Getting a TT help!!!!! SL 1600mk2, SL 1800 mk2 or Sl 1300 mk1

[Alexxx]

Hoi there AK gang!!! I have a nice problem to solve and need your advice in choosing between

1, a nice 1800 mk 2 with no headshell no cartridge in nice condition (a 9 or 8) for around 220 no dustcover

2, a nice 1600 mk 2 with no headshell no cartridge in really nice condition (almost 10) with dustcover for 320 with option to by the cartridge, a sure97mxe and a headshell paying extra

2 a nice 1300 original, with some extras thrown in, a three headshell capsule cover, a m95he sure cart, an electronic stylus cleaner, all the package for around 350


my question is which option you like the best considering the price, and also, looks, features etc, briefly so we do not get in long discussion about VTA , i know the quartz thing between the models,

also, how bad is the plynth ringing issue with the 1300?

 

[Echternacht]

I would go for the 1600mk2 if everything works on it it and has been serviced. The 1300 is good, but not 350 good. I have no experience with 1800mk2, but the price seems right.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Agreed highly. SL-1600 MK 2 superior, and the best automatic you'll find in Technics. Provided it is in fine condition and all works well.

 

[Alexxx]

thanks again everyone, still on the look for an affordable TT, but... things have changed, the 1600 mk2 was apparently snatched by some lucky fellow before I could see it, so...

looked around and got the word on a 1700 hundred but finally after a lot of questions and a struggling to get a straight answer the guy admitted the auto-return did not work, so for 2 hundreds I thought it was to much of a risk to trust the seller

so now my options are

1. an 1800 mk2 , seems to be an ex DJ table, dunno much yet , asking for 2 h

2. an 1610 mk2 but it is a bit expensive, around 450 plus shipping (add another hundred) the guy says it is in perfect shape just missing the tonearm rest

3 an optonica rp 7100, i really dig this one, but the seller just admitted the mechanism tha moves the arm to the specific song is no functioning, and for 200 dunno

what is the consensus, please more advice needed

thanks a bunch

 

[Grenadeslio]

Not considering any other manufacturers tables? How about a nice Kenwood?

 

[pchilson]

I tried a lot of turntables. 2 years ago I found a fully serviced, fully functioning SL-1300 mk1 for 150. That ended my searching. Trouble free, smooth, quiet and satisfying.

 

[malden]

Hoi there AK gang!!! I have a nice problem to solve and need your advice in choosing between

1, a nice 1800 mk 2 with no headshell no cartridge in nice condition (a 9 or 8) for around 220 no dustcover

2, a nice 1600 mk 2 with no headshell no cartridge in really nice condition (almost 10) with dustcover for 320 with option to by the cartridge, a sure97mxe and a headshell paying extra

2 a nice 1300 original, with some extras thrown in, a three headshell capsule cover, a m95he sure cart, an electronic stylus cleaner, all the package for around 350


my question is which option you like the best considering the price, and also, looks, features etc, briefly so we do not get in long discussion about VTA , i know the quartz thing between the models,

also, how bad is the plynth ringing issue with the 1300?

I have a SL 1800 MK2 that I'm happy with but I would also be happy with any of the others. I wouldn't fuss over the details, just get the one that is in the best cosmetic shape and repair it as needed.

 

[Montycat]

Aside from the trust factor, that 1700 might just need a $2 belt to get the auto-return working.

 

[Alexxx]

hello, everyone, thanks a lot for all your advice, for a newbie in this TT world every word is a learning experience, so..... tadaaaaaa, after balancing all my options in the real world, I decided to go with the 1600, it is being shipped and packed right now I hope and will arrive in a week or so. Why? well I was really digging the Optonica, it was not expensive, automatic, and as my eyesight is not that good anymore, I thought the option of the automatic song tracking was just beautiful, plus I liked the way it look with the glass down, but, the seller told me that feature was not working very well, and asked for a video, which he never send to me at the end, so, being a complicated machine I do not want to spend to many hours fixing it, I already spent more than a year fixing my tube amps, and one is doing funky noises recently ahahahhaa. If I see one of those in the future I will get it for sure, but now I just need a turntable that words and is decent sounding and not to expensive

The 1700, was really nice, but.... i got a video and seems to be a DJ table,which many AKers say it is risky in fact in the video i could here the motor changing pitch, while the quartz light was on, that was not a good thing I believe

So. the 1600 was the option at the end, as it is working according to the seller and it not I can have a refund, which the other guys did not offer one to me.

 

[Alexxx]

About the Kenwood, i looked for one locally but there are just the really simple models available and really beaten up ones, no KD 600 or 5'00., I really liked those rocks , but none around here, sad

 

[Grenadeslio]

About the Kenwood, i looked for one locally but there are just the really simple models available and really beaten up ones, no KD 600 or 5'00., I really liked those rocks , but none around here, sad

The 500 & 600 and their derivatives are not the only models with the resin plinth.





And this seems like a real steal, not the resin base but one of their top tier models nonetheless.

 

[Grenadeslio]

Most likely more than you wanted to spend but this could be your holy grail table.







Some like to remove the plinth.

 

[Grenadeslio]

Might want to keep an eye on this baby looks really pristine, or contact the seller and make on offer.

