1975 Gottlieb Gold Strike Add-A-Ball (AAB) Wedgehead Pinball Machine - A CLASSIC

Description

1975 Gottlieb Gold Strike Add-A-Ball (AAB) Wedgehead Pinball Machine:
Here is an
all-time CLASSIC pinball machine!
Along with its more readily seen replay cousin, El Dorado, this machine is one of the best to play with a GREAT playfield layout, challenging skill shots, and addictive gameplay that will keep you playing "just one more game."  In addition to Gold Strike, this playfield layout was so popular and fun to play, it was used on a BUNCH of different Gottlieb machines including El Dorado, Lucky Strike, Canada Dry, Target Alpha, and Solar City.  One advantage that Gold Strike has over the others in this series (other than Lucky Strike) is that it offers the
add-a-ball (AAB)
feature.  For home-use play, that may be the most desirable feature a pinball machine can have since it allows you the opportunity to keep playing your current game with extra balls.  For collectors, AAB also means a collectible machine because they were always made in much smaller production numbers when compared to machines that offered the ability to win free games.  As an example,
there were only 675 Gold Strike machines ever made
(compared to 2875 El Dorado machines!)  Couple that with the fact that it is a GREAT game to play and you have a winning combination.  If you love drop targets like I do, this is the machine for you!  It features a total of
fifteen drop targets
, with ten across the very top and another five on the right side.  Your skill shots will definitely be tested as you try to knock down all fifteen in order to have a chance to rack up some extra balls.  It also offers a nice western theme with graphics EVERYWHERE on the backglass, playfield, plastics, and cabinet sides.  This particular machine also offers
nice overall cosmetics
, allowing it to be immediately placed in any prominent location in your home.  But maybe more important than all of that, this machine is
PLUG AND PLAY!
Get it home and start to play!  It doesn't get any easier or any better than that!
Although this machine is technically mechanically unshopped by me, other than replacing all of the bad bulbs, it is working very well.  It only gets limited use by us (the main reason we are trying to sell it) so it does show an occasional sign of that like a bell not ringing, a target not registering, etc., but overall, it is playing very well right now.  My guess is that with more play, the minor glitches will resolve themselves but at the worst, plan on giving this machine a tune-up for optimum 100% accurate play.  It shouldn’t need much more than that.  It is playing pretty fast with strong flippers that easily shoot the ball back to the top of the playfield.  Game-play functions are working well, including the AAB feature.
Get this machine home, plug it in, and PLAY!
It doesn't get any easier than that!  But as I said, a quick tune-up is sure to give you even better play.  With overall nice cosmetics, this machine can become the star attraction in your gameroom.
The backglass is a new reproduction from The Shay Arcade Group and it is about as close to perfect as you could hope to find.  If you take the glass out of the machine and hold it up to a light source, there may be a couple pin-prick sized imperfections in the paint along the far edges, but I guarantee you won’t see them when the glass is installed in the machine.  For all intents, this glass is perfect!  The colors are all excellent and bright with no sign of any fading.  The western graphics definitely keep with the overall theme of the machine and look very nice.  No disappointments here!
The playfield paint is in pretty nice shape, too.  It does have some noticeable imperfections to mention, but nothing that is horrible.  There isn’t really any wear in the paint, but you can start to see the woodgrain below the paint, especially in the solid colored areas and more so in the yellows.  Besides that, there are some minor chips around a few of the round plastic inserts, and again in the solid yellow areas.  None of these imperfections are terrible, but you can see them.  In my years of dealing with EM pinball machines, I can say that I have seen a LOT worse, but I did want to mention them.  PLEASE don't get the idea that I am trying to degrade this playfield because that is the furthest from my intent.  This is a nice looking playfield, but it isn’t perfect.  If you only want absolute perfection, this playfield will fall short, but if you're looking for a nice looking playfield on a working machine, please keep reading.  All of the colors are nice and bright with no sign of any fading.  The western graphics are in excellent condition, including the cowboy and horse in the upper portion.  All of the playfield plastics are in place with great colors, no fading.  The lower left slingshot plastic has a missing broken bottom corner and the large plastic across the very top has a vertical crack in the center, but it is complete and could be glued, if you wanted.  This plastic set has been reproduced so if you want perfection, you can have it, though.  For me, these imperfections weren’t bad enough for me to replace them.  All fifteen drop targets are in excellent shape with no cracks/breaks.  Their face graphics are in great shape, too, with only minor wear.  The top ten feature cacti graphics on their faces while the lower five have horseheads on them.  The two round pop bumper caps look almost new.  Many of the rubber rings are excellent but a few could use replacement, again, for optimum play.  The bottom metal playfield apron is in great shape with only a couple VERY minor nicks/scratches in the surface.  There are original instruction and score cards in place.  The score card has some handwritten numbers over the originals but could serve as a template for you to make a new one.
