What Upgrades Have You Done To Your Cabs?

[jsjesse]

I know alot of you have both Japanese cabs and US cabs and I was wanting to know if any of you have done any kind of upgrades to the cabinet.

I was taking apart my mini neo 19 to detail clean it and I noticed that the speakers in it were very very small and paper thin. I thought about hooking up some better speakers into it but I haven't gone out shopping for brands yet.

Anyone here done upgrades to the sound systems? How about custom glass/plexiglass overlays with artwork on the control panels or custom bezels?

Another mod I would like to do to my Dynamo cab is add Sanwa sticks to it but I can't find a bracket that will work with the Happ mounting points.

If you have pics or suggestions I'd really like to see and hear about them.

 

[Tacitus]

You'll laugh, but go out and by decent car speakers... that's all most cabs use. They also use the slide connector, so it's usually just drill and drop.

If you buy sticks with adjustable heights, you can do what I've done in the past, which is extend the sticks all the way out, make a shim and mount the stick -> shim and come in from the top mounting points which are already drilled and go cab -> shim. Works like a charm.

 

[complexs6]

I dont have a cab yet but plan to buy a neo 29 for $300. I feel a must have upgrade is a pause button, serves me well on my MV-1B board when I need to get some beer or take a piss, lol. Thank god JMKurtz is around to help people like me who cant solder if my life depended on it, lol.

SNK FOREVER

Own:
Hyper 64
MV-1B UniBios 2.2 - Jeff installed it

SS64
Samurai Shodown 1,2,3,4
Super Sidekicks 2 & 3
Last Blade
Art of Fighting 3
SNK Vs Capcom : SVC Chaos

Want:
Samurai Shodown V Special - Japanese label
Loose cart but Kit would be perferred.

 

[DaemoN]

I replaced the sticks on my 29" cab with:

1) Happ Perfect 360 Optical Bases
2) slikstik.com steel shaft w/ custom aluminium pear top (they got ball tops too)

I highly recommend doing this upgrade, as the lack of switches === joystick should last pratically forever. PLUS it's goddamn smooth and accurate... I never get a move wrong!

I plan on replacing my cab's original paper thing coaxial crapola el cheapo speakers with quality BOMBER ones - quadriaxial or pentaxial, not sure yet ;-)

 

[JONESGFX]

like said before buy car speakers, even the cheapest pair of modern day car speakers will be better than whats in the cabinets 9.9 out 10 times.

Things I have done to my machines, add marquee lights to change light kits, convert cabinets over to new games, monitor trouble shoot ( even installed a cap kit myself)... placed new stickers on the side of games ( which is a pain in the ass to do, but worth it once done)... I'm in the middle now of restoring a SF2 turbo arcade with the championship dynamo cab ( my personal holy grail of cabs). On the occasion even wire my own harnesses.

 

[jsjesse]

.. I'm in the middle now of restoring a SF2 turbo arcade with the championship dynamo cab ( my personal holy grail of cabs). On the occasion even wire my own harnesses.

I am in the exact same spot as you are. I got my hands on a Dynamo Z Cabinet. Red with black trim. I should be able to put Sanwa sticks in it without a problem since it has a metal control panel and not a wooden one. A few months back I was outbid on an awesome set of SF2 Sideart. Included both SF2 CE and original SF2 WW Ryu Backpose sidearts. Damn sniper bids!


I wish I knew how to do a cap kit on a monitor. I don't even know where to start with a Capcom Impress cab either. I wonder if cap kits are universal(wishful thinking)

 

[DaemoN]

Nope, cap kits are not universal. Far from it actually :-)

 

[pixeljunkie]

I added a pause switch to my Neo Candy. Upgraded both the candy and the Windy with brand new Sanwa sticks and buttons. The pause swtch is essential!

 

[Dave_K.]

I repainted my astro city 2, and am thinking about installing a pair of headphone jacks w/volume knob on the front.

 

[Spike Spiegel]

I've painted cabs, changed out almost all speakers, change the glass (and in some cases, made it from smoked glass to clear... much better). Of course, I've changed all my joysticks and buttons. That's a must. Also changed most of my monitors. I've upgraded the hell out of my cabs. It's a must if you want that arcade experience, and give it some kick. The best way to play, with the best equipment I always say!

