Technics 4

Maintenance

The SL1200/1210MKII is a turntable that will stand a lot of abuse and it is not an overstatement to say it will last a lifetime. Of course like any other electrical appliance the SLs need to be taken care of. In many cases people buy them second hand and require extra attention, but even the brand new ones deserve maximum care. From regular cleaning jobs to getting your turntable to return from the dead, it's all part of a DJ's life and you'll find plenty of tips in this section!

Lubrication of the motor

Where there is a mechanical motor there is oil. Your SL1200 also needs a little lubrication once in a while, but it doesn't need very much as it is not a conventional motor. Apply 2 or 3 drops of oil once every 2000 hours of operation. Take of the platter and grab the spindle, twist it and find the area that holds the spindle, but doesn't spin together with it. That's where you need to lube it!
Of course the people at Technics advise us to use original oil and they even supply us with a part number: SFW0010.

Serious defects

I can only give one advise here: don't start fiddling with it, just bring it into a shop where they know how to handle these things! If something is seriously wrong with it, then fixing it won't be as easy as changing a lightbulb. Here are some cases to consider too hard to handle by yourself:

Some dude spilled his Coke over it and it blew up
The quartz lock on the pitch is going psychedelic
You dropped it on a hard surface
The tonearm section is falling apart
The spindle is crooked
etc.
If your turntable doesn't work after any incidents resembling the ones mentioned above then an authorized service center should be your next destination. If you just noticed something irregular about the pitch then you should try and adjust it a little bit. (Read the directions in the FAQ if you're not familiar with this procedure)

Cleaning it

Here are some things to clean:

Wipe the headshell terminals from time to time
The headshell terminal is the cartridge with the needle. Dust and dirt on the four connections may result in noise or intermittent sound. Use a soft dry cloth to clean the headshell terminals and a dry Q-tip (cotton swab) is handy to clean the connections in the locking nut at the end of the tonearm.

Dust cover and turntable base
Use a soft dry cloth to wipe the dust cover and the rubber of the turntable base. Never use any cleaners containing alcohol, benzine, thinner or other chemicals. If you can't stubborn fingerprints of the dust cover, then take it of and moisten a cloth with water and some mild soap to clean it. Don't wipe the dust cover during play, because the generation of static electricity might attract the tonearm.

Cleaning the inside
Every now and then the inside should be cleaned to keep the turntable in pristine shape. Take out the power plug and open the top. Then just take out your vacuum cleaner and start sucking out the dust! Maybe you noticed a lot of ashes lying around too. Smoking is unfortunately one of the business' worst habits and it can really take it's toll on your equipment. It drops into every crack there is including faders on mixers which probably suffer the most.
If some dude spilled his coke on your turntable then you should clean it with a moistened cloth and some mild soap. Use Q-tips to thoroughly clean the circuit board and things like that. Let it dry for a few hours afterwards until you can be absolutely sure the humidity is completely gone before you plug it in again!

Protecting it

Protecting your SL will guarantee it a longer life. The two main things that need the most attention according to me are protection against dust and protection during transportation.
If you can you should leave the plastic hood over it whenever you don't use it, but in general dust will not destroy your turntable. Cleaning it regularly as described in the previous paragraph should be more than adequate.

Moving your turntables around a lot to different places? Do you rent them out to other people? The very best thing to do in this case is to put them in a flightcase. It's ultra-protective and a lot easier to handle than boxes or without anything at all. Another thing to keep in mind is to always lock the tonearm into its support. Once forgotten it can have devastating effects on your cartridge and the whole tonearm.

Nowadays there are also special covers available in many different colors. They fit over the original silver or black top and are quite useful in areas like clubs and rental services where heavy use is common. Unless you like your turntables in a different color or if you're over-protective of your turntables then I would say these are not a must. One negative point of these covers is that the speed select buttons (rpm) are hard to reach.

Back to the Technics mainpage     Back to the 12 Inches mainpage