Playfield features include ten drop targets across the top, three rollover lanes in the upper right corner, two round pop bumpers, four flippers (two near the top and two in the lower traditional location,) two rollover lanes on the middle right side with one on the middle left side, two paddle targets, a rollover star button, five drop targets on the lower right side, a set of two rollover lanes along each of the bottom sides, and various other rubber contact points that award scoring.  See why this playfield is so popular and fun to play?
There is a LOT to aim for with a variety of targets to test your skill shots.
The main object is to down all fifteen drop targets.  During the course of play, a lit circle moves from each of the top and bottom drop target banks.  By hitting that drop target when lit, you score 5000 points; otherwise, drop targets score 500.  All of the rollover lanes also cycle through by lighting to award more points than when unlit.  Once you down all fifteen targets, you score 5000 points, all 15 reset, and it lights "Lit drop targets score WOW (AAB.)"  If you then hit a lit drop target, you win an extra ball!  Keep hitting lit drop targets and keep winning more extra balls!  You can have up to ten balls to play during any one time during the game.  But once that ball drains, all drop targets reset and before you can start winning more extra balls, you have to down all fifteen targets again!  You can also win extra balls for achieving certain scoring levels.
This is a FUN machine
to play
that tests your skill shots and aim.  And it isn't as easy as it may sound!  I can't tell you how many times your game ends with only one drop target left to hit, or how many times JUST after you down the last drop target your ball drains.  VERY frustrating, but also VERY challenging.  "Just one more game."  Yeah, right...  NO issues with the gameplay!
The cabinet paint appears to be original.  It has the usual minor nicks, chips, and scratches, but nothing major.  There is also some wear around the flipper buttons and coin door from hands rubbing against it over the last 46 years!  But even with those minor imperfections, this is a NICE looking cabinet.  The colors are great with no sign of any fading.  Western graphics prevail on both sides!  The coin door and entry plate have some minor surface rust and scratches.  It looks like a lot of it should buff out, but you may be left with a small amount in the end.  Both are straight with no dents.  The quarter coin mech is in place on the backside of the door and the machine does play from coin, awarding credits.  There are locks/keys for both the coin door and original metal backbox door.  The chrome legs are in near-new shape with no surface rust.  They literally look like new and the leg bolts are new!
This is a NICE looking machine!
Payment for the machine is to be received within seven days of the end of the auction.
Credit cards are accepted through Paypal.  Provided it is paid for at the end of the auction, I can hold the machine for as long as you need so you can make arrangements to either pick it up or have it shipped.  If picked up, ONLY cash will be accepted, or a Paypal payment must be made prior to pickup.  Whatever pickup/shipping method works best for you, I'll try to accommodate your needs, but payment is still to be received within seven days of the end of the auction.
If you need shipping, I would recommend you contact
Michelle Bianchi, Beltmann Agent, at
michelle.bianchi at beltmann.com
, 630-352-3312 (toll free 800-959-8880) for a quote.
Available shipping options include door to door service including all of the loading, unloading, blanket-wrapping, shrink-wrapping, etc.
When shipping multiple machines, the "per machine" cost is SIGNIFICANTLY reduced, so make sure you look at my other auctions and/or ask me what other machines I have available right now!
I have also worked with a few other shipping companies and can help steer you in the right direction.  My preference is to work with a company that provides door to door service which includes all loading, unloading, shrink-wrapping, blanket-wrapping, etc.  In rough numbers, it generally costs about 0-450 in total to ship a single machine to the east coast from here and about 0-500 to the west coast.  Although I am not able to crate or palletize the machine myself, I can help to arrange for outside crating and international shipping, with you paying all of the associated costs.
This classic and fun machine is one that will DEFINTELY be a NICE addition to any gameroom or collection.
Get it home, plug it in, and PLAY!
It doesn't get any better than that!  (Not to beat a dead horse, but plan to give this a quick mechanical tune-up for optimum play since it has only been getting limited use over the last few years.  But you can play a complete and almost 100% correct game from day one!)  Display it without embarrassment because it looks that nice.  For the "player," you can't do much better than Gold Strike.  This machine won't see much down time, it is that fun to play.  Being a
Gottlieb AAB wedgehead
sets it apart from most other pinball machines.  Add in the playfield layout with
fifteen drop targets
and you just may have my favorite single player machine to play.  There shouldn't be any disappointment with the play of this machine!
A production run of only 675, a FUN playfield layout to entice you, and challenging skill shots make for a WINNING combination!
Don't miss out on this one...