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Need some help with my skipping sl-1200

H

hugz

Well-Known Member
I've posted about this before but now that I've got a bit more experience with the turntable, I thought I'd post again

My SL-1200 (2nd hand) has a problem where after the tonearm reaches a certain place on almost every record it starts skipping backwards (repeating the same few seconds of music).


The original thought was bad bearings, but I get the sense that if it was the bearings it would be skipping all over the place. Even nasty scratched up old records will play fine for the first half of the record, but once the tonearm reaches half way, it starts skipping. This is the case for both old and new records. The odd record will make it all the way through, but they're not necessarily nice new ones. Sometimes it will skip once or twice and then play through fine once I lift the needle over the skips, but sometimes it'll keep skipping until I give up on it

If I set the tonearm weight to zero (so it floats) and blow on it, it glides... until it reaches that point, where it stops.

My theory is that perhaps the wires are getting a bit of tension on therm at a certain point, causing drag on the tonearm

Attached picture of the general area where it stops. It varies a little each time
 

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That table looks really beat up, so I suspect bearings. There are really only 2 things that can cause this, bad bearings or binding tonearm wires. Unless someone messed with the wires, it's the bearings that are damaged at a certain spot causing it to bind up. Other than that, have you carefully inspected the arm to make sure nothing is restricting movement around the base of the arm? Have you opened up the bottom to inspect the tonearm wires? I would start with the easy stuff first, but really I would just buy a new arm.
 
I suspect bearings as well. They are binding at that particular point in turntable's arc. But yes, check wiring...you could get lucky.
 
yup the table is pretty well beat up :) If it was bearings would it be skipping all over the place, or is it normal to only skip in the one area?

when I got, it it suffered from platter speed issues so I took it to a repair guy. I also got him to put in new RCA cables while he was at it. I'm slightly suspicious of whether he may have done something to bind them at that part of the arc whilw rewiring the RCAs

If it was wires, what would I be looking for? would it be obvious somehow when looking inside?
 
hugz said:
yup the table is pretty well beat up :) If it was bearings would it be skipping all over the place, or is it normal to only skip in the one area?

when I got, it it suffered from platter speed issues so I took it to a repair guy. I also got him to put in new RCA cables while he was at it. I'm slightly suspicious of whether he may have done something to bind them at that part of the arc whilw rewiring the RCAs

If it was wires, what would I be looking for? would it be obvious somehow when looking inside?
Click to expand...

It's possible he mistakenly pulled the tonearm wires and now it's binding. If you open it up make sure they are free from any obstruction and have enough slack for full travel of the arm...

Bad bearing can affect only one area of the arc depending on the damage. It's possible the tonearm took a hit and now has a mark inside the bearing causing the restricted movement at that spot.
 
sigh it's a bit depressing. a new tonearm will cost more than the cost of the table itself

excuse all of the questions, but as far as the wires go, I see that in the 1200 tonearm the wires go to a little circuit board, which then attaches to the RCA cables. Do I basically want to make sure that the tonearm wires have plenty of slack to that little circuit board at all stages of the arc?
 
hugz said:
sigh it's a bit depressing. a new tonearm will cost more than the cost of the table itself

excuse all of the questions, but as far as the wires go, I see that in the 1200 tonearm the wires go to a little circuit board, which then attaches to the RCA cables. Do I basically want to make sure that the tonearm wires have plenty of slack to that little circuit board at all stages of the arc?
Click to expand...

Yes, that is the case. A clue to the wires being the problem is how clean the solder job is at the board. If it looks amateurish it might indicate someone messed up, perhaps shortening the wire too much.

I suspect bearings bearings though. It unfortunately is the case that people seemed to like to drop cases of beer on (or in) Technics 1200s.
 
Yes, that's what you probably will need. The bearings are not that easy to service but you might give it a shot at an adjustment at least. You probably do have a pitted bearing race.

There was a thread recently on this exact topic. Let me see if I can dig it up.
 
yeah monty, just previously I didn't know that it *only* skips on the inner half of the record. it seemed like it was skipping all over the place, which leads to the obvious conclusion of "bad bearings".

With enough time, I realised that the only time it skips outside of the inner half is when the records have deep scratches that I never noticed before because the Rega tracks right over them fine).

Armed with the new knowledge that it only skipped on the inner half, I was hoping that might rule out bearings (hoping that bad bearings would mean skips all over the place)

but alas, bearings is still the most likely problem
 
Another stupid question (please forgive me): people say that the only difference between the mk2 and mk5G tonearms is the satin finish and that the 5G has better tonearm wires.

If I buy one, it doesn't come with wires, does it? I'll just be reusing my current wires presumably? thus making the only difference the satin finish

Thanks
 
Sadly you probably need the arm. When we say "bad bearings" we might be better off saying "bad bearing race". That is what the bearings turn on and it is likely pitted or gouged. That's what the symptoms indicate I'm afraid.
 
hugz said:
Another stupid question (please forgive me): people say that the only difference between the mk2 and mk5G tonearms is the satin finish and that the 5G has better tonearm wires.

If I buy one, it doesn't come with wires, does it? I'll just be reusing my current wires presumably? thus making the only difference the satin finish

Thanks
Click to expand...

The better wires are inside the arm tube and are already installed. You do keep the external wires you already have. Personally in your case, I would just get a regular silver 1200MK2 arm to keep things stock.
 
Why don't you try to loosen the bearing just a bit? That could give you a hint once you get to the sticky point if there is a change.
 
update if anyone cares- new tonearm, problem fixed. Also tracks over scratches that used to get it caught up
 
Good news , the new tonearm sorted your issue. I noticed in your picture the anti skate was on zero.it helps to ensure you set this correctly, search on line for some vids on setting this correctly
 
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