Jukebox question Changed my mind and got a Trash can!!

[loman4ec]

I am looking for a jukebox to use in my house. I want to spend as little as possible as we don't have a lot of money. I found a juke here local that is a good working juke that I can get for $100. I know it isn't the best looking but it would be a cool player juke to use in the living room. Someday I will upgrade to something better but what do you guys know about the 1970's Wurlitzers? He said it came out of his Dad's bar and then was in his house and has always played. I will repaint it and get it looking better but he says it plays. Is it worth that much? It does not come with the records at that price but I have a ton of records. his musis is not really to my taste so I would prefer to use my music, Here is the link. What do you all think. Is it worth that uch? If I ever decide to sell it can I get my $150 back out of it. I will pay $100 for it then I figure $50 cleaning it up and painting to get it usable in the house. Any input?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Working-Wurlitzer-Balti-II-Jukebox-Many-78s-60s-7-/160449770131?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item255b8d3293#ht_545wt_1139

[Kilroy]

I'm partial to the visible mech era, but if it plays, and sounds good, for $100 you can't go wrong.
Can you  resell it later?? I don't see why not. not everyone wants, let alone can afford  A  VL200 or C.

[loman4ec]

Never mind I just bought a trash can. I ended up getting a metal cabinet 148. I couldn't pass it up. I got a 148 for $125. It is complete except for the back door, the top dome and the top animation. One red side plastic is warped and one is good. It was last plugged in 15 years ago and it worked when it was unplugged. He spoke to a so called expert and was told not to plug it in and that it would have to be plugged into a device to bring it up to power slowly or it will blow the amp up. I have never heard of that. Have any of you? I have always just plugged in jukes when I get them. Well I go get it tomorrow morning. Another plus is the juke is only about 15 minutes away.

I think I did well on this one. What do you all think. Is that a good price for a trash can?

[Kilroy]

Um,  you know it was a  originally a 78 player.
The door is hard to come by,  but the other parts are available from Victory.
I think the power up slow  meant,  without knowing the condition of the caps,  it's not good to  plug in. Sound advice, since it's been sittting for 15 years.
  you did good Josh, i paid 400 for mine, and they do have a great sound,  and the last of Seeburg's  non visible mech players

[loman4ec]

It is actually still a 78 player. I want to be able to play records and also see if I can tap into the amp and hook my ipod to the amp and play ipod music. Is that possible to do with the original amp? The signal should be the same as the record player right??

I am glad to hear that I got a good deal. I thought $125 was a good deal. What is on the back door besides the door? Is the door wood or metal? This is a metal cabinet machine? Does anyone have a metal cabinet trashcan? If yes can you send pictures of the back door?

[Kilroy]

Never tried to  hook up an amp to  an ipod, sohould work.
I  have to get over to my Dad's this weekend, I where my 148 is stored, I can  get pictures for you , and I promised Collecture I'd go  looking  for the Westinghouse Jr  parts.
As I recall, the rear  of the 148,  and doors   are metal,  unlike the later seeburgs,  no amp or stepper was attached to the back.
 It's also to my knowledge the only  all metal chassis jukebox. The door is just pressed sheet metal, with a lock.  Should be  easy to fabricate.

Welcome to the trashcan club,   and feel free to contact me  via pm or Jlajb  at motorcity jukebox.com anytime

[David D]

congrats that's a great deal, not sure what's available on 78's but you should be able to find something.

[BrianB]

Josh,

Congrats on the Seeburg 148. My first juke was a 146. I got a chance to dig pretty deep into it as far as the mechanism and the electronics go. They are very robust machines and the record mechanism is an amazing peice of engineering.

When it comes to powering up antique/vintgae electronics it is always recommended that you power them up slowly. Why? Let me explain.

The main concern is the capacitors. The primary focus within the caps used are the electrolytic caps and oil filled paper caps. In the older amps, such as yours, there are a combo of mica, ceramic and electrolytic caps. The "Paper Caps" are made out of rolled paper and are oil filled. After years of use, or non-use, they physically dry up. Here's the problem, you apply instantaneous 115V to a dried up cap and the potential for a blow out or a fire is greatly increased.

If you use a variable power supply such as a Variac to slowly ramp the power up, you "gracefully" apply power and the likelyhood of blowing a bad cap or making fire are greatly reduced.

Here's  a picture of some paper caps that I replaced from a antique car radio just to give you an idea of what to look for. I personally replace ALL capactiors in any old amp that I work on and any out of tolerance or bad resistors.

[mznb1u]

Nice juke, Josh!  And I would listen to BrianB about those capacitors and powering up slowly.

If you over-power the flux capacitor you could end up back in 1954! 

