Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Jukeboxes

This is topic Jukeboxes in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-26-2009, 03:49 AM:

I don't know how many other jukebox fans there are out there, but for some reason I decided to look at youtube to see if there were any interesting 'boxes and I found a few unique ones.

Here is a jukebox mechanism I've never seen before. Quite interesting.

This jukebox has the stylus mounted backwards on the tone arm. Very odd to look at for everyone used to, ummm...virtually every other record player around.

I've seen jukeboxes that play the record vertically, but this one can actually play both sides and looks like some sort of 1950's science fiction robot.

Posted by Matthew Bailey (Member # 601) on 04-26-2009, 04:01 AM:

I have a 1954 Seeburg R I'm trying to restore. It's outside under my carport but I have the mechanism in my bedroom to protect it from the outside elememts. I think the Seeburg background music player was also used by some cinemas & the music on some of the records sound like the music on some of the drive-in intermission trailers. Also,the person who owns Ohio Seeburg Repair & it's website under the You Tube name SeeburgRepair has a collection of drive-in speakers (RCA or Projected Sound,I don't know what brand)

Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 04-27-2009, 09:32 AM:

It might be considered too common by Jukebox lovers, but the Wurlitzer 1015 is the one I'd have in my possession if the circumstances were right:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLVT6o6-zGA

The curves, the colors, and the bubbles... yeah, someday, I'll have one.

If I were in charge of a theater chain and money were no object, when it came time to design a new theater, I would take the architect to see a Wurlitzer 1015 and say "Design me a theater around this" [Smile]

Posted by Sean Weitzel (Member # 244) on 04-27-2009, 02:27 PM:

I had to make a choice between collecting film and having a jukebox and I chose film, but I still admire old jukes. My aunt and uncle in Wyoming have a completely original pristine Rock-O-La 1426 in their dining room.

Having said that, no thread about jukeboxes would be complete without mentioning the Scopitone. Scopitone was essentially a film jukebox that pioneered the concept of the music video. Rolls of 16mm mag striped songs were loaded in and the unit had a big viewing screen on the top. I searched youtube but have yet to find anyone demonstrating the operation of one. This site links to some info about the units themselves and the available titles. http://www.scopitonearchive.com/

Posted by Todd McCracken (Member # 4718) on 04-27-2009, 02:56 PM:

http://www.brutallo.com/scopitone.html

Jukebox films galore! Pre Mtv music video's.

Edit: Of course you can now make your own
http://www.thepcjukebox.com/home.htm

Posted by Bob Koch (Member # 1062) on 04-27-2009, 03:01 PM:

Brad:
These were really interesting and I hadnt seen them before.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-27-2009, 04:06 PM:

quote:
the Wurlitzer 1015 is the one I'd have in my possession if the circumstances were right:

Now is a good time to bitch at these youtube idiots. Don't just leave the camera sitting on a table when videoing a jukebox. We want to see the record mechanism do its thing and then while the record is playing show off the lights and such. Idiots! [Mad]

Wow, the Cinebox looks a bit like Wall-E. Those old Scopitone films on Todd's link are pretty awful (but awful in sort of a good way). MP3 jukeboxes are just lame though.

Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 04-28-2009, 03:14 PM:

The YouTube videos are pretty poor quality, here's a better one that at least gets closer to the mechanism as it is operating:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQFge8HBxiU

I promise, if anyone sends me one of these, I'll take the best video possible and post it! [Smile]

I can agree to an extent on the MP3 jukebox not being the same as a 45 or 78 rpm original, as there is something very tactile about seeing the mechanism doing its thing. Maybe that's one reason why the new "One More Time" replicas don't appeal to me as much.

The tube amp would have something to do with it as well, as it would have a sound that isn't going to be the same with a contemporary solid state amp.

However, the replicas still have the bubbles and lights, and that's something. I've always liked the design of that box, with the wood, the chrome, the red buttons, the lights, and the bubbles. Somebody knew what they were doing when they created that design!

Posted by Matthew Bailey (Member # 601) on 04-29-2009, 08:38 PM:

I found this page on American & foreign made jukeboxes. Jukebox-World Stamann Musicboxen The jukeboxes that are similar to the vertical play Seeburg jukeboxes:Jupiter/Atari/Electro-Kicker NSM Harmonie Emaphone Kolumbus Gedasa KB Discomatic-John Lennon had a KB Discomatic RCA/Victor-which uses a KB Discomatic mechanism

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 04-30-2009, 03:21 PM:

I have a 1971 Rockola 445, currently stored at a friend's place. really pretty blue and pink and purple graphics...

I might bring it back home soon, I do miss it...

-Aaron

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 05-01-2009, 03:42 PM:

Over the years, I have had and restored many jukes since I was 13. I currently have a pristine Seeburg "R".

My favorites are:
The Seeburg HF-100R

)

The Seeburg L100:

and the AMI "I"

...all super-cool machines.

[ 05-01-2009, 04:55 PM: Message edited by: Phil Hill ]

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 05-02-2009, 08:09 AM:

Boy, you guys bring back memories. In the '60s I built a broadcast automation system out of an old juke box and a cart machine. Worked OK, but abused records. Real Rube Goldberg system. Louis