Bro, this really helped me out! I just went to my local record shop and the owner has a near mint Sl1200 MKII that he sold me for $325 USD! The VTA was seized just as yours was and this video was just what I needed! thank you
Dude, you are my new hero! Mine was SOLID seized up and now it's smoother than silk. Seeing you take the deck apart really helps to eliminate any doubt, so thanks for putting in the time. p.s. that retaining clip on the post under the tone arm does have a purpose! It's the upper height limiter.
All time hero, thx !! I can tell You the secret about this ring clip. I broke mine while I tried to put it back on and afterwards I realized, that this ring clip is actually the "Stop-Function" of the high adjustment of the tonearm-socket...!
Just a note to tell you that ten years after you've put up this video, it's still doing a lot of good to a lot of people, including myself. My SL1210Mk2 hadn't been used for years from new, and the height adjustment was jammed. I live in Malta, so getting a Technics turntable repaired isn't so easy as in the UK. I'm sure I wouldn't have had any idea how to go about it if it wasn't for you. Same goes for the other vids about anti-skating, weight adjusting, etc. I checked out others' videos but you're the best! Thanks once again.
First rate guide. My SL-1210 MK2 tonearm height adjustment was seized solid, couldn't turn it with maximum hand force with the unit assembled. I followed your guide, got the arm out, the arm height adjustment was a little tight to undo but it came undone right away. I got all the nasty old grease out that was green and had turned to stiff gel / wax, I used a thin cloth and Tamiya brand Acrylic Thinner X20A (IsoButanol / IsoPropanol mix) to dissolve the grease / clean the threads, and relubricated it with Tamiya Ceramic grease. Worked perfectly, now I have a smooth working tone arm height adjustment. Excellent work Sir.
Thanks for this - my decks were completely seized up and I was all ready to go ahead and follow it, but it inspired me, along with something else I read online, to very carefully spray a bit of WD40 into a couple of places around the tonearm base. It didn't have an immediate effect but a few hours later it moved quite freely! Now I've avoided the need for the disassembly.
This video is 12 years old but helped me today. Done a pair of 1210's and from completley seized to freely moving. Thank you. Also i used a toothpick in the threads to clean out some of the green gunk in there.
I really love all these videos. I followed all these steps to fix my MK2. But i did not calibrate it correctly (based on these steps). The problem was one small detail (that makes the deference) and it is not mentioned on this video. Well when you start to screw the adjusting ring (the one with the numbers on it)... well.. first see where the "arrow" is ..and line up the arrow (from the tonearm base) ..with number 1 from the adjusting ring...and then start to screw it all the way up 'till it stops!! Now... when you start to screw the "donut".. (make sure the arrow and the zero are on the same spot!)... screw the donut all the way up till is stops ..and when id does.. un-screw it 2 full rounds and line up the lock mech. And you're done!
I'm glad i helped@@elmowedgewood and @techno1972 . As i said i really like @viperfrank 's videos about the Technics MK2. I tried to calibrate mine based on this video and something was wrong. Then i asked another guy for some help and he told me the right way to do it. So i thought to help other people with this comment. Enjoy the music guys !!
Hey! I have a question about your comment, once you un-screw the donut 2 full rounds, do you line up the lock mech by un-screwing it more until it lines up, or by screwing it. I assume you just keep on un-screwing after the 2 full rounds til it lines up but I just wanna make sure... Thank you for the comment by the way!
@@carlosoul It's been a while since the last time i did that on my pair of technics.. But once you do everything right and in order to line it up you will need to 'play' a little bit back / forth.. However you always see that 'step' between the ring and the base. Is never flat. On top of that i almost never use the VTS. But since its there ..is good to have it working properly.
Real helpful video this! Solved my issues today, obvs you’ve prob learned that the C clamp is to prevent the tone arm form over heightening, the unit will hit the C clamp to prevent it continually lifting. (I found this out the hard way) also when screwing on the ring with the number dial on to ensure you get the correct line up you gotta line up the no.1 on the adjusting ring when screwing on to tone arm, again found this out the hard way.. Really great tutorial, Doing gods work son!
It's been a long time, but I have to thank you and at the same time show my greatest respect, it's an excellent or perhaps the best tutorial I've seen in my life, thank you very much! my Technics 1200 will be grateful to you!
This was one of the most informative videos i have ever watched. My tonearm was seized up. I could have Never figured all this out without you. So THANK you!
@viperfrank If there's one thing I've just learnt: A good tutorial never gets old! Thank you very much for your videos about the Technics turntable. Recently I wanted to fit a new cartridge to my SL 1210 MK2 after years and therefore had to adjust the tonearm height. But oh shock, nothing moved! As if the whole unit had been fixed with superglue. Thanks to your two-part guide, I plucked up the courage to carry out the necessary service myself and I was successful! I'm really very happy about that ...
