Technics SL-1300G Turntable issues


 

I recently purchased the Technics SL-1300G. I like the sound of the turntable. Unfortunately, I found the common complaint that the lift mechanism feels cheap. Additionally I found a perceived quality issue shown below. The silver bands on the top and bottom of the beveled platter edge vary in width by a mm+. In my opinion it makes the table look cheap, not the quality you would expect at the $3300 price tag. Note the gap between the platter and the plinth is uniform as the platter rotates. Would you return the TT hoping to get a platter with more uniform machining?

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dmorse6736

That 1300G looks like a great turntable. Enjoy! As to the durability of Technics turntables I still have an SL-3200 that I purchased new in the late 1970's for less than $200 from what I remember and it is still in perfect working order. It was used heavily for probably 15 years until I moved on to other turntables and it sat idle until a few years ago when I set up a second system. I had purchased a replacement Stanton 681EEE cartridge like the original probably 20 years ago that I had not installed and recently picked up a Jico Shibata stylus and it sounds great. I check the speed every now and then and it is always dead on. Not high end by any means but a great product from Technics and fun to use and sounds great to my ears. 

@mattmiller an opinion is one thing, but silly statements with no basis in fact…

Have you heard an SL-1000RE-S?
 

Definitely not mid-fi or a DJ turntable (nevertheless the original 1200’s were formidable)

@baylinor I would think you'd want to make sure the base is level first!

Take a short level and place it on different parts of the platter. Rotate the platter a quarter turn at a time and if your level bubble is in the middle through the entire rotation, it's spinning flat and you're good to go. As to the looks of the side of the platter bothering you... nothing is perfect in our world unfortunately.

@faustuss  

You are going the wrong way about it, the stylus runs on the platter not on the base.

I agree with Matt. Mid-fi product back in the day. Noisy with a poor arm. I guess it all depends upon what you use for comparison. I have heard good things about the upper level direct drives in the current line.