The most informational page about the "famed" Technics SL-1200M-series & SL1210M-series on the web!!
User-inflicted damages to these machines: What you may not know or realize....
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As these machines age and get "banged around", you need to be aware of what we are finding.
For those that think a road case is the "ultimate in protection", you are going to find just how wrong that notion is. Most road cases are made of wood and are lined with 3/4" foam rubber. As time goes on, and these cases are used, the foam above the tonearm bearing assembly (shown here):
no longer will protect that delicate assembly. What happens is, you put the 2 cases down on the floor (not-so-gently), the turntable moves in the foam, the "U" housing is "bounced" off the wood (through the foam), and you are left with a set of damaged tonearm pivots and bearings:
99% of the time, it is the lower bearing assembly, which CANNOT be seen from the top, that receives the damage!!
You also run the risk of the arm bending at the tonearm rest, as shown below, causing the same pivot/bearing damage:
What the end result of this is, you need to put the weight all the way forward, and/or put a coin on top of the cartridge to add weight, as the arm will stick. THIS IS NOT A PROPER CURE!!! Again, we find this to be a VERY common problem, and now is the #1 asked question about SL-1200MK2's!!! The fact of the matter is, IF this damage has occurred, there is only ONE cure, and that's a new tonearm! Loosening up the bearing pivot screws will alleviate some of the problem, but the end result will be damaged vinyl because the arm is still BADLY mistracking!!!
There is a test to see if your bearings are damaged: First, set the anti-skate to "0". Then, move the counterwight to the position where the arm "floats" (see our "How To Balance A Tonearm" page if you don't know how!). Then, move the arm to the center of the record. Slowly dial the anti-skate control up to 3. As you move the control towards the "1", the arm SHOULD start pulling back to the armrest. If it pulls back and then jams in 1 spot, OR it doesn't pull back at all, OR it "finds" a spot where it wants to swing to and stop, you have damaged bearings/pivots!!!
Before you even THINK of asking, replacing the tonearm or ANY OTHER PART IS NOT a "Do It Yourself" job. Work MUST be done by a QUALIFIED & EXPERIENCED technician! We have seen "amateur repairs" where there was SO much more damage done than was originally inflicted.. and the repair price reflects that fact!
Information about "motors":
We get inquiries such as ""My motor burnt out, do you sell them?" Fact is, the motor and main board in an SL-1200MK2/SL1210MK2 are one piece.. and are NOT available for sale. Any GOOD technician WITH a service manual, can trace down bad components and replace whatever is necessary on the main board to bring the machine back up to "spec".
Why does YOUR unit need repair??
We find that an SL-1200MK2 that is properly maintained and un-tampered with will last for a long time without needing repair. It seems that a unit needs repair for one of the following reasons :1) A cocktail was spilled into the unit. 2) Someone yanked the RCA and/or ground wires out of the mixer. 3) Instead of keeping the head and headshell contacts clean, a DJ licks the end of his headshell when a channel goes out. That will cause corrosion from saliva and/or sugar from a drink, and will eventually wreck the head contacts. 4) Something was dropped on the arm, or the unit fell, or it was mis-handled in a road case. 5) Someone who knows NOTHING about electronics decided he could "fix" one of these, or decided he could install a reverse-kit and/or new lights.. and wrecked something else. KEEP IN MIND: THERE ARE NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS IN THESE MACHINES! IF YOU ARE NOT A TECHNICIAN, YOU ARE ONLY ASKING FOR TROUBLE AS SOON AS YOU DECIDE TO REMOVE THAT FIRST SCREW!
Still think you can "do it yourself"? Need parts?
We do NOT sell any SL-1200M-/SL-1210M- parts parts to the general public, please don't ask us.Parts are obtainable from the Panasonic website and other sources. Although we maintain a complete inventory of parts for these machines, they are only used in customer repairs, so that a customer need not wait for parts to be ordered.
Some tips for keeping your 1200's in "good health":
NEVER ship the turntables in road cases!!
When using road cases, put them down GENTLY!
If you ship these, REMOVE: the platter, mat, dustcover, headshell and counterweight. The turntable will travel much more safely that way. Our "How To Pack A Turntable For Shipping" page explains how to pack turntables in a manner to get them to their new destination SAFELY!
Learn how to balance your tonearms, and balance them EVERY TIME the units are moved. Keeping the arms "balanced" will save wear & tear on BOTH your needles AND your vinyl!
Check for bearing-friction on a regular basis, ESPECIALLY if you experience an abnormal amount of "needle skipping"
Have your needles checked UNDER A MICROSCOPE on a regular basis. Bent needles and damaged tips EAT records!
If you experience "channel dropout", DO NOT LICK the ends of your cartridges! Use a pencil eraser to clean the tonearm contacts!!!! Saliva and sugar (from drinks) will corrode the contacts even worse, and the result.. again.. you'll be buying a new tonearm!
Never pull yout RCA or ground wires out of your mixer by the cords!
Keep the machines clean, and keep LIQUIDS far away!!
If you are NOT a technician, don't "repair" these. Other than cleaning and maintainance, and balance/skating adjustments. Once again, there are NO USER SERVICABLE PARTS IN THESE UNITS! The chances are ALL-TOO-GOOD that if you attempt a repair, you will wind up damaging something else. Experience with seeing the result of "home repairs" and "service shop" repairs, as well as e-mails asking for "step-by-step" instructions on making a repair, coupled with seeing the results of TECHNICS FACTORY AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTERS that couldn't do a proper repair, tells me that too many people are looking for a "cheap way out", but actually wind up paying 2 or 3 times what a repair SHOULD have cost in the first place!
Have them serviced BY A PRO on a regular basis, maintain them, and they will NEVER let you down!
Buying a used SL-1200M-series:
A few hints for buying these machines used.. and, why that may not be the best idea!
Buying a turntable used can be a risky adventure, especially a 1200M-series that is being sold on-line, sight unseen, by a private party. As mentioned on this page, improper packing will allow a 1200 to be easily wrecked in shipping. Many of these machines have seen years of continous use, without seeing a service. The chances of it needing service when you buy it is nearly 100%. many of these are sold because they have reached the end of their "useful" life, and without service, will be virtually useless to the new owner.
Many times, an ad for one of these will say it's in "working condition". While technically, that may be true, a unit that won't track a record, has a channel out, "speed jumps" or has some other defect is NOT a "working" machine. As an idea, say you get your "prize" for $150. Great deal, no? OK.. 35 pounds to ship, let's say $25. Assuming it was packed well and received no shipping damage, OK,... so far, you're ahead. Now, you hook it up.. Uh, oh.. what's this? The arm gets stuck? The "pop-up" cue light is out? Now what.. Well, MAYBE the seller will give you a partial refund, but usually it's "well, it musta happened in shipping".. and that's the best you can get. If you're lucky enough to live in an area where there's a good Panasonic shop that can handle a repair.. good.... sorta.. $25 for an estimate for cost of repair. They find: pop-up bulb defective, $8. Tonearm defective, $60. 2 hours of labor to replace the parts.. $90 to $150. And, oh yeah, 3 weeks wait time to order the parts! Now, your $150 bargain has become a $358 to $418 "dud" Since you COULD have found one of these NEW online for about $450.. with warranty.. what did you save?
The ONLY way to buy used is to get it locally, fully test it BEFORE you buy, and KNOW what you are buying for the $$$$!
This isn't "conjecture" on my part.. these comments are the result of seeing these units firsthand as well as reading a good number of e-mails DAILY about 1200's and problems owners are having.
The 1200M-series & 1210M-series and DJ's... Technics, it seemed, was never
prepared to build the quantity of SL-1200's that was in demand. There was always a back-order list for them. When Technics
started to phase out the SL-1200 in 1977, and Disco was then in it's "heyday", it had already taken it's place as the DJ's
choice. By 1978, the only units available that would "stand up" to the uses and abuses of DJ's and clubs, were the MKII
series. However, they were expensive, and not as easy to "play with" as the SL-1200's were. Pure conjecture tells me that
Technics, realizing a huge market that they could lose (as no other turntable was as well suited to the job), finally introduced the
famed quartz-locked SL-1200MKII, and the line of home units, the SL-1800, 1700 and 1600 (manual, semi-automatic,
fully-automatic), and the "semi-pro" quartz-locked series, the SL-1800MKII, 1700MKII, and 1600MKII (manual,
semi-automatic, and fully automatic). The SL-1200MKII was not well received by DJ's at first, and any used SL-1200's
were going at very high prices. Only when DJ's got used to the quartz-lock setup of theSL-1200 MKII, and learning a different
way to control the platter (slide control rather than fingers!), did the SL-1200MKII take off. It's always been another
low-production item, and seemed there was a waiting list for it, too. When it came out in 1979, it listed for $279.99, and dealer
cost was $204. In the mid eighties, Technics did major changes to the SL-1200MKII, in order to cut production costs.
Cosmetically, the machines are hard to tell apart, but the big viewable difference is the use of a noticeably different hinge
assembly. To this day, 26 years later, the SL-1200 MKII is as popular as ever, a used one for sale brings more than a new
one did in 1979! Because of the Technics reputation as "The DJ's Choice", most any older Technics turntable is in
demand.
>>>SL-1210???WHAT'S THAT?<<<
I've gotten a lot of e-mails from you "Technics buffs" asking, in part "I have (can get) an SL-1210 MK2. What does that
mean? Well, here's the story:
It seems that North America was always a different market for audio equipment, because our electric is generally 117
volts, 60 Hertz. Most of the rest of the world uses 220 volts / 50 Hertz, or a combination of those 2. In the case of the
turntables, the only differences, electronically, was a multi-tap transformer, and a different power supply board, complete with a
117/220 switch. As the drive on these machines is "frequency generated", there was no need to do anything about the 50/60
Hertz difference. Technics,along with many other of the Japanese and European manufacturers, made different versions of the
same unit for different markets. Technics has been known to make 4 or 5 different versions of the same model!! Now, we
explain how you got what, back when these were new, and why: The 1200's sold here were single voltage (117 volt) units, and
were noted as 1200MK2 or M3D, first, only available in silver, but later made available in "black" (actually a very dark
charcoal grey). If you bought these goods new, say at a Manhattan, NY "importer", or other non "Factory Authorized
Panasonic / Technics Dealer", the chances were nearly 100% that you were getting a unit destined for another market other
than the US. All "Official" Technics electronics came into the US through Panasonic Distribution. "Grey Market Goods",
which were those sold by non Technics dealers, meant that they were bought overseas, and brought here, to be sold direct to
the public, bypassing Panasonic distribution and dealers (and extra mark-up!). Usually a bit less expensive new than the US
counterpart, there were disadvantages, the biggest being that Panasonic/Technics would NOT honor ANY warranty. What
you actually bought would have depended where you bought it, but most ALL were multi-voltage switchable, and that's the big
giveaway!
