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Technics SL-1200G Speed and Wow and Flutter Issues?

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I find it hard to believe if the appropriate higher ups were contacted they would not see the greater picture
here and the social media implications.

Especially since they recently released another series of Tables. I'v now lost track of them all.
 
So you bought it used. Get it fixed and you probably will have spent in total less than new, and you will e
totem said:
I find it hard to believe if the appropriate higher ups were contacted they would not see the greater picture
here and the social media implications.

Especially since they recently released another series of Tables. I'v now lost track of them all.
Click to expand...
i wouldn’t overestimate the power of social media and a situation like this. The event is unfortunate, but it happens.
 
Hello AK community,

I am the original purchaser and seller of the Technics 1200GAE turntable being discussed in this thread. After reading the thread it seems there are a few suspicions and misconceptions, so I thought it would be good to share the story from my point of view.

I am a vinyl lover and fan of Technics going back to the early ‘80s -- my first stereo was an SA-410 receiver and SL-P8 CD player in 1984 that I bought while in the Army. I have owned about 10 Technics turntables over the years, and I was very excited when Technics announced the new 1200GAE. I ordered from an authorized dealer as soon as I could to make sure I would get a Limited Edition model. The dealer provided excellent communication and customer service, and even let me have my choice of LImited Edition number, so I chose 227 (don't know why, just sounded cool). He also offered me other products at a 10% discount after I bought the GAE. It took me about 18 months to pay it off with a credit card.

When I received the table in July 2016, I made a series of unboxing and demo videos on YouTube as a service to other vinyl-heads that were interested in the new 1200GAE but couldn’t find much real information about it. I took a lot of heat in the comments about paying $4,000 for a turntable, but to me it was worth it. As seen in the video it is a beautiful table that played flawlessly and sounded amazing – better than any Technics table I had heard before, including the M5G, SP15/25 or SP10 (IMO). I enjoyed the table for about two and a half years, making no modifications other than trying out a couple different cartridges. I barely used the pitch slider and did not touch the factory brake/torque settings. I installed the platter the day I received the table and only removed it once for shipping when I sold it.

In 2017 my father became severely ill and I had to place him in a nursing home and pay the monthly costs. In late 2018 I got married. Between my father’s nursing home bills and new marriage/home expenses, our finances were strapped and we decided to sell off some household items. My wife loved listening to the GAE as much as I did. Neither of us ever noticed any kind of speed/pitch variation. We finally decided to sell the GAE a few months ago only because we badly needed the funds, plus Christmas was coming up. Neither of us wanted to sell it and did so only as a last resort.

I offered the GAE for sale at a very reasonable asking price, several hundred less than I had seen for other used GAE’s (I’m not sharing the price paid in deference to the buyer). New GAE’s are $7,000- $10,000 on ebay. The buyer (OP of this thread) made an offer about 10% below my asking price. I thought the offer was a little low, but since we needed the funds ASAP I accepted. He paid quickly and that was greatly appreciated. I also included a used Ortofon Quintet Black cartridge and LH-9000 headshell as part of the package. I packed the table carefully, removed the platter, secured the tonearm, and put in extra padding. I paid the Paypal fee and spent $200 on packing, triple-boxing, shipping, and insurance.

When the buyer received the table he contacted me and said it was in good condition and that he had it working. I thought the deal was concluded, so I transferred the funds into my bank account and we spent most of the money immediately due to pressing bills. A few days later the buyer contacted me about the speed issue discussed in this thread. I offered suggestions about installing the platter or checking the brake/torque settings, but that’s about as much as I know how to do. I told him the table had no such issue when I sent it, either visually or audibly, and I still stand by that statement 100%.

He continued to contact me about the issue and I responded with any suggestions I could think of. I contacted the dealer on his behalf several times. The dealer told me and the buyer that the 3-year warranty is transferrable. But, just last week the dealer told me he was mistaken. The dealer had a very busy December and was late in responding to me and the buyer, such as responding to our emails, calling us back, or providing me and the buyer with the original invoice since I had lost it -- which he eventually did. I told the dealer the trouble the buyer was having with Technics service and that they would not provide warranty claim work. During our last conversation, he assured me he would contact the Technics rep that he speaks with often and try to work out a solution. He stated: “You and the new buyer both deserve excellent service.” He also suggested that we might be able to file the warranty claim for the buyer under my name. He said he would get back to me but the next week he had to attend the CES show (last week).

