Off the Shelf Mame Cabinet

TechnoFreek

Hi guys,
 
Mightily impressed by all the mame self builds that are on the forum. I'd love to build one myself but I realistically just don't have the time.
 
So, how would I go about about buying an off-the-shelf mame cabinet.
It wouldnt be essential that a pc/monitor is included but if it was a complete package with frontends installed etc that would be ideal.
 
Does such a product exist? What is the quality like etc
 
Or is something like that just too pricey?
 
Any advice appreciated

o1s1n

For authenticity sake, you're better off getting a real arcade JAMMA cab and putting a JPAC in there. It literally turns a PC into an arcade board. So everything is 100% real and you still have the fun of a MAME cab.

Myrddin

Be prepared to PAY

Also, when you set one up yourself you get great experience in knowing how to fix problems. Because trust me, they will happen.

I say pick up an old cab, an old pc, buy a jpac, & stick them together. It's almost that easy

The Last Bandit

Either a self build or an prebuilt cab is gonna cost a lot. I've spent about €500 so far on a bartop I'm building and that's just the material cost, no idea how many hours I've put into it so far.

But part of the fun is it the building of the thing And eventually you'll need to figure out to repair/improve the system.


I'm not going to mention the legal aspects of buying cabs preloaded with software..

Steve X2

The Last Bandit wrote: »

Either a self build or an prebuilt cab is gonna cost a lot. I've spent about €500 so far on a bartop I'm building and that's just the material cost, no idea how many hours I've put into it so far.

But part of the fun is it the building of the thing And eventually you'll need to figure out to repair/improve the system.


I'm not going to mention the legal aspects of buying cabs preloaded with software..

I put a sort of walk-through of my Hyperspin setup on youtube after a couple of mates requested it. I've been asked so many times by youtube users to get a copy of it and that they'd pay money for it.
I always just say its free to download and I'd never charge for it. I really don't agree with selling it on as it goes against the whole idea of hyperspin.

Giving it to someone for free is another story, in my opinion.

.

TechnoFreek

Ok guys.

So one step at a time, if I was to go the Jamma route...

Where would I get such a cab. Are they all standard setup? Ideally I'd need a two player one with minimum 6 buttons excluding start buttons etc

safetyboy

There was one up on adverts for €100 last week

Steve X2

Candy cab??
Might cost more than a woody arcade machine though.

.

TechnoFreek

Steve SI wrote: »

Candy cab??
Might cost more than a woody arcade machine though.

.

Are candy cabs sit down? I'd be interested in stand up ones.

Is condition important, can most things be replaced e.g. joystick and buttons?

Steve X2

TechnoFreek wrote: »

Are candy cabs sit down? I'd be interested in stand up ones.

Is condition important, can most things be replaced e.g. joystick and buttons?

Most of them are sit down all right, but not all.
Parts can all be swapped out, I've done it myself and replaced almost everything except the shell of the cab.

.

TechnoFreek

Ok. My interest is certainly piqued.

Any online stores sell these cabs instead of waiting on adverts.ie ?

Last cab question for the moment. Can you run both mame AND mamma pcbs are is it a case of having to gut cab to install mame?

Steve X2

TechnoFreek wrote: »

Ok. My interest is certainly piqued.

Any online stores sell these cabs instead of waiting on adverts.ie ?

Last cab question for the moment. Can you run both mame AND mamma pcbs are is it a case of having to gut cab to install mame?

No no, your mame pc will just act as another game board.
No gutting required. I have arcade pcb's, a dreamcast, an xbox 360 and other stuff hooked up to my cab and no gutting was done.

.

TechnoFreek

Steve SI wrote: »

No no, your mame pc will just act as another game board.
No gutting required. I have arcade pcb's, a dreamcast, an xbox 360 and other stuff hooked up to my cab and no gutting was done.

Now I'm really interested. So the joystick and buttons can operate both mame and arcade pcbs?

Myrddin

The Last Bandit wrote: »

Either a self build or an prebuilt cab is gonna cost a lot

Not if your smart enough with your purchases, & pick up a cheap cab like I did. I got my Tekken 3 cab for €100. It needed a new chassis, €120 delivered. Mame pc guts, €160 with a JPAC. I used an old 320GB hdd I had, & learned the rest as I went.

€100
€120
€160

Fully working Mame Cab for €380.

The Last Bandit

EnterNow wrote: »

Not if your smart enough with your purchases, & pick up a cheap cab like I did. I got my Tekken 3 cab for €100. It needed a new chassis, €120 delivered. Mame pc guts, €160 with a JPAC. I used an old 320GB hdd I had, & learned the rest as I went.

€100
€120
€160

Fully working Mame Cab for €380.

True, recycling will always be cheaper.

But building the custom stuff is still gonna cost, I think I've spent over €100 on just the wood alone but necessary to achieve the look I'm going for.

o1s1n

The Last Bandit wrote: »

True, recycling will always be cheaper.

But building the custom stuff is still gonna cost, I think I've spent over €100 on just the wood alone but necessary to achieve the look I'm going for.

Why build a cabinet to emulate the look of a real cab, when you can buy the real cab itself for cheaper/around the same price? Always seemed a bit strange to me!

I take it that it would be a fun project (I considered it years ago), but when I found out you can have real JAMMA cabs so cheap the building idea was scrapped pretty fast.

The Last Bandit

o1s1n wrote: »

Why build a cabinet to emulate the look of a real cab, when you can buy the real cab itself for cheaper/around the same price? Always seemed a bit strange to me!

I take it that it would be a fun project (I considered it years ago), but when I found out you can have real JAMMA cabs so cheap the building idea was scrapped pretty fast.

Its more like a piece of furniture that a cabinet.

Why that the easy way out when there a whole world of hurt waiting when you do the lot from scratch

Myrddin

The scratch built ones can look amazing, keithgeo's springs to mind. A real love & war battle but when they're done properly like his it pays off.

BUT, to me, an arcade cab is all about having a few fag burns in it, & working coin mechs etc etc. They were meant to be played & enjoyed, not detailed with cotton swabs.

Candy Cabs live in a strange nether world that lies between worlds. They are also meant to be played, but yet, should always be spotlessly clean & immaculate. No idea why I think that, but Candy's need to be mint. Woodies, can afford a few imperfections & it doesn't detract from them, not for me anyway.

o1s1n

That's spot on exactly the way I look at it. A mint woody would just be wrong. On my old one, someone had gone to town on the p2 start button with a lighter. Wouldn't have had it any other way!

Candy cabs on the other hand should be so white that they cause eye damage when you look directly at them.

Pop the hood on the front and it almost feels like you're cleaning a car :pac:

Myrddin

o1s1n wrote: »

Candy cabs on the other hand should be so white that they cause eye damage when you look directly at them.

:D:D

o1s1n

Yep, that's me blind

Steve X2

Few mint condition candies here:



.

o1s1n

It would seem Japanese people really don't like Blast Cities!

TechnoFreek

Sorry to ask this again guys but can anyone point me in the direction of someone selling jamma cabs, a retailer so to speak.

I would prefer that instead of going the adverts.ie and auctions route

Talk to arcades here and in the uk if you want to find a cab someplace you can walk into, but you're probably better off looking online for one in decent nick. Unless you're loaded, second hand is probably the way to go. Importing new from any place with a still active arcade scene like USA or Japan will cost you a bomb.

They really are more of a treasure if you build them yourself, or at least have some hand in fixing them up or converting them. Also, as posted, you will want to have at least an inkling how the whole thing works inside, as making occasional repairs are going to be unavoidable. Its just part and parcel of owning them unless you plan to wrap your cab in cotton wool and never touch it.

Think about the space you have available, whether a full size cab or a bartop would suit you best, and for your first cab, research, research, research.

