Technics SL-1200MK2 or MK5

IMO, the only reason to buy the MK5 is for the better tonearm wire.

The pitch lock button is of zero importance to a home user. It's for DJ use when matching beats-per-minute, and prevents the pitch control from being accidentally changed once it's been set.

The MK2 has a pitch slider that locks the speed as long as you don't touch it.

For some listeners/musicians the pitch device helps out quite a bit if you like to learn riffs. Otherwise it is a giant PIA to change the tuning of your instrument for each album or song. So many songs are recorded a smidgeon off pitch for one reason or another. Even on the same LP.
Enjoy,
John

06-22-10: Tvad
IMO, the only reason to buy the MK5 is for the better tonearm wire.

The Mk5 doesn't have the better tonearm wire; the SL1210 M5G and SL1210 GLD have the upgraded tonearm wire.

This is a significant upgrade. IMO you should either get an SL1200 mk2 from KABUSA.com and get the tonearm rewired at the same time, or get an M5G. The wire in the KAB rewire is almost certainly better wire (Cardas) than the upgraded Technics, but I have had the M5G for 3 years with no complaints.

06-22-10: Johnnyb53
The Mk5 doesn't have the better tonearm wire; the SL1210 M5G and SL1210 GLD have the upgraded tonearm wire.

As I was typing my post, I was fearing I had made that error, and I was too lazy to do the research.

Thanks for the correction.

Thanks for the responses thus far...

I suppose I was concerned that the pitch slider wouldn't actually "lock into a groove," if you will, at dead zero - thinking that the button would, without a doubt, set things to dead zero.

I, too, owned an M5G and got rid of it. Now, I'm simply looking for the functionality again, without the frills.