Seeburg Q100 new owner

Hi folks,
I'm not a "new" owner, really. I bought this box a year ago, it was really clean but didn't work. Really in excellent cosmetic shape. I know a guy who fixes phonographs, and he had never done a jukebox before, so he took it on, in his spare time, and just got it back to me. He basically cleaned and lubricated everything, and has to re-cap the amps. He says it needs a stylus, and he doesn't know how to get it off free play, so those are my questions for the group, I think I can handle these low-level repairs.
I don't want to spend $80 for a stylus, and I'm not concerned with originality, so where do people here recommend looking? And how DO you set it up to take coins. The coin mech works, and when you feed coins into it, you get the credit "clunk," but the keyboard locks out when I have the switch on the inside front left corner set to what I thought was coin op mode.

Thanks in advance! Looking forward to enjoying this Seeburg!

Please read all "sticky notices" above and provide more info, so maybe someone can answer your questions.
On the Stylii--. NO needles for that model have been available for a LONG time-- "Rumors" have it that some are in "the pipeline", "soon". These undoubtedly, will be in that price range, which I consider "reasonable", as it will be a limited production item. Considering today's up-front, design, production costs, these are actually selling for "less then" the OEM Seeburgs, were, when new !
Previous attempts at producing these needles, IMHO, proved to be "failures", to some degree, or another. The "failure rate", (once again,IMHO) progressed to the point where "pure junk" was all that was obtainable, for a number of years--till it all "ran out"). Ron Rich

Hi Ron,
Thanks. What else can I provide about the machine? It's a q100 SR, it has a red tone arm that says "Seeburg Stereo" on it. When I open the top, the left front corner has a three-position switch (spring loaded to the left, center, and right), with a red button next to it. The phonograph guy thought this was the free play/coin op switch.

Is it worth it to have the existing stylus re-tipped?

Thanks

Tom

Hi Tom,
As stated above,I think you need to purchase, and read, "the books", prior to "doing anything"--
Needle re-tipping, IMHO, depends on several factors--
1. "base"-- IMHO, in this case, only the "original's" are worth doing, 2. if you can find someone to do it, 3. correctly.
Ron Rich

I intend to learn as much about the machine as I can. Knowing my limitations, I did have a professional service it before bringing it home. At this point, it's a matter of sound quality, and wanting the coin-op feature to work. I realize that, as a matter of course, the machine will need other attention down the road.

I'm a master automotive technician, have been for 20 years. I'm on some of the car forums (specific to models I own), and I give what help I can. I respect that you, Ron, are the Seeburg guru, but what I'm asking doesn't require buying and reading texts right now -- that's why I paid for the refurbishment.

If someone asked me where their cabin air filter was located, I would usually just tell them, even if it's the 20th time on that forum; sure, they should get a factory service manual if they intend on working on their own vehicles, but for something simple, I don't mind giving free advice. I did do a forum search, and a Google search, and I can't figure out yet how to make the coin op work. Given the time, I will figure it out (I do much more technical work on a daily basis), but I was hoping for some friendly advice.

Thanks--
Tom

Tom,
No problem---I try to help, but sometimes not knowing skill level of the writer, and seeing as you apparently don't know
"the terms" used, it is very difficult to give advice over the internet-
If you had "da books", everything you have asked about is published there !
I, nor anyone else, that I know of, has the time to re-write the books, for each person that does not have a copy ( I'm sure that you would feel the same if I asked you for a hand-written copy of Chiltons Manual ?). If I had, worked on it, or "restored it" for you, I would have "given you a short course in "operation", at least !
I hope you now understand my position--
Ron Rich

Ron Rich wrote:Hi Tom,
As stated above,I think you need to purchase, and read, "the books", prior to "doing anything"--
Needle re-tipping, IMHO, depends on several factors--
1. "base"-- IMHO, in this case, only the "original's" are worth doing, 2. if you can find someone to do it, 3. correctly.
Ron Rich

Ooh, you dirty bird!
You've gotten tlardner pissy in a tizzy with you now!
You meany man!
He don't wanna read no stinkin' books!
He wanna jump right in!

Tom, it would be helpful if you can answer a few questions.

1) When the machine is powered do you hear the latchbar solenoid "clack" and thus lock the keys when they are pressed. IOW: Is the machine always on free play? If so, the credit unit has probably been modified.


2) The company that made the original styli for that cartridge (Pickering) stopped making them in 1990. Recently a European co. starting making good quality styli for the older mono pickup and announced plans to also make them for your type of cart as well. From what i've read the cost will be about $80 for a pair. If the quality is a good as promised, that will be the best-simplest choice for you. If your records are clean (washed), for home use you may never need another pair.

The alternatives are to either look for the retrofit stereo cart that Pickering/Stanton made briefly in the early 90s (quite expensive) or change the tonearm to a later model (post 1966) that can use the cheaper and more available styli. I have both of these options in commercial service, changing the tonearm assembly does require a fair amount of technical acumen and an assembly with cart and styli is going to cost considerably more than styli for your existing cart.

3) It might be a help if you would take a pic of that 'free play switch" along with a clear shot of the electronics on the rear door (both top side and rear with plate removed).

Rob/NYC

Thanks, Rob. It does not make that solenoid clack, so you are likely right about the credit unit. Thanks, both of you, for the info about the styli, it jives with what I have read... $79/pair is what I saw, not per.

Matt, no one's in a tizzy, we were having an adult conversation. Do you know what that is? I think I posted here, a few years back, about an old Magnavox console that I inherited. You answered in some similar, condescending,, sophomoric way. Seems to be your MO. We could talk cars, sometime, but that wouldn't be much fun for me, since I dont make it a point to ridicule those who know less than I do about what I do for a living. The fact that your username contains "tech" tells me all I need to know.