The Herald, Sharon, PA Published Sunday, May 20, 2001

MERCER

Nondescript family home doubles as a juke joint
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Couple is obsessed by jukeboxes
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COLLECTORS SAY RECORD MACHINES PUT CDS TO SHAME

By Jenn Heinold
Herald Staff Writer

From the looks of the ranch-style house in Mercer with yellow siding and a brick face, everything is quiet and serene but inside it’s filled with rock and roll.

"We’re sort of lost in the 50s," said Terry McClave, an avid record collector, whose collection spurred what her husband Jim, now calls an obsession.

"It’s all thanks to my wife," said McClave. The McClaves bought their first jukebox after Jim retired from the Navy in 1988. Mrs. McClave is a long-time record collector and she wanted a jukebox to play her collection.

They bought their first jukebox in working order from Ohio and McClave said, "They’re like potato chips, we couldn’t have just one."

Thirteen years, more than 30 jukeboxes and an addition to their home later, McClave spends his days restoring and repairing his collection of jukeboxes.

The McClaves now have seven jukeboxes in working condition and McClave said he has enough jukeboxes, which usually take a year to restore, to keep him busy for three lifetimes.

McClave, who has transformed his basement into a workshop, starts the restoration by taking apart the entire jukebox, restoring the outer cabinet, then putting it all back together. He says patience is the most important aspect to restoring jukeboxes.

"A lot of the fun in the hobby is finding them (jukeboxes)," said McClave who compared collecting jukeboxes to a scavenger hunt.

McClave also uses the Internet to help with his restoration. "I use Ebay.com all the time to find parts and reproductions," he said.

McClave also uses the Internet to search for jukeboxes to buy. He said there is quite a demand for parts but, obviously, the highest demand is for restored, working jukeboxes.

The McClaves favorite jukebox, a Wurlitzer 1015, has a coveted position in their living room.

McClave calls it the poster child of jukeboxes, complete with bubble tubing, glistening chrome and bright plastic-colored lights, it is the star of McClave’s collection.

The Wurlitzer 1015, filled with records from the 1950s and 1960s, is a virtual bargain -- only 5 cents a play. "We’re fighting inflation," McClave laughed.

The sound quality is amazing, and can be heard throughout the house, even though it contains all the original 1946 speakers and amplifiers.

"Chuck Berry and Elvis are still rockin’ and rollin’ in our house," said Mrs. McClave.

"Who needs a CD player?" McClave asks, while complimenting the craftsmanship of the jukebox compared to modern-day stereo systems.



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