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. So, I listed my information on http://www.northcarolinapinball.com and have been doing in-home repairs as well as repairing machines brought to me for several years now.
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 20 pinball machines and 30+ arcade games. Please visit Abari next time you’re in Charlotte!
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.
Carolina Pinball Repair 
I love the site so far! Keep it going! I like the varieties of tables you have and would love to see some maintenance write-ups or any mods you’ve done. Also, are you going to be adding to the collection? What machines would you like to add?
I’ve linked to your blog from my site, which you can find at:
http://pinballintrigue.blogspot.com/
Regards,
Brian T. (Jackalwere)
Thanks so much, Brian! It’s a very new site, just a week old, so there will be much more to come. This weekend I’ll get in depth coverage of the Winston-Salem Arcade Auction up, including video. My basement is pretty full right now, but I’m sure machines will change up a bit in the coming 6 months. I’m also always on the lookout for the right temporary project machine. I like working on games, so when I see a project for the right price to occupy some garage space for a bit and then enter someone else’s game room, I usually snatch it up to keep my hands busy. Top games on my current wishlist include: Whitewater, Twilight Zone and Road Show. I’ve got several repairs, mods and LEDing projects that will be coming up in the next month, so definitely stay tuned! I’ll add your blog to my links too! Thanks again!
Best,
Matthew
Hi Matt,
really great site, I love it.
Regards
Ingo (germany)