Not long ago I posted an article about my Uncle Bob’s neon-lit glass block wall in his 50s-60s era retro room.
That was only the beginning of all of the cool retro toys he and his wife have in this time machine of theirs.
Probably the most impressive item (to me) that they’ve got in this room is the 1955 Seeburg Model 100 J jukebox that they’ve painstakingly, although lovingly, restored back to its original glorious condition.
Seeburgs have been a big part of pop culture by fostering musical interests of millions of fans the world over.
Yes…it plays! And quite nicely I might add.
It operates as smooth as silk. You don’t seriously think that my Uncle Bob would have a broken classic jukebox sitting in his house taking up valuable floor space do you??!!! Heck no! This 50-plus year old jukebox has been restored back to top-notch condition.
Once again, I’m proud to introduce my Uncle Bob to you and I’m gonna let him tell you a little about this beautiful machine.
The unit is an original “Seeburg 100 J” manufactured in 1955 that we purchased in 1988 from a friend that found 2 jukeboxes in a warehouse in Newark. He did not want to restore both of them so we bought this one for $750.
When we purchased it, it had been stored for over 30 years and had mice nests, etc. inside. We dismantled the unit and restored the finishes and veneers ourselves. The chrome parts were rechromed in California and the record changer and original tube amplifier were restored by a jukebox restorer in Lancaster, Ohio. The total restoration took about 9 months to complete.
Since restoration, the unit has played perfectly. 45 rpm records are available from several sources but we like a little record shop in Kent, Ohio called Spin More Records. The title strips are made on our computer with software that also allows you to keep a database of your collection.We probably have about 200 records that we rotate through the jukebox that holds 50 record (100 songs).
Soon we will be placing the “Christmas collection” in the box to enjoy. We do really enjoy the jukebox and the sound two 12″ and one 8″ speaker can deliver. On a wall near the “garden area” of the lower level we have a restored Seeburg “teardrop” speaker that works off the jukebox also.
It’s a sweet piece of nostalgia, folks!
If you’re thinking of putting together a retro-type room in your house, a jukebox is a real conversation piece.
Who doesn’t like music???
Photos of the 1955 Seeburg Model 100 J Jukebox
More Fun Stuff About Jukeboxes
- See more of Uncle Bob’s toys (Go to the bottom of that article for the links.)
- Fun facts related to Seeburg jukeboxes
- Spin More Records in Kent, Ohio
- All encompassing Seeburg website that you won’t want to miss.
- Books about Seeburg jukeboxes, including how they work and service information. (This is not a paid ad but if you are in need of a how-to book on Seeburg’s, they’ve got ’em.)
- A factory tour of Seeburg Jukeboxes
I started as a home-stalker… visiting brand new homes under construction in the neighborhoods near my house. That inspired me to write about home building and home renovation projects — chronicling homes during different phases of construction from a consumer's point-of-view. Basically, the tips you'll find in my articles are a collection of checklists for what I think should (and should not) go into building or remodeling a quality home.
