Models · sheet 02 of 19 · Classic line

MK2SL-1200MK2 / SL-1210MK2

1979–2010

Quartz lock and the pitch slider, then 31 years with barely a change. The one hip-hop and house were built on.

Explore the MK2 in 3D: parts, replacement searches and maintenance →

Plate 02Silver Technics SL-1200MK2 with pitch slider. Photograph Dydric / 32bitmaschine, CC BY-SA 2.5.

ADescription

Quartz lock, the slider pitch fader and symmetric electronic braking made precise beatmatching possible. Then it ran for 31 years essentially unchanged. (Most sources date it 1979; Crossfader says summer 1978.) The SL-1210MK2 is the same deck in matte black, dual-voltage, and became the European staple.

Changes from predecessor: vs MK1: quartz lock, rotary pitch → ±8% slider, electronic braking with symmetric response, better isolation.

Refs[1] Technics operating instructions [2] Wikipedia [3] Stereophile [4] audio-database [5] HiFi Wiki

BNotes

01
An SL-1210MK2 is displayed in London's Science Museum as one of the items that "made the Modern World."[1] Wikipedia
02
The official deck of the DMC World DJ Championships for decades. The 2010 discontinuation notice went up on DMC's own site.[1] Pocket-lint
03
Its DJ dominance was accidental: engineered as a hi-fi deck, its symmetric braking just happened to suit riding pitch.[1] Wikipedia [2] Stereophile

CSpecification

DriveQuartz direct drive, brushless DC motor

Starting torque1.5 kg·cm

Start-up0.7 s to 33⅓ rpm

Wow & flutter0.025% WRMS (JIS C5521)

Rumble−78 dB (IEC 98A weighted)

Pitch±8%

PlatterØ332 mm aluminum diecast, 2 kg

Effective length230 mm

Overhang15 mm

Offset angle22°

Effective mass12 g, without cartridge

Arm frictionUnder 7 mg, lateral and vertical

Tracking error≤2°32′ outer, ≤0°32′ inner

Arm height0–6 mm

Stylus pressure0–2.5 g

Dimensions453 × 162 × 360 mm

Weight12.5 kg

−8−40+4+8

DPrice

At launch

$299 US list in 1979; ~$450–500 street late in life

On Reverb · Nov 5, 2026

Asking now$867

Middle half$750–$1,477

10 live listings

Sold$800

Middle half$650–$1,159

40 sold listings

Counted from Reverb listings that ship to the US and name this model. Asking is the price on live listings. Sold is the price printed on the most recently listed sales, published Nov 2025–Sep 2026. Reverb does not give the sale date, and an accepted offer can be lower. The middle half runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile. A listing may include a cartridge or a case. Shipping is extra. This tally is ours, not an eBay price guide.

Refs[1] Audiokarma [2] Reverb listings [3] FB Marketplace LA

The references above support the launch price and the August 2026 asking survey. The used-market lines are a separate count, taken from Reverb on the date shown.

Listings on Reverb

Shop link. The tally above is not. Run the inspection before you buy anything.