# Episode 42 - Ding Ding Ding **Source:** For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast **Type:** podcast_episode **Published:** 2015-04-22 **Duration:** 7m 20s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://foramusementonly.libsyn.com/episode-42-ding-ding-ding --- ## Analysis Nick Baldrige discusses electromechanical pinball chime boxes, comparing construction methods across manufacturers (Alvin G., Williams, Bally, Chicago Coin, Allied Leisure). He explains chime mechanics, the importance of chime bar construction and amplification chambers, maintenance considerations, and shares his preference for Alvin G. chimes for their superior tonal qualities versus the 'plink' sound of competitors. ### Key Claims - [MEDIUM] Alvin G. and Company chimes produce a more pleasing, musical sound compared to the 'plink' sound of Bally and Harry Williams games — _Nick Baldrige, podcast host, based on personal listening experience and preference_ - [HIGH] Chime bars are typically three per chime unit and are relay-driven — _Nick Baldrige, based on technical knowledge of EM pinball design_ - [HIGH] Harry Williams chime boxes use plastic amplification chambers that degrade over time, producing muted plunks, while Alvin G. uses all-metal construction — _Nick Baldrige, technical comparison of two manufacturers_ - [HIGH] A stuck playfield switch will cause the chime to fire immediately and can burn out the chime coil if not corrected — _Nick Baldrige, technical warning about chime box operation_ - [HIGH] Chime box plungers are typically tipped with nylon to provide a softer strike surface than metal-on-metal — _Nick Baldrige, technical explanation of chime construction_ ### Notable Quotes > "In my case, I prefer the sounds of Alvin G. and Company's chimes, and the reason for this is because I feel like they produce the most pleasing sound instead of the plink sound which can be prevalent in Bally and Harry Williams games." > — **Nick Baldrige**, ~2:30 > _Establishes host's personal preference and frames the comparison lens for the episode_ > "The plunger construction on a chime box is different than on a bell or any other solenoid for that matter. They typically tipped with nylon and that gives them a surface which is softer than metal on metal which allows for some flex when the chime is struck." > — **Nick Baldrige**, ~5:00 > _Explains a key technical difference in chime box design across EM machines_ > "In Alvin G. and Company's case, it's typically all metal, and you don't have anything really of quality or to complain about in an Alvin G. and Company chime box. The same can't be said for anybody else." > — **Nick Baldrige**, ~6:15 > _Asserts superiority of Alvin G. construction compared to all competitors_ > "If that has worn down, which it will over years, then the sounds that you receive from the chime box will be these horrible muted plunks and plinks and nothing like the strong dings that you should hear." > — **Nick Baldrige**, ~7:30 > _Describes degradation pattern of plastic-chambered chime boxes and impact on gameplay experience_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Nick Baldrige | person | Host of For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast; EM pinball technical expert and enthusiast | | Alvin G. and Company | company | EM pinball manufacturer known for chime box construction; host's preferred chime sound | | Williams Electronics | company | EM pinball manufacturer using plastic-chambered chime boxes in comparison discussion | | Bally Manufacturing | company | EM pinball manufacturer; noted for 'plink' sound in chime boxes compared to Alvin G. | | Chicago Coin | company | EM pinball manufacturer mentioned in chime box comparison | | Allied Leisure | company | EM pinball manufacturer mentioned in chime box comparison | | For Amusement Only | organization | EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast hosted by Nick Baldrige | ### Topics - **Primary:** Chime box construction and mechanics, Manufacturer comparison (Alvin G. vs Williams vs Bally vs Chicago Coin vs Allied Leisure), EM pinball maintenance and troubleshooting, Audio design in EM pinball machines - **Secondary:** Chime coil failure and prevention, Collector preference for specific manufacturer chime sounds ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.75) — Host expresses clear appreciation for Alvin G. chime construction and design philosophy while offering critical but measured commentary on competitors' plastic-chambered designs and sound quality. Educational tone with enthusiasm for technical details. ### Signals - **[sentiment_shift]** Collector preference for chime sounds correlates with location play experience and manufacturer familiarity rather than objective technical superiority (confidence: medium) — Host notes 'most of the time it tends to be the manufacturer that they played the most on location, or that they played the most as a collector' - **[design_philosophy]** Alvin G. and Company's all-metal chime box construction represents intentional engineering choice for superior tonal qualities versus competitors' plastic-chambered designs (confidence: high) — Host's technical analysis of construction differences between manufacturers and acoustic engineering principles involved --- ## Transcript What's that sound? It's For Amusement Only, the EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast. Welcome back to For Amusement Only, this is Nick Baldrige. As a follow-on to yesterday's episode about bells, I thought today we could take a minute and talk about chimes. Each manufacturer had their own method for implementing chimes. Each chime is relay driven and typically there are three different chime bars in a single chime unit. Chimes were produced into the solid state era as manufacturers were uncertain whether people would appreciate or use these machines with these computerized sounds versus the pleasing and soothing sounds of the EM chime box. Many people have a preference for the manufacturer that has the chime sound, and what I've found in my ramblings is that most of the time it tends to be the manufacturer that they played the most on location, or that they played the most as a collector. In my case, I prefer the sounds of Gottlieb's chimes, and the reason for this is because I feel like they produce the most pleasing sound Instead of the plink sound which can be prevalent in Bally and Williams games They tend to be more musical Now, there's probably a few reasons for this, not the least of which is that the length and construction of the chime bar itself, looks like a xylophone key, is different between the manufacturers, but also the chamber, which is used to amplify the sound, is different between the manufacturers. And I feel like Gottlieb's is probably engineered in such a way that it makes a more pleasing noise than Williams, Bally, Chicago Coin, Allied Leisure, etc. Just take your pick. so the thing about um chime boxes is that you can have various things go wrong if you have a stuck switch on your play field when you turn your game on a chime will sound immediately and stop this is a warning to you to turn the machine off if you don't then the chime coil will heat up and burn out, and then you will have quite a job on your hands to replace it. They're not terrible to replace, typically. As with any coil, it's just a couple of solder joints, and then you whip it off. But what makes it difficult are the plungers. The plunger construction on a chime box is different than on a bell or any other solenoid for that matter. They typically tipped with nylon and that gives them a surface which is softer than metal on metal which allows for some flex when the chime is struck So aside from the chime bars, the coils, you also have the mechanism that it sits in. And this mechanism, as I mentioned, is used for amplification. In Gottlieb's case, it's typically all metal, and you don't have anything really of low quality or to complain about in a Gottlieb chime box. The same can't be said for anybody else. So let's take a Williams, for example. Their chime box uses three chime bars And they are mounted in a similar way to Gottlieb's chime bars However, their amplification unit is made out of plastic It's basically a plastic tub that the chimes sit on That plastic tub sounds pretty nasty if the buffer or baffling, whatever the word is I'm searching for, it's an insulator between the plastic and the metal chime bars. If that has worn down, which it will over years, then the sounds that you receive from the chime box will be these horrible muted plunks and plinks and nothing like the strong dings that you should hear Even with the properly rebuilt chime box there just something about the Gottlieb construction which makes a more pleasing tone Again, I'm not certain what it is, if it's the chime bars or the brackets, or if I'm just a big Gottlieb fan, which it certainly sounds like listening to these podcasts. And I do appreciate much of what they did. So, if your chime is firing, you need to find that playfield switch if it's stuck. Or you need to look at your relay or switch on the motor, which will drive the chimes and inspect that closely. It could be that it's just stuck closed, or the switch tabs are touching, or any number of other maladies. However, once it's adjusted, you should have trouble-free operation. The chimes are relatively simple. They're a little more complex than the bells, but not by a whole lot. There's just more of them than the bells. You have the same basic mechanism. something strikes something else and you get a noise. So that's all for tonight. Thank you for joining me. My name again is Nick Baldrige. You can find me at foramusementonly.libsyn.com. While you're there, you can listen to any of the shows or you can reach me at foramusementonlypodcast at gmail.com. And you can listen to us, aside from our website, on iTunes, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, via RSS, or on Facebook. Thank you again for listening and I look forward to talking to you next time. _(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 5cc4539d-8f84-4291-b0ef-9c0908545792*