Technics 1200s on the chopping block?

anyone have read this article?
http://www.residentadvisor.net/news.aspx?id=13034

"Production of the Technics 1200 and 1210 turntables will cease permanently this year, according to a statement that reportedly came from the product's owners, Panasonic Japan.

Various blogs and websites have posted translations of the press release as of late, which was originally written in Japanese. Music technology website Audiobeef posted this version on Friday:

Regarding our analogue turntable products, we have to inform you of our decision to terminate the business within this year, regrettably. Here are the reasons which made us reach this conclusion.

1. Since beginning of last decade, our sales of turntables have been decreasing drastically. They're almost one-fifteenth of the sales 10 years

2. Many key parts are no longer available as some of our suppliers stopped production or discontinued their businesses. Also, there is the risk that some key parts' availabilities might stop suddenly, and these parts are only being produced for our turntables. In that case we cannot produce the products that we have taken orders for already.

We cannot help discontinuing production in advance in order to avoid the worst case scenario.

Word of the iconic turntable's demise first cropped up a year ago when a similar statement leaked from Panasonic, only to be retracted shortly after a comment to Resident Advisor, a spokesperson from the company said there were "no current plans to discontinue the Technics brand and the production of Technics turntables." More info will be posted on this story as it becomes available."

what do you think about it?

sorry for posting in the wrong section

I hear vinyl is dead too

Seriously though, I'm sure I read something similar a couple of years back. To be honest they're such a staple part of music history that there will always be a demand for them, and as such I imagine there will always be enthusiasts who will source/make new parts. So if Technics stop making them, then so be it, despite decreasing sales it will still be their loss.

If a smaller company was to buy the rights to the design there's no reason we couldn't see a re-issue under a new brand name.

scoobylol wrote:Seriously though, I'm sure I read something similar a couple of years back.

yes, i've read it too...
i think it may be a marketing tactic to sell more units, i don't know how many 1200 are selling in this years with all the new turntables like vestax, newmark etc, etc...
personally i love my 2 sl-1210 mk2. i'll never sell it for no reason!
if only they could talk....
they got many stories to tell!

I sincerely doubt Numark turntables, or in fact any other manufacturers will kill off a quality product like 1210s. What is more likely is the onset of more affordable/convenient mediums for musical playback.

I doubt it's a marketing gimmic either, because let's face it these things will sell on their own merits. It's just an inevitability that one day items like this will become less popular in the mainstream and will go back underground for the collectors... then other people will latch onto them again and there will be a resurgence.

Look at analogue synths right now, it's gone full circle from the onset of digital, back to analogue. Also lets not forget how many times we've been told vinyl is on it's way out. Yet it's outlasted, tape, MiniDisc, and CD. I've even noticed big albums being sold in HMV on vinyl.

Like I said even if Technics give up, someone else will come through. It's not exactly a technically complicated item to reproduce.

^
yes, i totally agree
long live the 1200!

problem with the technics is that they do not die...

nowaddays the industry does not like making products that do not break, and the sales department only likes to sell sh1tty products to large quantities of customers.

niche products like this are better be manufactured and sold through small companies who accept a somewhat smaller margin. and love their customers for what they are and not for how much they buy.

porsche is still alive because the build great product and are proud that over 60% of all ever build vehicle is still driveable.
when porsche tried to act like they are a bank and was about to buy volkswagen they nearly died and are now owned by volkswagen!

somebody should get the licence to remanufacture the technics. they claim the same as yamaha did when they stopped making the ns-10... problems to get certain parts. what parts are these and why do the suppliers not produce them if panasonic wants to buy? maybe there are problematic or hazardous substances in them?

peace, jo

selecta jo wrote:problem with the technics is that they do not die...

nowaddays the industry does not like making products that do not break

was about to say the same thing using different words

This means you gotta pay an arm and a leg to cop one in the future.

Its a shame that the capitalism that is responsible for this way of producing (build shitty products that wil fall apart 1day after the warranty) is so damn mighty.
Look at most of the 70s products. They were build like tanks. very high quality. Its all about the **** money. I think the knowledge the human race got today is enough to solve many of the problems of the world but the same evil powers that aviod creating high quality stereo systems that will last for decades avoid this too.

peace

CoinUp! wrote:This means you gotta pay an arm and a leg to cop one in the future.

One of the problems is you've got to pay an arm and a leg now to buy them! Records are also pricey, coupled with the fact that most labels don't even release on vinyl anymore.

The kids out there with 50,000 downloaded tracks on their hard drive and an interest in DJing are probably better off looking at a digital system.

Sad but true.

i've never once bought a new-in-box Technics turntable anyway... with the amount of tables they've produced, there will never be a shortage of used technics. ever.

True.

There's got to be literally millions out there.

crossings wrote:i've never once bought a new-in-box Technics turntable anyway... with the amount of tables they've produced, there will never be a shortage of used technics. ever.

Amen to that. Got both of mine with a snide mixer off ebay a few years back for £350. Absolutely pristine. One of the best investments I've ever made.

+1 Peter Piper.

That article is misleading.

Pioneer are discontinuing some models - notably the earlier range.

Statement from Pioneer, owner of Technics:

"As a major global business, Panasonic keeps all of its operations under constant review. However, there are no current plans to discontinue the Technics brand and the production of Technics turntables."

We prompted the company to answer more questions regarding which particular models would be continued, but the Panasonic spokesperson made it clear that this was all that they were willing to divulge at this point in time."