my first 1200
MONK

what was your first turntable / setup?
First? Well there was this lil' suitcase-type thing I had as a kid that came with a bunch of picture books and 45s. You'd put the single on and read the book, turn the page when you heard the 'bing!' Then in high school I had one of those all-in-one joints (tape deck, radio, record player) that I took the top off and tried to cut records on. Didn't know about slipmats. I still have my "Top Billin" 12-inch with nasty circular gouges on the flip-side.

My first "real" turntable was this audiophile Denon joint that weighed like 50 pounds. I bought it from my dad's friend. That thing was amazing, the first deck I could really scratch on. I remember bringing the ultra high-end needle in to Bate's electronics on Delancey to replace (after tearing it to shreds) and the guy looking at me in horror like "you're not actually back-cuing with this are you?"

at what point did you get your first technics turntable(s)?
Probably '93 or so. That was when I started getting a little more serious about spinning. For the longest I had that Denon on one side and the Tech on the other with a little Gemini 2-channel mixer in the middle.

did you get the 1200(s) from a store? how did you get the money to pay for the 1200(s)?
I got it on Canal Street somewhere. I worked as a cook.

how did you feel when you got your first technics turntable(s)?
Like fuckin' Kid Capri.

what is your favorite feature or aspect of the technics turntable?
The pitch control - when you learn on that, nothing else feels right. Oh and I always loved the dense rubber lower half. Solid.