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Complete Bubbler jukebox conversion - CD to VINYL.

Pick Holder

Pick Holder

Site Supporter
5Years
Joined
Jul 18, 2016
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Location
Bournville, Birmingham.
Having looked online for years now I have never found a decent vinyl bubbler jukebox.

Sound Leisure do one but it is about £9000.

So I decided to grab this sound Leisure Gazelle 70 play jukebox.

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Ironically I actually restored this very machine (I estimate) 18 years ago - back in my Jukebox days. Of course back them the price of these were less than half what they are now (Jukeflation).

Bought the machine knowing the laser is okay, which I will sell on - along with some other bits I can.
 
Meet the 'doner' machine.

A 1983 Sound Leisure Micro 140.

Purchased this before Christmas as I wanted a small vinyl and I actually bought a digital bubbler at the same time (which I was going to convert but had 2nd thoughts!).

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I do not have exact photos of my machine - these are just ones from a website. it is not really that much of an issue as I just needed a working jukebox.

Back 15-20 years ago I used to pay silly money for these but again, the price has rocketed as these are a nice compact machine. But ugly as hell.
 
FIRST JOB:
FIT MECH, AMP, CONTROL BOARD AND TRANSFORMERS FROM MICRO 140 INTO GAZELLE BUBBLER:

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Not a hard job.

2ND JOB:
Interface the Selection buttons and LED display.

So at the moment the jukebox does actually work. It allows selection, and play of the vinyl mech.

Going well.

Here is a picture of both the machines (my digital and gazelle vinyl).

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3RD JOB:

Strip the cabinet.

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4TH JOB:

THE PARTS ORDER !

Spoke to sound leisure and have on order:
New title card module, which will be motorised rather than turned by hand like it was off the ark!
New ouside plastics as originals did have quite a few marks as well as annoying cracks and other cosmetic damage.
New gazelle piper decals.
New curtain for behind mech.
Mechanism cover and new decal stickers
Replacement mirrors on the edge
.... plus numerous things I have not put down!

Also ordered 20 meters of RGB LED strip to do custom lighting instead of the usual rotating plastic coloured plastics that do tend to make a right racket!

Ordered parts to re-cap amplifier and main control boards.

So - as of tonight - it really is a work in progress.

It is not going to be a MINT restoration as the whole jukebox would have to be refinished, but I do think it will end up as a 9.5 out of 10 for condition.

Overall the sound is very good. Has a nice 12 inch bass driver that is original and does sound great so I will not be messing with the audio system. If it works - dont touch it :)
 
Well - today I am going to continue this. After a couple of days of feeling the lurgy - here is my update:

Sound leisure parts arrived. I am noe £600 worse off, as well as £45 in LEDs.

£30 for new Styli - best to replace both but I will do this as the last job.


The new plastics needed shaping by hand. This has probably taken me about 10 hours to get perfect.

LEDs look very good but needed to fit a defuser over them, and happy with the results.

The old Gazelle plastics are replaced by the 'deer or buck' plastics due to the fact that some people do not like a 'naked image' on their machine. A little stupid I know but politically correct.

Probably 85% thru and still lots to do. The tidying up stuff does take a while.

Next job is more electronic stuff.... Freeplay button, volume control and reject button being mounted on a custom plate...

More to come.
 
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Latest picture !

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New parts arrived.... nice new finger plates....

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The guts!

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Some of the old bits.....

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A few more shots....

SO - to finish off.....

Some new mirrors to go on the side of the cabinet
New surround to mechanism
New 'shelf' graphic with 'now playing' indicator

Also the mechanism needs a service, which wont take long as i just needs some ligjht greasing and cleaning.
 
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Well - it is time to call this project finished.

Very happy with the way it has gone.

A couple of mirrors to finish on the outside but thats only 30 mins work.....

BUT - I do have another bubbler now to start. See my other post.
 
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