Technics SL1200MK2 Cartridge Discussion

I always take the lid off when I play. The lid is just an extra appendage that will absorb any airborn vibrations and transfer them to the table.

I tried the overhang tool that came with the 1210M5G. IIRC it does not put the cart anywhere near the ballpark of the vinylengine protractor. The Technics tool seems to follow the Stevenson or similar alignment method with shorter overhang. I now use the Baerwald arc protractor from vinylengine to set overhang/alignment which requires the cart to be moved further out in the headshell to trace the arc.

Strange, I use mine with regular 8.5 x 11 printer paper printed at 100% and it fits fine. The scale on the printed protractor measures precisely with a ruler. The toughest part of using this protractor is accurately cutting the spindle hole. I have been using the method proposed on the vacuumstate protractor with great results.

Basically, draw a 90 degree triangle around the center dot so that each side is tangent with the dot. Then use a utility knife to cut the two sides that meet the 90 degree angle, and fold the paper back at the hypotenuse. Now the hold is actually a triangle, but fits perfectly and snugly where it should be.

Still, I didn't get any answers regarding a "right" protractor to use with Technics arm.
I understand there will be significant difference b/w overhang, using Technics supplied tool (that's what Kevin
of KAB using himself), and some aftermarket protractors.

I am using the vinylengine.com Baerwald arc protractor and feel that its the easiest to use if you want to use the Baerwald alignment method. Overhang is set using the arc which is far easier and faster than going back and forth between two grids on a universal protractor. After I get everything in place, I use the Turntable Basics mirrored protractor to double-check and everything is usually lined up on the first try.

Interesting tip on the Mothers product Perfectionist. Have you tried it on your M5G yet?

Before settling on the 1210, I owned a VPI jr/PT6 and Tecnodec/modded RB250 and I think that the Technics deck sounds better than both. Granted, there were a few minor changes and tweaks here and there in my system, but the fact that the Technics sounded better to my ears at the end of it all really says a lot about its value.

Regarding the Technics arm, I agree that it is a pretty high quality arm. I was skeptical before I got a 1210 because it didn't seem to look the part of a high quality arm but I would have to say that this thing really holds its own. It is the most full-featured arm of the bunch and feels really precise. One thing I liked iss that the cueing mechanism drops faster than the RB250 or PT6. I was a little nervous at first but realized that it drops fast enough so that you can usually get the needle exactly where you want it without the anti-skating pulling it a few grooves back, but slow enough not to destroy the suspension.

Carts used for all 3 tables were the Denon DL-160 and Dynavector 10x5. Strangely enough, both carts tracked better in the Technics for some reason than the other two tables. I was using the Sumiko headshell with the Denon and stock headshell with the Dyna. I tried the Dynavector in the Sumiko and thought it sounded better in the stock headshell. I guess adding mass at the headshell and counterbalancing with the aux weight was a little too much for it, plus compliance is slightly higher than the Denon. YMMV with other carts.

The only thing I'm waiting on now is the fluid damper but Kevin says that they are in production and wont be available for a few weeks.

Yes the 6mm thread size is correct. I tried a 1/4" thread and it was just barely too big. The 6mm fit perfectly.