About Me
Fifteen Years of Hands-On Pinball Experience.
Player · Collector · Technician
My name is Matthew and I have been playing pinball machines since I was about seven or eight-years-old. Being a product of the 1980s, gaming is in my blood; however, at the local arcades growing up, while many of my contemporaries were playing the latest arcade side scrollers or fighting games, I gravitated to the corner with the large machines with flashing lights and silver balls.
From the first time I put two quarters into a pinball machine, I was hooked. Every pizza parlor, ice cream shop, bowling alley or bar I go in, if I see a pinball machine, I have to put some money into it and play a few games.
As pinball began to dry up on location, I got into the hobby of collecting machines. My first pin was a 1992 Doctor Who which I still have in my personal game room. There's an old adage that, "If it ain't broke, it ain't pinball." So, naturally, as my personal game room collection grew, the need for repair/maintenance knowledge increased. Having been long interested in hobby electronics and the process of electro-mechanical devices, I took to learning pinball repair to service my personal machines.
The more machines I got, the more games I learned to repair. It got to where repairing machines was as much fun to me as playing them, and soon I had other hobbyists asking me for my advice on their games and various issues. With pinball repair being a bit of a dying art, I decided to start repairing games for others.
Beginning in the summer of 2016, I took a full-time position as the Head Technician at Abari Game Bar in Charlotte where I service their 35 pinball machines and 50+ arcade games. Please visit Super Abari next time you're in Charlotte! I have also been regularly assisting with upkeep on the well over 100+ games at Uptown Pinball in Martinsville, Va. for the past couple of years. Another great location you should visit!
Having now worked on games full-time for over a decade, I pride myself in being a quick, efficient, and knowledgable technician for solid state pinball machines from all eras. My schedule is a lot tighter than it used to be, but I still try my best to help out as many clients as I can, but do request patience and understanding in how long my queues can get at the shop.
I've started Carolina Pinball Repair as my clientele list has grown to have a direct page with more information on my pricing, service specialties, etc. I also will be using this page as a blog on various repairs I complete both on my home games and others' games, if possible. I hope this becomes both a helpful tool for others, and a place where North Carolina pinball owners who have broken or dead pinball machines can come to get them back to what they should be doing -- playing and providing family fun and entertainment.
Inside the Shop
Built for Diagnosis, Repair, and Testing.
The shop combines board-level test equipment, system-specific fixtures, stocked components, parts organization, and full-machine work areas.
