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The Technics SL-120 turntable is turning 50 with a colourful remix

The Technics SL-120 series has long been one of the world’s most beloved and sought after DJ turntables. For 50 years, to be precise.

To mark the occasion, the audio company’s current custodian Panasonic has announced a colourful celebration. The SL-1200M7L direct drive turntable system will be available in seven colours.

The SL-1200M7L is a special edition model of the 2019 Technics SL-1200MKL. The seven colours (black, red, blue, white, green, yellow, beige) are intended to represent the “street culture that continues to inspire generations of DJs.”

The tone arm on all seven models is anodised in gold and there’s a special badge with an engraved serial number on the top panel. The slip mat also has a gold Technics logo.

Why all the big fuss about serial numbers and such? Well, there aren’t going to be very many of these. There’s only 12,000 in total, which go up for pre-order on April 7 in the US, for $1,099.99, and will start shipping in July.

They’ll be available from the following retailers: Astro Audio Video Lighting Inc., Chuck Levins Washington Music, Guitar Center, I DJ Now, Mile High DJ Supply, Rock and Soul, B&H, Stokyo, Sweetwater Sound, Turntable Lab.

If you’re fortunate, maybe one of these will ship to the UK? You’ll have to be quick anyway, because any SL-1200 variants tend to sell out fast whenever they go on sale.

Some of the features associated with the standard model remain on board, including the “highly sensitive, yet robust tonearm accurately reading the signal engraved in the record groove,” a “coreless direct drive motor achieving stable rotation free of cogging and powerful torque” and a “two-layer structure platter with improved vibration damping performance”.

Do you have a classic 1972 Technics SL-120 turntable still going strong? Are you hoping to pick up this most recent edition? Let us know @trustedreviews on Twitter.

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