Technics 1210 poor sound

SOURCE: technics skipping

hi fletch83.

this could be the tone arm bearings too tight,damaged or in need of a little oil.

i had a similar problem on my 1210, it kept jumping all the time,ruining my mixes! it turned out it was the bearings too tight.

unscrew the counter weight so that the arm hovers over the platter and move it to the centre with anti-skate on zero.

slowly turn the anti-skate round to three and the arm should move over to the arm rest smoothly,if it stops before the arm rest or isnt smooth theres your problem,loosen the bearing adjuster slightly and try the hover routine again until its as smooth as you can get it. it is possible,if the turntable has been transported without dust covers the bearings or the pin could be slightly damaged from knocks on the top of the tone arm assembly.

let me know how you get on or if you need any more help.

darren

SOURCE: How old is my Technics SL 1210 Mk2

Here's some information for you. Since your unit is a SL1210MK2, it may be harder to determine the age of the unit:

It is possible to tell the year (and the month) when the SL-1200 was manufactured from the serial number on the back or bottom of the turntable. SL-1200 serial numbers are in two different formats, depending on the date of manufacture. It isn't exactly possible to determine the decade in which the SL-1200 in question was manufactured, as the serial number contains only the last digit of the year. If the year digit is 8, the turntable may have been manufactured in 1978, 1988 or 1998. If the year digit is 0, the turntable may have been manufactured in 1980, 1990 or 2000. One rule of thumb is that old-format serial numbers belong to SL-1200s manufactured during the 1970s and 1980s, while new-format serial numbers belong to SL-1200s manufactured during the 1990s and beyond.
Old-format serial number: NHOJF20765 (SL-1200 manufactured 1982)
The first digit shows the year when the SL-1200 was manufactured. These serial numbers contain no indication of the month of manufacture. It should be noted that serial numbers in this format contain no letters following digits.
New-format serial number: GE4FB001154 (SL-1200 manufactured June 2004)
The first digit shows the year when the SL-1200 was manufactured, while the month of manufacture is indicated by the letter following it. Months are coded as letters between A and L inclusive; A indicates January, B indicates February, and so on.
In addition to the above, all the SL-1200MK2s from the 70's and early 80's have a 4 inch diameter plate where the RCA and ground wires enter the chassis in the rubber base of the unit. The later models have a smaller hole through which the wires enter the unit.


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SOURCE: 1210 Constantly Skipps

More than likely your tonearm is damaged. There is a small screw towards the rear of the tonearm. If you loosen this it may solve your problem. However, please be careful, because once you adjust this screw, it is very hard to get it right. That screw is known as a 'conical' screw, and has a cone shaped tip. This tip sits on top of 4 very small ball bearings, which are held in place by a very thin piece of sheet metal. If any of these are damaged, you will have to replace the tonearm. If they are not damaged, and your conical screw just became misaligned, then it is possible to salvage your tonearm. However, be very careful when turning this screw. Turn it counterclockwise very slowly, about a hair of a turn... yes, I said a HAIR of a turn. Then put the needle back on the record and observe what happens. If the problem persists, turn it a little bit more. Keep doing it until the problem is solved. You will eventually have to have the tonearm replaced, as this screw will start to loosen over time, once it's been adjusted.

- OPTiC

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SOURCE: Poor quality sound

Double check all your cables. The only 2 things that affect sound on the 1200s is the RCA cables and the tonearm. I would first replace the RCA cables to a better quality set.

- OPTiC
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SOURCE: pitch problems

You would need to calibrate them to each other. Not very difficult, but not that easy either.

I would suggest taking it to a service center, and ask them to calibrate the turntables to each other. It's a matter of adjusting VR302, which is located underneath the turntable platter. You'll also need a frequency counter or similar - which aren't cheap.

- OPTiC

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