Need help picking budget Turntable

How much effort do you want to put into this?? If you are a "plug and play" sort of person, then stick to the Music Hall or Project models...

A Rega with a Rega cartridge is also for the plug-and-player.

HH4, sorry if this is a highjack.

I have the graphite Boston Audio mat (actually called a Mat 1). It is my belief that different mats will perform much differently depending on the platter compostion. On my Spacedeck, I did not like a felt mat or a sorbothane mat at all (though others with different tables swear by them). OTOH, I very much liked the Mat 1, even over a Mystic Mat which is abour 1/3 more expensive.

The venerable Regas aside. I cast my vote for the Pro-ject 1.2 or RM4. Very under rated. Fine starter tables with superbly musical sound both with stock Sumikos or upgraded Grados. A bargain at current asking prices. The RM4 is available at less than $450 w/cartridge.

But the Projects don't come with Rega arms. Man, this advice site is clear as mud to the prospective buyer: flip a coin, a twelve-sided coin! You're right about the Sorbothane mat, 4Yanx, it only works well on glass platters as far as my experience goes, but here it shines. And jeez, what's a Mystic Mat? I don't even know what Herbie's mat is yet! I'm going back to my matless Maplenoll! Someone's gotta make a list of the different mats and the types of platters they work with. And I thought French was complicated.