Sights and Sounds - Wurlitzer "Statesman" 3400 Jukebox

In this Sights and Sounds video, we're going on a deep dive into the mechanisms and operation of the Wurlitzer 3400 series jukebox, also known as the Statesman.
Here's a link to the original video:
• The Computer-free Auto...
Other Sights and Sounds videos:
• Sights and Sounds

[@TechnologyConnections]

A note on captions: Generally, I don't add manual captioning to videos on this channel. However, the first two videos in this series have proper captions - when I started it I asked folks if they would appreciate them, and they said yes. However, making captions for these videos is... quite tedious and honestly the thought of doing them is part of why it has taken so long for me to make this one. Describing mechanical sounds in text and timing them correctly is a fiddly process, and I (mostly) don't script these so it's _very_ manual. Since this series is designed primarily as an audio experience, I've decided that I would rather the videos exist first and I'll handle captions later. I hope that's not too disappointing to those who rely on captions. Going forward, I'll be keeping track of which Sights and Sounds videos are uncaptioned and when time allows I'll tinker with 'em. For now, auto captions are there for my speech - and for this particular video, that's a lot of it!

[@kempo_95]

Would it not be possible for the community to add captions?

[@TechnologyConnextras]

That feature was killed, unfortunately.

[@TechnologyConnextras]

@@theAstarrr In theory, yes, but it takes more coordination than I have faith in myself to not screw up badly.

[@Stjaernljus]

@@kempo_95 Sadly youtube removed the option to allow that to be done easily on youtube. Now one would have to send a subtitle file to the creator manually.

[@peter.lovgren]

@@TechnologyConnextras An alternative to the axed community captions is the KZbin Subtitle Editor feature, if you haven't already tried it. No link here as KZbin doesn't like them in the comments, but just search for it and you'll find a support article called "Add or get Subtitle Editor access in KZbin Studio".

[@DeviantOllam]

Hat tip to you for explaining and audio-describing content for your subscribers who are unsighted or low vision. 💚 Thank you for being such a great community contributor and helping people from all walks of life to feel included. 👍

[@AdriaanZwemer]

Oh brian's here

[@Otiomz]

love to see you here good taste

[@cbihun]

Hello, Count Ollam!

[@DeviantOllam]

@@cbihun ahoy! 👋😁

[@applegal3058]

I concur!

[@RetroGameStream]

As someone who is actively going blind I really appreciate these descriptive audio videos. Thanks so much!

[@nateholden7598]

Best of luck to you!

[@Bobrogers99]

The engineers that devised the complicated mechanism must have been geniuses! And the techs that repaired them must also have been exceedingly clever and well trained.

[@haywoodyoudome]

Generations ago when they still taught actual skills in school unlike today.

[@Motoko86]

My god, the amount of work and dedication you put into these.. Bravo, Sir, the world's a better place thanks to people like you!

[@CodyHurstOfficial]

Hey thank you so much for being verbally descriptive. I myself am legally blind and wished more content creators did this, especially for very visual content. Keep it up! :) :)

[@RandomDudeOne]

Holy crap, what a Rube Goldberg contraption. Amazing jukeboxes worked as reliably as they did.

[@MrHondatrxex]

Never stop doing what you do. Your the best at explaining everyday devices, from the simplicity of a coffee maker to the complexity of a mechinal juke box. I don't think I've ever missed any of your videos.

[@jonleiend1381]

The fact that it still works is still amazing. Good luck finding an Apple product that is 5 years old that still works is just about impossible.

[@FlyingSurprise]

This is a lovely dance of switches, motors and actuators. Astonishing thinking how simple it is today to implement the same functionality.

