Meet Dan
Tip Top Pinball is owned and operated by Dan Farrell.
Tip Top's origin story started with a 17-year-old Dan working at a movie theater in Charlottesville, VA. He discovered that if the Data East “Hook” pinball machine in the lobby was turned off and back on again, it would add a free credit (later discovered to be a coin switch wired incorrectly). Dan fell in love after discovering how to start the multiball and hit the ramps to alternate jackpots.
A few decades later, his first pinball machine was purchased: a humble Data East Jurassic Park (1993) that was not fully functional. With the help of Clark Fraley at the Richmond Pinball Collective, the game was brought back to life. Dan soon started volunteering at RPC, cleaning and repairing games. The wide variety of games at the club provided an incredible education in problems and solutions across all eras. His background in small electronics (building guitar pedals and equipment) and strong sense of logic (from computer programming) helped him get on a fast track to repair mastery. Did you know that the electromagnetic copper windings that make pinball flippers flip are basically the same as the pickups that make electric guitars sound awesome?
Dan's first and still largest pinball location is at the Center of the Universe Brewery in Ashland, VA, hosting 11 pinball machines and 6 arcade games at the time of this writing. He hosts a monthly tournament called “Pinpocalypse” and loves giving kids free credits, hoping to spark a love of pinball early. Check here for information and upcoming tournaments.