• Please note that Audiokarma will be offline briefly for updates early on Monday morning, September 28th.

My Technics 1200 project

Montycat

Montycat

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Subscriber
I snagged a beat up Technics 1200 MKII about 2 months ago, and have kept it in on the pending project list until recently. I ordered a lid and tonearm a while back, and took it all apart last week. Today I got it ready for powder coat.

I won't re-write the entire thing here but the full scoop can be seen on my blog. I'll just give some tidbits here.

http://www.afishneedsastereo.com/2012/08/technics-1200-gets-makeover-part-1.html

First pic, as I bought it.

7531126818_10951a2074.jpg


Stripped of parts but still dirty.

7854689928_7efc14aa5d.jpg


Walnut blasted and ready to take to the powder coater.

7854688108_b3d4f317e0.jpg
 
Last edited:
Register to hide this ad
I knew I forgot something yesterday. I meant to take out the 2 DIY record weights and get them powder coated at the same time. DoH!

If you know powder coat you know it usually costs nothing extra to do several things at the same time. The cost is largely a per batch fee because of set up costs and the sort of bath treatment they get.

Luckily there was someone there today so I could drop off the 2 weights.

attachment.php
 
Re-building and modifying my 1200 was a rewarding experience. Mine was in worse shape than yours though! I still love it and have no intentions of getting a different turntable anytime soon.
 
levlhed said:
Re-building and modifying my 1200 was a rewarding experience. Mine was in worse shape than yours though! I still love it and have no intentions of getting a different turntable anytime soon.
Click to expand...

If I ever find a bent up one for $100 or $150, hell yeah!

I put my Widow on mine and I love it.


Ben aka MacKat
 
Looks great. I enjoyed reading your blog. Lot's of good info there.

I never knew that Keith Richards had a Yamaha CR-1020. :D Good stuff.
 
What are the decks on those made of, aluminum or plastic? Just curious because I wasn't aware plastic could be powdercoated since it has to bake at some 400 degrees.
 
Thanks guys. My plan is to make it look "better than new" or at least I hope so.

Yes definitely metal though they do have a way of making the cheaper decks look like metal when they are not. All the 4 digit series Technics should be metal but that does not follow for all models. The top is cast aluminum and stripping it exposed some minor casting flaws so that ruled out anodizing which I was considering. Anodizing is not all forgiving but powder coat is.
 
I've been cleaning up some of the parts tonight to prepare for the reassembly. As you could see in the early shots this definitely had some spillage...

I have a question for other 1200 owners though. One thing I noticed is that the 33 and 45 switches do not have noticeable throw to them. Are they supposed to be like that, just very sensitive touch switches? Or should they obviously push in even if only a little and spring back?

There might some crud inside that I need to clean out if they are kind of stuck inward.
 
So do mine now! :D

I took the PCB off to expose the underside of the switch buttons. The 45 one moved in and out a bit but the 33 not at all. The buttons are on little metal pins that move in brass sleeves, and held in place by small split flexy washers acting like circlips. I took them apart, having to be fairly forceful to get the metal bit to move inside the brass. Cleaned them up (the area was cruddy), put back together with a spot of oil in each and they feel great now.:thmbsp: Smooth and very clicky!
 
Yeah well, the next update is that I just did a bonehead. :twak:

I am going to replace the tonearm and already have the part but am just waiting for the Litz wire from KAB for re-wiring. The one on it was dented and the cuing tab broken off.

Anyway I was putting some things back together tonight and test fitting others. Everything going along fine until I started to see why the arm would not lock into the rest. I determined it was because the little foot for the rest seemed bent downward a bit so the rest was not perpendicular to the arm. "Well, let's just try straighten it shall we?"

Not a good idea. It snapped off. Crap, damn, **** la merde, etcetera!!!

It's not the rest that broke of course it's the cast alloy foot for it and I know better than to try to tweak stuff like that. I'll post pics tomorrow, but for now it pisses me off. I think I have a way I might fix it but the best solution is be to replace the tonearm base.

I think it's bed time. :tears:
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom