
About the way things used to be
I'm young enough to remember the future
The past has no claim on me
I'm old enough not to care too much
About what you think of me
But I'm young enough to remember the future
The way things ought to be

The more you learn from Rush and the more you study them, the more you'll be amazed at the multiple meanings, double- and triple-entendre, and overall genius of this incredible band. Viva la Rush.

If you're considering this for home use, used LE prices have gotten almost reasonable. Several have been selling in the $11xxx range, with even a few sales creeping down to aroudn $10,500. Premiums are right about $8000. For that extra $2500-3000, you get expression lights ($700), invisiglass ($250), shaker ($150), upgraded audio ($150), mirrored backglass (unobtainable), unique side armor (currently unobtainable), a different powder coat, and (IMHO) far-better cabinet art. Also consider that you'll recover the difference in cost on resale, and that (generally) a low-priced LE is going to sell fairly easily at some future date.

Given all this, the Rush LE is a pretty good deal right now.

Regarding the broken plunger assembly on the side scoop and it being out of stock. You can order this in many different lengths from Marco, and trim the nylon portion to fit. Here's one example, below. This is a pretty common wear item on games, and I keep a couple around for spares. I trim to length whenever needed. FYI.

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/515-7318-00

I have a confined, basement gameroom that requires moving down a narrow stairs with a 180-degree mid-turn landing and then a narrow hallway and a turn into a confined room. The only way to do this is to remove the head from games. Modern Sterns are stupid-easy to remove the head. Literally now takes me about 2 minutes. The playfield also comes out with just 3 or so connections. Once in parts, it's fairly trivial to dolly the games down the stairs. I use a cheap Harbor Freight appliance dolly designed to be narrow for just my application. I can move games down the stairs like this solo, though I do use a set of helping hands to pull them back up the stairs. FYI.

You're a brave soul, swapping in your GZ node 10 board. Should that also give up the MBS (magic blue smoke), you're out 2 games, with no guarantee Stern would warranty the second board. Until we have definitive proof of the cause of these failures, its a risk to just swap boards and expect this to solve the issue.

There is a less-than-perfect insurance policy Premium/LE owners can implement prior to a lasting solution to Node 10 problems. Disable both the clock and ramp in the settings. The ramp will stay up at all times, and I believe the software compensates for this (just like on the Pro models). Not ideal, but perhaps some peace-of-mind until a better solution arrives.

I would not under any circumstances unplug either the clock or ramp and turn the game on. This is a known cause of node 10 board failures. If the node 10 board is present in your game, it needs to connected to both motors at all times.

The proper way to disable the clock is via the menu under game specific settings.

Never, ever under any circumstance power on the game without both the clock and ramp attached to the Node 10 board. This is a known point of failure. And, basic trouble shooting that includes the phrase "if node 10 frys" as a way of determining the issue is perhaps not the preferred route to determine issues, but that's just my opinion and others likely know better than me...

I think Mr. Naked is technically Cygnus, the God of Balance. Apollo represents reason (the left side of the Brain) and Dionysus emotion (the right side). Together, these 2 hemispheres form the whole. At least, that’s what my teenage-self remembers from the lyrics when I wore this album out in 1978.

You may be right. It’s art. Ambiguity is part of the attraction. Heck, given that, let’s just say both of us are right. Though I now think you’re more right.

I'd cut off every overly-snug zip tie and inspect the wires. Several of us have found the insulation so crushed by these that they exposed bare wires from these tight zip ties. I removed all mine and resecured with much looser zips.

There's plenty of plunger assemblies available from these sources (search "plunger assembly" to see a long list). Just buy one with a longer nylon attachment and cut to length. I keep a few of these as spares in my parts bin.

example: https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/515-7309-00

Thank you for doing this test. Seems like important info. Perhaps I'll disable the ramp on my game (no node 10 issues, but only ~200 plays). Will be a long test, but be interesting to see if a board fails when only connected to the clock.