This was awesome, only issue I had was when putting the adjustment ring back on the tonearm - when i backed off to 0, it was a few mm higher and this mean it didn't adjust properly when back in - the whole thing was about 1/3 of a turn off. There's a few points the threads can go on, trying to get the threads started when the 0 mark is roughly at 1 on the dial seemed to be the right spot, all good after that.
James one of mine is siezed, the new one too, and must have been that way for years, and i have watched this video, twice, and will do this operation to free it up, after Xmas when i get back. Cheers mate, you are the 1210 Oracle.
just got a used sl1200 mk2 and everything is in working condition except for the height adjustment. it doesn't move at all! and i'm glad you made a video how to fix it. i'm going to try your steps. I hope it works!
Every video you've done is just bloody excellent. By far and away the best technics servicing/setup/repair videos on TH-cam - still all these years later. Top man. Thanks!
Im sure that people who charge a arm and leg for simlpe repairs and services must HATE your guts VIPERFRANK because thanks to you and your videos alot of people myself included are now confident enough to try and do alot of these repairs and general services ourselves thank you verrrrrrrrrrrrrry much VIPERFRANK.
Man I can't tell you how much I appreciate your DIY videos on the Technics. They really have saved me a lot of money and taught me about my own turntable.
I bought my turntables back in 93 and after all these years I finally decided to set them up properly. Well, the height adjustment of course was completely stuck. Thanks to your video I was able to fix it, it's like new! I'm a technical idiot who couldn't have pulled it off without this. So thanks man!
@matthewjones1982 hi there, there are 2 things you can try 1: spray some WD40 or some other type of penetrating fluid in the gap were the two parts meet, leave it a good five minutes for the fluid to do its work... if not 2: try getting a hair dryer and heat the out side ring (the bit you turn with your fingers) this will melt the grease and the heat will expand the metal and should free it up. hope this helped and thanks for your comment. nice one!!!
Frank, just finished this maintenance! EXCELLENT instruction. Worked like a charm. The height adjustment wouldn't budge and I knew I needed to get to that height of 3. After I was done.....BUTTA, BABY!!! Thanks again!
Dude, you don't understand how glad I was to find your video. I bought a SL-1200 M3D for $250 USD. I realized after I got home that I could not adjust the hight of this thing and I was pissed. After watching your video, I knew there was hope so I watched the video, followed step by step and vualá! Fixed and ready to go.. Thank you! Thank you! Thank You!
m8 thanks for making these vids.they gave me the drive to repair/service my 1210's,both of them.i fixed the both stuck height adjustments with the WD40 like u shown,set my weights right,get the arms all flat,and calibrated and set the pitch with a multimeter.all sunshine here again and was an interesting experience.cheers and ride on =)
Thank you so much for these clear step by step instructions. Today i managed to restore my brand new second hand with the help of your video. It was in fact easy and fun to do!
Mate! thanks for the simple tutorial explanation. I just did mine and whilst i was kinda scared, watching you doing it and following everything step by step, I accomplished it. Thank you - RESPECT!
Even though I have a service manual for the SL1200 MK2, this saved me a lot of time. Oh the purpose of the "extra" E-clip is to prevent someone from turning the height ring way past "6". Without it, one could just keep rotating the height ring clockwise until it unthreaded.
I've just watched your video and now will give this a go, my 1210 is about 27 years old and only used for home listening but the height adjustment is very stiff, thank you for this video👍🙂
@Tha1AndOnlyDJT no its not too bad the only reason i say don't use lithium grease is because over time it can become quite sticky and make it hard to turn, as for stripping it back down, if it seems OK and you have no issues with it that i would just leave it, it wont harm your deck. also is your grease "lithium based" or "pure lithium grease" pure lithium grease is normally white and quite sticky. if you have lithium based (the one i used) thats fine to use. hope this helped. nice one!!!
Hi there! Congratulations, what a nice and useful tutorial on how to fix a turntable and save a lot of money. Really appreciate your video! Cheers from Brazil Antonio
I simply squirted a little 91% isopropyl alcohol into the space between the adjusting ring and the tonearm platform, heated it a little with a hair dryer, and then applied steady pressure using my hand to the adjusting ring. It moved a little then a little more, until it was turning fairly easily using just normal finger pressure. I turned it back and forth a dozen times, until I was satisfied, then set it to the correct hight and did the rest of the setup for my cartridge. Now I'm listening to some old Rolling Stones, Get Off My Cloud. Thanks for the take-apart. It showed be what was going on underneath! I wouldn't have attempted my method without your take-apart.
this just took me 4 hours lol, as i treated is very careful and cleaned it too. It looks like that washer actually is used to stop the height adjuster from poping the tonearm out the base when you adjust the height. thx for the video.
