Episode 24 - Pinball Setup

Wedgehead operators explain pinball setup preferences and debunk obsessive tuning culture.

Synopsis

Alan and Alex from Wedgehead A Pinball Podcast discuss pinball machine setup, covering pitch level (steepness), rubber compound types, tilt settings, and slingshot sensitivity. They emphasize that setup is subjective and varies by operator preference, while debunking obsessive fine-tuning culture (e.g., measuring pitch to tenths of degrees). They share their own Wedgehead preferences: steep pitch, standard black rubber, tight tilts, and sensitive slingshots.

Highlights

• Spooky games are typically set at 6.5 degrees pitch level
• Scott Griesbach (Rick and Morty designer) measured his personal game at 6.9 degrees when asked on forums
• All major manufacturers (Stern, JJP, Spooky) ship games with standard rubber, not synthetic alternatives
• Standard rubber is much cheaper (one-third the price or less) than synthetic bands like Titan
• Scandinavian Flipper Rubbers are newly available but not yet distributed in the U.S.
• Tilt bob is a physical plumb bob mechanism that has been standard since the 1940s
• Modern Stern games have tilt debounce settings (typically ~500 milliseconds) that allow recovery between danger warnings
• Wedgehead uses tight tilt settings specifically to prevent death saves and excessive nudging
• Pitch level obsession (measuring to tenths of degrees) is not representative of professional operator practice
• Jack Danger is a Stern employee who streamed pinball regularly and is known as a great ambassador

Entities

• Jersey Jack Pinball· company
• Scandinavian Flipper Rubbers· company
• Spooky Pinball· company
• Stern Pinball· company
• Wedgehead Pinball Podcast· content
• Lord of the Rings· game
• Rick and Morty· game
• Star Trek: The Next Generation· game
• Alan· person
• Alex the Waterboy· person
• Jack Danger· person
• Scott Griesbach· person
• Dura Bands· product
• Super Bands· product
• Titan Bands· product
• Portland Pinball Bar Wedgehead· venue