Regarding ongoing Node 10 failures. There’s a whole bunch of settings for the motor drives on the ramp and clock. Given the recent failure of a game with only the ramp connected, it’s pretty good evidence that it’s the ramp portion of the board is the one causing problems. This also makes sense given that the ramp motor is going to drive more mass and hence, draw more current (the clock is only moving the hand).

I have an LE build, no issues so far but only about 300 games. As a test, I’ve lowered the ramp movement and hold power (to 90 and 100, respectively from I think 130 and 150?). I couldn’t see any difference in ramp operation during play. My theory is some combination of current impulse is blowing the chip on the node 10 board. Anything to lower these is a good thing. I also think there’s a setting related to ramp timing? I may dial that back as well.

In the absence of something concrete from Stern, I appreciate the community contributing ideas and suggestions. I’ll run with these parameters and see what happens.

The holes are there. I can see the outlines. Punch out the little bit of wood left in them from underneath, then screw down your shaker. Nearly every newer Stern has this same issue - the hole punch doesn't completely remove the leftover bit of wood.

I also 3D printed the switch diverter. Perfect solution. Fits great, 100% ball registration. Had this for about 4 months, works perfectly.

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Rush is the next Stranger Things. Underappreciated at release, limited production. Game slowly builds a following and is appreciated for its unique features and great representation of theme.

Yes. I'd pay extra for the Premium just for the physical ball locks. Virtual ball locks are a scourge and should be avoided.

No comments yet on the new User Interface settings. This looks interesting. I'm downloading now...

- Added UI INTERFACE PANEL LEVEL adjustment:
- Default: FULL - matches previous behavior.
- Added additional options:
- NONE - Completely removes UI except for credits, ball in play, and
player scores.
- MINIMAL - Shows Time Machine and Mode Panels.
- ESSENTIAL - Shows RUSH spellout, 1-2-3 combo, and Drum Clock status.

So, so many complaints about the high price of the new topper. There's a HUGE positive aspect to this, too. Pinball is hot right now! We've had the release of no fewer than 6 new games this year. That's incredible! Why? Because the market can support this. Sure, they're expensive. Would you prefer the alternative? A slow, dead market that can't support new development and new releases? If these sky-high prices can't be sustained, they won't. A bit of patience will pay off in this case. I say, bring 'em on. A healthy, robust market in the pin hobby means more innovation, more choices, and more new product. That's not nothing.

You can easily remove the playfield without lifting it vertical. Slide it out and forward, disconnect cables in backbox, and lift it out. If you don't want to disconnect cables, there's just enough room to lift it out and place on a stool next to the cabinet or lean it up against the cabinet resting on the floor.

Heck, I got "vapor metallic" bulbs for free back when I bought well-routed machines. Usually the entire GI was "vapor metallic".

Awesome. I taught myself guitar in order to play Rush. 15 years later, and I love it. 2112, The Trees, Spirit of Radio, and 2 dozen others. Learning curve was steep, took a few years to get really comfortable. Makes me appreciate Rush all the more.

I'm still waiting for The Necromancer Wizard Mode. And the backstory as to why ByTor turned to the evil side.

Yep. Been there, done that. Obsessed over Hemispheres back in 1979 for the whole year, at least until The Wall was released. My intro to Rush was 2112. Another perfect masterpiece. Several prog rock bands had album-length songs. Thick as a Brick is one that stands out (Jethro Tull). Several Yes albums (Close to the Edge is probably the best; 3 songs total). And of course, ELPs masterpiece Karn Evil 9 from the epic Brain Salad Surgery (arguably the most famous album-length composition if not 2112).

Rush is my favorite band, full stop (see, username). But I wouldn't say Rush is the greatest prog rock band (that title IMHO belongs to Pink Floyd). Rush is more than Prog Rock, and their catalog proves it. They grew beyond the boundaries of Prog Rock in mid career. Rush has cited the bands (above) as significant influences. I get immense pleasure in exploring these bands. Some fantastic music and great ideas in these multi-layered pieces, a fact recognized by Peart among others. I'd add Alan Parsons to my list, another absolute genius and someone still actively touring (seen him 3 times since the pandemic).

