Dude I got into it with them....They sent wrong buttons, TV mount slots don't line up with any TV, I bought 3 TV's and none lined up at all, the dude at GRS kept saying in an email reply back to me to use 1 screw lol I replied back with pics and said show me how smart guy because what don't you understand about the slots don't line up at all? FUCK GRS.
I know this sounds ghetto, but having my girlfriend constantly cleaned and vacuuming and hitting the bottom of my arcade cabinets , would take black paint of the stand. I bought black sharpie permanent markers and I promise you, you can run the marker along the bottom of the backbox on the unpainted wood and it will color it black and nobody will even notice it. Same for the side of the control panel or anywhere else wood is showing . Sounds crazy but it’s a perfect tool to hide stuff like that .
A really insightful review! it confirms that GRS are most likely using the same Arcade button kits that anyone can order online - Great video! very honest
Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, nothing special about the kit. I think the USB controller is a bit limited. still seems modern but limited to a few buttons with no directions on how to use it. I matched this to other kits with the same stuff but they had directions. Like the latch for the bottom opening, they bought it at a hardware store and ripped off the top and all identifying markings. Leaving you to figure out how to use it...
GRS buttons are similar to button kits you'll find at any other arcade shop. All shops use generic LED's. Since GRS has free shipping on their cabinets it's good to add your buttons and other things to the same order. All the other arcade shops I've purchased from had high shipping costs, often 50% or more of the product price itself. Price and shipping are two things GRS does better than the competition.
Thanks, glad it helped. They had the best price I could find. All in all it is not too bad. Yes, a couple flaws, but once it's together and in place you don't notice the couple issues. My only true gripe is the lack of easy access to the screen for replacement.
I've ordered several things from them. Minor flaws are a 50/50 but most can be solved with some DIY like a missing screw hole or taking a sharpie to a few small chips. But go price a Recroomasters with shipping. I guarantee you'll buy this pinball cabinet, flaws or no.
Congrats on getting that GRS full size tabled built. I've got the 3/4 scale one. Very sorry to see so much sloppiness creeping into their manufacturing techniques. You might be able to hide the gap, on the lockdown bar end of the table, with a narrow strip of black plastic. As for the joystick dust cover, you can get that from Happ, or maybe on Amazon. GRS shorted me on a ton of fasteners, even the buttons, and controller. Had to get them to send those out. I also had to get more vesa bolts for the monitors. I opted to go without the plex over the play field, and backglass monitor, for the sake of easy removal of the monitor, for the very reason you sited. I have a heart condition, and don't need to be wrestling a 200 pound cabinet, after removing have that components, just to lighten in to get it up on a table, and then dismantle the side panel, and legs, just to access a dead monitor. NOPE. Not gonna do it GRS's way. LOL I just have to reach under, and unto the vesa bolts, then slide the monitor right out, through the top. Same for the backglass. Don't need extra plex to create more internal reflections. LOL Glad you figured out how to get the T-molding to go around tight corners. Obviously, GRS forgot about that bit. LOL Also looks like they went the cheap rout, and changed the back plate on you. They used to have the rear plates camlocked at both sides of the panel. Looks like they omitted that step, and now the back panels will splay, when the legs go on. I had to buy screws, to properly attach the 4 inside angle / leg mount brackets inside the box, after I discovered the splaying problem. Also had to attach additional brackets for the back panels, to stop them splaying even more, under load. And that's on the smaller cabinet! LOL. Good luck with the finishing steps, and thanks for sharing this.
Thanks for this. I’ve been on the fence for months about buying a cabinet from them. I’ve read a lot of horror stories about the quality and their customer service. Without having the skill to correct any build issues, I’m going to pass and have mine custom built.
Glad you got something out of it. I did a lot of research and they were the lowest price, however I have the tools to redrill holes etc of needed so can fix issues if they arise. But yes, if you are not able to or don't want to worry about it, then get a slightly more expensive brand. All in all mine turned out great as you can see so I am happy with it.
@@funtyes1970 True, but sometimes you don't have a choice. If you want one and don't have the money, DIY fixes are worth it. The next step up in a good 'professional' one is almost double the price. I had small issues but mine turned out great, others might be that mechanically inclined which would be the ones that will pay for it it in the end. Just have to do your research, a little due diligence is all it takes. Weigh the pros and cons. I tried to show every issue i had to give people a heads up what they may face.
Thanks, dude. You were as thorough as I would be and saved me money and a huge disappointment. RecRoomMasters and Monster Arcades are relatively local to me, but they don't offer a 43" table. Nearly all UHD TVs are 43" instead of 40" now, so I'm kind of in a holding pattern.
Wow, I have this in my cart now and i'm glad I haven't pulled the trigger yet. Quality control appears to be a serious issue on this cabinet kit. I know retro ralph has spoken well of Ryan and I do trust RR's opinion but this seems puzzling.
I would say it is still the best price for a full cabinet. Many offer the same price but with no backbox or what have you....Look around. I do not regret the purchase, I was able to make things look great with a little effort.
Retro Ralph has a well known channel in this community so it is in Ryan's best interest to give some extra attention to anything that goes to him or other channels like his. But even Ralph got some damaged wood on his 3/4 scale cab. Quality Control and Customer Relations are two areas GRS needs to improve, but the flaws are always minor and can usually be solved with DIY. Anything serious and Ryan will send a new part. They aren't perfect, but the price is worth it. I compare GRS to an open box deal. Might be a little scuff, some missing instructions, a hole that needs drilling, but you will save a lot of money over the competition. Price a Recroommasters full size pinball and ask yourself if the price is worth the issues this man encountered.
I purchased one of their cabinets over a year ago. I would NOT do it again. The cabinet is cheap, offers no real tilt option for the playfield monitor, and is missing the lockdown bar which you notice if you play a few hours a day. There are several others on the market I would check out before purchasing again.
I cqan understand that sentiment, however for the price it can't be beat. I still play mine and it it has held up fairly well. But yes, just about any otehr company woul dbe better but you also jump in price by a lot. this is a good place to start to get your taste for it though.
No, all that is a 3rd party company. Besides the buttons you get the interface board as well though it is ready to play. but honestly, it still feels like a real pinball machine when playing.
@@NotsoEP , no it’s looks great. I’ve been building arcades and bartops as a hobby for people for awhile now and I’ll never use GRS ever again. They are horrible to deal with as far as customer support. It’s never a good sign when a company has to change its name because their Yelp reviews etc were so horrible . Always something is missing , or not cut right, I once had them do wiring for me and they used the thinnest cheapest wires possible that were ripping apart. I’m glad your experience was a good one though. Your machine looks great, I never built a pinball machine so for my first one I grabbed the atgames pinball table, because i easily hook up my laptop to it via OTG mode and can play any table out there. Only thing is it’s only a 1080p screen but for my first table i wanted to get a feel for how it works etc . I never was much of a pinball lover but I swear I can’t stop playing even fx3 games on the table via OTG. But now that I installed baller popper , I realize all the stuff inside I’m missing but want the shakers etc. do you know anyone (trust worthy) that does backglass modifications for pinball tables? I can’t seem to find any .
Hey Christopher, to address the issue with no top access to the cabinet, do you think if you ditch the plexi and use a glass overlay, real metal siderails and front lockdown bar (loosing most of the front upward facing control panel apron leaving just enough to sit the lockdown bar on top of it) you could then have a means to remove those side rails and lockdown bar to be able to raise your monitor up to access the cabinet from top?
Well anything is possible with enough effort, but the way it is assembles your way would weaken the construction. The sides and that front piece are held together with the bolt/cam locking system. There are no real bolts or screws used...So if I removed all those front pieces for a metal bar to slide out a glass cover, the sides would not hold up once you took that off. If you want to go that full route, your best bet would be to buy an old pinball table and modify it instead.
@@NotsoEP Thanks for the advice on that. Since I don't have the table, I trust your judgment there. But to clarify, I wouldn't completely remove the front upward facing apron. I'd just reduce it by about half so that its still able to attach to the sides, but the lockdown bar covers it up. That, combined with glass top and you should be able to simply lift the TV up to access the cabinet from the top. That's my best guess based on what I can glean from your video and the GRC assembly video. A widebody cabinet is near impossible to find in my area and cost would be around 1-2x more than this kit. I have a standard williams cabinet that has side rails I can use for this kit, which is why I'm leaning in that direction. Still have to source a widebody lockdown bar since my standard one is obviously too narrow.
@@eighties8 That might work, if you went that route, I would recommend wood gluing the sides to that front panel piece for extra stability. Once you can access the TV from the front there would be no need to take it apart again.
@@NotsoEP Aren't the sides mostly held in place by the front and back panels? I wouldn't advise doing anything to those - that certainly would compromise the structural integrity of the cabinet. I'm just talking about ripping the TOP facing apron only (the one that has the joystick) -. Looks to be about 5-6 inches? I'd reduce it by half so that the monitor could be positioned forward a few inches like a real table. Then use a piece of tempered glass that sits ON TOP of the side panels just like every other table I've seen (this one is the only one I've seen that requires the top glass to ride in a channel in the cabinet). With those few mods, you could raise the monitor up just like you want to.
@@eighties8 You would have to cut a small bit from the front, to let the glass slide out. that is channel inside the sides, below that top piece...maybe reduce the front piece by about 1" to 1.5" would probably do it. But I would still recommend the glue anyway. it is very sturdy, don't get me wrong. I just like a good strong connection.
The problem with that is, they would no longer be able to offer the better deals. I think that is why the other kits are more expensive. But unless you tell anyone, no one would know the difference when coming over to play it. You could always just buy an old pinball shell and modify it for virtual play.
If you’re looking for a really good cabinet a would recommend VirtuaPin.net. They aren’t cheap, but you get real wood instead of .mdf, and the cabinet has all the features of the real thing liked a hinged back box, actual front lock bar, proper Bally/Williams button placement, etc. Plus it’s a one stop shop for all the parts you need. I’ve had mine for almost 7 years and it still looks great.
Have you done any additional mods since posting this video (i.e. real playfield glass and side rails) ? If so I'm curious what glass specs you got and where you purchased the items.
No. I am happy with it still, for what it cost it was worth it. I just wanted a pinball table, I am not into the make a virtual one look real (like knockers and lights etc..). If I wanted to do it up, I would get a real wood table made. But for my living room, this is fine.
An AMD ryzen 7 I had laying around. The programs are listed, I showed them in the video. Future Pinball, Virtual Pinball X, I also bought some Pinball FX 3 tables.
GRS has issues they need to fix. Sometimes their panels or pre drilled holes dont align correctly or arrive scratched. But they dont have much competition. You said they dont sell the legs, rather they send you a link for you to purchase them. how much?
Sorry, never got notified of this reply... The legs don't come with bolts so need to buy those too! About another $100 for the set of bolts/legs/brackets
NOTE: I went through 3 TV's which I had to return because NONE OF THEM even line up with the TV mount board slots they provided... This is hilarious, all the same issues you have I also have...The entry door at the bottom of the cabinet on mine also isn't right, doesn't line up. I got into it with them about the TV mount, told the dude to GO FUCK HIMSELF.
Same just happened to me on their new 32" playfield. The company is a nightmare to deal with.
Dude I got into it with them....They sent wrong buttons, TV mount slots don't line up with any TV, I bought 3 TV's and none lined up at all, the dude at GRS kept saying in an email reply back to me to use 1 screw lol I replied back with pics and said show me how smart guy because what don't you understand about the slots don't line up at all? FUCK GRS.
I know this sounds ghetto, but having my girlfriend constantly cleaned and vacuuming and hitting the bottom of my arcade cabinets , would take black paint of the stand. I bought black sharpie permanent markers and I promise you, you can run the marker along the bottom of the backbox on the unpainted wood and it will color it black and nobody will even notice it. Same for the side of the control panel or anywhere else wood is showing . Sounds crazy but it’s a perfect tool to hide stuff like that .
Those 2 boards on the back on my cabinet at 5:35 also cracked and I didn't over tighten anything....Sucks.
A really insightful review! it confirms that GRS are most likely using the same Arcade button kits that anyone can order online - Great video! very honest
Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, nothing special about the kit. I think the USB controller is a bit limited. still seems modern but limited to a few buttons with no directions on how to use it. I matched this to other kits with the same stuff but they had directions. Like the latch for the bottom opening, they bought it at a hardware store and ripped off the top and all identifying markings. Leaving you to figure out how to use it...
GRS buttons are similar to button kits you'll find at any other arcade shop. All shops use generic LED's. Since GRS has free shipping on their cabinets it's good to add your buttons and other things to the same order. All the other arcade shops I've purchased from had high shipping costs, often 50% or more of the product price itself. Price and shipping are two things GRS does better than the competition.
Good video. Very helpful. I was seriously considering this cabinet, but now I may rethink my options. Thanks!
Thanks, glad it helped. They had the best price I could find. All in all it is not too bad. Yes, a couple flaws, but once it's together and in place you don't notice the couple issues. My only true gripe is the lack of easy access to the screen for replacement.
I've ordered several things from them. Minor flaws are a 50/50 but most can be solved with some DIY like a missing screw hole or taking a sharpie to a few small chips. But go price a Recroomasters with shipping. I guarantee you'll buy this pinball cabinet, flaws or no.
@@pdxmetal I agree. For the price this was well worth it.
@@NotsoEP I do think they should've included legs. That is my main gripe.
@@pdxmetal Thanks, that's kinda what I was thinking. Overall, have you been happy with the quality of the graphics/vinyl they use?
Congrats on getting that GRS full size tabled built. I've got the 3/4 scale one. Very sorry to see so much sloppiness creeping into their manufacturing techniques. You might be able to hide the gap, on the lockdown bar end of the table, with a narrow strip of black plastic. As for the joystick dust cover, you can get that from Happ, or maybe on Amazon. GRS shorted me on a ton of fasteners, even the buttons, and controller. Had to get them to send those out. I also had to get more vesa bolts for the monitors. I opted to go without the plex over the play field, and backglass monitor, for the sake of easy removal of the monitor, for the very reason you sited. I have a heart condition, and don't need to be wrestling a 200 pound cabinet, after removing have that components, just to lighten in to get it up on a table, and then dismantle the side panel, and legs, just to access a dead monitor. NOPE. Not gonna do it GRS's way. LOL I just have to reach under, and unto the vesa bolts, then slide the monitor right out, through the top. Same for the backglass. Don't need extra plex to create more internal reflections. LOL Glad you figured out how to get the T-molding to go around tight corners. Obviously, GRS forgot about that bit. LOL Also looks like they went the cheap rout, and changed the back plate on you. They used to have the rear plates camlocked at both sides of the panel. Looks like they omitted that step, and now the back panels will splay, when the legs go on. I had to buy screws, to properly attach the 4 inside angle / leg mount brackets inside the box, after I discovered the splaying problem. Also had to attach additional brackets for the back panels, to stop them splaying even more, under load. And that's on the smaller cabinet! LOL. Good luck with the finishing steps, and thanks for sharing this.
Thanks for this. I’ve been on the fence for months about buying a cabinet from them. I’ve read a lot of horror stories about the quality and their customer service. Without having the skill to correct any build issues, I’m going to pass and have mine custom built.
Glad you got something out of it. I did a lot of research and they were the lowest price, however I have the tools to redrill holes etc of needed so can fix issues if they arise. But yes, if you are not able to or don't want to worry about it, then get a slightly more expensive brand. All in all mine turned out great as you can see so I am happy with it.
@@NotsoEP will some times going cheap people will pay for it at the end and fixing problems .