 

[Alexxx]

wow, that is a great selection of Kenwood options, I will keep an eye open and see if one pops up locally... someday. That KP 990 is a killer without the plynth, ahahhahaa. Unfortunately I have not seen any of those models in my area at all. And the ones you generously shared that are in the fleabay with the shipping costs go a little bit over my budget.. Anywho thanks a lot for the info, really beautiful those kenwood, now I will start saving for one, thanks

 

[Grenadeslio]

wow, that is a great selection of Kenwood options, I will keep an eye open and see if one pops up locally... someday. That KP 990 is a killer without the plynth, ahahhahaa. Unfortunately I have not seen any of those models in my area at all. And the ones you generously shared that are in the fleabay with the shipping costs go a little bit over my budget.. Anywho thanks a lot for the info, really beautiful those kenwood, now I will start saving for one, thanks

I often contact the sellers and make offers, more times than not we are able to work out a deal amicable for both, many times it's just free shipping.

 

[SaSi]

Be very careful about shipping turntables. Most seller pack them wrongly and at best you get a cracked dustcover, at worst the platter goes off and destroys everything.
The SL-1600MkII is a great TT and usually needs a $0.5 o-ring to fix the tonearm automation.
The SL-1200 was the "official" DJ table. Not initially designed to be such, but DJs liked it and ruined it's reputation.
All these tables from Technics, even the modest ones, have excellent tonearms, just of slightly high mass, not suitable for very high compliance carts.

 

[Alexxx]

Ok, finally the deal was done and nicely I believe. Here is the story, if you care to read ahead. As I mentioned to you in my previous posts I had several options, but .... lo and behold, just after my last post a local listing mentioned a whole "technics audio system for sale" I looked at the pictures and it included a pair of technics speakers, in ok shape; a technics equalizer 20 band in good shape, a cassette deck, a technics SA 5047 receiver (not powering up) and a turntable (from the pictures it looked like the 1600 mk2 with the telltale led holes on the platter) so without knowing any of the modules model number and just with the clue of the holes in the platter of the turntable I drove to hours to check it out, and got out of the house of a very nice fellow with all the equipment, the rack, and some vinyls, ahhahaha, all of it really good condition, all for 230 bucks, ahahhaa, so I am thinking now in flipping the speakers for whatever maybe keep the amplifier if it is just the fuses that do not work and the equalizer I can keep cause it has a lot of levers a little lights ahahhaha

The turntable is just perfect, not one scratch at all, apparently it was really well cared by the previous owner, the father in law of the seller that passed away not long ago, of course the automatic was not working, so I opened it up and guess what.... ? the conspicuous neoprene band was falling apart in pieces ahahhaha, so I think it will be a n easy fix, the motor seems to be working no problem, so tomorrow i will get the o-ring #39 and see what happens,

Now I need help in how to properly do maintenance to this nice turntable, can you guys share some of your knowledge and wisdom in the matter? the pitch is wobbly but I have read in this AK amazing site that with Deoxit in the pot that will be fixed, my questions are more like

1. how do i clean de micro switches from the front panel

2. how do i clean the gear on which the o-ring goes

3 how to clean the plynth

4 the interior looks in perfect condition so i think I just leave it like that

5, what should I lube

6, what else would you guys recommend me should be done to put this table in nice shape


As I said it is in mint conditions, it even had the blue screws from transport still in there, and all the warning labels in perfect condition


I am dying to try it, it came whith an EPC 207 cartridge which i know nothing about, and the stylus is bent to one side.... advice needed


i will post some pics

 

[AlphaEcho35]

Congrats on your new-to-you turntable! I have the SL1600 MkII as well and I love the turntable.

Here's some resources for you to get started -
Vinylengine has all the documentation you could want, including the service manual: https://www.vinylengine.com/library/technics/sl-1600.shtml

If you don't already know, kabusa.com has a bunch of Technics specific parts and mods for the table.

I had mine completely refurbished by Scott Thompson (scottrt@comcast.net). He did a fantastic job on the table (mine had a bad regulator on the main control board that disabled most of the automatic functions.) If nothing else, you may want to contact him to find out what specifically needs to be done to the table. He's very friendly and a great resource of knowledge on these tables.

 

[Blue Shadow]

Well bought and done the same way I got mine. A guy had a Hafler XL amp needing work, Dynaco SCA-80, Yamaha TX-1000 and the 1600 II listed for a fair price. I looked em up, incorrectly on the Yamaha and said I would take it all when can we meet up. He liked that because most just wanted the tuner, which since I looked it up as a T-1000 was uninspiring. Redid the research, got the gear and the tuner immediately went into my main rig as it sounds good.

Did the maintenance you are looking at on the tt and it is now my automatic table in my main rig. Nice table, but I was kinda familiar with it as I had an 1800 II back in the day, upgraded and moved it to a friend.

The micro switches didn't need cleaning in my case, but the power switch was a little tight in its cutout. Rearranging the panel in the plinth made that switch easy to operate.

Isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab will clean the o-ring pulleys.
Glass cleaner on the plinth should do well.
Lube the motor as specified in the linked manuals.
Pull the platter mat and see if it has oozed, these do that, just keep it cleaned annually or so.

Learn about the gear that breaks in these. Find your gear and evaluate its condition. Mine had radial cracks so I cleaned it and glued a washer onto it with JBWeld to keep it from breaking. I also picked up a spare gear to effect the repair if needed.

The cartridge, the sky's the limit. This table is capable of getting the most from a cartridge up to the $1500 range and if the cartridges you try are heavier than the table can handle, you need the accessory weight that screws in the back end of the tonearm. KAB sells em but you might find one on the bay or just use a properly threaded short bolt, even using a soft washer for isolation. I got one from KAB since I have some heavy cartridges.

Enjoy, you got a good table.