Hi James. I'd just like to say you are a star mate!!! :o) I bought a Technics SL1210 MK2 and checked the tone arm settings but found my height adjuster was siezed. Did a search on google by chance and found your videos. A while later i had an arm which adjusted.Top Man!! I also spent about an hour watching your other videos as i need to replace the phono cable too and see if i can get the pop up light to work. Just like to say thanks for sharing your knowledge mate.Nice Work!!! :o)
@ViperFrank Your video helped me a lot. Thank you for the super good instructions. Tutorials like this are the reason why I still like to use TH-cam despite all the crap around it. Thank you from Berlin/ Germany
Hi James.Amazing really.I´ve had a 1210 now 25 years and never knew that there were so many items to adjust.I did nothing up to now until I found out that my Hi fi sound could be better.It seems that this Arm adjusting screw seems to be a problem with Technics when not used.As you say the Grease orinally from Technics siez up.But u do seem to be a clever chap.All the best Ian.
You are a killer of technician man, I see you have firm hands, expertise and extremely deep knowledge of this unit. Many thanks for the instructions, I'll (sadly) have to replace the arm on mine and fix pitch i'll follow your teaching and i'm confident in success. But this part if the height mechanism looks a bit tough, so mine is stiff but it works and i guess i won't go that far. Again, many thanks, great style and professional approach.
Hi James, I'm a bit late to the party so have just seen your vid(s). I'd say it's helped a fair few people since you posted it. Nice easy to follow tutorial for anyone with a screwdriver. Just wanted to point out a couple of things. 1. The LM in LM grease is not low melting point. It is in fact a lithium based general purpose grease. I know you said don't use lithium grease but this is ok. Pure lithium grease is usually or often white. Maybe I'm being a bit pedantic. Second point is about the pin underneath the arm with the circlip and washer. There is indeed a purpose for it. It is the height limiter. Without the washer and clip, when the arm is in place you would be able to adjust the ring so far that the whole arm section comes away from the main body. Must now go watch some more of your vids! Cheers.
@eliyag1 I also managed to sort it out - the key factor is like you say where the marker is when you begin to thread the screw - once you figure out what number to use it was quite easy
Thanks for the best instructional video I've found for this problem. I'll save myself the $600 cdn for both decks that this relatively simple repair would have cost.
@viperfrank I have only just found your videos on here. Absolutely quality 👌 Thank you. I have a pair of Technics 1200's and a pair of Technics 1210's that potentially both need servicing. I know both 1200's and one of the 1210's tone arms are stuck solid including the locking mechanism. I will go through these videos Step by step on one of the 1200's and see if I can get it to budge. Thank you so much 👍
Thanks for posting this video. Mine is now sitting on the dining room table soaked in WD40... but still stuck solid! LOL I managed to buy some helical grease which is designed for relubricating manual camera lenses and ideal between aluminium and brass. If only I could get them apart though. :D
hi there, thank you very much for your kind words and your comment it is greatly appreciated. the lift lever and the anti skate are quite complex things but fairly straightforward to fix, i will hopefully have a video on both uploaded very soon. thank you agin for your comment, all the best. nice one!!!
Great tutorial. Really helpful and well explained, thank you :) I thought I’d nailed it but then realised that the circular plastic guide had come away from the brass thread section. What would you recommend I use to glue it back on? There’s a dimple that will help me line it up properly. Looks like I just need to make sure it’s the right way round.
Thanks for this. I followed this process and freed up mine. However, follow the service manual to do the calibration, which differs from the method here. The service manual also contains a chart translating the adjustment ring settings into cartridge heights. These are - 0 = 15mm up to 6 = 21mm. Don't forget, these are with the original 6mm rubber mat. With a 3mm felt slipmat, these will be 0 = 18mm up to 6 = 24mm.
Just one thing, to calibrate it, I noticed there are many starting points when screwing inner ring, so if you start in the right thread, you're calibrated correctly, for me your way didn't work til I figured it out, maybe sl1200mk2 are different????
No, you're dead right - this is why he says if it doesn't set to zero (and also wind all the way up the scale without coming completely unscrewed when you try it) remove the ring and try again - you need to catch a different start to the screw thread.
Great video - had to perform this fix on a “virtually new” M5G (great job on the seller letting me know that the height adjustment was completely stuck). Had to use a special tool with a rubber grip to untwist the adjustment ring from the base. Why exactly can we not use copper or lithium grease?
Great video...however, I looked up the specific grease you use in the video...description of item identifies it as lithium based...FYI. Also, what is the other clear bottle stuff?
Hi James. Been doin this to mine today.Just thought id let you and everyone else know the top circlip on that post is what stops the adjuster goin way past number 6 on the adjuster gauge.Stops it from continuing going round :o) Nice work mate. Mick.
