Back Box Speaker Replacement

There are different procedures to follow based on the type of speaker or display panel used in your game (metal, wooden, or plastic). For games with a metal speaker panel no modifications to the speaker panel are required; the panel is sized to accommodate 6-1/2 inch speakers on each side. For games with a wooden display panel and an alphanumeric display we'll modify the right speaker cutout to accommodate a 6-1/2 inch speaker. For games with a wooden display panel and a dot matrix display we'll modify the right speaker cutout to accommodate a 5-1/4 inch speaker. For games with a plastic display panel you can choose two different approaches for the right speaker: replace the existing mounting plate with one designed for a 5-1/4 inch speaker, or use an adapter plate and a 3-1/2 inch speaker.

Types of Speaker or Display Panels

Metal Speaker Panel

The first Bally-branded WPC games produced by Williams used the Bally-style back box, with the back box speakers mounted on a metal panel above the back glass. The dot matrix display on these games is mounted to the front of the back box insert panel and is visible through a clear "window" in the screened back glass.

Games with a metal speaker panel (listed alphabetically):
Black Rose, Dr. Dude, Gilligan's Island, Harley Davidson, Party Zone

(Note that most Dr. Dude games use the System 11 sound board and are not covered by this guide.)

Wooden Display Panel - Alphanumeric Display

Games that used an alphanumeric display (Funhouse and The Machine: Bride of Pinbot) have the back box speakers and the alphanumeric display board mounted to a wooden panel; the translite assembly rests in a plastic U-channel on the top of the panel. A screened plastic panel with graphics from the game theme is adhered to the front of the wooden panel via double-sided foam adhesive.

Alphanumeric display games with a wooden display panel (listed alphabetically):
Funhouse, The Machine: Bride of Pinbot

Wooden Display Panel - Dot Matrix Display

The majority of WPC-89 and WPC-S games were produced with a wooden display panel. These games have the back box speakers and the dot matrix display mounted to a wooden panel; the translite assembly rests in a plastic U-channel on the top of the panel. A screened plastic panel with graphics from the game theme is adhered to the front of the wooden panel via double-sided foam adhesive.

Dot matrix display games with a wooden display panel (arranged alphabetically):
Addams Family, Corvette, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Demolition Man, Dirty Harry, Dr. Who, Dracula, Fish Tales, Flintstones, Hurricane, Indiana Jones, Indianapolis 500, Jackbot, Johnny Mnemonic, Judge Dredd, No Fear, Popeye, Road Show, Safe Cracker, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Terminator 2, The Getaway High Speed 2, The Shadow, Theater of Magic, Twilight Zone, World Cup Soccer '94, Whitewater, Who Dunnit

Plastic Display Panel

In general, all WPC-95 games have a plastic display panel; the only exceptions are Safe Cracker (which has a wooden display panel) and Cirqus Voltaire (which integrates the speakers into the translite assembly). A plastic display panel has a somewhat rough surface and has a "Bally" or "Williams" logo in chrome script below the dot matrix display. The holes for the display panel speakers are square with a slight outward curvature of the edges.

Games with a plastic display panel (listed alphabetically):
Attack from Mars, Cactus Canyon, Champion Pub, Congo, Junk Yard, Medieval Madness, Monster Bash, NBA Fastbreak, No Good Gofers, Scared Stiff, Tales of the Arabian Nights

Back Glass / Light Tub

Cirqus Voltaire has an unusual configuration with the speakers mounted directly to the "light tub" behind the back glass. The most reasonable method for this game is to use the 3-1/2 inch adapter plate method from the section on games with a plastic display panel; trying to modify the light tub to accommodate a larger speaker is very risky, and is not recommended.

Back Box Speaker Replacement Directions

The directions for each type of speaker or display panel are fairly long; they have been separated into individual sections to improve usability of this guide. Proceed to the appropriate section for games with a metal speaker panel, games with a wooden display panel (alphanumeric or dot matrix display), or games with a plastic display panel.

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