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Technic 1200's
what is a good price to pay for a pair of Technic 1200's MK5 turntables?
The number keeps going up all the time.
How long is a piece of string?
Technics are worth every penny asked for them, their value is going to increase and keep on increasing as they are no longer made.
Mk5's or Mk5G's?
Technics Mk5's (to the best of my knowledge) were only ever released in japan - the rest of the world got mk2's, M3D's, Mk4's (although there were hardly any made), and Mk5g's. (the UK didn't really get M3D's only on import etc).
A lot of the Mk5's you see were/are "grey" import, when the demand for new technics were high but the mk5g's hadn't yet come out. There's nothing wrong with them as such, although there were some reports of the first japanese releases having issues due to being made up of OEM parts. I'd be a little wary of buying any from Japan.
A new Mk5's are basically the same deck as a New mk2 with a couple of very minor differences, so expect to pay around the same.
For a new boxed mk5 you could pay around $1000 each, although decent condition used ones can be found for $500 each.
Mk5g's are a completely different story - I recently saw a pair of used, but mint (boxes etc) go for $3600 for the pair.
| quote: |
| Originally posted by DJ RANN (the UK didn't really get M3D's only on import etc). |
Well, the m3D thing was weird.
I was in LA in the late 90's for a couple of months and bought them the week they came out (just by luck, went to the store and they had them). They were originally only available for the US market (they didn't have the little power selector switch under the metal platter) as apparently mk2 sales were beginning to flatten out and some other companies like vestax had launched the PDX range.
So technics, worried about competition did a market test with the M3D's for the USA and they sold well. They did eventually release them in the UK but they were short lived as by the time they got around to making them, shipping them getting them in to distribution, Technics already had the mk4's on sale in Japan, and had already announced the Mk5's. They sold through the stock of M3D's which did well but didn't continue production, instead just continuing to make Mk2's and then Mk5g's. It was strange because by the time they had made them, the discontinued them and replaced them with another two models.
I really liked my M3D's but I had to use them with a step down transformer, which fucked with the voltage and they didn't keep time perfectly. Years later I flogged them to a guy who had a better power transformer and they apparently worked fine.
Got my Mk5G's 6 years ago and have never looked back.
I know some think they're cheesey but I would love a pair of these:
(1210 MK5G Gold GrandMaster Edition).
| quote: |
| Originally posted by DJ RANN I know some think they're cheesey but I would love a pair of these: (1210 MK5G Gold GrandMaster Edition). |
I'm just rolling with a pair of Mk2's here. They have a lot of wear and tear on the outside, but when I got em used they had all the inside parts replaced. I've been thinking of doing a refurb on mine, as the tonal arm height adjustment is a bit finnicky on one of the tables 
But, these things are fooking tanks man. Built to last. Had them for 3 years now and I expect to have them for the rest of my life really.
I am real excited about turntables. I got $1000 saved up.
Should I buy them together in a set or buy them one at a time?
for 1200 mk2's yeah, $1000 should do it, but if you want mk5G's then you'll need $3k.
Or if you want the gold mk5g's then there's a pair going on ebay for $10k 
| quote: |
| Originally posted by DJ RANN Or if you want the gold mk5g's then there's a pair going on ebay for $10k |
Lol I know.
This guy is selling a boxed, unused for $8,000 (FOR ONE DECK!)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BRAND-NEW-T...=item3aa313187b
Or here's a pair from Dre and Snoop's up in smoke tour from 2002 (allegedly) : only $10k!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-TECHNICS-...=item43dd63a7e4
And here's another pair, ex-demo this time for $10k
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PAIR-Turnta...=item3aa535c72c
Personally - and I speak as someone who owns 5 of them, and who services, modifys and supplies lots of them still, as well as uses them professionally- I would still stand firm that there is nothing wrong with a decent set of mk2s.
Get the best cosmetic pair you can find, a few choice parts, a bit of rewiring, improving and fiddling and they will be perfect and last a lifetime.
I swear, after the nuclear dust has settled from WWIII, cockroaches and technics 1200s will be the only things left - they are bombproof.
