Big Red purchase, need some advice

[Anselm]

I found a BIg Red cabinet in my area for $400. Although I already have a custom built Neo Geo cabinet, I've been itching for quite some time to get a SF2 CE motherboard, and maybe some other favorites from my youth like MK2 and Double Dragon.

The fighters require me to redisign the console for 6 buttons, and the MVS harness would at the very least need an adapter. This big red seems like the perfect solution to convert my custom cabinet for full JAMMA play.

I've attached pictures. The two slot would be replaced with my 6.

As far as the condition, I'd say it's fair. But with the market here, I never see cabinets for sale. This is the first one I have even seen that hasn't been basterdized or painted black.

The left panel has a small chunk missing near the top, and four screw holes drilled into it near the center.

My real concern is the monitor. No burn in or color issues, but the outer areas, near the corners, are blurry. The center looks great, but the score at the bottom, and graphics at the top corners aren't in focus.

I'm going to go buy it tomorrow, barring some input here to dissuade me. If you know what is causing the blur, and whether or not I can correct it, please let me know. Thank you.

~Anselm~

 

[SSS]

Looks fairly decent. At this point in the cabinets life a decent picture is more than to expect. Regardless of a new K7000 cap kit the tubes themselves are tired. Electron guns wearing out, I recently blasted one of my Neo's with a rejuvenator. The green and red took, but made little difference for the blue and readings were still in the "bad" zone. Had to tweak color pots on neck board to accommodate. Picture is better, but still a far cry from when the cab was new.

As for 6 button fighters, I'd grab another cab.

 

[Anselm]

As for 6 button fighters, I'd grab another cab.

That's the plan. This would become my 6 slot cab, and my current cab would become "another cab".

~Anselm~

 

[Jassin000]

I'd be willing to bet the blurry edges are a convergence problem, display a dot cloth/grid to check. Could be as easy as making some homemade convergence strips and placing them under/around the flyback (we have a video tut of this posted/threaded already). The body looks to be in good shape, LCD credit counters working, the cp seems to need a few touchups however (cracked bottom left corner, rust, etc). As SSS mentioned above, this isn't going to be a good cab for fighters however (other then Neo-Geo fighters of course). I would seek out a Capcom Big Blue, Koam Z-back, or Dynamo HS-5 if your really looking for a good fighter woodie. IMO tho what you really want for a perfect fighting setup is a candy cab (Astro, NAC, Blast, Egret2/3, NaomiUni) with Sanwa sticks and buttons. Lastly is price... I feel 400$ on the high side, unless the included Neo-Geo 2-slot mobo and carts make up for it (I only see King of the Monsters pictured, thats not worth it).

 

[Anselm]

I'd be willing to bet the blurry edges are a convergence problem, display a dot cloth/grid to check. Could be as easy as making some homemade convergence strips and placing them under/around the flyback (we have a video tut of this posted/threaded already). The body looks to be in good shape, LCD credit counters working, the cp seems to need a few touchups however (cracked bottom left corner, rust, etc). As SSS mentioned above, this isn't going to be a good cab for fighters however (other then Neo-Geo fighters of course). I would seek out a Capcom Big Blue, Koam Z-back, or Dynamo HS-5 if your really looking for a good fighter woodie. IMO tho what you really want for a perfect fighting setup is a candy cab (Astro, NAC, Blast, Egret2/3, NaomiUni) with Sanwa sticks and buttons. Lastly is price... I feel 400$ on the high side, unless the included Neo-Geo 2-slot mobo and carts make up for it (I only see King of the Monsters pictured, thats not worth it).

Thank you for the reply and advice. Both of you have misread my post. The Big Red is going to be used for my 6-slot neo geo cabinet. Not as a fighter cabinet. I plan to turn my custom cab into a ful JAMMA for SF2 and MK2, among other things.

And besides, I don't have fighting tourneys with twitch gamers at my house. Happ components will do just fine. However, if I was to switch to anoher brand, like Sanwa, the Big Red has a metal console to accomodate that, and my custom cab is custom, so I can modify it at will.

I would love to have a candy cab for that purpose Jassin, but in the years I have been looking, I have NEVER found a candy cab in my city. I think this Big Red will do well to free up my current cab for JAMMA, and your input for possible repairs, and condition of the cab has been helpful. Thank you.

~Anselm~

 

[slerch666]

As Jassin000 said, I think $400 is a little high, unless you are also receiving some carts with the setup. I know you are saying that you never see these, but don't let that rush you. I would go in w/ $400 in the pocket, but point out the issues you noticed, along w/ the rust and so on. Tell him that since you'd like to get it back to original condition (he doesn't need to know you don't plan to do it... or perhaps this won't be bending the truth and you will want to fix it up), you think the price should be $300. If he bites, good. If he doesn't, flash the $400 and throw it down and walk away with a good cab.

I paid less for the 2 slot I have, but I bought it from a friend and a fellow N-G.com member.

As far as the monitor, if you have someone local that can work on them, assuming you can't or aren't willing, worst case scenario is a swap out. Anywhere from $150 - $600 for that. Small price to pay, in my opinion, if a new monitor or repair lasts another 20 years.

 

[War Pig]

As Jassin000 said, I think $400 is a little high, unless you are also receiving some carts with the setup. I know you are saying that you never see these, but don't let that rush you. I would go in w/ $400 in the pocket, but point out the issues you noticed, along w/ the rust and so on. Tell him that since you'd like to get it back to original condition (he doesn't need to know you don't plan to do it... or perhaps this won't be bending the truth and you will want to fix it up), you think the price should be $300. If he bites, good. If he doesn't, flash the $400 and throw it down and walk away with a good cab.

I paid less for the 2 slot I have, but I bought it from a friend and a fellow N-G.com member.

As far as the monitor, if you have someone local that can work on them, assuming you can't or aren't willing, worst case scenario is a swap out. Anywhere from $150 - $600 for that. Small price to pay, in my opinion, if a new monitor or repair lasts another 20 years.

I totally agree with everything slerch666 stated. That's definitely the way to go about it. Also think about this. Some guys are saying that $400 is too high. But if you pass on it (and with your past history of not seeing them EVER available), this would mean that you'd either have to drive some distance to pick one up (then if you don't have a vehicle big enough and you have to rent one, etc.) or you have one shipped to you, you'd be right back up to the $400 price tag. Small price to pay for convenience....IMO of course.

 

[Anselm]

Two years ago I tried to buy a big red. The closest one was two states away, and the shipping exceeded the cost of the cab. So I built my own instead. We don't have any arcades here, and the family fun centers all have newer ticket oriented games. I really do think this is my only shot at getting a decent big red, so I am ok with the price. My only concern is the monitor, but it looks like I'll have to try adjusting it after I buy it. I'm heading over to pay them in an hour. Hopefully I can get it back to my house without damaging it (I have to lay it on its back >.<).

~Anselm~

 

[SNKorSWM]

I bought my 4 slot big red that came with a dozen mvs carts for $450. The value of the carts alone was easily worth half of that price back then, and seemed to have climbed recently.

 

[trenog]

I bought my 4 slot big red that came with a dozen mvs carts for $450. The value of the carts alone was easily worth half of that price back then, and seemed to have climbed recently.

You are a very lucky person then. The best I've done is 5 carts on a 4-slot cab for $400 (Baseball Stars 2, Nam 1975, ShamSho, PB, Top Players Golf) and 4 carts on a 4-slot, no monitor, no power supply, non-working 4-slot cab for $160 (King of the Monsters, Sengoku, PB Boot, The Super Spy).

...Then again, I've been lucky so far as well it seems!