Turntable suggestions for under 1000 New or Used

Keep an eye out for an older Gyrodec. Good looks, great sound and they're easy to upgrade to current specs. I just bought one with a decent arm for $700, put a $300 cartridge on it and I'm in heaven.

Sota Sapphire or Jewel.

The Nottingham Horizon should be on your short list. Easy to setup and maintain, great sounding for its price. If you find one used, even better. Good match with either a Shelter 301 or a Dynavector 10x4 or 10x5 cart.
I believe Mikey Fremer gave it a very favorable review in a comparison of tt's at this price point.
Will benefit from a high mass stand, as will most of the tt's you're probably considering. Cheers,
Spencer

Basis 1400, with RB 250 or 300 arm.

I have seen these pop up for less than $1,000 (used, of course), a couple of times in the past few months.

I started with one, and it was very detailed, very musical and easy to set up. It had a pretty dark background. (Not as good as my new table, as I have since moved on up to the Basis 2001, with a RB900 arm.)) Note, it does not have a suspension, which means you should have a stable table or wall mount to place it on.

As far as cartridges go, I would recommend a decent cartridge like the Benz Micro Glider II or a Koetsu Black.
AJ Conti, recommends the Glider.
(I had both. Both had their strengths and weaknesses. Overall I liked the Koetsu better, especially once it was broken in.)

Good Luck in your search!

CLEARAUDIO EMOTION & SATISFY with Clearaudio Aurum Classic MM cartridge for under $1200 retail. No nonsense and easy to set up.

DISCLAIMER: I'm dealer for VPI,CLEARAUDIO,ORCALE,TRANSROTOR,JA MICHELL.

I had a Rega 25 before urgrading to the new VPI Aries II. It was a fine table and quit easy to setup. I personally liked the craftsmanship and the different plinth woods that were available. I used a Dynavector Karat cartridge and it mated well with the 25. I purchased the table and cartridge in new condition for around your budget limit. I do believe the table its self was around 7. Nice table for the money and sounds even better with a ring mat.