Technics SL1210 mk 2 tonearm wonky

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tweet_my_ribbon
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Technics SL1210 mk 2 tonearm wonky

Unread post by tweet_my_ribbon »

Re: Technics SL1210 mkII turntable arm. There’s a problem with the balance or setup/positioning of the tonearm.

I originally bought this deck from an online pawnbroker in about 2011, at a bargain price because it looked as if it had been thrown out a window - of a ten story building. It was re-built by a guy in London (Who no longer advertises), particulary the arm was serviced. I originally had a go at fixing the arm as the rest was straight forward but it was too damaged so it was sent to a bloke in London, operating as a SL specialist.

On return it was working fine and he’d even fitted a new decent tonearm cable. For years it seemed to sound ok. Stupidly I’d sold all my vinyl hi-fi tools so just did a basic setup as I thought I understood record players. Oh dear. Fast forward to about 3 or 4 years ago;

Using a spirit level on top of the headshell shows the arm to be out-of-position. Meaning that when the head shell/cartidge is attached instead of the needle pointimg straight down in to the middle of the groove it’s canted/pointed at the groove wall, which causes jumping. I originally thought this to be dirt build up on the records as they’d been stored in an old garage for a couple of years. Cleaned, the music sounded better but the occasional skipping was still there. It didn’t occur to me to check arm position coz it had been rebuilt. I suppose it could be that the arm itself or either the arm tube on is incorrectly positioned ?

A small shim has been put between cartridge and headshell to try to correct and bring the needle to point straight down, but this is a simple bodge that I know is just that, a bodge. It’s not good that to make the cart sit at a correct angle a thin cardboard wedge (yes, cardbord) is used between cart and headshell. It peeves me, not only that he bodged the tonearm fix but that it took years for me to notice.

Any ideas folks ? Coz I would like it sorted.
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Vinyl-ant
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Re: Technics SL1210 mk 2 tonearm wonky

Unread post by Vinyl-ant »

You need to adjust the azimuth (the tilt the cart has) by loosening 2 screws underneath the arm tube about 10mm back from the headshell connector. Loosen them a fraction so that you can rotate the headshell connector fractionally either clockwise or anticlockwise.
You will need to either eye in the azimuth, or alternatively use a makeshift jig made from a CD case. if you take the front cover out of a CD case, scribe or draw a horizontal line on it about 15mm up from and parallel to the bottom edge, then stand the case in front of the cart when it's on the record (a knackered old test record, open the cd case 90 degrees so it will stand up) you can then line up the bottom of the headshell with the horizontal line you have scribed on the cd case.
I use a 'proper' jig which is a block of 10mm perspex with lines on it to set azimuth.
Once you have got it where you want it, nip up the screws then recheck.
Hope that helps
Analogue: oracle delphi sme 309, jbe series 3 cx unipivot dv20x2l, roksan xerxes tabriz vm750, jvc ql-y5f rigb at440, jvc ql-y3f vm750, lenco 75, technics sl150

Phono stages: cole lcr, benedict audio hothead

Digital: cyrus cd7, wiim mini x2, topping e30, jds labs el dac 2+

Amplification: nelson pass b1, nelson pass f5

Speakers: 15" fane aperiodic wardrobes

Cans: myryad z40, hifiman sundara + deva, fostex t50rp, sennheiser momentum on ear +over ear, b&w p5 and p7

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Re: Technics SL1210 mk 2 tonearm wonky

Unread post by tweet_my_ribbon »

Hi Ant, thanks for the advise. I see what you mean about adjusting azimuth.

As the headshell was removed it occured to me to re-check the headshell/cart setup just to be sure. So a simple check of the headshell connection allignment was done with a steel ruler. I'm short sighted so a photo was also taken. The four connection points on the headshell are not perpendicular to the top of the headshell body. They're slightly out of line, causing the cart to sit at an angle. I can see that now. The actual connection points on the arm look ok. Phew.

Looks like I got a badly made Technics headshell, or it was knocked offline in it's former life. So at the moment it now looks like all that's needed is a new headshell, as there does not seem to be any way of realigning it without breaking something or twisting it out of scew.
Oh and the shim is actually a plastic washer taken off an old cart.
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NVA amps, speakers, interconnects & speaker cables produce the music.

With help from Technics, Audio Technica, Jelco, Hana, Musical Fidelity, Sony, Cyrus & Soneteer.

Vinyl-ant
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Re: Technics SL1210 mk 2 tonearm wonky

Unread post by Vinyl-ant »

Yep thats definitely cockeyed :shock:

If you don't mind spending a few quid on a headshell the jelco hs25 is a good bet, it is abit heavier than the technics one, but it does have adjustable azimuth via a bolt on the back end of it where the connector goes into the body which is useful to have and avoids having the same problem again.
Not cheap though
Analogue: oracle delphi sme 309, jbe series 3 cx unipivot dv20x2l, roksan xerxes tabriz vm750, jvc ql-y5f rigb at440, jvc ql-y3f vm750, lenco 75, technics sl150

Phono stages: cole lcr, benedict audio hothead

Digital: cyrus cd7, wiim mini x2, topping e30, jds labs el dac 2+

Amplification: nelson pass b1, nelson pass f5

Speakers: 15" fane aperiodic wardrobes

Cans: myryad z40, hifiman sundara + deva, fostex t50rp, sennheiser momentum on ear +over ear, b&w p5 and p7

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Re: Technics SL1210 mk 2 tonearm wonky

Unread post by tweet_my_ribbon »

Cheers Ant, theres a few on ebay at 49 quid.
NVA amps, speakers, interconnects & speaker cables produce the music.

With help from Technics, Audio Technica, Jelco, Hana, Musical Fidelity, Sony, Cyrus & Soneteer.

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Re: Technics SL1210 mk 2 tonearm wonky

Unread post by tweet_my_ribbon »

jelco.jpg
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That's the headshell fitted, adjusted and currently playing the Bevis Frond 'New River Head' LP
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NVA amps, speakers, interconnects & speaker cables produce the music.

With help from Technics, Audio Technica, Jelco, Hana, Musical Fidelity, Sony, Cyrus & Soneteer.

Vinyl-ant
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Re: Technics SL1210 mk 2 tonearm wonky

Unread post by Vinyl-ant »

Nice one, only other thing to consider is that because the stylus has been cockeyed in the groove for as long as the problem has been there, it may have some odd uneven wear.
It may be worth putting a new stylus on the at95 just to be on the safe side
Analogue: oracle delphi sme 309, jbe series 3 cx unipivot dv20x2l, roksan xerxes tabriz vm750, jvc ql-y5f rigb at440, jvc ql-y3f vm750, lenco 75, technics sl150

Phono stages: cole lcr, benedict audio hothead

Digital: cyrus cd7, wiim mini x2, topping e30, jds labs el dac 2+

Amplification: nelson pass b1, nelson pass f5

Speakers: 15" fane aperiodic wardrobes

Cans: myryad z40, hifiman sundara + deva, fostex t50rp, sennheiser momentum on ear +over ear, b&w p5 and p7

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