August 2014
Here's one half of the actual SL1200 MK3 I used to practice and have developed my skills as a DJ back in the early 90s. I especially requested the late Angelo Castro, Jr. (ACJ as we call him, who was also like a father to me) to acquire a pair of SL1200 MK2 during his Tokyo, Japan trip in 1991. When he came back a week later, he brought a pair of MK3 instead. I was overwhelmed and surprised, because it was the first time for me to see a black edition 1200. Last month, ACJ's son Angelo Diego Castro brought me this and wanted to have it refurbished. It had been stored for more than a decade and the paint has also been severely damaged. Tonearm and pitch control were also out of proper calibration.
So after working on it, here it is now.
Finished in black metallic polyurethane super gloss paint. Strobe, 33/45 and pitch indicator LEDS have been replaced with super bright white while pop-up lamp was converted to bright white LED. I also applied a special aluminum pitch decal ornament used in the latest model of the SL1200 family, the MK6. Black with gold markings. Platter has been scraped, repainted and re-faced. Tonearm section repainted and re-calibrated. Pivot bearings have also been lubricated. RC cables and connectors replaced with internal grounding. Pitch control cleaned and calibrated. Spindle lubricated and Switch, Start/Stop, 33/45 assembly cleaned.
I'm very certain that ACJ would have been very happy to see the result if he were still alive.
Below are the before and after pics.