AMI Continental Jukebox Restoration Project

[Shuie]

I've been tasked with a restoration project. A very original, but tired, 1962 AMI Continental 2 Stereo-Round Jukebox. It's a pretty amazing contraption.

I've built a couple of simple vacuum tube guitar amps and studied pretty much every guitar amp circuit out there. I understand preamp circuits, Class A vs. push-pull power sections, filtering, and how a rectifier works, so Im reasonably comfortable with old vacuum tube technology. This is A LOT more complicated than a guitar amp, tho.

I have had a good look at the multiple chassis in the juke and there is no way I could do anything other than change a fuse or tube on it, or maybe switch the main power transformer to a grounded power plug. I also have a good friend who is one of the most accomplished and talented vacuum tube guitar amp designers and builders alive who doesn't know anyone who could work on it.

Does anyone here know a guy who restores these? Are there manuals or technical web forums anywhere for this kind of stuff?

TIA

This isn't the actual juke, but it's the same make/model/year:

[bell]

there is a place in cleveland called cadillac music, a longtime friend works there....I'll shoot him a call, he should have an idea......

[Shuie]

okay, I rented a uhaul and drug this back to the house from the in-laws today. My wife wants me to get it working again and do a cleanup/restoration of the exterior. She's been tasked with finding cool 7" singles to replace all of the late '70s Foreigner, Donna Summer, Streisand, etc. records its loaded with now. Her parents bought it new and she grew up with it in the house. Lots of good memories for her and it's one of the coolest pieces of late 1950s - early 1960s Americana I've ever seen.

The inside of it is ridiculous. All of the electronics are original. I've been inside of a lot of old guitar amps from the '50s & '60s and I've never seen this many old untouched original transformers, filter caps, and vacuum tubes in anything. It's going to be a challenge to trace through it. Getting it working probably wont amount to anything more than changing all of the filter caps, or replacing a transformer or fuse, but I have not been able to find any schematics or info for it anywhere yet. I called a good friend who is one of the best and most respected pro tube guitar amp builders on the planet and he doesnt even want to see it. It's scary inside. Several full chassis of tubes and transformers. It weighs a ton.

I probably wont start messing with this until my 914 project is running and driving. I will update the thread as I learn things about it.

gratuitous pic...

[herr_oberst]

That is wonderful! What kind of music are you looking for? Calling all Pelicans, Shuie needs 7 inch records!

[scottmandue]

Dayum... if I lived closer I would offer to help!

[Zeke]

I'm doing a Wurlitzer 2800 right now. Very labor intensive. Lots of sites and forums to got to. My amp is in San Diego being re capped. I'm doing the rest.