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Spectrum

Spectrum is an extremely rare Bally table from the early 1970s, based on the 2-player board game Mastermind. Of 994 units manufactured, fewer than 500 were sold, with the rest scrapped or salvaged. The VPW project focused on recreating this obscure table as a learning exercise for the toolkit.

Build Notes

Project Selection

Sixtoe chose Spectrum as a learning project to teach himself the VPW toolkit. The table's simple layout and lack of complex mechanisms made it ideal for a first build. Godzilla was the original target but its ramp complexity was too much for an introductory project.

Playfield Dimensions

Standard Bally playfield dimensions from this era are 20.25" x 42". Even with Spectrum's unusual layout, it fits in a standard Bally cabinet. The original VPX file had incorrect dimensions (112.9 x 232.8) which were corrected based on bord1947's confirmation of the standard sizing.

3D & Art

Plastic Redrawing Workflow

The reference photos were too distorted for simple cleanup -- lens distortion and camera angle made the lines (which should be vertical, horizontal, or 45 degrees) appear wonky. A complete redraw was required.

Cyberpez's redraw process:

  1. Straighten the reference image before starting
  2. Redraw diodes and resistors from scratch
  3. Account for dust and speckles in photos (caused by protective film not being peeled off the plastics)
  4. The clear "beige" surround is actually clear plastic with a backing, used for shaping and removable after
  5. Color match carefully -- some colors are "wishy washy" and hard to identify from photos
  6. Track progress publicly with WIP screenshots

Color Matching from Poor Reference

When reference photos have inconsistent colors or lighting, comparing multiple reference images and making judgment calls is necessary. For the eye detail on Spectrum's plastics, yellow was tested initially but looked wrong, so white was kept instead. Before/after comparison screenshots help validate color decisions.

Protective Film Artifacts

Speckles in plastic reference photos are often dust or bubbles trapped under the protective film that hasn't been peeled off. This can be misleading when evaluating actual plastic condition -- always consider this context when working from reference materials.

Game Knowledge

Spectrum is all about precise shots. It is not a table designed for marathon sessions, but the gameplay is focused and skill-based. Its rarity and connection to the Mastermind board game make it an interesting historical curiosity in the pinball world.