Petition For Restarting The Production Of Technics SL-1200

There is no other piece of DJ gear that has reached the cult status over the years as the Technics turntable SL-1200 (and the variations of it like SL-1210, and different revisions).
Panasonic company decided to end the selling of 1200 in October 2010. Many turntable lovers were shocked to hear the news.

As an iconic piece of gear that has been sold in a millions, I believe that it had only one flow. Yes it is true that digitalisation of music made things different, but its also true that vinyl is on the rise again due to its physical value, graphical artwork potential, long lifespan and the ability to make a bond with the music collectors.

The only mistake Technics engineers made was that they made this turntable modular and almost
indestructible. In today's counter economy the companies need to make products that will be exchanged in a few years, and I have seen 1200s that are working for twenty years and still going.

So, I understand the Panasonic side of the story, and there are different brands of DJ turntables, but I think that this kind of equipment must be available to buy. I don't know exactly how big is the demand for this product, but I hope that its big enough to keep the production of this great piece of engineering. I like to think that they should keep making the 1200, if not for the direct profit, than as a marketing tool for the other products. It seems to me that the product that can work under heavy usage for twenty years is a good statement for the company making it.

The other approach that comes to mind is to add features to the product. Maybe its just a fantasy of mine, but I always wanted a turntable that has 100% vinyl on a Technics 1200 feel, but can play digital media as well, and without the computer and additional interfaces such as Serato or Traktor. Would you love the 1200 turntable that can play the music directly from the USB stick? 

The point of this whole article is to inform you, if you haven't already heard, that there is a petition going on an change.org to continue the life of Technics 1200 turntable. It has reached the 18,000+ signatures, and still counting. I don't know if the petition can change anything, but it won't hurt to spare a minute of your time for this. Lets see how far will it go.

Sign the petition here