Seeburg LS1 Spectra owner - just found this site

I bought mine in 2001. It has more problems than the seller admitted/knew about. I tired Tony Miller's troubleshooting steps but I wasn't astute enough to succeed. Sorry to hear that Tony has passed.

An amusement machine technician, former Bally/Midway tester, found his way to my house last night, and he has said he would help me. He crawled around and found a few problems that we need to address.

I bought the manuals a few years ago, though they are at a well-meaning friend's house right now. I'm going to try to buy Tony's "Console Era" book, as well as Ron's book on Mechanisms to help us out.

Anyway, I found this forum today, so I am going to bookmark it as a new-found resource and hopefully post soem successes soon.

Steve

Hi Steve,

Please report the faults you currently have on your jukebox, I am sure that some member of this forum can offer you advice.

I would however read all the information that you can get written by Tony Miller, his knowledge will be sadly missed.

Regards
Alan Hood
ami-man
UK

ami-man wrote:I would however read all the information that you can get written by Tony Miller, his knowledge will be sadly missed.

Agreed. I suppose Ron Rich, who I noticed is also a member here, is now the reigning Seeburg authority. I'm going to archive Tony's websites so the information is not lost. I have asked my wife to buy Tony's books for my birthday. It may be a bit after that before I get them, though, as there are other priorities now.

Dear Steve...I'm brand new to this site. Been 'doin "jukes" since about 1989....started soldering when I was 6... I'm 62. Ron is one of the best. My input....(1) if you're going to get involved with these things.. 1st get MANUALS!. Then, take "apart" each section .. one at a time...and test it according to the "rules". If you're "electrically" and "mechanically" inept.. then get some training...education about what you're getting involved with. You must read & follow the factory schematics. I don't.. in any way.. mean to demoralize or critisize you. A few years ago, I had a friend who wanted to do his own repairs to an older juke. Unfortunately, he grounded himself to a charged power supply filter capacitor rated at 400 volts and nearly killed himself. Luckily...he only suffered "flash-burns".. like striking an electric arc weld rod with no helmut on!. He vaporized his screwdriver...and his heart beat returned to normal. His eyes were "sandy" for a while. More people are killed by 110 volts AC than 600+ volts and above due to improper training. If this is your 1st "venture" into these machines, which I've detected, there is no "quick-fix". Due to age, etc., components have degraded and have been worn. Take the time & patience.... Good luck with your jukebox! Dudge.

Reviving this thread because the guy who was going to help me moved away and I can't find him. Unfortunately, I'm now going to have to repurchase the service manuals my wife bought me for the LS1, as those are gone

This jukebox has been in a storage unit for two years, and I have paid more to store it than it is worth. I'd still like to fix it, but there seems to be no one in the area who is familiar. I'm about ready to go pick it up just to cut my losses on the storage unit. I don't know where it's going to go at the house. I am feeling a bit let down about the whole thing.

Anyway, I have looked at the Seeburg restoration section Always Jukin' site and I can't tell if any of those specifically address the LS1. It seems to fall outside the year range addressed by the DVD, though it does have a Tormat unit. It predates the Black and Gray boxes by one or two years and it also predates the Microlog era.

I want it to work, I'm just concerned that my electronics skills are based on too many slightly newer technologies to be able to map what I know to what it calls for.

Steve

Hi Steve,
The Service Manual "package", which includes the I&O manual, parts manual and the trouble shooting guide* is available from the suppliers listed above in the "stickies"-- The mechanism it self, is almost identical to the ones made in 1950, thru 1986. I have written a supplement "Seeburg Mechanism Guide" in which I attempt to cover what was not in the manuals. PM me if you would like to purchase a copy.
* there was no dedicated trouble shooting guide published for the LS-1/2 series phono's--one needs to use the SS-160 guide, as it is very nearly the same electronically, EXCEPT for the fact that the LS series mechanisms are native 45 rpm, while the SS-160 is native 33-1/3 rpm--
Ron Rich

Steve, here are some simplifies schematics from an LS2 -which is essentially the same as yours:
http://s1192.photobucket.com/user/Rob-N ... rt=2&o=105

http://s1192.photobucket.com/user/Rob-N ... rt=2&o=106

These are the write-in and read-out diagrams of the control unit.

if these make sense to you and you feel able to restore this machine yourself, I can scan in the schematics from the amp and mech. Most of the process will involve replacing capacitors, checking-replacing resistors, cleaning and de-pitting contacts and oiling the mechanism.

Otherwise, you are better off selling it for what you can get and cutting your losses.

The value of jukeboxes for the home market is in decline and the console era machines are not high-value to begin with, that and problem of trying to find competent people able to do in-person repairs means that collectors are increasingly on their own. Forums such as this can help -to an extent.

Sorry to sound negative, but these things can be a money pit if you aren't equipped to DIY.

Rob-NYC