Perhaps it's the SIC SD card that is corrupt? IIRC, there's 2 SD cards in these games, one for main code, one for IC.

The modern Stern stuff is fairly poorly made with nearly nonexistent QA. My last 3 NIB pins needed a thorough inspection to resolve dozens of loose posts, parts, etc. $2000 toppers. $200 shooter rods. They’re monetizing everything in sight, with a distant priority for quality. I bought NIB WPC95 pins, and those were far better made. Today, JJP and American Pinball (both of which I’ve bought NIB) are way-better built, with a few specific exceptions (JJP modern flipper clamps are garbage).

Stern’s business model works because they’ve been the only game in town for quite a while. Personally, it’s only great news for the hobby to have quality competition. It may take time, but Stern should face consequences for shoddy construction and QA.

My standard solution for redirecting scoops has been the same for 40 years: bend the curved metal. This works for scoops without welded braces (like Rush). I understand some folks are hestitant to do this, but it works. Easy peasy. I use a pair of vice grips with a clean rag to prevent any surface marks. Doesn't take much change to prevent SDTM ejects.

Put a twist in it. Doesn’t take much.

Ditto with FNO. Placed a topper order the first hour they were open, paid in full, and haven’t heard anything since.

Crickets from Flip n Out regarding my fully-paid in the first hour topper order. I sent an email a few days ago gently enquiring on status, haven't heard a thing back. I hate to be a pest, seriously, would just like some acknowledgement that they are aware I have a fully paid order. Anyone else order from FNO and hear back or receive anything?

The accepted business practices in this community are questionable at best. Prepaying large amounts and then waiting months for delivery is not only questionable, it violates most credit card company rules. Non-refundable deposits are also strictly controlled by the credit card companies, and nearly every supplier in this community violates those, too.

Its frustrating to put in an order with a well-known business, then 1) have them go radio silent while, 2) other distributors advertise the same parts as available with immediate shipment.

I'm just as guilty as anyone as I pre-order under these rules, too. Lesson learned. This should be my last full-pay-up-front preorder.

Simply stunning. $450 for this is a bargain in a world of $2k toppers and $600 sculpted backboards. Nicest mod for this game among many quality options. If I had a pro, I wouldn't hesitate. Great work.

I'm as big a Rush fan as anyone (see: username). I love the Rush pin. IMHO, JJP GnR has far-and-away the best light shows. Honestly, its not even close. The variety of the GnR light shows is unlike anything else. GnR totally changes character depending on the light show. Compare "Live and Let Die" for example with "Coma" or even the album modes like "Thirst for Carnage". These feel totally different and unique, thanks mainly to lighting. Full-RGB lighting with 450+ bulbs allows so much more than the standard STERN architecture. Stern is behind the times without full RGB. Rush EL lighting is good - very good. JJP GnR is blow-me-away astonishing. Just my opinion.
IMG_0095 (resized).JPG

The Kenwood KFC-13665 5.25" speakers are the ones used in the LE. They are my standard upgrade for Stern. Work great. You can either 3D print adapters or order new speaker panels to fit these larger speakers.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079SFC3P9

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5618745

I updated my post with a link to a good set of speaker adapters for 5.25".

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5618745

Pinball life sells an excellent all-metal speaker plate for Stern 5.25". A bit pricey ($50 for the pair), but worth it IMHO.

https://www.pinballlife.com/stern-spike-2-speaker-plate-for-525-drivers.html

I also upgraded my sub to the following. The combination of Kenwood backbox and this sub did great. No complaints on my end.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HJ0S88

Seeing all this Rush-love is frankly a bit hilarious. Most of us were Rush fans long before it was cool. I heard 2112 in 1976 when I was 11, and that was it. For most of the time Rush was releasing albums, the stuff you read in any main-stream publication was pretty derisive. Like the documentary said, Rush fans were the Trekkies of Rock. Perhaps in hindsight and given their long career (and Neil’s death), plus the aging of Rush fans to have real economic $$$, we saw hell freeze over with their election to the RRHoF, and now lots of love in the main-stream press.