When Your Stern Speaker Panel Needs a Little More Light

Stern's modern speaker panels leave you with a surprisingly large visual area around the speakers. Normally, that space is a great place to add artwork — but there is one particular type of pinball mod that changes the equation: the large illuminated speaker-area mods that fill much of that rectangular section with light.

And that is exactly why we created our Square Cutouts WizPanels.

Instead of covering the entire speaker area, these magnetic WizPanels have a specially designed rectangular cutout, leaving the illuminated section of the mod completely visible while adding custom artwork around it. The result is a much more integrated look, rather than having a bright lighting mod sitting in the middle of an otherwise dark speaker panel.

They work just like our other magnetic WizPanels: line them up, place them on the speaker panel, and you're done in seconds. No permanent modification, no complicated installation and no tools required.

Godzilla

Godzilla is a perfect example of where the Square Cutouts really makes sense. The Stern Godzilla speaker area is large and visually prominent, and adding a lighting mod there can completely change the look of the upper cabinet.

Our Godzilla LE Square Cutout WizPanels are designed around that setup, giving the illuminated area room to shine while adding artwork around it that feels much more connected to the rest of the machine.

It is a small change, but one that can make the whole speaker panel feel much more finished.

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden is another machine where the lighting and artwork can work extremely well together. The machine already has an incredibly strong visual identity, so adding a large illuminated area to the speaker section can look fantastic — provided the surrounding panel doesn't get lost.

The Iron Maiden Premium Square Cutout WizPanels were made specifically to work with that kind of setup, keeping the central lighting visible while bringing some custom artwork back into the surrounding space.

Star Wars

The Star Wars speaker panel is another great candidate for the Square Cutouts treatment. With such a recognizable theme, the speaker area doesn't have to remain a large, dark rectangle above the playfield.

The Star Wars Square Cutout WizPanels combine the two ideas: let the lighting mod do its job in the centre while using the surrounding area to reinforce the theme of the machine.

It is exactly the sort of modification that can make a machine feel more personalised without permanently changing anything.

Deadpool

Deadpool has never been a machine that needs subtlety. The artwork is loud, colourful and full of personality, which makes the speaker panel another opportunity to push the theme further.

Our Deadpool Pro Square Cutout WizPanels are designed for the Pro model and leave the central illuminated area open while adding custom artwork around it.

The magnetic installation also means you can change the look of the machine whenever you want.

James Bond 007

The same concept works surprisingly well with a machine as refined as James Bond 007. Instead of letting the illuminated speaker area look like an isolated modification, the surrounding artwork can make it feel like part of the original design.

The James Bond 007 Premium Square Cutout WizPanels are made for exactly this combination of lighting and custom artwork.

Foo Fighters and JAWS

Two other machines where this setup works particularly well are Foo Fighters and JAWS.

For Foo Fighters, the Foo Fighters Premium Square Cutout WizPanels add another layer of artwork to an already energetic machine.

And for JAWS, the JAWS Premium Square Cutout WizPanels give the upper cabinet a completely different presence while still leaving the illuminated section exposed.

These are good examples of why pinball mods don't always have to be complicated. Sometimes the best modification is simply one that makes several existing elements work better together.

You can find more ideas in our complete guide to customising a pinball machine, where we look at the different ways players can personalise their machines.

Don't See Your Machine?

The Square Cutouts range is still growing, and we don't necessarily have every possible Stern model displayed on the website yet.

If you have a Stern Speaker 2 machine with one of these large illuminated speaker-area mods and don't see a Square Cutouts WizPanel for your machine, send us a message.

If the design is possible, we can look at making it available.

That's really the idea behind the Square Cutouts: you don't have to choose between your lighting mod and custom speaker-panel artwork. You can have both.

And because the WizPanel is magnetic, you can put it on in seconds, enjoy the new look, and remove or change it whenever you feel like giving your machine another visual upgrade.