dominic252 Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 So I finally found a nice record player for a good deal. I was able to find a 1210 for $250 but I need to get a cartridge and a slip mat. My questions: 1. Apart from special DJ mats, is a slip mat just a slip may or is there a specific one I should get? 2. What cartridge should I get if I want to spend less than $100? It seems like the Shure M97xE is the go-to. Opinions? Thanks guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillhole Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 First off you scored a great table. I have the 1200 mk5 model which is basically the same and I absolutely love it. Those came from the factory with two mats, one felt one for DJ's, and one rubber one for home Hi-Fi use. Check out http://kabusa.com/frameset.htm?/ for any SL-1200 parts. Your table originally came with the 1/4 inch rubber mat. It's mostly personal preference but I stay away from felt mat and only use the 1/4 inch rubber one. You can get a 1/8 inch one for 10 bucks less than the 1/4 inch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dominic252 Posted July 30, 2012 Author Share Posted July 30, 2012 Thanks for the advice! Any opinion on a cartridge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearchuck Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 Yeah, what bigmanandy said. The nice thing about that model is that it's virtually identical to the SL-1200, probably one of the most popular turntables ever, and highly-regarded by a lot of people. Why is that good? Because the information on the web is virtually unlimited and you're going to have no problem finding recommendations for slipmats, cartridges, etc etc. Seriously, just google "cartridge for SL-1200" and you'll be amazed at what comes up. If your budget is $100 for the cart, you're going to be limited with your choices, but there are some good budget options out there. The Shure that you mentioned is one. Then you've got the Audio Technica AT95 or even the 110. There are good Ortofon and Grado carts in that range too. Honestly, I haven't done my research, but you should look around and see which carts people suggest mate well to that tonearm. KAB is definitely the source for all things SL-1200. I'd probably go with something close to the stock mat that came with your TT. If you want to experiment with other slipmats, maybe do that down the line somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dominic252 Posted July 30, 2012 Author Share Posted July 30, 2012 Thanks for the help guys! I'll definitely be looking at KAB for parts and I'll check out other forums. It seems like Vinyl Engine is a good place to look Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dominic252 Posted August 14, 2012 Author Share Posted August 14, 2012 I ended up going with the AT95e. Just now ordered so I'll report back after I get it and it's all set up. Also, I ended up buying a 1200 mk2, not a 1210 mk2. Much better condition, came with a slipmat (original 1/4" rubber) and a cartridge (albeit the original one hence why it's getting replaced) and cheaper. Really happy with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillhole Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Nice!! At least the only difference between the 1200 and the 1210 is the body color. Your all set with that rubber mat, all you'll ever need. Another good thing about these tables is how long they've been around. You can pretty much build one piece by piece with how easy parts are to come by. Good thing just incase something happens to the tone arm, spindle, motor, etc. That also means there are mods out the ass available for these to amp them up into the very high end spectrum. Like fluid damper the arm, external power supplies, removal of the extra stuff to take out any possible electronic/audible interference and many more. That stuff is all overkill to me, but some people swear by those mods. They are incredible from the factory, just pop off the platter and look underneath sometime, the entire black base is hard rubber, under the platter it's all rubber coated. You've already had to move it, all like 25 pounds of it. They are damn SOLID!!! Seeing as yours is used and you don't know the history, which you can look up to see how old it is, ya might want to oil the spindle. KAB sells the oil, not sure on the spec but it might just be super light weight gear oil or something but I bought Technics stuff to be safe. A $5 bottle will last YEARS since it only needs a few drops once a year or so. As you can tell I love my 1200, I went through 3 TT's before I found the right one. dominic252 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dominic252 Posted August 17, 2012 Author Share Posted August 17, 2012 Thanks for the advice!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dominic252 Posted August 17, 2012 Author Share Posted August 17, 2012 Anybody have any idea why my 7"s would be distorted? I thought this cartridge would change that but nothing has changed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jase Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Did you align it correctly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillhole Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Definitely sounds out of alignment. Do LPs sound fine until you get towards the end of one side? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dominic252 Posted August 18, 2012 Author Share Posted August 18, 2012 I thought it was aligned right. I can't really tell on my LPs, but I definitely can on my 7"s. The thing is, I thought buying a new cartridge would help or at least change it, but it hasn't. I wonder if it had a poorly aligned cartridge on it for so long that now it won't ever play right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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