Technics 1200 Series - MK2 M3D MK5 M5G

As promised, a piece on the venerable SL-1200 turntable. I hope you have a pair too.


The Technics 1200 turntable is the industry standard. The design has remained relatively unchanged for the 30 + years since the first MK2 variant was released. In light of ever evolving technology and fair amount of attempts to replicate the success of the 1200 by its competitors, these turntables have endured due to their consistent ability to perform, simplicity and steadfast reliability. It's no wonder why Technics are a fixture in just about every DJ booth you'll step into. For the newest turntables to come out, their performance and usability relative to the 1200 series is the metric of their success or failure. Nothing beats the feeling of scratching on these bad boys. And if you think some other new fangled turntable with a more powerful motor is gonna help you out, such as those insanely powerful Numark's that'll tear the skin from your fingers if you touch the platter, remember that practically all the scratches you know about were researched and developed on this platform. 

Highlights: High torque motor, very accurate pitch (what controls the speed of the platter), well constructed tonearm with anti-skate, dense rubber feet to minimize vibration, great sound quality, and built like a tank! (the body is made out of aluminum). 

The 1200 comes in a couple of different flavors, and while the differences between models are few, it's enough to be a source of confusion amongst new DJ's & those looking into upgrading. For most types of DJ's (across all musical styles), however, it is also worth noting that these differences make a minimal impact on how you perform. The newer features seem to me like things that DJ's got nit picky about, honestly.  Oh and on a side note, if you're out there trying to learn how to scratch, don't try on lesser turntables. Learn how to scratch and spin on these. This way, at least you know you can't blame your equipment if your scratching sounds like ass.

So I'll try to make this as succinct and to the point as possible:

(thought I would get this out of the way first)

1200: Silver

1210: Matte Black

Technics MK2:

The base model of the 1200 line, produced from 1979-present. In buying a used MK2, I found a great piece from wikipedia.org regarding determining the age from the serial number on the turntable. This is crucial as many are sold on the second hand market (i.e craigslist) as being "2-3 years old." 

"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, 1998 or 2008. 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 turntable 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-1200MK2 manufactured June 2004)
The first digit shows the year when the turntable 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, so F indicates June."

taken from Wikipedia

Changes from the MK2 to M3D:

The M3D variant was produced in 1997 - 2002, when it was replaced by the MK5.

The most noticable change from the MK2 model apparent in the M3D was the pitch reset button. Pushing this button instantly resets the pitch back to zero, regardless of the position of the pitch slider. Another change to the pitch controls was the removal of the detent (the resistance you feel on the slider) at the zero position of the slider. Basically, no more 'click' when you slide the pitch to/past zero.

Technics SL-1200M3D - notice the round pitch reset button

Other notable changes are the recessed power button (some people tend to switch off the turntable by accident by grazing the switch with their forearms on the MK2). 

Recessed power switch

Changes from the M3D to MK5:

From looking down on a M3D and MK5, they look practically the same. And if you thought this, you'd be about 90% right. There aren't very many significant differences. But they're there.

•  modified tone arm shape further reduces skating
•  led pop-up target light vs that dim light in the M3D/MK2
•  anti-skate settings increase from 0-3g to 0-6g

Changes from the MK5 to M5G:

Cosmetically, the M5G is very different from the other 1200's, as this is the flagship model. The glossy piano-black finish and blue led's are distinctive of this model. As for performance differences between the M5G and Mk5, these are the ones that stand out:

•  +/- 16% pitch adjustment (vs +/- 8% on all other models)
• pitch is now controlled digitally
• revised tonearm mounting and construction significantly improves skip resistance
• improved vibration resistance and oxygen-free wires 

Brand new prices:

Mk2:  $550-750

Mk5:  $600-800

M5G: $950-$1200

My recommendation? Go with the Mk5. Trust.


Listening to: We Own the Night - 454 As Real As It Gets [go get that album!]


Next post: Resource guide pt.one for the new digital DJ!