• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Technics 1200 MK2 Cartridge alignment tool

From the centre. As everyone has said, the overhang gauge works fine. From memory it's based on the Stevenson alignment, but, anyway, if you use the gauge you don't need to use an alignment protractor.
 
I have an SL-1200MK2 and I simply use that plastic gauge to set the 52mm and off I go. No inner groove distortion, all is good. Simple.
 
Last edited:
Rob. said:
Does it measure the 15mm from the front of the spindle ?
Click to expand...

Yes. Imagine a straight line from the tonearm pivot center to 15mm past the spindle center. The use of the Technics alignment jig would automatically put the stylus at that point and also at the correct null points on the Stevenson protractor. Easy Peasey.

Incidentally, the gauge shown was made for an AR XA with a modified tonearm and alignment was confirmed with a protractor. There would be no need to do that with the stock Technics arm and alignment jig.
 
Originally Posted by Rob.
Ok. I'm confused...
Click to expand...

Buy one of these. I think I paid $4.95 for mine including shipping. Place headshell and cartridge in gauge and adjust so stylus is even with end of gauge. Align cartridge so it is square. Done. Finished. That's it.

The protractors are for turntables that do not have S-Shaped arms.

Technics-Overhang-Gauge-image.pjpeg
 
12ax7, I assume you meant no, it isn't measured from the front, it's taken from the centre of the spindle.
 
jsisk said:
Buy one of these. I think I paid $4.95 for mine including shipping. Place headshell and cartridge in gauge and adjust so stylus is even with end of gauge. Align cartridge so it is square. Done. Finished. That's it.

The protractors are for turntables that do not have S-Shaped arms.

Technics-Overhang-Gauge-image.pjpeg
Click to expand...

This method, you are still eyeballing it, so it's not 100% exactly centered or lined up !
 
Rob. said:
This method, you are still eyeballing it, so it's not 100% exactly centered or lined up !
Click to expand...

No method is 100%. You can use a protractor if you want to, but sooner or later you're going to understand it then has nothing to do with the 52 mm measurement....don't know when. And 52 mm is what most Technics owners who post in this forum are using.
 
This method, you are still eyeballing it, so it's not 100% exactly centered or lined up !
Click to expand...

Every method requires "eye-balling" and nothing in the world is 100% accurate as things can now be measured to a sub-atomic level.

You put a T-Square or legal pad behind the Technics gauge (so you have a vertical point of reference) and you will get closer than anything you can put on the platter.

This is what I use:

CTB1M-1.jpg
 
Last edited:
I have an SL1200 COPY.

I keep forgetting to order an overhang tool from KabUSA.

Meanwhile I've been using the Stevenson protractor and hitting the two points.

Seems to work.
 
Frank Sol is frustrated... Not only with this thread but others when...

Someone asks a question then when given a consensus answer by long time posters the questioner wants to argue with the answerers as if the questioner knows the only correct answer :thumbsdn:

Why even solicit answers ???
 
I apologize in advance but I've never understood the hubub about overhang guages and protractors. The records we play have perfect alignment marks built in. Just pick one with a lot of short songs and align to somewhere in the first half of the record and then in the last half. If you can align to the outer but fall short to the inner then you don't have enough overhang. If you align to the outer but fall long to the inner then you have too much overhang. Only at the proper overhang will you align to both the outer and the inner points. It's pretty straight forward geometry. Last week I bought a spare turntable that came with the official Yamaha cartridge setup gauge which I've never had. I checked my alignment with the guage and it was dead nuts perfect. I think people tend to make it more complicated than it really is.

Cheers.....................Todd
 
It really isn't that hard to accurately square a cartridge in a headshell using the 52mm alignment, especially with a caliper to measure side to side and corner to corner distances of the cartridge to headshell.

FYI - my experience is with the stock arm on a Kenwood KD550 arm which uses the same 52mm gasket to stylus setting as Technics to get a 15mm overhang. Other Kenwood models like my KD5070 use 50.5mm (per the manuals) for the same results.
 
Last edited:
Frank Sol said:
Frank Sol is frustrated... Not only with this thread but others when...

Someone asks a question then when given a consensus answer by long time posters the questioner wants to argue with the answerers as if the questioner knows the only correct answer :thumbsdn:

Why even solicit answers ???
Click to expand...


Sounds like you're suffering from a bad case of mackatitus...
 
avole said:
12ax7, I assume you meant no, it isn't measured from the front, it's taken from the centre of the spindle.
Click to expand...

Yes, I guess you're right. I incorrectly assumed that the scribed lines would be self-explanatory. I did describe it correctly though :o.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom