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Console Era Jukeboxes
Seeburg
started what came to be called the 'Console Era' in 1962, when the LPC1 Console began production. The
other manufacturers soon followed suit with their versions. In my opinion, this era lasted until 1968,
ending with the LS2 Gem. I suppose it could be argued that all machines built
after 1961 could be considered as 'Console Era', since all machines followed
this styling concept. Please note that the
year listed below is the year in which the machine was first
produced. It would be considered as the following year's model. The prices
listed below came from a Seeburg Phonograph Reference sheet, which was basically
a price list listing various features of each machine.
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LPC1 Console 160
selections, 33⅓ RPM native, 45 RPM
with Auto-Speed engaged.
LPC1R same as above
except equipped for remote selections.
Introduced August, 1962. Price
$1933 (LPC1), $1995 (LPC1R). Universal Pricing became
standard starting with this machine.
Seeburg introduced the 'Console Era' with
this machine, and the competition soon followed with their versions. No
longer is the mechanism visible, and won't be in a Seeburg machine until
the SMC1 of 1978 (and then only the turntable is visible). This machine normally
played at 33 1/3 RPM (to stimulate the sales of Seeburg's own 'Little LPs'),
and used an Auto-Speed to change the frequency of the motor power when a
45 RPM record was played. The record speed was determined by sensing the
size of the record center hole. In this and the following LPC480 model,
if both sides of an album were selected, the 'A' side played first,
followed immediately by the 'B' side. Originally, this machine was
shipped with the same 'ear' speakers (but with different graphics) as
were standard with the previous
DS100, DS160 machines.
Shortly after introduction, these speakers became optional. The LPC1
sounds significantly better with a pair of DS speakers attached.
There was also a hideaway (HLPC1) version of this
machine. Its price was $1598.
Books applicable to this machine:
Console-Era Comboination offer,
Console-Era Jukeboxes,
Mech book |
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LPC1B 160 selections, 33⅓
RPM native, 45 RPM with Auto-Speed engaged.
LPC1BR same as above
except equipped for remote selections.
Introduced October, 1963. Price
$1933 (LPC1B), $1995 (LPC1BR).
It's identical to the
LPC1 (above), except that the cabinet is finished in a blonde color
scheme. Thanks to Kevin Green for providing this photo.
Books applicable to this machine:
Console-Era Comboination offer,
Console-Era Jukeboxes,
Mech book |
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LPC480BL 480 Console in blue grille cloth.
160 selections, 33⅓ RPM native, 45
RPM with Auto-Speed engaged.
LPC480BLR same as above
except equipped for remote selections.
Introduced May, 1964.
One of my favorite machines (so much so, I put
another photo below). This machine was in production when I first
started working at Seeburg, fresh out of high school. Probably the most
complex machine ever built by Seeburg (except for the
AMS1 home unit, on
the Home/Commercial Units page). Very similar to the LPC1, except
for the new upper speaker grilles and an album facsimile display panel above them. This
latter was a 'play stimulator' to increase customer play. When a selection is made, the
facsimiles light up in seemingly random order for about 15 seconds, and
then stop on a specific album picture. The customer can then play
that album for a reduced price, as long as the select button is
pressed while the display is lit. This was controlled by an 'Album Scan
Control', a special chassis inside the box. It proved very unpopular, and I
doubt you'll find one nowadays with it intact; it was illegal in some
states. Most machines
just have this entire area blanked off. There was also a discotheque
version (LPC480D/DBL) of this machine available, even MORE complicated than the
original. Like the LPC1, this machine also played normally at 33 1/3 RPM, and used the AutoSpeed whenever a 45 RPM record was played.
Books applicable to this machine:
Console-Era Comboination offer,
Console-Era Jukeboxes,
Mech book |
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LPC480T 480 Console, in orange
(called 'burnt tangerine' by Seeburg). 160 selections, 33⅓
RPM native, 45 RPM with Auto-Speed engaged.
LPC480TR same as above
except equipped for remote selections.
Introduced May, 1964.
Also available as
a discotheque model (LPC480DT). Both Discotheque versions had an added
switch in the rear, which when in the Disco position, would only play those
records in the pre-defined Disco groups. For the non-Disco (i.e.,
normal) machines, these same groups defined the album groups and
controlled how the now-playing indicator worked (if an album, only the
'A' side indicator lit, otherwise, the current play side indicator lit). The
Disco version also had another amplifier, the TSA3 installed rather than
the TSA1. The only difference between amplifiers is a couple of
miscellaneous connectors. Part of the Disco kit was a selection of
external speaker systems, which were quite well designed and built,
featuring Altec-Lansing horns and Utah Woofers.
Books applicable to this machine:
Console-Era Combination offer,
Console-Era Jukeboxes,
Mech book |
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U100 Mustang 100 selections,
45 RPM native, 33⅓ RPM with optional
Auto-Speed engaged.
Introduced January, 1965. Price:
$1095.
One of my least-favorite
Seeburg jukeboxes (my apologies to those who
own or
admire them). This machine was the industry's first all Solid State
machine.
Books applicable to this machine:
100 selection combination offer,
100-Selection book,
Mech book |
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U100D Discotheque, Jr.
100 selections, 45 RPM native, 33⅓
RPM with optional Auto-Speed engaged.
Introduced ? 1965.
The disco version has
sometimes been confused with the later
SMC1 Jr., probably because of the
name similarities. The SMC1 was called Disco. An Auto-Speed (33TASU4) was
optional for this machine, and the U100 above. Photo courtesy of Hildegard Stamann, of
Stamann
Musicboxen.
Books applicable to this machine:
100 selection combination offer,
100-Selection book,
Mech book
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APFEA1
Fleetwood 160 selections, 33⅓
RPM native, 45 RPM with Auto-Speed engaged.
PFEA1U
Electra 160 selections, 33⅓ RPM
native, 45 RPM with Auto-Speed engaged.
Introduced September, 1965.
Price: $1398 (PFEA1U), $1535 (APFEA1).
Both machines are externally identical, with the same basic cabinet design as the LPC series. Here, Seeburg
took the Discotheque fad to its final extreme. These machines played
normally at 33 1/3 RPM, using the Auto-Speed for 45s. The APFEA1 played
albums in the same manner as the LPC series - if both sides were
selected, the 'A' side played first, followed by the 'B' side. For the
PFEA1U, album sides were played in the same manner as singles - as the
carriage got to them.
Books applicable to this machine:
Console-Era Combination offer,
Console-Era Jukeboxes,
Mech book |
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SS160 Stereo Showcase. 160 selections,
33⅓ RPM native, 45 RPM with
Auto-Speed engaged.
Introduced September, 1966.
Last
machine to play natively at 33 1/3 RPM. All later machines (prior to the
SMC1) were either
45 RPM only, or used an optional Auto-Speed to reduce the motor speed for
a 33 1/3 RPM record. The 1978 model SMC1 finally deleted the Auto-Speed option
altogether,
playing 45s only.
The upper panel rotated every few seconds, showing one
of three scenes including album covers to stimulate play and to attract
customers to the machine.
Books applicable to this machine:
Console-Era Combination offer,
Console-Era Jukeboxes,
Mech book |
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LS1 Spectra 160 Selections,
45 RPM native, 33⅓ RPM with
Auto-Speed engaged.
Introduced September, 1967.
This machine started another new
cabinet style, which lasted for three model years. Here, the album
cover also rotated every few seconds (in the photo, the album cover is
the picture of the blonde girl just
above the selector -who, according to Brenda Fleming, is Samantha Fox).
The LS1 and LS2 below offered a
'Two Quarter Bonus Kit' and a 'Dollar Pre-Select Kit'. I am
looking for information on both. If your machine has either, or if you
have any information beyond what is in the Service Manual for this
machine, please contact me.
Books applicable to this machine:
Console-Era Combination offer,
Console-Era Jukeboxes,
Mech book |
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S100 Phono Jet 100 selections,
45 RPM.
Introduced 1967.
First of a
new, smaller cabinet for the 100 selection machine. Note the resemblance
to the SS160. Thanks to Dennis & Sue Lavin for providing this photo of
their S100.
Books applicable to this machine:
100 selection combination offer,
100-Selection book,
Mech book |
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LS2 Gem 160 selections,
45 RPM native, 33⅓ RPM with
Auto-Speed engaged.
Introduced 1968.
With this model,
Seeburg had finally had enough of the rotating album cover display.
The LS2 and LS1 above offered a
'Two Quarter Bonus Kit' and a 'Dollar Pre-Select Kit'. I am
looking for information on both. If your machine has either, or if you
have any information beyond what is in the Service Manual for this
machine, please contact me. If
you look closely at the illustration, you will notice that this machine
has the Dollar Pre-Select Kit installed. The select buttons are
the white rectangles below the coin entry, just to the right and above
the selector keys.
Books applicable to this machine:
Console-Era Combination offer,
Console-Era Jukeboxes,
Mech book |
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SE100 Golden Jet 100 selections,
45 RPM.
Introduced 1970. Price: $1150.
Warmover of
the earlier S100 styling, with an additional speaker panel above the selector. Very
appealing to apartment dwellers since it takes so little space.
The SE100S is shown, with the optional speaker panel above the selector
buttons. The base unit (model SE100) did not include the upper speaker
cabinet.
Books applicable to this machine:
100 selection combination offer,
100-Selection book,
Mech book |
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SX100 Marauder 100 Selections,
45 RPM.
Introduced 1972. Price: $1095.
Probably the
smallest juke ever built by Seeburg. Sort of reminds me of a Remington
Electric shaver.
Books applicable to this machine:
100 selection combination offer,
100-Selection book,
Mech book |
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SL100 Carnival 100 Selections,
45 RPM.
Introduced 1973.
Warmover of
the previous year's SX100, but much more colorful.
Books applicable to this machine:
100 selection combination offer,
100-Selection book,
Mech book |
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SB100 Magnastar 100 selections,
45 RPM.
Introduced 1975.
First
machine of a new, attractive cabinet style, with graphics primarily in
green and blue. When I asked our industrial designer why so much green,
his response was "People in the Orient are very attracted to green".
This is the last machine to use the electro-mechanical pricing and selection system
that had been in production for a decade. This model also introduced the
SHP2 amplifier, a lower-powered version of the SHP1/3.
Books applicable to this machine:
100 selection combination offer,
100-Selection book,
Mech book |
Even though the remaining
jukeboxes could be considered as members of the 'Console Era', I have decided to
end it here. The next group of jukeboxes are from Seeburg's 'Digital Era', which
started in 1969 and ended in 1978. The 'Digital Era' consists of machines using
the digital 'Black & Gray Boxes', or the 'Red Box'. Chronologically, many of the machines
pictured above overlap portions of that era. Click
here to see the digital machines.

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