jasonl
New member
Check this Seeburg 222 on Youtube. OH MY GOD!
Dream machine!
Dream machine!
The Queen Mother of Jukeboxes
- Thread starter jasonl
- Start date
58limited
Well-known member
I've always wanted a 50's Jukebox, but they cost almost as much as a 50's car.
jasonl
New member
Rick
That's the 1960 model. Kinda slimmed down but still one of the good ones and I'd take one of those as well.
That's the 1960 model. Kinda slimmed down but still one of the good ones and I'd take one of those as well.
Hey Jason, it's a Q-160, from 1959-60. The stereo tube amp was rebuilt by Harold Hagan of Always Jukin Magazine. I rebuilt the rest of the juke.
It is the same size cabinet as any of the other 1950's models, except for the V-200 of 1955 and the VL-200 of 1956. The Q-160 is taller than the other jukes, so it makes the juke cabinet look more narrow than the other models.
I hope you get your Seeburg someday Jason. If I sell this one, I will let you know first. It has the great bass even at low volume, which is something that Seeburg was famous for.
It is the same size cabinet as any of the other 1950's models, except for the V-200 of 1955 and the VL-200 of 1956. The Q-160 is taller than the other jukes, so it makes the juke cabinet look more narrow than the other models.
I hope you get your Seeburg someday Jason. If I sell this one, I will let you know first. It has the great bass even at low volume, which is something that Seeburg was famous for.
jasonl
New member
sound
You know I've never listened to a vintage seeburg box, but I know the ones from the 70s were great for disco music because they had good bass.
How wide is the cabinet on that box? I'm thinking it would fit perfectly in the corner of my laundry room. I just have to move the computer out, scoot the vacs, the Magnavox out of the way and I'll be ready to juke.
You know I've never listened to a vintage seeburg box, but I know the ones from the 70s were great for disco music because they had good bass.
How wide is the cabinet on that box? I'm thinking it would fit perfectly in the corner of my laundry room. I just have to move the computer out, scoot the vacs, the Magnavox out of the way and I'll be ready to juke.
Jukeboxes are amazing machines. Long before the invention of the transistor, or any digital microprocessors, these things existed, and did their job quite well! An amazing amount of electronics engineering went into these things to make them do their thing. The level of expertise that went into designing something like a jukebox from that era is something I cannot fathom.
I know if I needed to design a control system to operate a jukebox now, the task would be rather simple. Just pick a variety of programmable chips on the market, write a program of a few KB, and connect it up to the approperiate input and output devices...a few switches and relays, and you're all set. Back in the 50's though, all that stuff had to be Hard wired with discrete components!!!
I know if I needed to design a control system to operate a jukebox now, the task would be rather simple. Just pick a variety of programmable chips on the market, write a program of a few KB, and connect it up to the approperiate input and output devices...a few switches and relays, and you're all set. Back in the 50's though, all that stuff had to be Hard wired with discrete components!!!
chad_hauris
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2006
- Messages
- 94
The memory systems on many jukeboxes through the mid-late 70's (Rowe, Wurlitzer, Rockola) were completely electro-mechanical...a solenoid on a rotating device would rotate around to push out a memory pin for the desired record, which was then canceled when the record played.
Seeburgs from the late 50's on were slightly more high-tech, using a core memory.
The Rowes began to use IC memory in the late 70's/early 80's.
I much prefer working on the old mechanical models as they can be repaired indefinitely, even if you would have to make the parts.
Seeburgs from the late 50's on were slightly more high-tech, using a core memory.
The Rowes began to use IC memory in the late 70's/early 80's.
I much prefer working on the old mechanical models as they can be repaired indefinitely, even if you would have to make the parts.
Man Rick, that Mills is stunning - the Mills machines always had such a nice choice of colors on their Jukeboxes. So, what do you have loaded into the Seeberg and Mills - as far as I know, they haven't pressed any current Hip-Hop on 45's or 78's ;-)
Ben
Ben
No rap on the Mills...Got Motown on the Seeburg though
lol!! No Ben, I cannot seem to find much music that I like for the Mills. There are a few good ones that I have in there, big band music from the 1940's. I like that once in a while.
