Technics SL1800 MK 2

[Paul Barker]

I can’t fathom how to alter arm height. Here are the instructions, which haven’t answered my berwilderment!

Anyone have one of these. Looks rough but sounds adorable. Paid £80. Best £80 I ever spent.

[Max N]

This is from memory many years ago, so might be wrong…
At the base of the arm mounting is a large ring/cylinder with knurled plastic or rubber covering. You rotate that to change the height. But you need to unlock it first and I can’t remember how….

[Paul Barker]

Thank you Max. I’m now in a right mess. I’ve gleaned my turntable which was set up beautiful is now trashed set up. The arm is now scating across the record. All I needed.

I dont even know if the turntable is Mark 1 or 2. From vinyl engine its says 2 is quarts lock. I have no clue of that either.

There is no numbered ring it seems to have been made un-adjustable, though the instructions for the two state it is but the picture I put on here is worth less and the text is useless. On forums that I can not log into I found warnings that this model you cant adjust height you have to pack youre turntable to get right angle.

Cant subscribe to vinyl engine they have a problem and arent accepting registrations at the moment.

Right now I think I’ll have to moth ball it and set up the 301.

To all intensive purposes I have broken this. Maybe the cartridge has lost its sharp tip, and thats all thats wrong and its just a complete coinsidence.

Going forward I could do with another cheap mm but great sounding.

I did buy an immensely long arm aimed at spu but that looks out of my league right now. I have my spu on the matware arm, but my left hand dexterity in all honesty , forget it. You need both hands to play their roll to set up a Mayware that is an essential. Maywares are a pita for an ambidextrous non stroke victim as it is. I can't play in that league right now.

Maybe my problem is simply in the process I trashed my goldring and there is nothing wrong with the ls1800 arm. That clearly is not height adjustable.

Sounds stupid but I have another working mm cart but it sounds diabolical. So its mount an mc and risk its life in my left hand spasticity, or buy another relatively cheap mm. I think for now thats where I am.

Answers on a Penny Black?

Or go back to only listening on apple music. The problem with that is the speakers where the vinyl is are heavenly sounding and the single ended triode connected el38 se is heavenly sounding. The only problem is setting up turntables.

Maybe I can get apple tv to log in up there in the fourth floor from the ground.

Or maybe I bring the se amp downstairs and the pro speakers also.

Anyway, for a few days I was in heaven on the top floor. Its time for a break from technical things Im not adapted to fix.

[Paul Barker]

Maybe go back to the Hitachi for a while, but still need a good mm to mount. Waily waily.

[Paul Barker]

The moral is when you buy a turntable and it sounds great, leave it alone!

[shane]

A photo of your Technics showing the arm base might be useful Paul.

[Paul Barker]

Yes, and thank you Shane. When Im home I’ll do photos

[Paul Barker]

Its clear as day the G800 tip is missing. I bought a new stylus but it isn’t thr right fit. Wrong but only cost £11. Probably dig deep and buy a quality mm cartridge . Probably arm is fine! Any cartridge without a tip would go scating.

[Ant]

Your sl1800 is a mk1 paul so it cant be adjusted for height, you would have to change the platter mat for ones of different thicknesses to adjust it. Very similar to the mk1 sl150 i have

[Paul Barker]

Well since the arm setup is probably fine I should maybe fit my cheapest MC cart. Waiting for some new of those four little wires before fitting anything. I think it wasnt anything with the arm. It just happened the cart tip died.

[Paul Barker]

Your sl1800 is a mk1 paul so it cant be adjusted for height, you would have to change the platter mat for ones of different thicknesses to adjust it. Very similar to the mk1 sl150 i have

I cant see any means of adjusting it though Anth?

[Paul Barker]

Ignore me you said it cant be adjusted. Fine I’ll play with Matts and so on. A very good sounding turntable inspight of this strange philosophy of not providing height adjustment. What on earth were they thinking of?

[Greg]

I suppose you could shim the cartridge to Headshell fixing. Different mats seems an awkward and expensive alternative.

[Paul Barker]

Funny you said that I was thinking shims to set the cartridge parallel instead of the arm.

[Paul Barker]

I’ve ordered a new stylus.