Technics SL-1200 Turntable Repair & Service

Technics SL 1200/SL 1210 Turntable Repairs:

• We specialize in repairing the DJ Industry standard Technics SL 1200/SL 1210 turntables only.
• We cannot advise or assist with any other make/model of turntable.
• We stock Technics SL 1200 rental units should you need a deck while your turntable is under repair.
• Some turntable parts are no longer available.
• We buy used/dead Technics turntables for parts.
• We only do rush turntable repair jobs if we have the part in stock.
• Repairs can take anywhere from 1/2 day to several weeks with turntable parts shortages.
• We guarantee our turntable repairs.
• The most common Technics SL 1200 turntable repairs are:
  • Bad SL-1200 RCAs
  • Worn out/damaged SL-1200 tone arms
  • Worn out SL-1200 pitch controls
  • Improper Storage/Handling
• Please call for an estimate on your Technics SL-1200/SL-1210 turntable repair. 403.278.5638

Turntable Maintenance Hints:

• Never directly spray anything in/on your turntable.
• Use an ammonia free cleaner on your deck surface (example clear windex).
• Spray the cloth first, then wipe your turntable down.
• Always store turntables flat.
• Real DJs have 12"!
• Broken turntable feet can often be repaired if caught early.
• We recommend Technics head shells with separate cartridges vs. the all in one head shells.
• Do not lick head shell pins to get a better connection. This causes irreparable damage to your tonearm and head shell. Gently clean head shell pins and tone arm connector/pins with a Q-Tip and 99% isopropanol alcohol instead.
• There is a very good chance that if you attempt repairing your turntable yourself by following some online instructions you will end up bringing it in to a repair shop. We get several botched turntable repairs each month, some not fixable.

Technics SL-1200 RCA Troubleshooting:

• RCA cables generally fail due to mishandling, examples: pulling the cable and not the plug, bending the cable too much, improper storage, etc.
• Dirty pins may cause Left/Right channel faults, clean using isopropyl alcohol as above.
• Many DJs bring us their turntables and can't say which turntable has what issue resulting in us playing expensive detective. Start by simply numbering your turntables with a piece of tape.
• It is critical to properly identify which channel(s) are at fault and to eliminate mixer channel faults. For example a failing left mixer channel could appear as a faulty SL-1200 RCA cable.
• The wiggle test: RCA cables often fail at termination points right at the RCA ends or at the strain relief point where the RCA cables enter the bottom of the SL-1200 turntable. Gently bend the cables at these two points to check for intermittent signal. If you can replicate the fault (signal cuts in and out) by bending the cable back and forth, chances are you have located a break in the RCA cable.
• Carefully swap the Left and Right RCAs, does the fault change to another speaker or other side of your headphones?
• Now singularly isolate each RCA to determine which channel is failing by gently unplugging/plugging in each RCA cable. Use tape to identify the bad RCA cable.

Bad/DIY SL-1200 repairs:

This is an original RCA cable soldered to the board. Neat, clean and no stray wires to cause shorts.

These are examples of DJs/DIY/Amateur repairs:
These are examples of poor workmanship, incompetent soldering, too much heat applied causing the pad to lift and destroying the board, etc. SL-1200/1210 are an investment and you should carefully choose who repairs your decks.