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Technics 1200 MKII Quartz Speed Strobe Issue Video

Ok, this is my first post, so be nice. I am a hardcore record collector and I am slowly trying to step up in the world of sound. I don't plan to go all the way into full on "audiophillia" and funds are limited. I am just working at creating a nice solid good sounding system.

I have a Marantz 2552b and some vintage Technics SB-6060 speakers. Nothing "special" but I'm happy with them for now.

Anyhow, I recently got a pretty good deal on a used Technics 1200 MK2 Quartz and brought it in to a local hi fi repair shop. Essentially what I got back is kind of a "Frakenstein" between parts of my original TT and parts of one the shop had that had many parts in better shape. Now, I am OK with this because It looks much better and didn't have a dust cover before. Now it looks good and has a dust cover and a much nicer face plate etc...

Now, I don't know if my mind is playing tricks on me but it appears to me that the strobe dots slightly wobble back and forth slowly. I am including a link to a video that shows this. I don't seem to notice it on playback but every once in a while I think I hear fluctuations and quite frankly I'm just paranoid now that something is wrong. Below is a link to a video of the strobe. It is locked into the 0 position. This TT does have quartz lock. I am sorry for the bad video but I'd like to have other eyes inspect this and let me know what they think. I am going to bring it back to the shop and ask for a proper zero point calibration.

I am also considering changing the tone arm. Does anyone besides KAB do this and what kind of price range am I looking at? I'm already like $300 into this TT! My budget is limited but I'd like this TT to be "pimped out" to some degree...

Thanks

DivShare File - Strobe1200.avi
greenfuzz

Showing 2 responses by johnnyb53

johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
Have you tried oiling the spindle?

The oil doesn't last forever in there and can probably drain out during shipping. I bought a brand new SL210M5G; soon after I bought a little tube of the Technics spindle oil from KAB and used up half the tube putting oil into the bearing reservoir. I noticed the sound became smoother and subtle speed variations disappeared. Technics recommends re-oiling the spindle for every 1000 hours of play anyway. For $4.95 I'd try that first.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
05-03-10: Greenfuzz
I decided to send the 1200 off the Kab for the Cardas re-wire & the tonearm dampener as well as have a look over. Look forward to hearing the results.
Good show! The SL12x0 series has lots of potential but you have to start with the tonearm rewire and tonearm damping. The other things are to get better feet and wrap the tonearm in plumber's thread sealing Teflon tape. The fluid damper helps a lot, but the arm wand still rings and the tonearm wrap fixes it for next to nothing.

Currently I have low cost threaded brass cones to replace the feet, sitting on large diameter floor savers, sitting on a set of Vibrapod Isolators. I suspect you'd get as good or better results by using vibrapod cones siting on top of the Vibrapod Isolators, with the turntable base's foot threads resting on the metal balls of the Vibrapod cones.

Review and pictures here.
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