Headshell Question - Technics SL-1300

Justin Kohl

New Member
I have an SL-1300 and I'm looking to purchase a Nagaoka MP-110. I was shopping on LP Gears website and they offer an "LP Gear Ultimate Nagaoka MP-110 Set." It is their headshell with the cartridge mounted and aligned for you. Does anyone have experience with that? Is it worth it? Should I keep the standard headshell? Thanks in advance!
 
Their headshell is fine. Additionally, they align it for an S-shaped tone-arm (like you have on the 1300). I don't know the counterweight for the SL-1300; I would make sure that your tonearm can handle the cartridge+headshell weight.

Very nice cartridge. Very competent headshell (my experience is that there is not a great difference between them so long as they mate with your tonearm).

I have used the headshell and the cartridge, but I have not used them together.
 
I have an SL-1300 and I'm looking to purchase a Nagaoka MP-110. I was shopping on LP Gears website and they offer an "LP Gear Ultimate Nagaoka MP-110 Set." It is their headshell with the cartridge mounted and aligned for you. Does anyone have experience with that? Is it worth it? Should I keep the standard headshell? Thanks in advance!

If you are not very good at mounting the cartridge, and aligning it for your particular tone arm plus buying the headshell, it is worth it. :)
 
IMO it isn't worth it, I would want to double check their alignment and if you are going to do that you could of done it in the first place. The factory headshell that came with your SL-1300 is fine and of good quality and appropriate for that particular table. I see no need to replace it unless it is damaged. Second the cartridge mounting/aligning isn't complicated, all that is required is a very small screw driver and you can either use the Technics overhang gauge or a downloaded protractor from Vinyl Engine. The SL-1300 owners manual which is also available for download from Vinyl Engine has clear/simple instructions/illustrations regarding installing and aligning a cartridge. Just be careful, follow the instructions and use the stylus guard if the cartridge has one. You might also need a set of small needle nose pliers for installing the cartridge leads, along with the screw driver these items are basic turntable tools everyone should have.
 
The weight of the head-shell is an important factor. The original Technics weighs about 6 grams or so. What is the weight of the replacement?
 
If installing it yourself, I would pick up some new leads. They are not expensive, and they are commonly left on there for a long time. New leads is a nice maintenance piece while you have your headshell in the shop.

The new headshell will be heavier. The two Technics that I've had are equipped with an auxiliary counter weight that threads into the back of the arm. I feel pretty confident that this aux weight will be needed (and may well already be installed)
 
I'm not familiar with the Nagaoka MP-110 and it might be a fine match both compliance and weight wise for your SL-1300, to get the best results you have to match everything as carefully as possible starting with the cartridge. It might work/sound great on some tonearms and lousy on others, also keeping the table stock as it came from the factory including accessories gives you an excellent base line to work from. As you get more experienced you can make adjustments utilizing a different headshell to compensate for the weight of the cartridge. KAB is an excellent source for Technics parts/accessories as in the suggested cartridge leads. OP you didn't post a location of where you live but with so many AK members another experienced member might be close by and might volunteer to give you a hand with the project.
 
If installing it yourself, I would pick up some new leads. They are not expensive, and they are commonly left on there for a long time. New leads is a nice maintenance piece while you have your headshell in the shop.

The new headshell will be heavier. The two Technics that I've had are equipped with an auxiliary counter weight that threads into the back of the arm. I feel pretty confident that this aux weight will be needed (and may well already be installed)

The person I bought it from put a Grado Cartridge on it. I'm having a local place that only works on vintage stereo and audio equipment that has refurbished a bunch of stuff for me do it. It's a little out of my league haha! Thanks fr all of your help!
 
I have an SL-1300 and I'm looking to purchase a Nagaoka MP-110. I was shopping on LP Gears website and they offer an "LP Gear Ultimate Nagaoka MP-110 Set." It is their headshell with the cartridge mounted and aligned for you. Does anyone have experience with that? Is it worth it? Should I keep the standard headshell? Thanks in advance!

I just bought one of these for my Technics SLQ3. Fine cartridge and sounds great. I did have to realign the cartridge though.
 
not sure what you're feeding yours but my original sushi-fed "Made In Japan" Technics headshells weigh a cool 6 g's

The 1300 "MK1" uses the earlier style headshell with the plastic sled. The owner's manual claims it weighs 9.5g and the one I weighed came in at 9.2g. The 1200 MK2 style headhells are listed as weighing 7.5g which agrees with the one I weighed (7.48g). The headshell for the 1300 MK2 is listed as weighing 9.5g. I don't have one of those to check. These weighs are including the wires. I can see where a MK2 headshell minus wires might weigh 6g but that's not the headshell the OP's turntable came with which he and probably has.

John
 
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I'm not familiar with the Nagaoka MP-110 and it might be a fine match both compliance and weight wise for your SL-1300, to get the best results you have to match everything as carefully as possible starting with the cartridge. It might work/sound great on some tonearms and lousy on others, also keeping the table stock as it came from the factory including accessories gives you an excellent base line to work from. As you get more experienced you can make adjustments utilizing a different headshell to compensate for the weight of the cartridge. KAB is an excellent source for Technics parts/accessories as in the suggested cartridge leads. OP you didn't post a location of where you live but with so many AK members another experienced member might be close by and might volunteer to give you a hand with the project.

I'm in Cincinnati, OH!
 
Course if the OP buys the pre-mounted cartridge and has the original SL-1300 with the older style headshell (plastic sled, single screw adjustment) then he might also need different screws to hold the cartridge onto the plastic sled ... depending on what he has mounted now. I suspect any screws coming with the MP-110 would be too long as they would be meant to pass through a headshell and have a nut threaded on. Throw in new headshell wires ... lots of 'ifs' and 'depends' in there .... but sometimes the kit is a good solution.
 
Course if the OP buys the pre-mounted cartridge and has the original SL-1300 with the older style headshell (plastic sled, single screw adjustment) then he might also need different screws to hold the cartridge onto the plastic sled ... depending on what he has mounted now. I suspect any screws coming with the MP-110 would be too long as they would be meant to pass through a headshell and have a nut threaded on. Throw in new headshell wires ... lots of 'ifs' and 'depends' in there .... but sometimes the kit is a good solution.

If you buy the cartridge alone it comes with two sets of mounting screws, the extra set was shipped to me with my kit.
 
The 1300 "MK1" uses the earlier style headshell with the plastic sled. The owner's manual claims it weighs 9.5g and the one I weighed came in at 9.2g. The 1200 MK2 style headhells are listed as weighing 7.5g which agrees with the one I weighed (7.48g). The headshell for the 1300 MK2 is listed as weighing 9.5g. I don't have one of those to check. These weighs are including the wires. I can see where a MK2 headshell minus wires might weigh 6g but that's not the headshell the OP's turntable came with which he and probably has.

John

Great information. The plastic style headshell completely slipped my memory. I was thinking of the 1200 MKII and MKV headshells. I think my SL-23 came with one of those set up with a very basic AT cartridge that was used for initial runs after thrift store record cleanings. I must have forgotten about changing counter balance weights (or treated most everything very poorly).

What this ends up with is the OP's headshell weighing very similar to the LP Gear headshell. With that being the case, the tone arm should have no trouble.
 
If you buy the cartridge alone it comes with two sets of mounting screws, the extra set was shipped to me with my kit.

My point was that screws and nuts supplied with a cartridge will be sized with the assumption the screw will pass right though the headshell. The screws may (or may not) be too long to use with the older-style Technics headshell.
 
The 1300 "MK1" uses the earlier style headshell with the plastic sled. The owner's manual claims it weighs 9.5g and the one I weighed came in at 9.2g. The 1200 MK2 style headhells are listed as weighing 7.5g which agrees with the one I weighed (7.48g). The headshell for the 1300 MK2 is listed as weighing 9.5g. I don't have one of those to check. These weighs are including the wires. I can see where a MK2 headshell minus wires might weigh 6g but that's not the headshell the OP's turntable came with which he and probably has.

John

Just to check, I weighed (2) U.S. pennies and the reading was 6 grams.

I weighed a headshell with a Shure M35X cartridge (6.2 grams) with 4-32 SS mounting screws and nuts (2 grams), the total weight was 15 grams. I have two head-shells and two cartridges, so weighing both gives me a reading of 30 grams Wires are include in my readings.

30 (total) - 12.4 (cartridges) - 4 (hardware) = 13.6

13.6 / 2 = 6.8 grams per head-shell which is a little higher than I previously stated.

The MK2 head-shells I have are stamped "Technics" in white lettering on top and on the bottom "Made in Japan" is in the casting.
 
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Two pennies should weigh 5g, or 2.5g each. I can't tell you how many times I've weighed a genuine "Made in Japan" headshell without a cartridge installed and without having to do any "math". They all weigh 7.5g +/- 0.1g or so, just like Technics says they do.

John
 
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