[@pacproduct]

I think that's such a great present you're giving blind people or partially blind. Making sure that your videos are (usually) subtitled and that all units are said in both imperial and metric system is already great for accessibility, but we hit a whole new level with your "Sights and Sounds" series. You're a good person, Alec. Keep up the good work 👍

[@hp_deskjet]

i’m blind and I just listened to like the first 30 or 40 seconds of this video and I heard that you were going to be describing things. I really appreciate that. 💯

[@Leonardokite]

I can't imagine the amount of labor that would go into making a machine like that. The wiring itself is totally amazing.

[@purpleldv966]

Hi Alec! Thank you for this very well described content! It was almost as good as me being there and touching the actual components, which considering that they were energized and moving, the description might actually be a better ideea! :) Greetings from a blind guy from Romania!

[@DavidLindes]

Haha, it's good to have alternatives to direct touching sometimes, I guess. ;) As a currently-sighted person, I too appreciate that you're making this exist, Alec. Who knows if/when I might lose vision, and even while I have it, it's interesting to think about descriptions -- also inspiring as something for me to do if/when I get to creating content again. Thank you!

[@IIllytch321nonadinfinitum]

It was indeed very entertaining. The more comprehensive of an explanation I get the more I appreciate it. Gives me something better to focus on rather than how my life is in shambles and my mental health is slowly deteriorating, heh. Such efforts may not be as thoroughly appreciated by as many, but there are definitely those who do. Peace.

[@GillamtheGreatest]

dont have time today but i always love these. adding to my watch later list

[@rillloudmother]

I remember these kind of jukeboxes from the 80s and early 90s. They are the same design as those both mounted ones they used to have at restaurants. 5 plays for a quarter!

[@maikerugo]

I really appreciate this deep dive into the operation of the "Statesman". One of the things that I kind of got from the original videos, but it's more apparent in this one, is that the readout function feels structurally similar to the electro-mechanical outlet timers that were fairly common years back. The motor advances the ring representing all 24 hours in the day (not sure if the motor has some kind of voltage control to run at a particular speed and has the proper gear reduction or if it's working like a clock radio and using the hertz rate to run the motor at a particular speed/interval) and the tabs that you pull out will mechanically run into some teeth on a rotary switch in order to flip it on or off (as opposed to the selection mechanism which uses electrical connections with metal pins).

[@PanduPoluan]

I think those timers use simple geared induction motors, so they're matched to the line frequency (60Hz/50Hz). Induction motors are very simple and very reliable provided the line frequency is stable.

[@levigoldwing1536]

One of the reasons I watch your videos is because you are usually very thorough and informative and your presence adds to the experience of "a video". If I was interested in just your voice, I would have listened to a podcast. I enjoyed this video, but honestly I prefer your presence. Super extreme something something duper phenomenally really awesome description of the mechanics and appearance of this less than desirable juke.

[@Ozbert]

Well done on your ability to explain how this mechanism works. As an old guy who used to work on Strowger telephone equipment, I found this very interesting, and in certain aspects quite similar. Great work

[@adc_ax]

That Tarzan Boy rendition was truly an experience!

[@frankowalker4662]

That was an epic video, bravo. The Jukebox has always been a magical mechanical marvel to me. If any of the timings are off it could ruin your records or simply self destruct. Every bit of that was a joy to watch.

[@pomonabill220]

Very interesting! Thanks for making this video with all the steps this thing goes through! WOW! I wonder how many Wurlitzer engineers went nuts designing this?!?!

[@nnnomenclature]

I really love this kind of content, I hope you continue this series. This machine in particular is fascinating to me. I love how wildly complex it is to do something mechanically that we do these days with a teensy bit of circuit board and code. Your series on this machine is one of my favorite videos of yours, so i'm really happy we get to see all the inner workings in such detail. Great work!

[@billchessell8213]

I agree with all the comments I have read. It’s a joy to have the opportunity to change a now gone childhood infatuation into an adult appreciation of mechanical engineering. Awesome job - thanks for taking it on!

