Description: Bonanza, Williams #384, 6/70, electronic sound (mine shaft explosion, gun shot). Similar to the next year's Williams Sniper gun game. Bonanza is not based on time but 25 shots (35 if player gets to a certain point level). The only Williams gun game to uses a tape player for background sound. The tape player is a Muntz 4-track player that looks like an 8-track (but an 8-track is not compatible). Unfortunately this tape unit is custom for this game. The original sound track of galloping and whinnying horses with an occasional gunshot/ricochet is just 25 seconds long, but repeats for the 7 minute+ duration of the Muntz tape. The same thing is on all four tracks. The original 25 second sound track can be heard by clicking here (388k, MP3 format, thanks to Mark Clayton.) Go down this page for a better version of the original sound, and a modified sound track.

Both the gun shot sound and mine shaft explosion sounds are the same sound, amplified by the Muntz tape player. The two sounds are fed thru a phonograph needle cartridge which is connected to a long spring, which is hit by an arm connected to a relay. This relay momentarily "kicks" the spring, which gives the gun shot or explosion sound like reverberation. The only difference between the gun shot and mine explosion sounds are the length of time they are played. There are two relays that control this, labeled Delay and 2-Second Delay. These are 1/4 wave rectifier DC relays (410 ohms each), and use either a 250mfd cap (short delay for the gun shot sound), and 1500mfd cap (2 second delay for the mine explosion.) It's the same sound, just short (gun shot) or long (mine explosion.) When either of those Delay relays energize, the amplifier turns on to sound the reverb spring. Gunshot is the short play delay, Mine explosion the 2 second play delay. Since there's a volume control for each sound, usually the mine explosion sound has a higher volume.

These sounds are pretty well thought out, as the Muntz tape player only plays *one* spring sound, but it's manipulated by the EM side of the game to sound like two distinct sounds. But if the Muntz tape player is missing, neither the gun shot sound or the mine explosion sound will be heard. That's because the audio amplifier for the spring sounds is inside the Muntz tape player... Except on early variants of the Bonanza gun game, where there is a separate external amplifier board for these two sounds (published schematics do not show this external sound board option.)

Behind the front lower kick panel of the game there are two speakers and three volume controls (one for the background hoof/horse sounds created by the 4-track tape, one for the explosion sound, and one for the gun shot sound). Because of this, the Bonanza tape player is very integral to all the game sounds. There is also a bell for hitting the slow horse (but not the fast horse).

There is a 120 volt recoil solenoid for the gun. #455 flashing bulbs are used to give a muzzle-flash effect, like there are hidden desperados shooting back at the player. For a nicer effect, I dipped the eight #455 bulb into red lacquer to give a red muzzle flash effect. A fast horse goes across the top back of the scenery. This is worth 100 points, or 500 points when lit. There is a slow horses target that moves across the middle of the scenery which is always worth 100 points. The men that pop up vertically across the bottom of the scenery are worth 30 points, except for the center man which is worth 300 points when lit. The lit stationary treasure mine is worth 300 points, and this creates the mine explosion and a flash of a red 120 volt light bulb. "X" stationary targets also light which are worth 300 points. Extra shots are awarded if the player gets to a set point level (operator selectible for 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000 or 7000 points).

Since my game was missing the Muntz tape player (and hence the gun shot and mine explosion sounds), I changed the bell sound on my game. Instead of using the bell just for the slow horse hit, I wired the bell to the 100 point relay (by adding a switch to the relay). I added another bell and connected that to the 10 point relay.

Background Sound.
I also added a $15 Sony DCM-929 "shoebox" cassette tape player to the game. The good thing about this recorder is it runs at 6 volts DC (using a power adaptor). So I just wired it to the "return shots" 6.3 volts AC power plug thru a 35 amp 200 volt bridge rectifier (with a 2000 mfd electrolytic cap across the "+" and "-" leads of the bridge). Just cut off the adaptor portion of the power adaptor and use the Sony wiring and plug to the tape player. This will make the tape player only turn on when the game is played. Next I wired a jack to the Sony's speaker wires (and disconnected the Sony cassette speaker). I then wired this to the original Bonanza speaker, and put the volume all the way UP on the cassette player. Then I recorded the Bonanza tape track (thanks to Mark Clayton) to a 3 minute endless loop cassette tape, and left the player on "Play". The Sony DCM-929 can even be used to record the Bonanza sound track as it has a microphone jack. Now when a game starts (and the 6 volt AC power automatically turns on via the Lock relay), the Bonanza tape plays on the original front Bonanza speaker. Even the original Bonanza volume control works! This was a nice compromise for the missing Muntz tape player. The only sound lacking is the electronic gun shot sound and mine explosion sound.

Another way to add sound is using the Electronics123.com sound board. Just short the two K1 button triggers together with a jumper wire, and power the board with 4 to 6vdc GI power, same as above using a bridge rectifier and a capacitor (the cap can be 2000mfd or higher.) A good tap for the 6vac is the yellow cloth wire (the transformer center tap), and the cloth white wire (which gets 6vac from the Lock relay make/break switch for the game lights/game-over lights.) I added a fuse on the AC side of the bridge (2amp.) The female Jones plug connector in the bottom of the cabinet second furthest left (as facing the back of the game) has both yellow (center tap) and white (6vac via Lock relay). Tap into the power there, connecting to a fuse then the AC leads of the bridge. Put the cap across the +/- leads of the bridge, and run +/- power wires to the new MP3 board. On the connector furthest left (where the Muntz tape player connected) has two leads for the speaker (black/gray.)

The MP3 board at game start will play the 001.mp3 sound, and keep the sound going until power is removed (game over.) A switch can be added to the Delay relay and connected to the K2 sound board switch for the gun shot sound. Also another switch can be added to the 2second Delay relay, and this will give the Mine Explosion sound.

I made the sound file which is three minute version of the original Bonanza sounds and can be downloaded 001.mp3 original file (5meg, MP3 format). I also made a three minute version of the TV Show "Bonanza" theme song combined with the Bonanza game's soundtrack which can download the 001.mp3 modified file (5meg, MP3 format).

Even if you don't wire in the two extra switches to the two Delay relays, I would still add a 002.mp3 file for the gunshot sound, and the mine explosion sound 003.mp3 file to the MP3 players onboard memory. That way the files are there if you add the new switches in the future. Also the "read.cfg" file on the MP3 player should contain "1", so the sounds play correctly.

The added switch on the (short) Delay relay connects to the K2 button, and will give a nice gunshot sound every time the gun trigger is pulled by the player. Likewise the added switch on the (long) 2 Second Delay relay connected to the K3 button. Both these relays have capacitors, which determine how long the relay pulls in (and how long the MP3 sound plays.) On the gun shot short Delay relay, that cap is 250mfd, and you should change it to 470mfd 50v. The mine explosion cap (1500mfd) can be replaced with a 1000mfd cap, which gives better timing for the mine explosion sound. These caps are usually leaking anyway and need replaced regardless.

If you have a Williams Bonanza Gun game for sale please contact me at cfh@provide.net