Great video and I appreciated how well you articulated everything, however one has to be a real cheap skate if you intend to put a man to do " Technical Work " for less than £60.00 . If you think the price is too high then do it yourself just like you did but don't complain about the quote because time is valuable for everyone + your local shop most likely have expenses such as rent taxes and other bills to pay . If you were in America you would probably pay about $200 depending on where you are located and that would still be a good deal .
Hi James - Love your videos and almost ready to give this one a go. Iam a novice when it comes to servicing turntables , I have some kind of idea what I am doing but quite reluctluent in other areas but I feel that you have given me the knowledge and the confidence to do this . My question is about grease , You say not to use Lithium Grease , I have the same looking pot of grease as in the video and it says it it a lithium-based NLGL no. 2 grease - is this ok ?
James while some of your videos have resulted in me doing work on my 1210 and feeling like a king when i have succeeded, after attempting to free the height adjustment and 3 or 4 attempts tp put it back together, now whilst the ton arm now goes up and down, i cannot get any kind of signal from the tone arm to the mixer. I have damaged it in some way.
@pauljohnlane Thanks. I actually figured out how to do it. It actually depends how you screw in the ring. That is, you need to pay attention to what number the little arrow/mark is pointing at when the threads start locking together as you screw the ring. Once I realized that, I tried playing with it, and I think it ended up pointing at 3 when the threads locked in together. So pay attention to that. It took me maybe 5 times of screwing the thing together until I figured out what was the problem
hi there, it looks quite severe when that happens, but normally its just the ring clips come off, basically the bit i take off at 6:28 of part one of the video, make sure that is on there otherwise there is nothing to stop it when it get to high. just be careful when you take the bottom plate off because it likely to be ratlin around in there. if it was missing in the first place you should be able to go down to any hardware store and get something to go on there. hope this helped. nice one!!!
@pong38 thank you very much for your comment, im glad the video was helpful. as for your question. i have seen the lift lever become loose a few times but it still works fine, if this is what your having than its quite simple to put right, and one of my video requests is how to replace the lever so i could integrate it into that video. hope this is helpful and thanks again for your comment. nice one!!!
FYI the small C clip removed with a plyers from the lock lever dowel rod is a stop to keep you from completely backing out the height adjustment bezel flange.
this. this is why I love youtube. because of wonderful people like you.
I agree. He's a diamond of a bloke. Got same issue with mine and use this vid later on to help guide me
Bro, this really helped me out! I just went to my local record shop and the owner has a near mint Sl1200 MKII that he sold me for $325 USD! The VTA was seized just as yours was and this video was just what I needed! thank you
Hey Jay! 🖖🏼
@morrisonagen4222 hey Morrison 👋
Dude, you are my new hero! Mine was SOLID seized up and now it's smoother than silk. Seeing you take the deck apart really helps to eliminate any doubt, so thanks for putting in the time.
p.s. that retaining clip on the post under the tone arm does have a purpose! It's the upper height limiter.
All time hero, thx !!
I can tell You the secret about this ring clip. I broke mine while I tried to put it back on and afterwards I realized, that this ring clip is actually the "Stop-Function" of the high adjustment of the tonearm-socket...!
Just a note to tell you that ten years after you've put up this video, it's still doing a lot of good to a lot of people, including myself. My SL1210Mk2 hadn't been used for years from new, and the height adjustment was jammed. I live in Malta, so getting a Technics turntable repaired isn't so easy as in the UK. I'm sure I wouldn't have had any idea how to go about it if it wasn't for you. Same goes for the other vids about anti-skating, weight adjusting, etc. I checked out others' videos but you're the best! Thanks once again.
Dude, 11 years later, you hooked me up....thank you!
First rate guide. My SL-1210 MK2 tonearm height adjustment was seized solid, couldn't turn it with maximum hand force with the unit assembled. I followed your guide, got the arm out, the arm height adjustment was a little tight to undo but it came undone right away. I got all the nasty old grease out that was green and had turned to stiff gel / wax, I used a thin cloth and Tamiya brand Acrylic Thinner X20A (IsoButanol / IsoPropanol mix) to dissolve the grease / clean the threads, and relubricated it with Tamiya Ceramic grease. Worked perfectly, now I have a smooth working tone arm height adjustment. Excellent work Sir.
Thanks for this - my decks were completely seized up and I was all ready to go ahead and follow it, but it inspired me, along with something else I read online, to very carefully spray a bit of WD40 into a couple of places around the tonearm base. It didn't have an immediate effect but a few hours later it moved quite freely! Now I've avoided the need for the disassembly.
it's a temporary work - it will seize again possibly even harder with the added chemicals. Quick fix only. cheers
Iiuu
This video is 12 years old but helped me today. Done a pair of 1210's and from completley seized to freely moving. Thank you. Also i used a toothpick in the threads to clean out some of the green gunk in there.
