New Technics SL 1200 GAE

I wouldn't be at all surprised if the 1200GAE or G outperforms a bone stock SP10 MK2 (with all due respect to owners of the Mk2).  I don't own the 1200GAE, but I have owned two of the latter, each of which was re-mounted in a slate plinth, re-capped, calibrated, etc.  Compared to the best of my other DD turntables (including a Mk3), the Mk2 seemed to have a faint "gray"-ish coloration.  In fact, I didn't notice it until I set up my Mk3 and my Kenwood L07D for comparison. The Mk3 is an incredible tour de force, on the other hand, made even greater and more neutral and musical by the Krebs modifications.  I have to believe that the Krebs mod would be very beneficial to a MK2, as well, perhaps ridding it of that last bit of coloration. But the big advantage of the 1200GAE vs any of the vintage Technics turntables would be its coreless motor.  I own two vintage DD's with coreless motors, the aforementioned Kenwood L07D and Victor TT101, and I think their profound neutrality is to a great extent due to the motor type, as well as the mode of operation of the servo in those two (different from each other but also very different from Technics' approach).  Furthermore, based on these ideas and on Atma-sphere's findings from deconstructing one, the 1200G or GAE must be seen as a great bargain when you put it up against other turntables you can buy for similar cost.  If the original and inferior SL1200 were introduced today, it would have to cost ca $2000, at least.

Audiofun, My Mk3 was Krebs modded by Bill Thalmann in Springfield, VA. I think it was a worthwhile upgrade, and I am not sure how the smell of linseed oil, assuming I were to remove my platter and sniff, is necessarily a detriment to the listening experience.  I can say I noticed no such odor when re-assembling my Mk3 after Bill worked on it, but I could imagine that such an odor might develop over time and use.  But so what?  On the same subject, I would think that the Krebs mod for the Mk2 would be even more effective than on the Mk3, since the Mk2, to my ears, has a slight gray-ish coloration (very slight, mind you) that some say may emanate from servo over-correction, which is "treated" by Krebs. Best of all, the Krebs mod to the Mk2 is cheaper.

Also, based on theory and my fairly extensive experience with a variety of DD turntables, my guess would be that the 1200GAE outperforms a stock Mk2.  I'm not so sure about Yamaha GT2000 or Victor TT101, but both of the latter probably would need mods to the plinth in order to compete with or out-do the 1200GAE.