I always liked the mk4s ....am a sucker for rarer models and largely useless 78rpm functions 
So true about mk2's. They really are workhorses. I know people who have abused theirs for 20 odd years and aside from the odd service every 5-10 years, they are still going strong. really how many man made things can you buy for a few hundred that will last you lifetime?
Why 5 lol?
As for the mods, which do you do? I take it the ground wire mod (I've done it plenty of times for clients but never saw the need myself) and maybe removing the center click and replacing the cables with gold plated interconnects (again no need with my mk5g's), but what else do you need to do?
2 1210s flightcased for use with clients, 3 1200s for me. All purchased from new and immaculate.
The essential basics are; a simple oil and service, re-calibration if necessary, a good length of quality van damme cable, some good quality phono plugs, a brand new phono PCB, wire the ground internally, a set of isonoe feet with sorbothane boots (non glass model), and a new technics headshell with M44-7 and broken in stylus
I don't normally remove the centre click- it is useful to have a 0 reference point, and if they are calibrated properly and you can mix then it isn't really an issue.
There are other things you can do but those are the basics, and if you buy a good condition set in the first place then it minimizes issues - knackered pitch faders are the usual culprits on ex-club ones.
Ah, makes sense now.
What Oil do you use? When i was a service tech, we used the Technics factory spindle baring oil but I think it's extinct now 
Good old Van Damme! - are you using their mic cable then grounding the shield to the negative terminal on the PCB for each cable?
What RCA's do you use? Sanj actually raised a good point when i worked for VDC and I never had an answer for him: The Neutrik RCA's grip the sockets too tightly - in some cases they will pull/break the socket right out. We didn;t sell anything that was high enough quality that didn't death grip them.
Do you use a real PCB technics part for the internal ground, or the one already designed for it from technics1200.com?
interesting about the isonoe feet - do they really work? I thought they were juts an audiophile thing.
Also, do you not have the problem with the dead spots either side of the center click? I once removed the center bypass circuit board for a client who was adamant that it fucked up his mixes when he got too close. You can still either keep the center click or remove it with or without that bypass. I did both so he just had one continuous smooth pitch.
There was a pair of M5G's that sold for $2900 on eBay last week. They're getting more and more valuable. Good thing I kept all mine.
@ RANN, fortunately I stocked up on the Technics oil before it went off the market.
Yep, there's a pair going on ebay right now and they're already up to 26 bids and $1500 with several days left! I'm so fucking happy I have mine.
Yeah, the oils is like hen's teeth now. There's a ton of audiophile baring oils out there (for things like LINN and Audiotechnica turntables) but some people claim the technics one is no different from any decent quality, low viscosity synthetic motor oil.
Just got to get new needles and Freak is gradually persuading me to drop my beloved Ortofon nightclub E's......
PIMP MY TURNTABLES
PIMP MY TURNTABLES
All that time, effort and money to make some of the ugliest turntables in existence lol. Oh well, Jazzy at least looks happy, that's all that counts.
They replace a lot of parts with aftermarket, and much as I don't mind modding a set of techs if it makes them better, I don't want 3rd party parts on my decks.
I've also heard some people say that even replacing things like the LED's (especially installing the halos etc) can end up completely fucking up the calibration of the deck.
I've seen some great 1200 mods, but I have seen some bad ones. Only mods I've done was replace the audio cables and removing the ground wire. The other replacing the pop up with a blue led.
For anyone looking for the original Technics Oil, it turns out these guys found the original source that panasonic (technics) bought it from and you can buy here for under $5.
http://kabusa.com/frameset.htm?/
They also do a ton of bonkers audphile parts and mods (if you believe thing like these give you, in their words, "more agile bass", an "open soundstage" and "less thickness" etc).
Especially that DC power supply, lowers noise floor and increases dynamics in a turntable. It def turns heads and has peeps spinning. 
Might help if you had some Technics 
Here in SoCal, I see them all the time for $300-$450 each. That's for the regular MK5's. The M5G's are a whole another story.
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