I really love all these videos. I followed all these steps to fix my MK2. But i did not calibrate it correctly (based on these steps). The problem was one small detail (that makes the deference) and it is not mentioned on this video. Well when you start to screw the adjusting ring (the one with the numbers on it)... well.. first see where the "arrow" is ..and line up the arrow (from the tonearm base) ..with number 1 from the adjusting ring...and then start to screw it all the way up 'till it stops!! Now... when you start to screw the "donut".. (make sure the arrow and the zero are on the same spot!)... screw the donut all the way up till is stops ..and when id does.. un-screw it 2 full rounds and line up the lock mech. And you're done!
Mine wouldn't calibrate correctly either but I tried your method and it seemed to work 👍
Thanks, this extra step works perfectly. the rest of viperfrank's video is fantastic, but this really helps the calibration of the rings.
I'm glad i helped@@elmowedgewood and @techno1972 . As i said i really like @viperfrank 's videos about the Technics MK2. I tried to calibrate mine based on this video and something was wrong. Then i asked another guy for some help and he told me the right way to do it. So i thought to help other people with this comment.
Enjoy the music guys !!
Hey! I have a question about your comment, once you un-screw the donut 2 full rounds, do you line up the lock mech by un-screwing it more until it lines up, or by screwing it. I assume you just keep on un-screwing after the 2 full rounds til it lines up but I just wanna make sure... Thank you for the comment by the way!
@@carlosoul It's been a while since the last time i did that on my pair of technics.. But once you do everything right and in order to line it up you will need to 'play' a little bit back / forth..
However you always see that 'step' between the ring and the base. Is never flat.
On top of that i almost never use the VTS. But since its there ..is good to have it working properly.
Real helpful video this! Solved my issues today, obvs you’ve prob learned that the C clamp is to prevent the tone arm form over heightening, the unit will hit the C clamp to prevent it continually lifting. (I found this out the hard way) also when screwing on the ring with the number dial on to ensure you get the correct line up you gotta line up the no.1 on the adjusting ring when screwing on to tone arm, again found this out the hard way..
Really great tutorial, Doing gods work son!
Thanks a lot for this video.
I fixed my 30 year old turntable today and this video helped me a lot!
It's been a long time, but I have to thank you and at the same time show my greatest respect, it's an excellent or perhaps the best tutorial I've seen in my life, thank you very much!
my Technics 1200 will be grateful to you!
This was one of the most informative videos i have ever watched. My tonearm was seized up. I could have Never figured all this out without you. So THANK you!
@viperfrank If there's one thing I've just learnt: A good tutorial never gets old! Thank you very much for your videos about the Technics turntable.
Recently I wanted to fit a new cartridge to my SL 1210 MK2 after years and therefore had to adjust the tonearm height. But oh shock, nothing moved! As if the whole unit had been fixed with superglue.
Thanks to your two-part guide, I plucked up the courage to carry out the necessary service myself and I was successful! I'm really very happy about that ...
This was awesome, only issue I had was when putting the adjustment ring back on the tonearm - when i backed off to 0, it was a few mm higher and this mean it didn't adjust properly when back in - the whole thing was about 1/3 of a turn off. There's a few points the threads can go on, trying to get the threads started when the 0 mark is roughly at 1 on the dial seemed to be the right spot, all good after that.
This comment saved me... couldn't figure out wtf was going on 😅😅😅 this should go to the top
James one of mine is siezed, the new one too, and must have been that way for years, and i have watched this video, twice, and will do this operation to free it up, after Xmas when i get back. Cheers mate, you are the 1210 Oracle.
My height adjuster was totally jammed after 15 yrs non use, not anymore thanks to this great vid. Thanks for putting it together all those years ago.
just got a used sl1200 mk2 and everything is in working condition except for the height adjustment. it doesn't move at all! and i'm glad you made a video how to fix it. i'm going to try your steps. I hope it works!
Every video you've done is just bloody excellent. By far and away the best technics servicing/setup/repair videos on TH-cam - still all these years later.
Top man. Thanks!
Thank you, I'm glad the video was a help, hopefully some more videos on the way soon.
Thank you for your comment.
Nice One ; )
Im sure that people who charge a arm and leg for simlpe repairs and services must HATE your guts VIPERFRANK because thanks to you and your videos alot of people myself included are now confident enough to try and do alot of these repairs and general services ourselves thank you verrrrrrrrrrrrrry much VIPERFRANK.
Man I can't tell you how much I appreciate your DIY videos on the Technics. They really have saved me a lot of money and taught me about my own turntable.
I bought my turntables back in 93 and after all these years I finally decided to set them up properly. Well, the height adjustment of course was completely stuck. Thanks to your video I was able to fix it, it's like new! I'm a technical idiot who couldn't have pulled it off without this. So thanks man!
So funny. That’s exactly the situation I found myself in. Same timing and everything. His videos are awesome.
excellent videos, chuffed as i can now move my tone arm up for the first time in 22 years! Many Thanks
13 Years later and this is exactly what I was looking for, and so well explained.
Thanks from the future...
@matthewjones1982 hi there, there are 2 things you can try 1: spray some WD40 or some other type of penetrating fluid in the gap were the two parts meet, leave it a good five minutes for the fluid to do its work... if not
2: try getting a hair dryer and heat the out side ring (the bit you turn with your fingers) this will melt the grease and the heat will expand the metal and should free it up.
hope this helped and thanks for your comment.
nice one!!!
the hair dryer technique worked like a charm here
Frank, just finished this maintenance! EXCELLENT instruction. Worked like a charm. The height adjustment wouldn't budge and I knew I needed to get to that height of 3. After I was done.....BUTTA, BABY!!! Thanks again!
Dude, you don't understand how glad I was to find your video. I bought a SL-1200 M3D for $250 USD. I realized after I got home that I could not adjust the hight of this thing and I was pissed. After watching your video, I knew there was hope so I watched the video, followed step by step and vualá! Fixed and ready to go.. Thank you! Thank you! Thank You!
m8 thanks for making these vids.they gave me the drive to repair/service my 1210's,both of them.i fixed the both stuck height adjustments with the WD40 like u shown,set my weights right,get the arms all flat,and calibrated and set the pitch with a multimeter.all sunshine here again and was an interesting experience.cheers and ride on =)
Thank you so much for these clear step by step instructions. Today i managed to restore my brand new second hand with the help of your video. It was in fact easy and fun to do!
Your videos are incredibly helpful and detailed--this one especially! I cannot thank you enough for the effort you put into this. Cheers.
Mate! thanks for the simple tutorial explanation. I just did mine and whilst i was kinda scared, watching you doing it and following everything step by step, I accomplished it. Thank you - RESPECT!
Both my 1210 ‘s have seized, been in attics for years but after watching your vids I’ll probably give it a go myself.
New subscriber! You are THE authority on technics decks!! Thanks for going to the trouble of doing these videos! I've learnt a lot.
Thank you for these videos! I've now successfully unseized the tonearm height on one of my tables. It was incredibly helpful to have this!
Even though I have a service manual for the SL1200 MK2, this saved me a lot of time. Oh the purpose of the "extra" E-clip is to prevent someone from turning the height ring way past "6". Without it, one could just keep rotating the height ring clockwise until it unthreaded.
Viperfrank you are the MAN. Thanks so much for all the great videos, absolutely brilliant instructions and so helpful
I've just watched your video and now will give this a go, my 1210 is about 27 years old and only used for home listening but the height adjustment is very stiff, thank you for this video👍🙂
@Tha1AndOnlyDJT no its not too bad the only reason i say don't use lithium grease is because over time it can become quite sticky and make it hard to turn, as for stripping it back down, if it seems OK and you have no issues with it that i would just leave it, it wont harm your deck.
also is your grease "lithium based" or "pure lithium grease" pure lithium grease is normally white and quite sticky. if you have lithium based (the one i used) thats fine to use.
hope this helped.
nice one!!!
Hi there! Congratulations, what a nice and useful tutorial on how to fix a turntable and save a lot of money. Really appreciate your video!
Cheers from Brazil
Antonio
Thanks so much for the vids. Really practical and helpful. Sorted my deck! Never attempted anything like this before. 🙏🏻
This is a great guide, thanks! I'm normally shit at this kind of thing but with the help of these videos I've got my height adjustment sorted!
I simply squirted a little 91% isopropyl alcohol into the space between the adjusting ring and the tonearm platform, heated it a little with a hair dryer, and then applied steady pressure using my hand to the adjusting ring. It moved a little then a little more, until it was turning fairly easily using just normal finger pressure. I turned it back and forth a dozen times, until I was satisfied, then set it to the correct hight and did the rest of the setup for my cartridge. Now I'm listening to some old Rolling Stones, Get Off My Cloud.
Thanks for the take-apart. It showed be what was going on underneath! I wouldn't have attempted my method without your take-apart.
The next day it was tight again, so it looks like I'll be taking it apart to grease it properly.
Amazing video man, like all the rest about technics restoration. Thanks a lot.
I can't really appreciate enough the effort you put into this video to enlighten us :). Peace man.
this just took me 4 hours lol, as i treated is very careful and cleaned it too. It looks like that washer actually is used to stop the height adjuster from poping the tonearm out the base when you adjust the height. thx for the video.
that's great, I'm glad the video helped you.
thank you for your input and your comment.
Hi James. I'd just like to say you are a star mate!!! :o)
I bought a Technics SL1210 MK2 and checked the tone arm settings but found my height adjuster was siezed. Did a search on google by chance and found your videos. A while later i had an arm which adjusted.Top Man!!