@@funtyes1970 True, but sometimes you don't have a choice. If you want one and don't have the money, DIY fixes are worth it. The next step up in a good 'professional' one is almost double the price. I had small issues but mine turned out great, others might be that mechanically inclined which would be the ones that will pay for it it in the end. Just have to do your research, a little due diligence is all it takes. Weigh the pros and cons. I tried to show every issue i had to give people a heads up what they may face.
Thanks, dude. You were as thorough as I would be and saved me money and a huge disappointment. RecRoomMasters and Monster Arcades are relatively local to me, but they don't offer a 43" table. Nearly all UHD TVs are 43" instead of 40" now, so I'm kind of in a holding pattern.
Wow, I have this in my cart now and i'm glad I haven't pulled the trigger yet. Quality control appears to be a serious issue on this cabinet kit. I know retro ralph has spoken well of Ryan and I do trust RR's opinion but this seems puzzling.
I would say it is still the best price for a full cabinet. Many offer the same price but with no backbox or what have you....Look around. I do not regret the purchase, I was able to make things look great with a little effort.
Retro Ralph has a well known channel in this community so it is in Ryan's best interest to give some extra attention to anything that goes to him or other channels like his. But even Ralph got some damaged wood on his 3/4 scale cab. Quality Control and Customer Relations are two areas GRS needs to improve, but the flaws are always minor and can usually be solved with DIY. Anything serious and Ryan will send a new part. They aren't perfect, but the price is worth it. I compare GRS to an open box deal. Might be a little scuff, some missing instructions, a hole that needs drilling, but you will save a lot of money over the competition. Price a Recroommasters full size pinball and ask yourself if the price is worth the issues this man encountered.
I purchased one of their cabinets over a year ago. I would NOT do it again. The cabinet is cheap, offers no real tilt option for the playfield monitor, and is missing the lockdown bar which you notice if you play a few hours a day. There are several others on the market I would check out before purchasing again.
I cqan understand that sentiment, however for the price it can't be beat. I still play mine and it it has held up fairly well. But yes, just about any otehr company woul dbe better but you also jump in price by a lot. this is a good place to start to get your taste for it though.
Does the table kit come with any digital pinball hardware ? Besides the buttons? I mean exciters, LED max lighting , shakers etc?
No, all that is a 3rd party company. Besides the buttons you get the interface board as well though it is ready to play. but honestly, it still feels like a real pinball machine when playing.
@@NotsoEP , no it’s looks great. I’ve been building arcades and bartops as a hobby for people for awhile now and I’ll never use GRS ever again. They are horrible to deal with as far as customer support. It’s never a good sign when a company has to change its name because their Yelp reviews etc were so horrible . Always something is missing , or not cut right, I once had them do wiring for me and they used the thinnest cheapest wires possible that were ripping apart. I’m glad your experience was a good one though. Your machine looks great, I never built a pinball machine so for my first one I grabbed the atgames pinball table, because i easily hook up my laptop to it via OTG mode and can play any table out there. Only thing is it’s only a 1080p screen but for my first table i wanted to get a feel for how it works etc . I never was much of a pinball lover but I swear I can’t stop playing even fx3 games on the table via OTG. But now that I installed baller popper , I realize all the stuff inside I’m missing but want the shakers etc. do you know anyone (trust worthy) that does backglass modifications for pinball tables? I can’t seem to find any .
Hey Christopher, to address the issue with no top access to the cabinet, do you think if you ditch the plexi and use a glass overlay, real metal siderails and front lockdown bar (loosing most of the front upward facing control panel apron leaving just enough to sit the lockdown bar on top of it) you could then have a means to remove those side rails and lockdown bar to be able to raise your monitor up to access the cabinet from top?
Well anything is possible with enough effort, but the way it is assembles your way would weaken the construction. The sides and that front piece are held together with the bolt/cam locking system. There are no real bolts or screws used...So if I removed all those front pieces for a metal bar to slide out a glass cover, the sides would not hold up once you took that off. If you want to go that full route, your best bet would be to buy an old pinball table and modify it instead.
