Coming attractions
Added 2020-02-27 04:00:56 +0000 UTCI'm excited for this!
I just got done wrestling with this beast. I needed to make sure the old thing still works, as it's never exactly been... fully functional.
Story time! This jukebox is arguably what turned me into the weirdo I am. When I was in 6th grade, so 12 years old, my family went to Cedar Point. That's an amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, for those unaware. Mainly known for their roller coasters. A restaurant attached to the hotel we were staying in had this Rock-Ola jukebox from the '50s, and it had this beautiful mechanism on full display. I was transfixed.
Somehow, some way, my parents then agreed to let me use my saved up allowance on the monstrosity you see. This is probably Wurlitzer's ugliest jukebox. It's... something, isn't it? Now, you might think this was no big deal, I just found a cool jukebox for sale, but no! This was cheap because it was broken!
I don't know why I convinced my young self that I could fix this, and I don't know why my parents fell for it, but later that year this thing appeared on eBay for not a lot of money. In fact it cost more just to have it moved! And, while it took the better part of a year, I finally figured it out. You can bet I was quite proud of myself!
This machine is incredibly fascinating, and I've been wanting to show it to you for a long time. I had been planning to do a sort of series on early automation, but as you may be aware series like that sort of get ignored after a while. So I think I'll start with a bang, and maybe visit some of the more basic concepts later.
Electromechanics are some of the most fascinating bits of ingenuity to me. To think that this machine is able to locate a specific side of a specific record, play it once, and automatically stop without any sort of logic circuitry at all is pretty wild to me! And I hope it is to you, too.
The jukebox hadn't been used in about 3 years; not since my parents moved. So it needed a little TLC to get it going, and it's still not right as rain. Though it never was! And now... a mystery. Presumably because they were fragile, I took the oddly-sized fluorescent tubes out of it when we moved it. It weighs 400 lbs so to move it my dad and I disassembled it and moved it in pieces. Well, I have no idea where they are. I've looked all over my parent's house, since presumably they'd be there somewhere, but no. This may prove to be a small problem, but hopefully I can find replacements if necessary.
Anyway, this video might take me a while to make. Or, it might go quite quickly - so much of it depends on how the writing and the shoot goes. I haven't written anything yet, in fact I don't even have much of a structure in mind, but when I'm passionate about things my productivity level can be insane, and I am really passionate about this!
In the coming days, two 2nd channel things should be up. But the next video on the main channel will be all about the Statesman, by Wurlitzer! Oh, and if this video piques the curiosity of viewers, I also happen to have an electromechanical pinball machine! I want to do the jukebox first, though, as the pinball machine is arguably less interesting. Its main electromechanical function is scorekeeping which is its own kind of fascinating, but I think it would be best to see how this goes, first.
Toodles!
Comments
That Wurlitzer is a thing of beauty! As others have noted however, it is sad that the mechanism is hidden from view.
Joe Johnson
2020-02-28 22:04:03 +0000 UTCoh snap, dope
TNSheep
2020-02-28 14:29:36 +0000 UTCMy dad maintained teletypes in the Alutian Islands during WWII. I have his army books on how those things worked. Basically a solenoid would stop a rotating drum at precise point that then tripped a mechanism to raise letter to paper. Everything relied on everything working on synchronous 50/60 hertz power to keep synchronized. Pressing a key would open close the line circuit at a precise point so all other teletypes would print that letter. Dad said when they worked, they were a marvel, when they didn't, you said things that would make a sailor blush....
2020-02-27 22:12:17 +0000 UTCCan't wait!
2020-02-27 22:09:04 +0000 UTCMany years ago we bought a Mills jukebox and I spent lots of time getting it working. An amazing mechanism full of relays and micro-switches to select the record. And then there was the amplifier with those glowing vacuum tube (thats transistors that glow!). Was really sweet when it all got going. What was fun was listening to the motors and solenoids and relays working to play the record then put it back. Had to sell it as we couldn;t have it in new home.
2020-02-27 22:01:26 +0000 UTCElder(ly) statesman 😜
Adam Wishneusky
2020-02-27 16:23:44 +0000 UTCIf you think electromechanical jukeboxes are amazing, check out electromechanical pinball machines from around 1974 - 1975. They're essentially doing math, and managing game state, across up to four people, along with high voltages for mechanical action on the game, and lighting, and sound (usually chimes!). They're scary complex but ingenious.
2020-02-27 13:33:52 +0000 UTCWe have a Seeburg 100B from my wife's youth which now has some issues. It shows how much easier things are to design with a microcontroller IC - it decouples sensors from actuators. Switching motor voltages around with switches, cams, and who knows what else ... I'm just glad no vacuum lines are involved. At least the mechanisms are generally accessible. Try working on a Kodak Carousel slide projector where everything was shrunk into a teeny tiny slab of electro-mechanical fusion where you need to be half welder and half jeweler.
