Looking into a Sl1200, what to look for?

Yo mpc-fam,

it's finally time to up to a turntable to sample from rather than my crude 5 disc cd changer.

when buying a used turntable (sl1200mk2 in this case), what should i look for?

also, what is a decent price range for these?

good looks fam!

I'd mostly look to make sure it looks like it was well taken care of. Make sure there aren't any bends in the tone arm as this can cause you massive headaches.

On the other hand though... I bought one years ago that looks like somebody chewed on it (dog perhaps?) the paint is a mess and the wires were all f'd up. I'm handy enough with a soldering iron that I was able to replace the rca cables along with the ground. Just depends on how much work you are willing/able to put into it I guess.

do u plan to learn to scratch or is it just for sampling?

bicedidit wrote:do u plan to learn to scratch or is it just for sampling?

sampling mainly, but i do want to learn how to scratch and use them as a turntablist would.

ive found one for 250$
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/ele/2043200057.html

he doesn't have a cartridge on it, and the little popup light is burnt out. im sure the lightbulb isn't a big problem and isn't really necessary. but since there is no cartridge, would it be best for me to take one and spin a record to see if it's fully functioning?