Bought one of these several years ago not knowing the weakness with the power switch. Mint condition and worked for a few days. Searched for a replacement switch and bought one or two but as they needed mods to mount it became one of those projects in waiting. Last week I saw another 212 at the GW. Sad shape, no power cord, lid doesn't look right, screwed up headshell. Went back yesterday and the price was $3.99 same as I paid for the first . Now all i need to do is find where I put the other.

I have a GA-212 also. I love the way the table sounds, but I am not thrilled with the bounciness of it, its hard to use the carbon fiber brush without pushing the platter into the plinth. Mine also has a screwed up power switch. I take it that it is difficult to find a suitable replacement?

I have it set so that the switch is "on" and I don't touch it or it will be off again until I open the bottom and fiddle with it again. I just unplug it when I am done.

Other than that, with my new ATS-12S shibata stylus on an AT247E cartridge, that table sings quite sweetly!

The 212 is referred to as a poor man's Thorens. I have a Pickering with a brush mounted. Don't recall how bouncy the table is.There was a seller on e$ay who had power switches.IIRC they were in the $20 range. I may have found a substitute while away on vacation but it is a bit longer. As usual it is misplaced at the moment so I don't know if it will fit. If it does fit I'll let you know.

Thanks, I hope you find it

The suspension on these is a gum rubber grommet with a little aluminum tube in the middle then a screw that goes into a flat spring. The gum rubber bushings go to crap. I replaced the ones in my 209 with little pass trough black rubber grommets from the hardware store and a couple tiny neoprene washers a touch stiffer then stock but worked beautifully. Cost less then $3.00

Well, if the darn switch had been a snake it would've bit while I was on the computer. Here is what I bought next to an original. It will bolt right in and apparently the top where the button goes is notched to be shortened. The original ithan the one in the acquired 212 as it is much shorter but then I may have broken it. There is a difference in the wiring layout. Each has four terminals, I did not remember that. On the new one two are ink marked (on/off controls) there is one more to the right and then the one at the top that must be a ground. So, some investigation is needed as to where the three wires go. The ground is obvious. The new switch is much more solid. Unfortunately, it was misc. surplus so I have to investigate for info.


Mark, very useful info. I'll gather parts before I bust it open. When I find it.