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Technics SL1200 turntable upgrades

Surely a SL 1210 MKII is a nightclub deck, to listen to nightclub music in a nightclub style is it?

If you want a hi-fi deck to listen to hi-fi music in a hi-fi style you would start elsewhere there, with a Rega or something.

Having said that, on mine I changed the rather heavy rubber mat for a tasty slipmat that allows for slipping the record.

DS
I've got a Rega P3 too, I prefer the SL1200 to be honest :)
 
I have an unmodified Technics SL1200 mk2 from 1985. It has a Stanton 680e cartridge and D680 eliptical stylus.

There are various 'upgrades' described on the internet - re-wiring the original arm, new arm, new feet, new power supply, new mat, etc.

Is anyone here a fan of these decks and would you recommend any of the modifications?

Ted

I think you will find quite a few fans of these decks now, especially from hifi crowd that have adopted it do these mods and that's the only reason prices have gone up because it's become and audiophile piece of equipment were as before it was mixing tools for most buyers. All the ex owners of these decks who bought them originally have either gone digital with laptop mixing, went to CDJs or gave up deejaying. There are heaps of them around and getting one in decent condition is not very difficult if you are the right questions. I had my first pair for nearly 25 years and you don't need to do much to them. I have done the mod thing although not to any extreme however I believe a heavily modded deck is harder to sell than a stock one.
 
I can't understand why they stopped making the things to be honest.
Never say never, but Panasonic won't be making those again. Ever.
IIRC, according to Panasonic sales were in long-term continuing decline, the company was having a hard time maintaining the production system (what this usually means is that the ladies who had been building these things since the early 1970s were retiring, as had long since the designers & engineers), and that parts were becoming very difficult to come by.
Making a new deck would require an investment in resources that the potential size of the market simply wouldn't merit, and there are no longer the people in the organisation with the knowledge to engineer these things anyway.
To produce SL1200s for the kind of price Technics were able to sell them at requires a market of sufficient scale to enable investment for long-term, large-scale production. Those conditions existed in the 1970s, but they do not exist now (and it is a shame).
 
Never say never, but Panasonic won't be making those again. Ever.
IIRC, according to Panasonic sales were in long-term continuing decline, the company was having a hard time maintaining the production system (what this usually means is that the ladies who had been building these things since the early 1970s were retiring, as had long since the designers & engineers), and that parts were becoming very difficult to come by.
Making a new deck would require an investment in resources that the potential size of the market simply wouldn't merit, and there are no longer the people in the organisation with the knowledge to engineer these things anyway.
To produce SL1200s for the kind of price Technics were able to sell them at requires a market of sufficient scale to enable investment for long-term, large-scale production. Those conditions existed in the 1970s, but they do not exist now (and it is a shame).

It is a shame, but I agree. Even if everyone in the growing vinyl contingent decided to buy one, it wouldn't be reason enough for Panasonic to start making them again.

Look at their recent move to pull out of the declining plasma TV market. They were the leaders there with massive sales, but they still decided to leave before the decline got too great. Probably a good commercial decision.

I managed to find a brand new 1210 last year and I doubt I'll ever sell it even though it is not in regular use at the moment. Just a great deck for the money.
 
Never say never, but Panasonic won't be making those again. Ever.
IIRC, according to Panasonic sales were in long-term continuing decline, the company was having a hard time maintaining the production system (what this usually means is that the ladies who had been building these things since the early 1970s were retiring, as had long since the designers & engineers), and that parts were becoming very difficult to come by.
Making a new deck would require an investment in resources that the potential size of the market simply wouldn't merit, and there are no longer the people in the organisation with the knowledge to engineer these things anyway.
To produce SL1200s for the kind of price Technics were able to sell them at requires a market of sufficient scale to enable investment for long-term, large-scale production. Those conditions existed in the 1970s, but they do not exist now (and it is a shame).

I guess it depends on whether they still have the tooling and whether it's still serviceable. I'd have thought as the SL-1200 was such an iconic product - it's pretty much a global brand in it's own right - it would have value to a corporation even as a loss-leader. Now after a lengthy gap in production and a clear, albeit niche demand I'd have thought reintroducing, even at it at a premium price would make good business sense. If you say 'Technics' to pretty much anyone anywhere on the planet what they'll think of is an SL1200/1210 Mk II. They don't need to design a 'new deck', just place the iconic Mk II back into limited production. What folk want is the classic item. When there is even a market for shoulder bags etc depicting an item it seems rather daft to remove it from the market entirely!
 
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I think you will find quite a few fans of these decks now, especially from hifi crowd that have adopted it do these mods and that's the only reason prices have gone up because it's become and audiophile piece of equipment were as before it was mixing tools for most buyers. All the ex owners of these decks who bought them originally have either gone digital with laptop mixing, went to CDJs or gave up deejaying. There are heaps of them around and getting one in decent condition is not very difficult if you are the right questions. I had my first pair for nearly 25 years and you don't need to do much to them. I have done the mod thing although not to any extreme however I believe a heavily modded deck is harder to sell than a stock one.
i don't think "hifi" folks have had too much impact. There are reasonably significant numbers of new vinyl collectors / DJs buying them and plenty of existing vinyl owners / DJs who regretted selling their deck(s) and have bought back in.
 
I was in Tescos last week and was surprised to see them selling some record players is it. It was the low end Ion type ones, but still, it shows there is a market for such things for normal people out there.

So I could see why the 1210 has got a strong market, if you mention record player or decks, the public thinks 'technics'

DS
 
Surely a SL 1210 MKII is a nightclub deck, to listen to nightclub music in a nightclub style is it?

That is just way off the mark. Technics built the decks in 70s as hifi products. It's just that the british Hfi press was under the control of the flat earth brigade and these decks were unjustly panned.

I believed the magazines, and didn't wake up to the fact that they are/were great value decks until 2009. I would much rather have a stock SL1200/SL1210 than any Rega Planar 3, or derivative. I would take one over a vintage LP12, too. At the time I bought my Teccie, I had a Garrard 401 that I could never feel totally satisfied with. I kept the Teccie and sold the 401.
 
I saw a Pioneer display with what looked like a modified 1210 made to look like a Pioneer prototype. Maybe to gauge reaction.

It wouldn't surprise me if they bought the design and IP from Panasonic, but it would surprise me if they put it into production. Also whether they could match the same quality and price is a question.

If anyone could do it it would be Pioneer, I think, but the result would have flashing lights :)
 
So I could see why the 1210 has got a strong market, if you mention record player or decks, the public thinks 'technics'

Indeed - if you were to ask here on pfm what THE iconic deck was you'd get a whole raft of answers (probably followed by a fight); 301, 124, LP12, Transcriptors Ref, EMT 930, SP10, LO7D, Planar 3 etc etc, many have their little place in history, but the correct answer is unquestionably the Technics SL1200/1210 MkII - that is the item most people on this planet will picture when you say 'record deck' to them. It's up there with things like the E Type Jag, Zippo lighter, Timberland 10061 boot, Swiss Army Knife, Eames Recliner, Anglepoise lamp etc etc. It is the very definition of it's product class. It is a design classic.
 
I saw a Pioneer display with what looked like a modified 1210 made to look like a Pioneer prototype. Maybe to gauge reaction.

It wouldn't surprise me if they bought the design and IP from Panasonic, but it would surprise me if they put it into production. Also whether they could match the same quality and price is a question.

If anyone could do it it would be Pioneer, I think, but the result would have flashing lights :)

I saw that, it is here:
http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2...rntable-replace-the-classic-technics-sl-1200/

I know its a 'protoype' (?!) but looks like a cheaply made over-featured 1200 knock off as so many of these decks do! - stanton, vestax, numark etc...
 
Indeed - if you were to ask here on pfm what THE iconic deck was you'd get a whole raft of answers (probably followed by a fight); 301, 124, LP12, Transcriptors Ref, EMT 930, SP10, LO7D, Planar 3 etc etc, many have their little place in history, but the correct answer is unquestionably the Technics SL1200/1210 MkII - that is the item most people on this planet will picture when you say 'record deck' to them. It's up there with things like the E Type Jag, Zippo lighter, Timberland 10061 boot, Swiss Army Knife, Eames Recliner, Anglepoise lamp etc etc. It is the very definition of it's product class. It is a design classic.

Well said, I totally agree.

This thread is making me want to track down a mint/nos 1200 !...
 
I bought one already modded with a Jelco 705 arm, Denon 103 Cartridge, Oyaide cable, Sorbothane feet and MCRU outboard PSU.
It was out performed by my LP12 with Aro, Lyra Dorian, Valhalla and standard Linn cable

After spending a few bob by adding a Mike New bearing, Funk Firm platter, Oyaide Mat, SPU cartridge and Yannis Tome cable it out performed the LP12 by say 20%

When I have time I want to compare them again to see where that difference is and maybe tweak the LP12

Sound quality of the Technics and the rest of the system is superb
 
I reckon it's not even a prototype, just an actual 1210 with some mods like the round start/stop that resembles a CDJ2000 to make it look like a prototype.

I thought it looked more like something you might see in Asda around Christmas time! Beginners DJ turntable £19.99 :)
 
Indeed - if you were to ask here on pfm what THE iconic deck was you'd get a whole raft of answers (probably followed by a fight); 301, 124, LP12, Transcriptors Ref, EMT 930, SP10, LO7D, Planar 3 etc etc, many have their little place in history, but the correct answer is unquestionably the Technics SL1200/1210 MkII - that is the item most people on this planet will picture when you say 'record deck' to them. It's up there with things like the E Type Jag, Zippo lighter, Timberland 10061 boot, Swiss Army Knife, Eames Recliner, Anglepoise lamp etc etc. It is the very definition of it's product class. It is a design classic.

Interesting and I totally agree. I was in a malt whisky shop here in Glasgow yesterday and there was some really nice cool music playing, I went up to the counter to ask the guy a couple of questions re a bottle of malt and there was an SL-1200 spinning records.
 


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