  Tim

[loman4ec]

Does anyone have the mnual for one of these in soft copy that I can use? I need to trouble shoot the mech. It works great but one selection is stuck in the play position and I need to reset it. This thing was full of old 78's also. WHen I first turned it on the turn table was spinning and I out a record on it and it played great and then it took a selection and everything wrks but one selection is stuck and won't go in. If I can figure out the mech this thing will play great!

[loman4ec]

Well its home and it works. I didn't listen to you all (actually I hadn't read the replies yet) and plugged it in. It woseren right up and it plays and sounds good. One selection tray is stuck and I cant get it to retract. I really need a manual ASAP. Does anyone have a soft copy for me? I will pay you to send it if it is possible. I need it ASAP. Here are some pics


The top plastic is missing but it is covered with masonite and it looks Ok. I will keep it that way for now until I can afford the animation and plastic dome. Are these slate 78's worth anything? u have never heard of any of the artists except for one Glen Miller record.

[loman4ec]

more pics

[bubba]

Hey Josh... look here.. http://jukeboxrepairservice.com/manuals.html I didn't seen one for the whole machine, but it is for components.. may find yours listed

[BrianB]

Josh,

Happy to hear that you breathed some life into it! Also happy to hear that you didn't release any "magic smoke". If you do plan on keeping it for any length of time, re-cap it! I will poke around and see if I can find my manual. I believe it covers all (3) Trashcan's, 146, 147 & 148. It is a very, very, good spiral-bound reproduction with all of the fold out pages as well as the regular.

I'll let you know ASAP.

[Jim]

Josh,

I probably have the manual...
I'll check in the morning and posy back...

[loman4ec]

That would be great! Do you have it in hard or soft copy? Heather hates it so I don't think I am allowed to keep it. She picked it out in the book but she didn't think it was so big. She thought it was tiny and now she sees it and its 5 feet tall and about 4 feet in diameter and she doesn't want it in the house. It looks like I will be fixing it up to sell. She doesn't understand the collecting hobby and just wants a stereo instead I have her talked into a Rockola 1493 princess or something small like that. can these trashcans be converted easily to 45's? She would be much more into it if it played 45's.

[Kilroy]

The offical answer is  , yes they can be converted,  adaptor trays and new gears are avaIlable, 
I wouldn't  change it over, but then I wouldn't drop a 4 banger into a 59 'vette either.
Sell it as it is to someone who will finish it, you will  make a profit with out adding anything, and be warned, when you can find a princess, they go for  more than a few bills. Maybe look at a  Seeburg B, they can be had for under   $750

[loman4ec]

Im actually in luck I have a family member that has a princess that may sell it cheap. I found a top dome for this juke so I am going to complete it then sell it whole and working.

[davethebirdman]

My first Juke was a Princess... Lovely. Wish I'd never got rid of her.
They are big monry over here. About the only juke that has gone up rather than down.

[loman4ec]

Everyone that either has a trashcan or has a manual I need your help. I have a one record tray stuck in the play position. So another tray went to select and it out and now they are both in the play area. I need to know how to retract them back with the rest of the stack. There has to be a switch or something that allows me to bring it back to the rest of the plates. I need your help ASAP! Please give me your info. Remember  I know nothing about this juke.

[loman4ec]

Anyone have the manual? If you have the CD and it is too big ti en=mail can you just send me the record mech section and the troubleshooting area. That would be a huge help

[loman4ec]

Also if anyone has one or has had one I need to know how to reset two selections. I have two record trays in the play position and I cannot get them to go back to the right side.

[loman4ec]

Ok I fixed that problem. Brute force fixed it. Now I have it playing but it just keeps on cycling and it plays the same selection it also starts the needle about three quarters of the way to the end. but it does sound great!

[Kilroy]

The manuals I have are buried at the shop. It may be a few days, or  the w/end until I can get to them. Sorry Josh.

[BrianB]

Josh,

I got my manual dug out of a closet downstairs in the basement last night. As far as the problems that you are now having:

Effect: Needle starting part way out on record
Cause: Tone Arm rest set wrong
Correction: Adjust position of rest. This can be done by loosening the two screws that hold the rest in place.

or

Same effect different cause.
Cause: Tone Arm doesn't latch into rest on finish of record.
Correction: Adjust "free hanging" position of Tone Arm, adjust position of Tone Arm on Tone Arm Shaft.

Is the needle skidding across the record or is it just simply starting at the 3/4 point?

I am emailing you some scanned pages, hope they help.

[SIGNGUY]

Josh,
Here is one located in Minneapolis, it's got the top and the back door for $300
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/clt/1826366905.html