Get yourself on as many online forums and discussion groups as possible and ask lots of questions. Cab builders are generally very generous with their time and expertise in helping each other out and your first cab is a huge learning experience. There will always be someone out there who has faced the same problem you'll run into at some stage.

Good luck getting sorted out, and enjoy it!!

TechnoFreek

Thanks guys. Although I'm a total noob at the moment that won't last. I am technical enough so once I get my head around it there won't be any issues with maintenance etc

The main reason I'm looking for a ready to go cab is because my time is limited due to new baby in the house etc not ability!

Right. I'm defo on for this so stage 1 is to get a cab. Once done i'll see about jpac and pc.

Again , if anyone can put me in touch with some contacts for cabs that would be great.

Thanks to all for their help thus far

TechnoFreek

TechnoFreek wrote: »

Thanks guys. Although I'm a total noob at the moment that won't last. I am technical enough so once I get my head around it there won't be any issues with maintenance etc

The main reason I'm looking for a ready to go cab is because my time is limited due to new baby in the house......Again, if anyone can put me in touch with some contacts for cabs that would be great.

Congrats on the new arrival. From experience, i would avoid starting a cab project unless youre sure you'll get enough time to finish it with a baby around. My last cab took me 3 months because it was interrupted by the arrival of my little girl. Your house will be being turned upside down for a while by the baby anyway, especially if its your first one, and your missus wont thank you for wanting to take lots of time on top of that to build a cab.

Depending on how you feel about it, you could look into a kit build. There are various retailers who sell cabinet flatpack kits. Theres a whole "convenience versus arcade purist build your own" argument around kit builds, but it might be useful for you to look into, especially as youre under time pressure. I've built both and while kits can sometimes mean a more generic looking end product, they are often easier and quicker to get going on and get completed, and will leave you with a minimum of woodworking mess and hassle, which might be useful with a baby around.

Take a look at gremlin solutions website. Theyre in the UK and stock everything you would need for a cab build, including kits, ipacs, jamma harnesses, buttons, sticks and more. If you call them and tell them what youre doing they will usually take some time with you and go through what you're likely to need and how much it will all cost you. Their stock, including cab kits, is all up on their website, so you can get a good idea of what youll need even before you call. They also do off the shelf cabs that you can use as supplied (usually with a bunch of pre-loaded licensed games), or modify to add more games and emulators etc, but be warned, ready made cabs are not cheap.

http://www.gremlinsolutions.co.uk/

Again, good luck with the build!

TechnoFreek

Hey guys,
 
I've been digging around boards and the wider net and it seems like a candy cab is the way to go.
 
Several posts on board recommend rklol or jeff at digitalsystemsdesign as possible sources.
It seems Jeff does a great job of getting the cabs in good condition (physically and technically) before shipping out.
 
I am going to give these guys a shout but first I would like to be a bit better informed.
 
Practically, what is the best candy cab to run both jamma and allow me room to install a mame pc etc.
I like the look of the blast city cab but looks arent everything.
What are the perils and pitfalls of candy cabs?
 
A bit of direction here from people with experience would go a long way!
 
Thanks again guys

Myrddin

TechnoFreek wrote: »

What are the perils and pitfalls of candy cabs?

One isn't enough, that goes for all cabs & is the single biggest pitfall. Well, that & the width of door frames

TechnoFreek

EnterNow wrote: »

One isn't enough, that goes for all cabs & is the single biggest pitfall. Well, that & the width of door frames

Well one will have to be enough given the cost! Will have plenty of room as it would be going into a shed and not the house!

Myrddin

TechnoFreek wrote: »

Well one will have to be enough given the cost! Will have plenty of room as it would be going into a shed and not the house!

Trust me, you WILL want another even a different type of cab. It's basic cab-owning physics.

Like you I've mine in an outdoor shed, it used to be a snooker room so its carpeted & plasterboarded etc and is a godsend. But, I don't have a side entrance & all cab traffic must pass through the house. Missed out on quite a few cab oppurtunities simply because I can't physically fit them through the house