[@ZGryphon]

The aesthetic of the Statesman reminds me very much of cigarette vending machines of the same era. It makes me wonder if Wurlitzer was trying for some sort of commonality of design to make the places that usually had both things in those days look more uniform or something. Like, I could easily see one of these and a cig machine standing next to each other in a late-'70s Elks Club, between the bar and the pool table. :)

[@Mobleymoon]

I am SO glad I found you, over tea pots. I really watched A LOT of your previous videos, your so clear to listen to. I truly appreciate and totally enjoy the way you take what's in your head and put it to words my ears understand. I've learned something new to me with every video.

[@PanduPoluan]

Electro-mechanical machines are always mesmerising to watch while in operation... such a complex orchestration of levers and brackets and gears...

[@roborb1960]

Brilliantly explained..... I wasn't interested in these things but 5 mins in I got hooked through your explanation....

[@aspecreviews]

Please make more of these videos! I have a blind friend who would LOVE these!

[@00Mandy00]

Idk if you want to hear this, but this is also a perfect relaxation video. Calm talking, and in turning it down, all the other noises blend in.

[@Robnord1]

Loved it! I grew up in the electrical-mechanical age, and remember my dad (USAF) rebuilding teletype machines in the garage and coupling them to his HAM radio gear. Length of vid a little much, I'll watch the 2nd half tonight.

[@vitormanhaes]

Before I forget: Keep doing the content that you like. That’s how you can maintain the best quality of your videos! We (your audience) will always support you as long as you are happy with your productions. ❤️

[@joruss]

As for "No effort November" this video has clearly took a lot of effort. I'll probably never stumble upon such beast in person but really appreciate comprehensively explaining how it works.

[@Abigael317]

Toaster Boy describing technology for an hour is honestly pretty great! Thank you!

[@Parakinese]

Wurlitzer organs are insane I'd love to see you covering them at some point.

[@nakayle]

As someone who can have endless problems with the simplest mechanical devices, I can't imagine anyone designing something so complex that works so well. I suppose today all this could be done electronically using digital music files.

[@lohphat]

16:08 the reason the solenoid is vertical is that the "L" bracket arm lengths are different and thus amplify the motion of the linkage by a factor of 2 since the long arm of the "L" is about 2x as long as the short arm. Short core motion, long arm action.

[@warpedjester]

I love these episodes just because it is somebody taking the time to document the sites and sounds of delinquent hardware that's kind of lost to the world. The last one listening to the CD DVD changer. Just hearing the sounds was magical to me

[@alisharifian535]

I have a 3 disc VCD player.I sometimes get it out of the closet and plug it in just for listening to its CD changer mechanism😀

[@GHILLIESARCADEANDMORE]

You answered some questions and order of operation that normally does not get brought up in other jukebox videos And explained how some components work that I've never heard explained before Thank you

[@asn413]

I can't express what a delight this was. I always saw machines similar to these shoved into a back corner in restaurants and bars growing up inn the early 80s. (the standard pizza hut issue rowe ami jobs were being rolled out) I often wondered how they worked. As i grew i became very interested in all the incredible feats accomplished by click and bang systems. I had a pinball machine whuch could score 4 players. not a transistor in the sucker! But yes, it is incredible. And i finally got to see a jukebox. Thank you :)

[@morgantrias3103]

It's awesome you're doing some audio description content

[@eskieguy9355]

What I think is pretty impressive, is that someone at Wurlitzer actually understood & could visualize exactly what was happening inside the jukebox. Probably drew it all out by hand too.

[@harrysmbdgs]

16:08 - I am an expert by no means whatsoever, but looking at the movement here, I believe the reason the solenoid is located on the end of the L-shaped arm, instead of being directly attached, might be to increase the length of travel in this part of the mechanism. The longer upper part of the L-shaped arm will have more travel at its end than that of the shorter part attached to the solenoid… because physics. I absolutely love your videos on either channel and always look forward to them more than any others on KZbin, keep up the Amazon and fascinating work, Alec!

