Quick Summary
To mark its 55th anniversary in producing direct-drive turntables, Technics is set to release an Anniversary Edition SL-1200 this September as part of its celebrations.
This limited-run model will be capped at 12,000 pieces, available in seven different colours, all of which feature gold-coloured trim and details.
Next month marks the on-sale date for Technics' much-revered classic turntable, the SL-1200 series, which returns in a 55th Anniversary Edition in celebration of five-and-a-half-decades in the market.
The chosen weapon of many vinyl-based DJs – and still the hardware partner of the DMC World DJ Championships – the SL-1200 and SL-1210 models have seen many iterations of progression over the years.
Indeed, the direct drive turntable, well known for its precision, first adjusted its +/-8% pitch control (with a double-up to 16% function) to a digital mechanism in the SL-1200MK5G. Since, the sixth-gen and seventh-gen models have been released, further refining the product.
The 55th Anniversary Edition is a collectors' version of the latest, limited to just 12,000 units worldwide in total, and available in a variety of colours – Gold, Blue, Red, Black, Green, White, Grey (see all seven in the gallery above) – to give a whole new look to the classic turntable.
Each of those 12,000 units will feature an "individually engraved anniversary badge with its serial number, underlining the collectable character of this commemorative release," says Technics in its official press release.
Whether you choose the Gold model as your preference or not, all models feature gold detailing and accents, including a gold anodised aluminium tonearm, a platter with gold-coloured rim and strobe markers, plus gold knobs and buttons all round. Details are shown in the gallery below:
Beneath the bling, however, is the real reason the SL-1200 became – and still remains – a classic piece of kit. The pioneering direct-drive technology was a world-first, able to connect motor directly to platter for reduced speed fluctuations and rapid acceleration to rotation target thanks to high torque.
The Technics SL-1200 55th Anniversary Edition will first be on public show in Poland at the DMC DJs Day, Warsaw, on 20 August. It will go on sale the following month, with pricing yet to be confirmed – but with such limited volume in this run, chances are they'll sell out quickly.