I also spent about an hour watching your other videos as i need to replace the phono cable too and see if i can get the pop up light to work.
Just like to say thanks for sharing your knowledge mate.Nice Work!!! :o)
@ViperFrank
Your video helped me a lot.
Thank you for the super good instructions.
Tutorials like this are the reason why I still like to use TH-cam despite all the crap around it.
Thank you from Berlin/ Germany
Hi James.Amazing really.I´ve had a 1210 now 25 years and never knew that there were so many items to adjust.I did nothing up to now until I found out that my Hi fi sound could be better.It seems that this Arm adjusting screw seems to be a problem with Technics when not used.As you say the Grease orinally from Technics siez up.But u do seem to be a clever chap.All the best Ian.
Fantastic, mine was completely stuck, works like its brand new now. Thanks man.
You are a killer of technician man, I see you have firm hands, expertise and extremely deep knowledge of this unit. Many thanks for the instructions, I'll (sadly) have to replace the arm on mine and fix pitch i'll follow your teaching and i'm confident in success. But this part if the height mechanism looks a bit tough, so mine is stiff but it works and i guess i won't go that far. Again, many thanks, great style and professional approach.
@MusicalCopernicus no problem, thank you for your comment and your kind words.
i'm glad you like the video.
nice one!!!
Just an outstanding visual tutorial all the way around. Both part 1 and 2. Ready to tackle my problem now. Best regards.
Hi James, I'm a bit late to the party so have just seen your vid(s). I'd say it's helped a fair few people since you posted it. Nice easy to follow tutorial for anyone with a screwdriver. Just wanted to point out a couple of things. 1. The LM in LM grease is not low melting point. It is in fact a lithium based general purpose grease. I know you said don't use lithium grease but this is ok. Pure lithium grease is usually or often white. Maybe I'm being a bit pedantic. Second point is about the pin underneath the arm with the circlip and washer. There is indeed a purpose for it. It is the height limiter. Without the washer and clip, when the arm is in place you would be able to adjust the ring so far that the whole arm section comes away from the main body. Must now go watch some more of your vids! Cheers.
I’m quite confused of which grease should I use.
@minimalism3012 thats what i like to hear, thats wicked, im glad the video was helpful and thanks for your comment and your feed back.
nice one!!!
Thank you Viperfrank, I am going to service the old girl myself thanks to your vid's. Thanks again! Harry
@eliyag1 I also managed to sort it out - the key factor is like you say where the marker is when you begin to thread the screw - once you figure out what number to use it was quite easy
Fantastic videos again. Me and my Technics are eternally grateful. Tip: follow thraswar's extra step below to get the ring calibration right.
Watching this in 2021! Brilliant video and has given me the confidence to try and fix it myself
Thanks a lot viperfrank! Very educational and thorough video's (perfect in details) you post. Respect!
Thanks a lot, just fixed my 30+ year old SL 1210 MK2 following your instructions.
This worked great. Thanks for the detailed steps. Finally I can adjust the height again on my turntables.
Thanks for the best instructional video I've found for this problem. I'll save myself the $600 cdn for both decks that this relatively simple repair would have cost.
Brilliant! Thank you so much for posting these videos. Perfect amount of detail, very easy to follow.
Mission completed! First one done! Thank you, very helpful vid!
@viperfrank I have only just found your videos on here. Absolutely quality 👌 Thank you. I have a pair of Technics 1200's and a pair of Technics 1210's that potentially both need servicing. I know both 1200's and one of the 1210's tone arms are stuck solid including the locking mechanism. I will go through these videos Step by step on one of the 1200's and see if I can get it to budge. Thank you so much 👍
Thanks for posting this video. Mine is now sitting on the dining room table soaked in WD40... but still stuck solid! LOL
I managed to buy some helical grease which is designed for relubricating manual camera lenses and ideal between aluminium and brass. If only I could get them apart though. :D
By the way, I found that spraying the WD40 into the lid and then applying it with a cotton bud helps to stop it going everywhere.
The little C clip and washer are for the height adjustment lock. Thank you for the video.
hi there, thank you very much for your kind words and your comment it is greatly appreciated.
the lift lever and the anti skate are quite complex things but fairly straightforward to fix, i will hopefully have a video on both uploaded very soon.
thank you agin for your comment, all the best.
nice one!!!
Great video! I was completely apprehensive about doing this myself, but not now. Thanks!!
Big Thanks,i saved 80€! :D all ur video about technics MK2 is Awesome!!
thanks so much for your tutorial!!
I love your videos. They are a great help to everyone. Keep up the good work.
Thank you so much. Great detail and not long winded at all. Cheers
no worries, I'm glad you like the video.
thank you for your comment.
