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Description
This is one of the most sought after jukeboxes ever made by Rock-Ola. Classic mid-century design and a truly authentic tube amplifier sound, it plays 100 x 45rpm vinyl records (200 selections). It has been fully refurbished and has had a full “nut and bolt” restoration. Our engineers have completely taken the whole machine apart, the last time it was in pieces it was in the former Rock-Ola factory in Chicago!
The wooden cabinet has been stripped back to the bare wood, filled repaired and repainted. The metalwork has been polished and re-chromed, we used the same company that does the chroming on all of our vintage jukeboxes. The mechanism has been completely stripped and refurbished. Importantly the amplifier has been set up and perfectly paired to the original speaker system, it rocks! It is sold in a grade A1 condition.
She is just about as good as we can get her, we know a thing or two about Jukeboxes, we have been restoring them since 1962. As with most jukeboxes of the period, one can enjoy the theatre of watching the discs being selected from the carousel before being lightly placed on the turntable by a mechanical arm.
These jukeboxes are further distinguished by a complete title strip assembly which displays all the selections at once, organised by musical styles. Pushing one of the top category buttons lights up an arrow pointing to a vertical section of title strips for the corresponding category.
Over the years we are fortunate enough to have gathered together a select few individuals whose enthusiasm for jukeboxes, pinball machines and vintage arcade games ensures that they are never less than 100% committed to the task in hand. They quite simply love breathing new life into old circuitry and want to see as many of these classic pieces preserved for future generations as possible.
Not for them the perfunctory checklists and proverbial ‘tyre kicking’ which pass for an inspection at other dealers but instead an unflinching determination to get to grips with the detail. This usually begins with a thorough strip down of the machine and a forensic examination of the internal workings. They’ll be aware of the particular quirks and foibles of any given piece and instead of just replacing failed parts they’ll always go the extra mile, swapping out components that are likely to fail in the near future.
An obvious comparison would be between a classic car that remains on show in a garage and one that you can actually enjoy driving, to see in detail the process involved see our blog post.
Rare though many of these machines are, rarer still are the examples that have been properly restored or can truthfully be said to be in full working order. It goes without saying that when unrestored machines come up for sale online or at auction, they’ll often be priced rather lower than the machines sold by The Games Room Company, and the point we wish to get across above all others is that there’s a reason for this.
In this business, The Games Room Company’s reputation is second to none, and as it’s been hard won over the years it’s something we never take for granted. Every machine that goes off to a customer, be they corporate or private, is a potential advertisement for the business and if we didn’t do our job properly then we wouldn’t have the high number of loyal, returning customers that we do.
We’re justly proud of our One Year Parts and Labour Warranty, which extends to on-site visits so if your machine does require some attention, you won’t necessarily have to endure the pain of separation.
We’ve always recognised that with specialised products such as these the after sales service is just as important as the initial sale. It takes a long time to build a reputation and over the years our commitment has won us not just the loyalty of our clients but also the trust of the last remaining American Jukebox manufacturer, Rockola, who in 2014 appointed us as their Exclusive British dealer.
The Games Room Company is the official UK distributor for Rock-Ola jukeboxes (one of the most recognised brands in the world), and we’re now the largest retailer of them in the country. Originally founded by Reginald Waldersmith, our company has been selling jukeboxes since 1962, so we know a thing or two about our products! Our showroom will gladly assist you with any questions you may have before or after you purchase any Games Room Company equipment.
Music and Title Cards Pricing
The charge for vintage records is £15 + VAT per record, this covers most records however some are highly collectable for which we have to pay a premium and are charge at a higher price. The title card service is £150 + VAT for a handmade set.
It is quite an involved process supply records as we buy them in from dealers or collectors, they will only guarantee the "A" side, so often many records do not pass with us because we always supply records with playable "B" sides as well as the "A".
The centres are then cut (big hole centres) which also leads to some breakage as some of the records split due to their age. Finally they are hand washed and then played both "A" and "B" side on a gramophone for sound quality, only then are they fit to go on the Jukebox. The final check is again playing "A" and "B" side as you would hear it on your Jukebox.
It's all about delivering good quality sound for our clients and if you are investing in a vinyl jukebox the standard of the records have to demonstrate the high standard of our restorations.
Please contact us if you are interested in this service.
Details
- Model Empress 1497
- Made in Chicago, USA
- 200 x 45rpm vinyl record selections
- Speaker - Bass: Jensen 35391
- Cartridge - Astatic 17 with needle Astatic N-41
- Key - F-592
- Size 76 x 153 x 70 cm / 29.875 x 59.875x 27.5"
- Weight 142 kg / 313 lbs
Delivery
- Free UK delivery
- Please see here for further delivery information & exceptions
- Please contact us for an international shipping quotation
Original 1962 Rock-Ola Empress 1497 Jukebox
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