I’ve been pretty good at fixing stuff all my life, but much to my surprise I had the task of repairing a Rock-Ola CD8 100 Disc CD Jukebox recently (thanks for the referral Warren!). The machine was not working and my job was to solve that problem so the Jukebox could once again return to service and spread the joy of music.
The Jukebox was brought to me because it was SMASHING Discs and had been sitting unused for several years. After some research and reading a service manual that was available online (several times), I decided to accept the repair and give it my best shot at restoring it to working order.
Once I was able to decipher the meaning of all the error codes the Jukebox’s internal computer was displaying, and giving a good thorough inspection of all the moving parts, I determined the root of the problem was in the Disc “grabber” assembly. Mainly, it would not open to release a Disc (frozen in closed position). So whenever the disc carousel would rotate I imagine it wasn’t a pretty sight. The Jukebox Holds 100 CDs; I’m not sure how many were destroyed, but there were only 39 CDs in the Rock-Ola when it was dropped off. Luckily I did not have to witness any Discs being SMASHED!
After a couple days of studying parts diagrams and exploded views of the Rock-Ola Grabber Assembly Mechanism I realized that the spindle that is supposed to rotate to open/close the grabber was frozen inside its housing (apparently this is common to Rock-Ola Jukeboxes if not regularly serviced). This lack of free moving parts also caused a roll-pin to fail so the drive gear would not rotate the mechanism. So, I took it all apart.
Upon cleaning and reassembling the Jukebox I performed the routine maintenance outlined in the service manual and ran through all diagnostic testing for computer EPROMs as well as mechanical functions, and replaced a couple 11W bulbs. I then replaced the CDs into the Jukebox and made new menu-cards so you could accurately select Discs and songs by number. In the end I learned a lot and was able to earn a new customer. I love it when the the Music Plays Me!
I must admit, the Rock-Ola Jukebox is pretty impressive. They aren’t cheap (I think a new one will cost you $9k or more), but I found this Jukebox to be well built with many useful features for personal home use, or in a commercial setting as a revenue generator. It looks great with real wood and real chrome hardware accents, and bubbles in the trim! The sound is good and has enough power, with the ability to connect additional speakers and even a microphone for making announcements using the Jukebox amplifiers. And watching the lights change colors and seeing the mechanism operate is almost hypnotic.