I told the buyer of my last conversation with the dealer. The buyer filed a PayPal protection claim for a full refund and I had to refute it. I offered to continue to engage with the dealer about a warranty claim solution, and to help pay the cost of shipping the table to Technics for testing if needed. That’s all I can afford to do. As several people have remarked in this thread, there’s no way of knowing exactly how the speed/wow issue happened. I do know that I did not, and would never, knowingly misrepresent the age, condition, functionality or usage when selling a turntable to a fellow record/turntable enthusiast (or anyone else).

I am a 30-year military veteran, hold two Master’s degrees, and I have a 100% feedback rating on Audiogon and eBay going back almost 20 years. My appreciation and respect for our hobby and my overall integrity is a thousand times more important to me than money. If I thought there was an issue with the table I would have simply contacted the dealer and had it serviced before attempting to sell it, with full disclosure and documentation about any repairs. The table played and sounded just like it always had right before I took pics for the ad and boxed it up for shipping.

I understand the buyer’s disappointment and frustration. I’m frustrated as well, because if PayPal decides in the buyer’s favor it will cause immediate financial hardship for my family. But if I am forced to take the turntable back for a refund, hopefully Technics will take the table into warranty service from me even though it’s already been sold, hopefully it won’t become further damaged in shipping back to me, and hopefully I can sell it for a good price afterward without some other mysterious issue arising. Regardless, I’ll drive on and hope for a good outcome eventually. I would like to make it clear I don’t believe anything dishonest or shady is happening from anyone involved.

Thanks for allowing me to share my side of this admittedly strange and unfortunate situation. I’d be happy to answer any questions.
 
Last edited:
tonym211 said:
Hello AK community,

I am the original purchaser and seller of the Technics 1200GAE turntable being discussed in this thread. After reading the thread it seems there are a few suspicions and misconceptions, so I thought it would be good to share the story from my point of view.

I am a vinyl lover and fan of Technics going back to the early ‘80s -- my first stereo was an SA-410 receiver and SL-P8 CD player in 1984 that I bought while in the Army. I have owned about 10 Technics turntables over the years, and I was very excited when Technics announced the new 1200GAE. I ordered from an authorized dealer as soon as I could to make sure I would get a Limited Edition model. The dealer provided excellent communication and customer service, and even let me have my choice of LImited Edition number, so I chose 227 (don't know why, just sounded cool). He also offered me other products at a 10% discount after I bought the GAE. It took me about 18 months to pay it off with a credit card.

When I received the table in July 2016, I made a series of unboxing and demo videos on YouTube as a service to other vinyl-heads that were interested in the new 1200GAE but couldn’t find much real information about it. I took a lot of heat in the comments about paying $4,000 for a turntable, but to me it was worth it. As seen in the video it is a beautiful table that played flawlessly and sounded amazing – better than any Technics table I had heard before, including the M5G, SP15/25 or SP10 (IMO). I enjoyed the table for about two and a half years, making no modifications other than trying out a couple different cartridges. I barely used the pitch slider and did not touch the factory brake/torque settings. I installed the platter the day I received the table and only removed it once for shipping when I sold it.

In 2017 my father became severely ill and I had to place him in a nursing home and pay the monthly costs. In late 2018 I got married. Between my father’s nursing home bills and new marriage/home expenses, our finances were strapped and we decided to sell off some household items. My wife loved listening to the GAE as much as I did. Neither of us ever noticed any kind of speed/pitch variation. We finally decided to sell the GAE a few months ago only because we badly needed the funds, plus Christmas was coming up. Neither of us wanted to sell it and did so only as a last resort.

I offered the GAE for sale at a very reasonable asking price, several hundred less than I had seen for other used GAE’s (I’m not sharing the price paid in deference to the buyer). New GAE’s are $7,000- $10,000 on ebay. The buyer (OP of this thread) made an offer about 10% below my asking price. I thought the offer was a little low, but since we needed the funds ASAP I accepted. He paid quickly and that was greatly appreciated. I also included a used Ortofon Quintet Black cartridge and LH-9000 headshell as part of the package. I packed the table carefully, removed the platter, secured the tonearm, and put in extra padding. I paid the Paypal fee and spent $200 on packing, triple-boxing, shipping, and insurance.

