Technics 1200 Tonearm Gold Plating?
- Thread starter TheoryJean
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- 1200 gold gold plated sl1200 technics
Balifly
Listening
Try using gold leaf. 
https://www.amazon.com/Bememo-Imita...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=F95Q3J33JKHC0E9W792K
https://www.amazon.com/Bememo-Imita...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=F95Q3J33JKHC0E9W792K
restorer-john
Addicted Member
The Technics standard 1200mk2 arm, like many other Japanese arms is Rhodium plated.
Whether that needs to be removed or whether you can gold plate over the rhodium, you'd have to check with a jeweler.
Whether that needs to be removed or whether you can gold plate over the rhodium, you'd have to check with a jeweler.
Source, John? I don't really doubt you as the surface does appear to be very hard and corrosion resistant but I wonder where or how you found this out?
restorer-john
Addicted Member
Years ago I was told anecdotally about the cost of the Rhodium plating on various Jelco OEM arms being supplied to turntable manufacturers in Japan. I also had the pleasure of meeting a Japanese representative of Matsushita one time many years ago at a 'do' and asked what the stuff was on turntable arms that was so shiny and why it didn't corrode or go dull (especially in salt air). I said it looks like chromium plating and was told in no uncertain terms it was Rhodium plated.
Years later, when I was having my future wife's engagement ring made by a trusted manufacturing jeweler, I found out (as I watched him making and polishing) that the 13.9grams of platinum bar stock I had bought to be formed into the ring, needed Rhodium plating after the ring was made to actually look pretty and stay shiny.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
You could always email SME in the UK and ask them whether they also used Rhodium back in the day on a 3009. I'd be interested to see what they say as the surface and finish and colour looks awfully like it to me.
It just makes me feel better knowing my turntable arm is coated in a really precious metal too.
Years later, when I was having my future wife's engagement ring made by a trusted manufacturing jeweler, I found out (as I watched him making and polishing) that the 13.9grams of platinum bar stock I had bought to be formed into the ring, needed Rhodium plating after the ring was made to actually look pretty and stay shiny.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
You could always email SME in the UK and ask them whether they also used Rhodium back in the day on a 3009. I'd be interested to see what they say as the surface and finish and colour looks awfully like it to me.
It just makes me feel better knowing my turntable arm is coated in a really precious metal too.
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This
And how internet myth starts.
beatcomber
AK Member
That was my immediate thought too.
My immediate thought was why one would want to put the time and expense into the arm. One would be far better off just buying a better arm that's plated in gold if that's the color they want.
Cheap as chips,as they say.
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/x-12-gold-leaf-acrylic-color-paint-s-10ml.html?___store=en_us
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/x-12-gold-leaf-acrylic-color-paint-s-10ml.html?___store=en_us