2020-02-27 11:47:29 +0000 UTCJukeboxes are so cool! My grandmother used to live in Traverse City, Michigan, and they had this museum called the Music House nearby, dedicated entirely to self-playing music machines. Old fashioned music boxes, phonographs, jukeboxes, player pianos, and more. It's super cool and if you live nearby, you'd probably enjoy it!
Elizabeth Sullivan-Burton
2020-02-27 11:25:58 +0000 UTCSounds exciting ! 😃
joseph
2020-02-27 10:55:04 +0000 UTCIf you're making a series on electromechanics another type of device I would consider a "must cover" would be an old teletype. You'd think that as devices dealing entirely with digital data they would have to have some kind of digital logic in them but no! Check out the channel CuriousMarc for an in-depth series of restoration videos that also cover how they work.
Tyler Knott
2020-02-27 08:15:46 +0000 UTCThe main disappointment with the machine: The whole mechanism is hidden ! You cannot see the carousel rotate, the disc being picked up & moved to the player etc,,
Staffan Ahlstrom
2020-02-27 08:01:39 +0000 UTCOoh! I'm excited. New Patron here, after enjoying your videos for a couple of years.
housevil
2020-02-27 07:57:26 +0000 UTCDid any albums come with it?
Brett Walton
2020-02-27 07:49:26 +0000 UTCI would rather have a jukebox like this than a modern digital one. Jukeboxes these days are not the same as they were.
Brett Walton
2020-02-27 07:48:45 +0000 UTCCan’t wait to see. I have always been a jukebox obsessive. From an early age I remember two pubs on holiday that had jukeboxes. One had a Rowe AMI Diplomat which frustrated me as I couldn’t see the mechanism clearly through the little viewing hole, but still was fascinating. The other was a RockOla Tempo II - this was the one I loved as you could see the selector mechanism working and the record playing. And the Constellation II was my favourite but always super expensive. I tried to buy a tempo II around 20 years ago, and even then it was low £thousands. Now they sell for high £thousands. Still to this day in my mid 40’s, if I find a jukebox I’m transfixed. They’re a rarity in the U.K. - most went into private hands. Pubs if they have one most went digital and have touchscreen hard disk play out machines now. However strangely I’ve never seen the appeal of Wurlitzer jukeboxes. Even the classic one they have at Mels Diner on Sunset with the working wall boxes.
Mark Wayt
2020-02-27 06:43:17 +0000 UTCThese topics are great! I can't wait for them!
2020-02-27 05:17:37 +0000 UTCWow, that thing is huge! Really looking forward to see it in detail!
2020-02-27 04:57:56 +0000 UTCOn seeing the jukebox I am put in mind of a line from the 2nd episode of the revived Doctor Who back in 2005 -- "According to the archives, this was called an iPod."
Don Eitner
2020-02-27 04:52:33 +0000 UTCLooking forward to this one! I have always been a fan of Wurlitzer, their jukeboxes, as well as their other products, such as their automatic band organs and player pianos.
2020-02-27 04:40:10 +0000 UTCSpeaking from experience, they do in fact need constant adjustment and fixing
Technology Connections
2020-02-27 04:35:49 +0000 UTCAlways had a fascination for jukeboxes. I'd love to have one of the 60's/70's stereo Compact 33 EP ones but A) I'd probably never be able to afford it and B) I'm told they need constant adjustments and fixing.
Arthur Robillard
2020-02-27 04:34:53 +0000 UTCYou had me at "Pinball!"
blalo'u
2020-02-27 04:19:43 +0000 UTCOh yeah - the cringe is real! I still have the originals somewhere, though not sure where at the moment...
Technology Connections
2020-02-27 04:11:38 +0000 UTCIf you have time (and don’t already know about it) check out Joe’s Classic Video Games. They fix old pinball and arcade games as well as a few jukeboxes...my favorite! https://www.youtube.com/user/LyonsArcade
Paul Mills
2020-02-27 04:09:29 +0000 UTCAlso, nice labels on the front next to the coin slot. :D
Michael Dunn
2020-02-27 04:08:53 +0000 UTCGreat story! I can't wait to see your video about it so we can all learn how that 'electromechanic' automation wizardry works :)
Insider Chad
2020-02-27 04:08:33 +0000 UTCI can't see a picture of mountains and trees now without thinking of Bob Ross.
Michael Dunn
2020-02-27 04:07:27 +0000 UTCVery much looking forward to learning about this!
Porkchop
2020-02-27 04:06:57 +0000 UTC