The Seeburg is stocked with mostly Motown music, and some R&B from the 1950's. Some rock and roll hits,and even a few hits from the 70's/80's too. I have thousands of 45 rpm records. Don't change them out very often, because the title strips have to be done on a typewriter. (a real pain)
We play the rap and hip hop on the Sansui stereo system with the big mean Sansui speakers.
BTW:The boyfriend been teaching me how to do the Crip Walk. Can't wait to do it out in the driveway this spring! *grin*
Will post a few more pixs of the Mills for you. Happy Holidays dude!
lol!! No Ben, I cannot seem to find much music that I like for the Mills. There are a few good ones that I have in there, big band music from the 1940's. I like that once in a while.
The Seeburg is stocked with mostly Motown music, and some R&B from the 1950's. Some rock and roll hits,and even a few hits from the 70's/80's too. I have thousands of 45 rpm records. Don't change them out very often, because the title strips have to be done on a typewriter. (a real pain)
We play the rap and hip hop on the Sansui stereo system with the big mean Sansui speakers.
BTW:The boyfriend been teaching me how to do the Crip Walk. Can't wait to do it out in the driveway this spring! *grin*
Will post a few more pixs of the Mills for you. Happy Holidays dude!
exploder3211
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2006
- Messages
- 1,664
Never seen inside one before.>WoW
Chad
(formerly exploder321)
Chad
(formerly exploder321)
..
The mechanical parts are always way over built on the Mills jukes.
Mills Novelty Company made slot machines and other vending machines that saw lots of abuse, so their machines were always very solid and strong. The jukeboxes were built the same way. It made for a very durable, but very heavy jukebox.
The mechanical parts are always way over built on the Mills jukes.
Mills Novelty Company made slot machines and other vending machines that saw lots of abuse, so their machines were always very solid and strong. The jukeboxes were built the same way. It made for a very durable, but very heavy jukebox.
Man, Rick, those jukeboxes are beautiful! Record changers were my 2nd big interest as a kid and watching the jukebox work kept me occupied while the adults lingered over coffee and conversation at restaurants. How great to have them in your own home! The one that plays '78s is so cool.
My God Rick, that thing is unbelievable! The pre-resto pic is absolutely crazy - who in their right mind would paint SILVER over the woodwork and plastic trim? I dunno. The changing mechanism is out of this world. It looks like it has a good layer of lubrication to keep things moving swiftly. How much actual work did it take to get the Mills up and running - minus the amp rebuild? Is the cooling fan used to keep the power supply at bay? I also noticed some conduit and a junction box with plug - almost as if this thing has it's very own grid! Was any of the plastic trim broken at all - because wow - when that thing is glowing - watch out!
I can't wait to hear some big band pumping out of that thing, and also some kickin' Motown on the Seeberg some day.
Ben
I can't wait to hear some big band pumping out of that thing, and also some kickin' Motown on the Seeberg some day.
Ben
Simply stunning,Rick!
kennyGF
kennyGF
Rick,
Nice job on the Mills, you don't see one of those every day!
For title strips, if you have Microsoft Word, go here: http://home.wanadoo.nl/mwe.roos/jukebox.htm
You'll never use the typewriter again. I use the 'bookman old style' font.
For those of you still running a mono redhead cartridge in your Seeburg, Vern Tisdale has a new cartridge available, see link below. It uses regular Pickering stereo needles.
Ken
Proud owner of:
Wurlitzer 412
Wurlitzer 2150
AMI D-40
http://www.verntisdale.com/
Nice job on the Mills, you don't see one of those every day!
For title strips, if you have Microsoft Word, go here: http://home.wanadoo.nl/mwe.roos/jukebox.htm
You'll never use the typewriter again. I use the 'bookman old style' font.
For those of you still running a mono redhead cartridge in your Seeburg, Vern Tisdale has a new cartridge available, see link below. It uses regular Pickering stereo needles.
Ken
Proud owner of:
Wurlitzer 412
Wurlitzer 2150
AMI D-40
http://www.verntisdale.com/
the story of the Mills....