 

[zapatistab]

I put a TV Tube in my Jaleco Candy Cab, and converted it to MVS.

 

[zer010gic]

I am putting Sanwas in my American BigRed. I have also looked at upgrading my speakers to some car speakers to get more umpff.

 

[sammaz]

Put xbox inside so I added a slot loading DVD-rom drive 16x and elongated the memory card panel so I could load games to the hard drive and play DVDs.

 

[racecar]

..some common stuff like button and joystick upgrade...and putting better game's in em

 

[RGP]

I replaced the footrest rubber with Capcom cp overlay:

 

[jsjesse]

I replaced the footrest rubber with Capcom cp overlay:

is that a Capcom mini cute cab? Looks great with the overlay. I just hope the corners dont start to peel.

 

[RGP]

Yes it is, the overlay has been on for 8 months now without peeling.

 

[Paulie G]

I've done loads of the common upgrades, like on a cab ive just finished working on (i changed it from a 3 button JAMMA cab into a dedicated CPS2 cab. I sorted out the wiring (which was a mess), filled the holes and then painted it (someone had scratched FUCK YOU on the side of it), made a new control pannel and covered it with a NOS overlay, replaced the buttons and sticks, fitted new T molding, changed the rubber kick plate, fitted new locks, and added a handle on the back door, made a marquee and also a few stickers.

 

[Dave_K.]

filled the holes and then painted it (someone had scratched FUCK YOU on the side of it)

Aw man! I have an all original Robotron cab with a big FUCK YOU scratced into the side as well. Cig burns on the panel. I think it adds character to the game/cab, shows it had real time in the arcades back then. I probably would have done the same thing since its known to just suck quarters out of kids pockets.

 

[Neo Gold]

I've done loads of the common upgrades, like on a cab ive just finished working on (i changed it from a 3 button JAMMA cab into a dedicated CPS2 cab. I sorted out the wiring (which was a mess), filled the holes and then painted it (someone had scratched FUCK YOU on the side of it), made a new control pannel and covered it with a NOS overlay, replaced the buttons and sticks, fitted new T molding, changed the rubber kick plate, fitted new locks, and added a handle on the back door, made a marquee and also a few stickers.

Sounds great bud...please get some piccy's slapped onto this thread for us all to see .....btw..im renovating a couple of dedicated neo-cabs myself...i will post pics soon.

 

[djdelly]

Pause switch
Changes joysticks and button
Run the sound through the headphone jack to an old receiver and speaker set up.

 

[NGT]

lil snk cab:

-changed the cp from ikari warriors to a neo 4 button cp
-Verted the monitor

Neo 25":

-pause switch
-new PSU
-Dual with neo 4 slot and Naomi carts w/ my own audio setup.
-Mono/stereo switch
-three prong power cord

Neo Candy:

-pause switch
-Dual with neo 4 slot and hyper 64
-mvs and jamma test/system options buttons and coin button on CP
-three prong power cord

Big Blue wood cab:

-painted cab
-replaced the entire cp...buttons, sticks, overlay etc
-STV pause
-Dual setup for stv and cps2 w/ split kick harness so both play w/ 6 buttons

OK Baby:

-Ripped off all of the crap die hard arcade stuff and contact paper CP to find the original.
-swapped out all sticks and buttons.

Broken Americana Bartop

-wired for jamma
-swapped the stick and button
-test and coin button panel
-squeezed in the horizontal monitor

 

[Paulie G]

Sounds great bud...please get some piccy's slapped onto this thread for us all to see .....btw..im renovating a couple of dedicated neo-cabs myself...i will post pics soon.

No worries ill take a few pics tomorrow.

NEO GOLD by any chance is either of the dedicated neo-cabs a lordsvale one (with the green and black striped cp overlay) as I have one of those and thats my next project.

 

[Paulie G]

heres a few pics of the cab

just tried to put a pic of the cab on and its not working.

So ive just stuck it on my art website so you can see it, just click on images, then on arcade. http://www.paulieg.zoomshare.com

 

[RGP]

I also took out the coin mech & put a volume switch where the coin return buton was & a credt button where the coin would be returned: