[murillo]

This was what happened after I bought for $245 a Technics 1200 MKII from a DJ at Ebay.

1 - First, the most important: The tonearm is with one of the bearings not original. This is terrible because will mess with all the integrity of the arm, causing anti-skating problems and malfunction.
2 - The stylus imuninator is not working.
3 - The arm rest is broken (it was bonded)
4 - The cover is not with the adapters, I can not atach it to the base.
5 - The base of the tonearm was removed and not installed correct. The level VTA starts at 3mm
6 - The anti-skating is not working well (problably because of the wrong bearing)
7 - it´s missing a couple of screws. (not important to me anyway)
8 - it has a hole in the base plate to give access to the pitch.
...

[caddisgeek]

Ah murillo, I feel your pain. Currently in dispute over a TT I bought on e-bay. A suspended chassis deck, told the seller how to pack it to keep everything solid. He didn't, and basically has been shaken to pieces in transit (the cart actually shook loose from the headshell). Lid was also cracked because he thought 1 layer of bubble wrap and a cardboard box was enough to protect it 
He claims it's Australia Posts fault not his, and wont pay up.

Maybe I can use it for the base of a record cleaning machine

[60srok]

Here is my story...turns out as just a close call.

I bought a used SL-1200 MKII off of EBay. Paid $225 and cautioned seller (in Florida, I am in California) to carefully pack.
I waited anxiously for the unit to arrive and when I did  OMG!! the box it was in had turned into a cylinder.

I discussed the packages appearance with the UPS driver, who is a friend, weighting the option of having them-UPS open the box at will call. I could shake the box and feel the deck moving around inside, it was pretty apparent it was not double boxed. I took a big gulp and opened it right there.

Well the TT was wrapped in bubble wrap, placed in a box and packing peanuts poured around it. No way I thought it could be undamaged..but the tonearm was still locked in place and the dustcover hinges were not broken and no cracks. Oh what luck, only thing that doesn't work is the queuing light, and now I get to spend money on a Grado Green cart and a KAB dampened arm and strobe switch..oh yeah and TCG's maple platform

[TheChairGuy]

I bought a used SL-1200 MKII off of EBay. Paid $225 and cautioned seller (in Florida, I am in California) to carefully pack.
I waited anxiously for the unit to arrive and when I did  OMG!! the box it was in had turned into a cylinder.
 Oh what luck, only thing that doesn't work is the queuing light, and now I get to spend money on a Grado Green cart and a KAB dampened arm and strobe switch..oh yeah and TCG's maple platform

Whew - close call!

Don't forget the Plast-i-Clay between headshell and cartridge body (for weight and for isolation) and the Longhorn up front to help tracking (I also damped the coils with 1000cst silicone, but it was of dubious benefit).

I think Mr. Green needed 25 hours to flesh out and probably another 25 to dial in juuuust right.  With all these tweeks (don't forget clean records, too) you still might hear inner groove distortion (I do with the standard bonded, elliptical stylus) that you won't with other cartridges in or near it's price range.

For the inner groove distortion - I plucked a page from The Cartridge Man and his modded Grado Silver he sells for $1200.00 and gets accolades for.  A line stylus of some sort rids you of the dreaded inner groove distortion (I got mine from a NOS Grado G1+...an old series Grado that had a line/Shibata stylus).  It's the ticket to true greatness with the Grado's.

Get the new Grado line (the Prestige/Color series), not the old line(s).  There is a difference...the Green is a lot more dynamic and powerful than the G1+.  But the combo of the Green and the borrowed Shibata stylus assembly from the G1+ is nirvana 

I've been thinking of late, that if it were not for Grado, I'm not sure my vinyl listening would be much more dramatically rewarding as time listening to CD's.  I think they are THAT good; I think they are just truer to the original source (live music).  I have no axes to grind with any maker of cartridges, and I'm in an enviable position to afford a mucho expensive cartridge, but I find the most total satisfaction these days from the (albeit, modded) Grado Green.  It sounds most like music to me 

The Silver/Gold has higher purity copper coils - applying those same tweeks to the cartridge might yield an even cleaner presentation.  The 4" thick maple platform, and brass footers from Parts Express, will improve almost any set-up....it just really works for reasonable money.  Don't forget to bargain with the seller on ebay...it lists for $79.95, but I got her (Dawn) down to $65.00 with 'Make an Offer' 

[Jumpin' Jack Flash]

Also purchased a SL-1200 MKII for about $200 several months ago, but off of AudioGon.  I hesitated,  checked out the seller's AGon rating, which was top notch, and bit the bullet.  He forwarned me about the poor cosmetic condition of the unit, which proved accurate, and also stated that operationally it was fine.  This table had a new appearing Origin Live Rega/OL mounting plate and no Technics arm.  Seller double boxed the unit, and it arrived via Fedex in great condition. Platter was separately multi-bubble wrapped within the box, and was in very good shape. I just got it set up last week, and I am impressed with its sound, what with all of the hype against DD turntables.  Only modification has been to change out the stock counterweight on the RB-250 with the Counterweight for the Common Man (from Pete Riggle).  Kind of hard to do a before and after, as I had the Rega on my VPI HW19 MKIII with the VPI SS mount.  Did not change cartridges, an Audio-Technica AT440ML/OCC (also from AudioGon).  Put the Audioquest PT7 back on my VPI, with an older Audio Technica LO MC, and I am still evaluating (takes longer with 60 year old ears!).  There is definitely a different sound between the two, and I am favoring the VPI, but I am not good enough to state why, with so many variables.  Am using the factory installed phono pre on my PS Audio PCA-2 preamp, and it has several variables on its own which can impact the sound.  Also, using a very nice The Bolder Cable Company phono cable on the PT7, which cost nearly as much as the whole Technics rig.

Have probably gotten off track of the topic, but generally speaking, have much more confidence in AudioGon sellers than others, especially those who have been with AGon a long time.  I have over 30 AGon transactions, and all have been satisfactory.  I cannot make this same statement for Ebay transactions, and will never purchase anything like a turntable there.  Accessories on Ebay have proven mostly snakeproof, especially from great folks like Pete Riggle.  For any electronics, I always insist on Fedex shipping.  Buyers refusing to use Fedex do not sell anything to me.  I have also done many "local" pick-ups, from my Odyssey Stratos mono amps to other turntables, and sometimes local is half a day away, but I know more about the equipment condition than hyped statements from the seller. 

[timind]

For any electronics, I always insist on Fedex shipping.  Buyers refusing to use Fedex do not sell anything to me.

Off topic but it reminds me of the time I purchased an amp with fedex delivery. The driver came strolling up the walk with my amp and as I was about to open the door he literally threw the box on to the porch. It was a Saturday delivery and he didn't like working weekends.
Needless to say fedex is not my first choice.

[philltubes]

I recently found a Technics Sl-1200 Mk II on craiglist going for $150.00.  I arranged a meeting at the sellers place of work to check out the table, we go out to his jeep and get the table and take it indoors to plug it in for a quick check up.  He tells me the table is about 20 years old, he used it at college then put it away, never used it again.  This thing is filthy, but I still plug it in and turn it on, everything seems to work fine, then I check the arm and it has play in it, the filth and the arm play really turned me off, at this point I really don't want the table so I figured if I offer him $80.00 he'll get pissed and say forget it but he says OK so now I'm stuck.  Off I go with my newly acquired SL-1200, I get home and give it a good cleaning and did some research on how to adjust the arm, I put a drop of oil in the bearing and adjust it until there is no more play, install an AT-OC 9 MkII cartridge, hook it up to my Graham Slee ERA Gold MK V and my cinemag transformers and let her rip.  The table now looks excellent and sounds great, even got the dust cover with it and it works flawlessly, pretty amazing after 20 years.  I'd love to hear what difference a better tonearm would make.  First thing I do will be to rewire the arm with Cardas when I get motivated.  I got lucky, it's always a crap shoot when buying a used table especially the Sl-1200, DJ's can beat the crap out of them.  Well, thats my story.

Phill