The Technics SL-1200 GAE/G/GR general questions thread

Sounds like a great setup and puts you in a position to take some time to explore speakers, which to me feels like a harder decision because there's so much out there that's at least somewhat compatible with whatever gear you may have.

 

“Comparison is the thief of joy”

Like you said, you have a solid foundation. Enjoy what you’ve got! And when you do feel the need to compare, just remember that some of us have been at this for a long time.

 

I've got a set in mind (PSB B600) but gotta pay off these guys before I start thinking about more purchases. And I'm mostly joking--my system is totally fine. Do I wish it were better? Yes. But I've slowly built this up from a like $400 setup twenty or so years ago and it's getting close to the point where I'm "done" unless something breaks.

 

Maybe in some cases, but owning and comparing various cartridges is definitely one of the joys of hifi!

 

I wish you and I had caught the $1000 1210GR deal that popped up at Best Buy last month, apparently!

 

I got the BH deal which was a little over $1400 after taxes. Tried to get them to price match the BB deal but this is still ~$400 saved.

After I sold my table it was about $1150 out of pocket which is definitely something I could easily get back if I ever get the itch to go up to the G, but I think after a pair of speakers I’ll be done for a while. Went 8 or so years between my last overhaul like this.

 

I have a cosmetic question...sorry if it's already been covered.

I just noticed tonight the the GR and below models have the Technics name on the top plate printed on.

My G has it molded into the plate and not colored. I went online and saw pics of the G that were also just printed on.
Was there a design change?

 

A fun rabbit hole it is.

 

On the 1210G it’s engraved but colored inside

 

Thanks. My G has no coloring. Possibly the ones with words printed black are for photo shoots?

 

I just checked, mine is like yours, no coloring inside the engraving.

 

You folks sure are hard on the ole wallet, I spent a couple of weeks reading this thread and as I currently have a Music Hall 7.1, I was in the market for another TT that would let me easily swap carts so I could play some older SP 78’s I inherited. Long story short I ordered and received a SL1210G, KAB Damper, KAB glass platter, tru-clean, tru-sweep, and isoaccustic feet. I’m using a 2M-78 pnp cart for my 78’s, a 2M-Black-LVB-250 for regular use, and a AT-ART9xi for my double speed master records. I use a parks puffin for my 78’s and a Tavish Adagio for the rest. I have to say the MC cartridge really sings going through the Adagio. Thanks for all the info in the thread from you folks I’m now at my TT endpoint…….well I am eyeballing the XLR out mode and would love to find a safety riser that would fit with the KAB damper, any thoughts

happy spinning

 

How are you finding the KAB glass platter? I've heard a lot of discussion of the other KAB platter, but I've been curious about the glass one. Their site does say it's incompatible with record weights/clamps, which I don't have but have considered getting because of the usually-warped quality of modern records.

I've been interested in their damper as well.

 

The day I got the turntable, I was curious so I just played the MC cart on the stock table, two things I noticed straight away. First, try as I might I could not get the tone arm level with the platter with the arm adjustment all the way down, and second the MC cart had a touch of distortion at around the 16K, 17K frequency. Adding the KAB damper immediately rectified the distortion and after adding the glass plater UNDER the stock mat, my tone arm can now be leveled as the 0 setting along with the stock headshell and AT-ART9xi give me a touch of tone arm tail down so I can only go up from there. Adding the Tru-sweep eliminated any stray pops or crackles if there were any as I am OCD about record cleanliness using a record vacuum cleaner and zero static gun on every album before play, and the Tru-clean just makes keeping the stylus that much easier to clean. The Isoaccustic pucks also help the isolation of the TT all be it, the stock feet are pretty good. I do miss having the safety arm riser as my MMF 7.1 has it, and until I can find a solution will just have to be mindful as I don’t want to put extra run out time on my MC cart. I would think that as long as the glass platter is fully flat against the stock platter a record weight no more than 500G should not hurt it. I would call KAB and check though.

 

Someone has managed to fit the AT safety riser with the Greek damper. The Greek damper is pretty much the same as the KAB damper. It seems he has managed to angle the AT riser's trigger wire away from what would be considered the "normal position", and in doing so has achieved a trigger action at the desired point.

 

Congrats!
I also went from a 7.1 to a G.
I've been very happy with the jump.

 

I did have to do something similarly with my AT safety riser and my MMF 7.1 to get it to work, wonder if anybody has tried it with the KAB, I may have to order one and try it as I still use the Music Hall and I don’t wish to remove it.

 

That was me on my sl1210 mk2 , works perfectly just a tight fit.

 

Any chance you think it might fit with the KAB or is the KAB just to big

 

Zero idea as I don't have the KAB one.

 

Very hard to take a pic that shows it but theres about a millimetre or two space between it and the platter, takes a bit of trial and error.

 

Thank you for the pic, yeah that is really close, too bad the trigger and arm support are not 1/2” longer then you could move it out a bit. Good job in placement BTW

 

Very interesting solution you devised there. I currently have a Little Fwend "Disco edition" on my GR right now (AFAIK GR has identical dimensions to your MK2) that definitely won't accommodate for an installation of either fluid damper. As an auto lift goes the LF fits the Technics pretty discretely, but uses a large mount surface to compensate for the mechanism overhanging. Have you felt like the AT riser has enough surface area contact to mount comfortably in that configuration? Unfortunately at the time of purchase I kind of felt like it was a choice between auto-lift / damper. Since this is in a living room setup that my GF sometimes uses the lift seemed more important. Though to be honest now, I may have chosen the alternative as it's possible to forget to engage the lift

 

Guys. The G is something else. 4 records in and I’m in heaven. The Ardbeg Corryvreckan isn’t hurting either.

 

Glad to hear you're getting your money's worth. I clearly remember when a stylus first touched down aboard the GAE in this house, which replaced a respected 1500C. I must've worn that smile for days.
They are incredible turntables. Cheers.