[@BEM684]

Being that I like to listen to KZbin at work, these audio-based videos are excellent for my use case. I don't want to have to switch windows to view video all the time, it might look like I'm not working! But of course I'm working at 100% capacity! ;)

[@chrismayer3919]

Tarzan Boy by Baltimora- one of my 80s faves!!! 😁

[@marsoelflaco5722]

🐵

[@chrisadams628]

While this is meant to be a listenable video, I'm fascinated by the sights part of the video. Seeing all the mechanical interactions is pretty cool. I'll probably end up watching the other Sights and Sounds videos after this one.

[@em_being]

this is truly just an unintentional ASMR gift

[@Aaron48219]

I remember my grandpa and grandma always giving me a handful of change everytime we went to a restaurant like Big Boys back in the 80s. Thanks for the good memories. You took everything apart to see how it worked as a kid and your parents hated you for it. I know, because I did the same. You need to get an old cigarette vending machine to put next to it.

[@tjtreinen7381]

Great video!! I've been watching your videos several years now and this one has to be the best.. keep putting them out and I'll keep watching!!

[@BEdmonson85]

I'm curious what you consider to be "cheap", I used to repair these things in the early to mid 2000's and none of them I would really consider "cheap". Though I guess of all the models I worked on, the Statesman would be one of the less expensive models. One of my favorite models, made by Seaburg, was pretty interesting; it used ferrite core memory to store user selections. The circuitry that made that work was sometimes a real pain to get working just right after 50 yrs though.

[@dant4802]

Thank you for considering the visually impaired (such as myself ) I can still see the phones screen but I know many people who have no vision at all you are a good person When I was a kid I loved watching the visible mechanism of an old Rockola 45 RPM machine in a bar at the American Legion while my Dad had a few beers (ahh the 70s)

[@kip258]

I JUST rewatched the juke box video two or three days ago. Perfect timing!

[@sidewinder15599]

Well. This was fantastic!

[@speedpro8192]

Very interesting arrangement of mechanical and electrical things all working together

[@never0101]

Great video. I have a rowe/ami r91 box. Holds 100 records. It is an absolute blast for parties, and will crank tunes incredibly loud. Mikes arcade has a wonderful title strip generator for making new ones if your records didn't come with any, or are missing. I'm in the middle currently of cleaning a full reload of mine. The same records have been in for 8 something years at this point and it's time for a change. Hoping this weekend I'll have everything cleaned and swapped. I set mine to free play, the bill collector is wonky so it runs continuously, so I unplugged it.

[@garrettzuhoski]

You posting this today is funny to me because we just changed out some cds in the jukebox at my work last night. The one we have is obviously much different, but has some similarities, like the doughnut shaped disc holder, except ours is vertical rather than horizontal. I was very confused why the disks weren't in proper numerical order, but skipped every other number (1,3,5,7...) After watching this video, i suspect the disc selector is double ended as this one is, so in a single position it would have access to 1&2, then next over would be 3&4 etc. I also suspect when they made the switch to cd, they probably retrofitted many of the old record components to cut down development costs. Thanks for another great video!

[@mabdub]

Your videos are always incredibly informative, Thank you for sharing them. I am old enough to remember when some juke boxes played 78 RPM Records. The Records were stacked and each record has it's own record holder which could remove the record from the stack and if needed could turn the record upside down to play the other side. 78's were not long play recordings and just like 45's had one song on each side. Also, some bars, at least in Canada, used to have matching juke boxes and cigarette machines which were generally positioned side by side. Those kinds of machines looked very much like your Statesman juke box. I think the water in the picture on your juke box was meant to appear to be rippling, somewhat.

[@dhpbear2]

5:51 - that 'mountain scene' looks out of 'Marlboro Country"! :) This thing looks like a cigarette vending machine!