A Technics turntable that had a "10" as it's last 2 numbers, rather than "00", meant it was destined for the non-US market, and,
99% of the time was (is) available in the dark charcoal color, only, and did NOT come here through Panasonic Distribution,
making them "Grey Market". There are some exceptions to this rule, but most apply to other models.. an SL-1350 is an early
stacking changer, available here in the US in dark charcoal,only.. but, if you add "10" to the "50", you get a"1360", and that's
the non- US version, and is SILVER!! Used SL-1200MK2/M3D's and their 1210 counterparts, are worth the same
money, in the same condition. The only advantage to the 1210 models is that IF you plan to use them overseas, all you need do
is turn an easily accessable switch under the platter to change from 117 volts to 220 volts, which meant a step-up (or
step-down transformer would not be necessary. When Technics switched to the all-plastic units, for their non-pro line, around 1980 (with a few
exceptions), it started their downhill slide. It got to a point in the mid 80's that the quality of their units were no better than any
other on the market, and so they took a back seat. It must be said, however, that their continuing manufacture of the
SL-1200MKII is a credit to them. The quality hasn't suffered in the last 15 or so years, even if the list price has (at last glance,
$650, but recently down about $100 in order to better compete with the myriad of DJ turntables now flooding the
marketplace!)
We always
keep a huge stock of new SL-1200MK2 and M3D parts on premises. I usually don't have Technics SL-1200 MK2's or
M3D's in stock, and they are such a hot commodity still, that when I do get them in, they go right out.
Only at THE TURNTABLE FACTORY could you find a pair of custom SL-1200MK2's like these!!
The pair of custom 1200MK2's shown were built from a trashed pair of turntables. Missing many parts, and scratched up beyond belief, the choice was to part them out or build something totally different. Completely stripped of all their parts, the units were professionally shot in Candy Apple Red and Candy Apple Blue, and all the missing, damaged and defective parts were replaced. The turntables were then fully adjusted.
If you click on the picture above, you'll see another pair that we did for a customer. The pictures show the process.... from beginning to end. Shot in high-lustre black metallic/irridescent laquer, and fitted with a complete "blue light kit", we turned these "junks" into "gems"!
Repair of your SL-1200MK2's
I'm not really in the business of selling parts, (I stock them for customer repairs, mostly), but if you need something and I can help, send me an e-mail! All queries answered, from a $1 part, to a whole turntable. As my previous customers, as well as other e-mailers to me know, I answer quickly and precisely!
Twenty years ago, a REAL D.J. would have considered the following a bad joke. No longer. This list was made up because of e-mails received, here at The Turntable Factory. Meant to be "tongue-in-cheek" it rings of all-too-much truth!
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Top 10 reasons why you may NOT be a DJ: ..........................
10)You may not be a DJ if you think the first 2 inches of a tonearm is "the needle".
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9)You may not be a DJ if you think that you set tracking force by flipping the counterweight backwards 'cause it "looks cool", push it all the way forward, and have no idea what "balancing a tonearm" means.. or entails.
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8)You may not be a DJ if you think a needle (actually a "stylus") is no good only when it no longer stays in the groove.
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7)You may not be a DJ if you think it's perfectly fine to use a dime, penny, nickel or quarter taped to the arm in order for it to actually play a record.
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6)You may not be a DJ if you can't figure out how to tell if it's the mixer or the turntable giving you trouble if a channel goes out or static/hum is present.
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5)You may not be a DJ if you think it's just fine to "lick" the end of your headshell/cartridge if a channel quits working.
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4)You may not be a DJ if you think it's just fine that knobs on the electronics that CAN be physically put to their "maximums" ARE...... and you also don't know the difference between a "power amplifier", "equalizer" or "crossover".
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3)You may not be a DJ if you think that just because a speaker is putting out sound, all is fine... even if it "doesn't sound quite right".
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2)You may not be a DJ if you don't know what to do about "acoustic feedback" when it occurs.. or don't even know what it IS.
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1)You may not be a DJ if you think it's perfectly fine to open up your turntable to "fix" it, even if you have no clue what the difference is between an "audio cable" and an "A/C cable"...
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If this is YOU, we highly suggest that you educate yourself about turntables and related DJ equipment! Being a DJ entails MUCH more knowledge than throwing on 2 records and mixing them together or "scratching". Know your equipment and how to use it!
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