Thanks guys!
It took a year to restore this juke. Usually working on it on the weekends.
This juke was located on an army base in Southern Texas. The wood had five coats of paint on it. It was so thick the paint was cracking in places. Most of the time was spent in rewiring and stripping the paint off.
The mechanism was so gummed up and filthy, we used engine degreaser on it. We pulled the mechanism first, and sprayed the engine degreaser off at the do-it-yourself car wash. It really was that bad!
The coloured panels were polished with toothpaste, and the metal trim was polished at a metal shop. The amplifier and speaker were working ok at the time, so they were only cleaned up. All this work was done in 1975. I was in college, and had limited funds, and limited time.
By 2003 it was time for a "spruce up" Harold Hagan rebuilt the amp and recored the 15" speaker, I replaced all the light bulbs again, cleaned and lubed the mechanism. (minor work) and replaced the grill cloth for the second time.
I have had this jukebox since 1965. I was 10 years old. It was my first antique, and it was not worth anything at the time. My Great Aunt Maxine gave it to me while my family was visiting them in Texas. Maxine gave it to me as a joke on my dad, because he had to haul it up here. The juke was at my parents house in Indiana from 1965, to 1974.
This is a photo of me with the newly restored Mills, taken in the basement of my apartment in 1975.
Thanks guys!
It took a year to restore this juke. Usually working on it on the weekends.
This juke was located on an army base in Southern Texas. The wood had five coats of paint on it. It was so thick the paint was cracking in places. Most of the time was spent in rewiring and stripping the paint off.
The mechanism was so gummed up and filthy, we used engine degreaser on it. We pulled the mechanism first, and sprayed the engine degreaser off at the do-it-yourself car wash. It really was that bad!
The coloured panels were polished with toothpaste, and the metal trim was polished at a metal shop. The amplifier and speaker were working ok at the time, so they were only cleaned up. All this work was done in 1975. I was in college, and had limited funds, and limited time.
By 2003 it was time for a "spruce up" Harold Hagan rebuilt the amp and recored the 15" speaker, I replaced all the light bulbs again, cleaned and lubed the mechanism. (minor work) and replaced the grill cloth for the second time.
I have had this jukebox since 1965. I was 10 years old. It was my first antique, and it was not worth anything at the time. My Great Aunt Maxine gave it to me while my family was visiting them in Texas. Maxine gave it to me as a joke on my dad, because he had to haul it up here. The juke was at my parents house in Indiana from 1965, to 1974.
This is a photo of me with the newly restored Mills, taken in the basement of my apartment in 1975.
may as well post this too.... League City Texas....
Can you guess which kid is me??
The one in the white pants. The only one with a grin, because I was 10 years old,and had my own Mills Empress Jukebox! I remember the kids at school did not believe that I had my own jukebox.
Ken, why don't you throw some pixs up? Would love to see your jukes!
Can you guess which kid is me??
The one in the white pants. The only one with a grin, because I was 10 years old,and had my own Mills Empress Jukebox! I remember the kids at school did not believe that I had my own jukebox.
Ken, why don't you throw some pixs up? Would love to see your jukes!
Wow Rick - what a great story. What a joke on your Dad - hauling home an old jukebox! I bet he just 'loved' his sister at the time! You've probably owned it longer than anyone else too! Great pics by the way - love the '59 Taillamps ;-) I know the whole group really appreciates all the time that you and your family put into taking photos through the years - what a great glimpse at history!
Ben
Ben
Thanks Ben! Nobody else wanted the photos, so I took them and put them into an album. Took me about a week to sort them out and put them together by decade. It's worth it though. Much better than having them stuffed into a bunch of old shoeboxes. What is the reason to take them over the years, if they remain all mixed up and in boxes?
The 1959 Cadillac was my Aunt Maxines car. The 1964 Ford Galaxie just behind the Caddy was ours.
The 1959 Cadillac was my Aunt Maxines car. The 1964 Ford Galaxie just behind the Caddy was ours.
Gee,we know where one of those Caddies resides........
kennyGF
kennyGF