[@marsoelflaco5722]

Welcome to flavor country!🤠🚬

[@dhpbear2]

@@marsoelflaco5722 This jukebox *totally* belongs in a dimly-lit carpeted lounge!

[@jasonyoung6420]

Good choice for an opening song; Leo, Donnie, Mikey & Raph would be proud.

[@HebaruSan]

Thanks for making this worth watching for everyone. I thought it might just be an hour of recorded sounds, but the imagery and narration made this quite interesting.

[@radguitar1]

Omg, I recognize the sound of the disc carousel turning and selecting as very similar to that of a sample used in Pink Floyd's "Welcome to the Machine". I never knew what that sound was in the song, but jukebox like this must be it.

[@jetsons101]

What a great way to start the day, a new Technology Connextras video. Love old jukeboxes. Yea a great day. Thanks for posting.

[@gelo1238]

Amazing. There is so much more details than in oryginal wideo!

[@discerningmind]

You did a great job with this. I've always been fascinated by things electro-mechanical. One thing I think you forgot, or I missed, is what year this jukebox is. Based on the styling and plastics, I'm thinking about 1975.

[@michaelmoorrees3585]

For the young kids, motor driven cams, were common on old washing machines and dryers, and rotated slowly for the whole wash cycle. Its been replaced by microcontrollers, since the late 1980s. Cancel solenoid not needed on certain models of Seeburg Jukeboxes, as they actually used memory cores, as the accumulator. Two cores per record (side A & B). Beauty of core memory, is that read operation also erases the core, as a needed part of the read operation, so no separate "cancel" operation needed.

[@DanskeCrimeRiderTV]

I like how they've labelled everything inside the machine.

[@smsstuart]

Thank you for taking on this monumental task. As a friend of mine is so fond of saying when describing technologies from the 'days of yore'... "It seemed nothing was too much work". As the 'electronic-side' of things wasn't quite there yet to make this work much more simply - the genius of mechanical engineering would just have to 'make do' until technology was ready. (Although by this point in time - it really was. Read ahead). NOW - it would be swell if you could provide the same in-depth look at the 'way-ahead of its time' Seeburg Tormat memory system, dating back to 1955...

[@edwardblair4096]

Is there any sort of lockout protection for carousel positions that don't have a record in them? I guess you would need to prevent the selection accumulator from setting the pin for slots without a record. Lots of things would go wrong if the tone arm was dropped onto a turntable without a record on it.

[@popefacto5945]

This seems like an awful lot of effort for No Effort November. #JustSaying My favorite local dive bar had one of these until maybe ten years ago and I always wondered what made it tick (because the mechanism was hidden). Much appreciated!

[@JoelCrager]

Hey the way the machine stutters after record play then moves you may get away with bending the actuator arm to that micro switch a tad outward so when the tone arm hits it it makes it travel a tad sooner and depresses the switch contact a bit more. I have a very similar model of this jukebox that will make the selection and start the arm but does not pop up the spring loaded fingers. I am hoping it is the brush contacts on the rotor plate. With watching your detailed video on how system works and having the electrical diagrams and working in the electrical field mainly with industrial controls I hope to get figured out. Thanks as always for sharing the video with us all as always enjoyed.

[@dualityk]

I'd love to see a long form video on a Seeburg jukebox (without having to make one myself -- hey, do you want a Seeburg FC2?) From 1970 they had core memory and digital controls strapped to a 1940s era vertical-play mechanism. And an inverter to run 33 or 45rpm. Pretty wild.

[@area73blog]

I love these old electromechanical mechanisms, there is a lost art in designing these I think.

[@norcal715]

Tarzan Boy by Baltimora. Good choice!

[@DavidLindes]

I think I almost want to try to make one of these one day. Probably not really, but almost. :) Anyway, definitely super cool to see it all. Thanks again!

[@trav13k]

So much for no effort November 😂😂 This is a delightful video though. Brilliant stuff and more please :)

[@chanc.7648]

Great, thank for valuable clips.