When the buyer received the table he contacted me and said it was in good condition and that he had it working. I thought the deal was concluded, so I transferred the funds into my bank account and we spent most of the money immediately due to pressing bills. A few days later the buyer contacted me about the speed issue discussed in this thread. I offered suggestions about installing the platter or checking the brake/torque settings, but that’s about as much as I know how to do. I told him the table had no such issue when I sent it, either visually or audibly, and I still stand by that statement 100%.

He continued to contact me about the issue and I responded with any suggestions I could think of. I contacted the dealer on his behalf several times. The dealer told me and the buyer that the 3-year warranty is transferrable. But, just last week the dealer told me he was mistaken. The dealer had a very busy December and was late in responding to me and the buyer, such as responding to our emails, calling us back, or providing me and the buyer with the original invoice since I had lost it -- which he eventually did. I told the dealer the trouble the buyer was having with Technics service and that they would not provide warranty claim work. During our last conversation, he assured me he would contact the Technics rep that he speaks with often and try to work out a solution. He stated: “You and the new buyer both deserve excellent service.” He also suggested that we might be able to file the warranty claim for the buyer under my name. He said he would get back to me but the next week he had to attend the CES show (last week).

I told the buyer of my last conversation with the dealer. The buyer filed a PayPal protection claim for a full refund and I had to refute it. I offered to continue to engage with the dealer about a warranty claim solution, and to help pay the cost of shipping the table to Technics for testing if needed. That’s all I can afford to do. As several people have remarked in this thread, there’s no way of knowing exactly how the speed/wow issue happened. I do know that I did not, and would never, knowingly misrepresent the age, condition, functionality or usage when selling a turntable to a fellow record/turntable enthusiast (or anyone else).

I am a 30-year military veteran, hold two Master’s degrees, and I have a 100% feedback rating on Audiogon and eBay going back almost 20 years. My appreciation and respect for our hobby and my overall integrity is a thousand times more important to me than money. If I thought there was an issue with the table I would have simply contacted the dealer and had it serviced before attempting to sell it, with full disclosure and documentation about any repairs. The table played and sounded just like it always had right before I took pics for the ad and boxed it up for shipping.

I understand the buyer’s disappointment and frustration. I’m frustrated as well, because if PayPal decides in the buyer’s favor it will cause immediate financial hardship for my family. But if I am forced to take the turntable back for a refund, hopefully Technics will take the table into warranty service from me even though it’s already been sold, hopefully it won’t become further damaged in shipping back to me, and hopefully I can sell it for a good price afterward without some other mysterious issue arising. Regardless, I’ll drive on and hope for a good outcome eventually. I would like to make it clear I don’t believe anything dishonest or shady is happening from anyone involved.

Thanks for allowing me to share my side of this admittedly strange and unfortunate situation. I’d be happy to answer any questions.
Click to expand...


Thanks so much for posting the issue from your POV on something that really is none of our bees wax...but then when ya'll post it on a social media site...so....well...and so forth...….
First, I'm sorry about your financial situation, but it's really not a part of this...is it?
A few things that we know to be true based on both parties
  • It was expertly packaged and arrived without any visible signs of damage.
  • The G's are very robust with some of the best packaging in the biz.....even without an outer box and some rough handling...it should arrive in pristine condition
The other things posted by parties involved:
  • It shipped in excellent condition without any flaws.
  • It arrived visually perfect, yet with speed issues.
Well, anything is possible, but as an outsider, I am drawn to what is probable....where the odds lie.
Odds are, IMO, that this issue was either delivered that way or devolved at the delivery level. But, I have been wrong before....just ask my wife....:rolleyes:
The OP has posted a video of (on my laptop) very poor quality. If I were in your position I would request a higher quality vid with a seamless shot of the serial number then zooming into the platter.
It's hard for me to tell if the issue I see are digital artifacts or a warped platter. or a glitch in the speed controller.
However if the dealer is agreeable to it, I don't quite understand why this could not be resolved by the OP shipping the table to him (possibly both parties sharing shipping costs?) and then making/forwarding to make repairs.
Of course if the table is deemed to be replaced with a "G" (vs GAE) model by Technics....well that possibility should be discussed by parties involved beforehand.
I truly hope this has a fairy book ending!!!
Rock on ya'll!!!
 
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