Hello all! I have a question relating to the tonearm of one of my decks (technic 1210 mk2). It is goosed, I am from Scotland which there is not a lot of record shops or deck friendly places anymore for servicing etc. my question is, is it possible to buy a whole tonearm unit or would I need to buy a tone arm with everything anti skate etc that is attached to it? The only thing I know is that the arm itself needs a 2 pence piece to hold the arm down (the weight is fully tightened but still is not enough without the weight). Does anyone know a store or person in Scotland (I can sort transport) as I am at a loss. Thanks for reading and any questions or tips to trouble shoot would be much appreciated.
Help needed
- Thread starter MCHNIK
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Dswankey
Lunatic Member
Welcome aboard and here's hoping you enjoy your time here.
I've contacted a Moderator to have this thread moved to a more heavily trafficked section here on AK and hopefully when they see this they will edit your thread title so that it's more specific such as "Help needed with Technics SL-1210 MK2 Tonearm"
I've contacted a Moderator to have this thread moved to a more heavily trafficked section here on AK and hopefully when they see this they will edit your thread title so that it's more specific such as "Help needed with Technics SL-1210 MK2 Tonearm"
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Thanks for your reply and help, I am unsure how to edit the title I seem to be only able to edit my post not the title.
I miss the good old forums like these, amazed it was still alive as saw recent posts. Nice old school feel unlike discord kind of set ups, I’m sure to be posting a lot more as it’s time to get the “kids” working smoothly again
Here is an example of a Google search for "technics 1210 tonearm". (No affiliation with the seller and not endorsing the company)
Here is one example.
Tone Arms Only
Here is one example.
Tone Arms Only
I, too, am not clear what the issue really is. But it sounds like you need a heavier headshell or a mass plate in the headshell you have. Neither of which is hard to get, and neither of which is remotely as expensive as replacing the arm.
What cartridge are you using? If it is very light, and you have the thin perforated aluminum headshell, you might encounter difficulty balancing the arm, though it would be a bit surprising - the Technics arms are pretty adaptable.
Can you post a picture of the arm and cartridge as they are right now so we can see exactly what you are describing? And include the counterweight - it might be a transplant from a massier arm.
What cartridge are you using? If it is very light, and you have the thin perforated aluminum headshell, you might encounter difficulty balancing the arm, though it would be a bit surprising - the Technics arms are pretty adaptable.
Can you post a picture of the arm and cartridge as they are right now so we can see exactly what you are describing? And include the counterweight - it might be a transplant from a massier arm.
If you cannot balance the tonearm to zero, check to make sure that the auxiliary weight is not attached to the back of the tonearm causing excessive balance weight?
It probably looks similar to this.
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It definitely sounds like your tonearm has an internal issue—most likely worn or damaged Mud pump bearings or a problem with the counterweight stub—because needing extra weight to balance it properly isn’t normal, and on a Technics 1210 MK2 the tonearm is usually replaced as a complete assembly (including anti-skate and bearings) rather than piece by piece unless you’re doing a full precision rebuild; the good news is you can buy full replacement tonearm units (often listed as SL-1200/1210 MK2 compatible) or have yours rebuilt by a specialist, and even if options in Scotland are limited, many UK-based services accept mail-in repairs, so that’s probably your best route if you want it restored correctly without compromising the delicate Water Pump bearings setup.
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