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Anonymous Posted on Sep 16, 2008

SL-1200 MK2 Tone Arm Oxidized and Height Adjust

Hi,

Just received a couple of SL-1200s. One is in great condition no problems but the other is a mess, but the pitch control is kind of sticky near the top, I should note that they were in storage and there was quite a bit of 'dust-gunk' on them.

The biggest issue now is that the larger height adjust wheel under the tone arm doesn't move. It seems stuck, even after I tried moving the 'lock' control. The indicator is not on a number, but is actually past 6mm. Did someone overturn it? Is this something I could repair by taking it apart?

It also has a lot of 'oxidization' or at least, that's what I think it is, I'm wondering if anyone has a fix, or am I going to have to get a while new tonearm.

  • 2 more comments 
  • Anonymous Sep 17, 2008


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    Someone suggested to me Dry-teflon lube and let and wipe away the access
    since it is better on electronic parts. It just doesn't want to move. There is a
    small rubber cap that when removed goes into the base, what is this for, oil
    application?



    The oxidation doesnt really wipe away, I might need something corse to remove
    it, like steel wool; but the idea of wiping the parts doesn't impress me anymore
    than replacing it.



    I also can't get the platter to lift off. Followed the directions found on some websites but it just won't pop up. Any ideas?


  • Anonymous Nov 14, 2008

    After some banging and some WD-40 (very small amount), it eventually popped. It was really tough.

    Thanks for the suggestion.




  • Anonymous Dec 30, 2008

    The tone arm is fine and moves correctly. And isn't bent so I wouldn't need to replace it.

    The base is still stuck, I removed it months ago and haven't purchased a new one. It's beyond a certain point and won't rethread itself.

    Banging on the knob for the platter is a common technique. It's all over the net, and was the suggestion from Panasonic tech I emailed. You don't whack on it with anything hard or with any real force.

    I really appreciate your reply after all this time but the issue is pretty much resolved.

    Thanks,

    [J]


  • furyonice Jan 21, 2009

    Yeah, I tried turning the lock on and off and it still isn't working!! :(

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  • Posted on Dec 30, 2008
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Next time your height adjustment ring gets stuck dont bang on it or spray wd-40 anywhere near your gear, that will ruin things like you wouldent beleive. This happens to every 1200 and its perfectly normal, all you do is wiggle the lock lever on and off a few times until it frees itself gently.

and imo a new tone arm is a wise choice, shops charge around 50-60$ to fix it, and 70$ for the part i beleive. Once the tone arm is buggered there is little point in trying to fix it, replacement is inevitable.

Good luck

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  • Posted on Sep 18, 2008
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EXCUSE ME! PLEASE FORGIVE YOURS TRULY!!. I mis stated something. Vinegar NOT mineral oil to clean the oxidation. You are correct in the type lubrication. A dry-teflon is best in this application. A minor adjustment in the balance of the arm may be needed. Any chemical used on electronic ckts other than the one that replaced the freon type could be harmfull but any lube used directly on the mechnanics is welcome. You may choose a syringe to apply the small amount in exactly the point of need. This is a well known procedure in the medical field on laboratory equipt.

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  • Posted on Sep 16, 2008
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X1N may I suggest a few drops of mineral oil, the bottlels you find in the local grocer store. Once applied let soak for mabe 2 to 3 hours. Wipe or sponge away oxidation. The soaking may take longer. View the working one very closely to compare to the troubled one. The controls may accepte repositioning to the correct position now. If you got the guts study the assembley and make notes of you disassembley procedure, the problem may just need some realignment internally. I hope this helped.

  • Gene Pitts Nov 14, 2008

    X1N My Misstake, Vinegar

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