The 455 bulb.
OK.. LEDs are a good idea to reduce the heat given from the filament of a bulb which does affect a backglass over time. LEDs give heat from the back and require heat sinking.. be that your standard bulb base or otherwise.
As far as I know there is no substitute for the 455 bulb.. but then again why would you need one?... They are an age old technology and personally I LOVE the little "pink" they make when switching off and on.
The filament of the bulb isn't on long enough to build up any heat.. everytime it warms up, the little strip expands and breaks contact and then cools off only to warm up again etc.
If you are an arcade and have your machines on show/ lit up/ waiting for a player/ enticing a player to drop a coin, then by all means LED's are a good idea as the warmth over the years will shrink the paint of the backglass.. but it does take absolutely years and replacing every part of light in your life isnt going to save the world or your backglass.. too many variables affect your backglass also..
For instance..
How well it was made.
How clean the glass was when silk screened
Quality of enamels.. we all know some glasses hold up better than others.
Ambient room temp changes.. heat and then cold will kill your backglass quicker than any bulb will.
Damp - biggest killer of them all.
In all honesty, in a home environment, your machines aren't on for enough hours a day for enough days to wreck a backglass.. it does take YEARS.
So go buy boxes of 455 bulbs as I have and keep their production alive... I love those little " pinkers"
