Did Jennings make slots for Pace?

[just frank slots]

Hi,
I talked to an "expert" who repairs Pace slot machines told me Jennings NEVER made slot machine for Pace... NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, Yet I was just on EBAY that says differently. The reason I talked to the "EXPERT" because I found some new springs thought that might fit my Jennings model B. That's why I asked... Also on EBAY I found a back door for a Pace that looked like it would fit a Jennings... Is this another example of the old saying "STAY AWAY FROM THE EXPERTS." Here is a photo of the Pace slot from EBAY I was talking about.

[rtmccurdy]

Not a Pace expert by any means... but Bueschel, Fey, and other experts have written that Pace began his Company primarily as a revamper, hence why one often sees Pace jackpot fronts on Mills and Jennings late 1920's slot machines. He later developed his own slot machine line utilizing the rotary escalator in the 1930's and on.

[just frank slots]

Thanks for writing back. Come to think about it I think it's called "Beware of the experts" ... Sadly, I have learned this lesson many times... So, what you're saying is in the beginning Pace basically assembled their machines from other company's parts then later on made their machines entirely themselves. I also know that Jennings also made slots for Roc-ola. Interesting...

[rtmccurdy]

Revamping was a huge industry throughout the history of slot machines. Pace, Rock-o-la, Baker, and many others would "freshen up" older machines by providing jackpots, new castings, repainting, etc. then sell them at a fraction of the issue price or at least less than the brand new models. If you peruse old "Automatic Age" magazines (arcade-museum.com) you can see ads with 100's of used slots and trade stimulators offered by these Companies. So they would start with a non jackpot Mills Owl (or early Jennings) restore the mech and put on a new front casting that had a jackpot and add the linkage need to activate it.

[just frank slots]

That explains why these machines look a little different...

[watlingboy]

I think you might have misunderstood what Robert was saying. Prior to the late 1920’s, all machines had no jackpots. Once the jackpot was introduced, the ones without became outdated so various companies began making conversion fronts so operators and dealers could upgrade their old machines, Rockola, Fey, Pace and others made these conversion fronts. Jennings wasn’t making them for Pace, Pace and others were making them for dealers and operators to upgrade their outdated machines.
George

[just frank slots]

Cool...

[just frank slots]

Here is more photos of the Pace/ Jennings machine I was talking about early this morning. I hope the pictures work.

[just frank slots]

And again... The truth is I'm confused.

[just frank slots]

We got off track... The question is did Jennings make slot machines for Pace like they did for Rock-ola... Yes or No..