My collection reflects the era I was brought up with - about 1975 through to the early 1980's. Big fan of Bally SS in that era, but had the pleasure of playing plenty EMs when I first got into pins. Of these, hands down I played more Gottlieb EMs than I can remember. I think a huge drawcard into EMs is if you were brought up with them. Not to say at all that there shouldn't be an interest in EMs if you weren't around in that day, but given I was brought up with it, I naturally gravitated to it once I got back into pins 5 years ago (after a 25 year hiatus!).
Currently have Gottlieb Buccaneer and Sure Shot, and a Bally Delta Queen. Fond memories of these machines, were around the corner of my school and we were there practically every day of the week. Trouble shooting EMs is not that bad, perhaps a bit daunting at first, but you slowly build up your confidence once you begin to understand the interactions between the relays, switch, coils, etc. Still amazing to think, once the machine designer had in his head what he wanted to achieve, coming up with the schematics that would work. Sometimes just gazing at the schematics it is a bit mind boggling how it all came together, and did so in a consistent/bullet proof way over the years. I mean like these things are 40, 50, 60 years old, and STILL working. Sometimes all it takes is the tweak of a switch blade, and she comes back to life.