I made it following your instructions.
Thank you very much !
Great tutorial. Really helpful and well explained, thank you :)
I thought I’d nailed it but then realised that the circular plastic guide had come away from the brass thread section. What would you recommend I use to glue it back on?
There’s a dimple that will help me line it up properly. Looks like I just need to make sure it’s the right way round.
Your video still gets a thumbs up because it was well done .
Thanks for this!!! need to do this someday, my height adjustment has completely seized up!
Awesome video series. Thank you so much!
This video was a great help. The adjustmentring turns nice and easy again. Thanks.
Thanks for this. I followed this process and freed up mine. However, follow the service manual to do the calibration, which differs from the method here. The service manual also contains a chart translating the adjustment ring settings into cartridge heights. These are - 0 = 15mm up to 6 = 21mm. Don't forget, these are with the original 6mm rubber mat. With a 3mm felt slipmat, these will be 0 = 18mm up to 6 = 24mm.
Just one thing, to calibrate it, I noticed there are many starting points when screwing inner ring, so if you start in the right thread, you're calibrated correctly, for me your way didn't work til I figured it out, maybe sl1200mk2 are different????
No, you're dead right - this is why he says if it doesn't set to zero (and also wind all the way up the scale without coming completely unscrewed when you try it) remove the ring and try again - you need to catch a different start to the screw thread.
@onestella Thank you, I'm glad you like the video.
Thank you for your comment and feedback, its greatly appreciated.
Nice One ; )
Just finished the whole job, easy peasy! Thanks a ton, excellent video!
Great video - had to perform this fix on a “virtually new” M5G (great job on the seller letting me know that the height adjustment was completely stuck). Had to use a special tool with a rubber grip to untwist the adjustment ring from the base. Why exactly can we not use copper or lithium grease?
Great video...however, I looked up the specific grease you use in the video...description of item identifies it as lithium based...FYI.
Also, what is the other clear bottle stuff?
I followed this to a T and fixed my old 1200. Much obliged! :)
Thank you very much viperfrank the video is very helpful for me.with your instructions i fixed mine turntable sl 1200mk2.
Very helpful. Thank you Sir!
Hi James. Been doin this to mine today.Just thought id let you and everyone else know the top circlip on that post is what stops the adjuster goin way past number 6 on the adjuster gauge.Stops it from continuing going round :o)
Nice work mate.
Mick.
Great video and I appreciated how well you articulated everything, however one has to be a real cheap skate if you intend to put a man to do " Technical Work " for less than £60.00 . If you think the price is too high then do it yourself just like you did but don't complain about the quote because time is valuable for everyone + your local shop most likely have expenses such as rent taxes and other bills to pay . If you were in America you would probably pay about $200 depending on where you are located and that would still be a good deal .
Thanks dude, fixed my 1200.
Thanks a lot for a good video! Saved me some money and time. Works perfect now :)
Great videos, thanks.
Curious though, how do you remove your platter so easily?
Hi James - Love your videos and almost ready to give this one a go. Iam a novice when it comes to servicing turntables , I have some kind of idea what I am doing but quite reluctluent in other areas but I feel that you have given me the knowledge and the confidence to do this . My question is about grease , You say not to use Lithium Grease , I have the same looking pot of grease as in the video and it says it it a lithium-based NLGL no. 2 grease - is this ok ?
James while some of your videos have resulted in me doing work on my 1210 and feeling like a king when i have succeeded, after attempting to free the height adjustment and 3 or 4 attempts tp put it back together, now whilst the ton arm now goes up and down, i cannot get any kind of signal from the tone arm to the mixer. I have damaged it in some way.
@pauljohnlane Thanks. I actually figured out how to do it. It actually depends how you screw in the ring. That is, you need to pay attention to what number the little arrow/mark is pointing at when the threads start locking together as you screw the ring. Once I realized that, I tried playing with it, and I think it ended up pointing at 3 when the threads locked in together. So pay attention to that. It took me maybe 5 times of screwing the thing together until I figured out what was the problem
hi there, it looks quite severe when that happens, but normally its just the ring clips come off, basically the bit i take off at 6:28 of part one of the video, make sure that is on there otherwise there is nothing to stop it when it get to high. just be careful when you take the bottom plate off because it likely to be ratlin around in there. if it was missing in the first place you should be able to go down to any hardware store and get something to go on there.
hope this helped.
nice one!!!
@pong38 thank you very much for your comment, im glad the video was helpful.
as for your question. i have seen the lift lever become loose a few times but it still works fine, if this is what your having than its quite simple to put right, and one of my video requests is how to replace the lever so i could integrate it into that video.
hope this is helpful and thanks again for your comment.
nice one!!!
FYI the small C clip removed with a plyers from the lock lever dowel rod is a stop to keep you from completely backing out the height adjustment bezel flange.