[@eddiekilby]

Good job explaining this Very complex electromechanical device. 👍👍👍👍👍👍 It is so much like my pinball machine.

[@kylebnjmnross]

I have indeed been thoroughly entertained. ❤

[@PhilipSmolen]

Thank you! This video inspired me to grab my earbuds and go for a walk.

[@pkguy3]

The name of the model "Statesman" is probably the giveaway to why this jukebox looks the way it looks. So that it could be placed in bars, clubs, lounges etc that were more understated where it wouldn't stand out.

[@Newberntrains]

i remember Joes Classic video games doing a few repairs on jukes i think they were rock-olas but the analog logic that goes into this machine is amazing

[@whitesapphire5865]

And to think, in this ultra slick, modern world of today, all of this would likely be done in Arduino, or by using PIC, or some other soulless slab of plastic. This was a fascinating walk through, or perhaps, walk back and forth through a piece of vintage machine logic. In reality, I can see a lot of similarities between this, and our old grain drier. It had quite a complex array of interlocking mechanical switch controllers. Some, to make things go, others to stop things from going. I love that kind of engineering. Brilliant video, this one, and I was able to enjoy it while I prepared and ate my evening meal - A rather tasty chick pea Dahl with pilau rice. I have no idea why, but the video and the meal seemed to go together like ducks and water! It would be very nice, and very interesting, if you were to make more videos in this way. I think it would be fair to say that this is a unique approach, and I like it!

[@matthew.datcher]

Long but great description. The only way I could imagine it being better would have been to somehow collaborate with Tim Hunkin on the explanation.

[@CBitsTech]

I hope you take this as the compliment it's meant to be. I'm going to listen while going to sleep over the next few nights, before watching it, and then watch it to see if my imagination gets it right from your description.

[@DanT271]

BROWN! I love the visable mech jukeboxes

[@lohphat]

There used to be a large diameter (1.5”) Eisenhower dollar coin in circulation when this was on the market.

[@garyprice9478]

Hi. Wow! What an absolutely fantastic job! How you can put things so simple for that is amazing! I bet that wasn't easy! Can I ask though, those feelers you mention are they rings? Keep this series up! From totally blind Gary Price in the United Kingdom.

[@craigiedema1707]

So it plays in the order of the selection accumulator, not the order of selection?

[@Subbestionix]

Thanks, this is awesome! As I'm basically blind this is great xD

[@lynxZenfold]

If you bought this from someone in Colorado, this was my Grandpas and you're awesome.

[@jmacd8817]

Awesome. Thanks for doing this!!!

[@sarahmayer8539]

"95% of me talking" - YES PLEASE that's totally fine, I mean

[@hurlhager7798]

Awesome video thanks for making this for us novices. I do have 3 questions. 1st you said that you had it set to free play in the credit box. How is that done? Next I see a number of springs that are either missing and what appears to be broken and hanging on the accumulator. Is that why certain records are not in the record carousel? What is the purpose of the light bulb that comes on for a second or so and then goes back off that's under carousel?

[@AlexandreMacabies]

OMG FINALLY. Thanks a lot, I've been waiting for those 4k mechatronics close-ups for some years now!

[@georgeprice4212]

I actually remember this particular model of jukebox! It wasn’t the clouds that moved, but the water. And, with a lot of these, there actually was a little space - usually where it would have a mechanism to show the selection playing - that you could look through and see the jukebox in action. I do have one question: where’d you find the original “Hey Joe” (before it was released as “Hey Joe Hey Moe” in the 70’s-80’s)?

[@realmccoy]

Wurlitzer is pronounced VURlitzer (W in German is pronounced as a V). Thanks!

[@andiCNH]

this is a borderline audiobook i love it

[@OrigamiMarie]

It's Tarzan Boy by Baltimora.

[@marsoelflaco5722]

🐵

[@HarvestStore]

Great video.