@@NotsoEP Thanks for the advice on that. Since I don't have the table, I trust your judgment there. But to clarify, I wouldn't completely remove the front upward facing apron. I'd just reduce it by about half so that its still able to attach to the sides, but the lockdown bar covers it up. That, combined with glass top and you should be able to simply lift the TV up to access the cabinet from the top. That's my best guess based on what I can glean from your video and the GRC assembly video. A widebody cabinet is near impossible to find in my area and cost would be around 1-2x more than this kit. I have a standard williams cabinet that has side rails I can use for this kit, which is why I'm leaning in that direction. Still have to source a widebody lockdown bar since my standard one is obviously too narrow.
@@eighties8 That might work, if you went that route, I would recommend wood gluing the sides to that front panel piece for extra stability. Once you can access the TV from the front there would be no need to take it apart again.
@@NotsoEP Aren't the sides mostly held in place by the front and back panels? I wouldn't advise doing anything to those - that certainly would compromise the structural integrity of the cabinet. I'm just talking about ripping the TOP facing apron only (the one that has the joystick) -. Looks to be about 5-6 inches? I'd reduce it by half so that the monitor could be positioned forward a few inches like a real table. Then use a piece of tempered glass that sits ON TOP of the side panels just like every other table I've seen (this one is the only one I've seen that requires the top glass to ride in a channel in the cabinet). With those few mods, you could raise the monitor up just like you want to.
@@eighties8 You would have to cut a small bit from the front, to let the glass slide out. that is channel inside the sides, below that top piece...maybe reduce the front piece by about 1" to 1.5" would probably do it. But I would still recommend the glue anyway. it is very sturdy, don't get me wrong. I just like a good strong connection.
GRS kits would be good if they used decent material. I'd gladly pay a premium for laminated birch instead of paper.
The problem with that is, they would no longer be able to offer the better deals. I think that is why the other kits are more expensive. But unless you tell anyone, no one would know the difference when coming over to play it. You could always just buy an old pinball shell and modify it for virtual play.
If you’re looking for a really good cabinet a would recommend VirtuaPin.net. They aren’t cheap, but you get real wood instead of .mdf, and the cabinet has all the features of the real thing liked a hinged back box, actual front lock bar, proper Bally/Williams button placement, etc. Plus it’s a one stop shop for all the parts you need. I’ve had mine for almost 7 years and it still looks great.
Have you done any additional mods since posting this video (i.e. real playfield glass and side rails) ? If so I'm curious what glass specs you got and where you purchased the items.
No. I am happy with it still, for what it cost it was worth it. I just wanted a pinball table, I am not into the make a virtual one look real (like knockers and lights etc..). If I wanted to do it up, I would get a real wood table made. But for my living room, this is fine.
What are you using for an amp?
A cheap $20 180watt amp.. www.amazon.com/Portable-Channel-Surround-Amplifier-Motorcycle-Blue/dp/B07FSLF9TY
I really want to get a virtual pinball cabinet. What did u us for the pc and program
An AMD ryzen 7 I had laying around. The programs are listed, I showed them in the video. Future Pinball, Virtual Pinball X, I also bought some Pinball FX 3 tables.
GRS has issues they need to fix. Sometimes their panels or pre drilled holes dont align correctly or arrive scratched. But they dont have much competition. You said they dont sell the legs, rather they send you a link for you to purchase them. how much?
Sorry, never got notified of this reply... The legs don't come with bolts so need to buy those too! About another $100 for the set of bolts/legs/brackets
GRS SUCKS!! , will never give Ryan another dime of my money
NOTE: I went through 3 TV's which I had to return because NONE OF THEM even line up with the TV mount board slots they provided... This is hilarious, all the same issues you have I also have...The entry door at the bottom of the cabinet on mine also isn't right, doesn't line up. I got into it with them about the TV mount, told the dude to GO FUCK HIMSELF.