I have no idea how close Pioneer is to genuine SL 1200. I do not know which one would be genuine in the first place. There have been many SL 1200 models by now. There are even a few current ones, ranging from $1700 to more than double of that. I wonder if, in case Pioneer does not fare well when compared to the cheapest current Technics, it is even a fair comparison. It is almost 2.5 times cheaper. Compared to a current genuine expensive SL 1200 it is almost 6 (six) times cheaper. If the difference is obvious, is it Japan vs. China issue, "Pioneer clone" vs. "genuine Technics", or "more affordable" vs. "it costs a lot" issue? I do agree they look almost the same, but they do not seem to be in the same category at all.
For those who just read the thread, but have not had a chance to lay their hands on the Pioneer 1000, it is quite a substantial piece. Yes, you can feel it is not a million-dollar product, but it is put together quite well and screwed tight. If money is not an issue, I would go with Technics. If money was tighter, I would not mind buying Pioneer.
By the way, has anyone noticed that it is relatively hard to find these new Technics turntables for sale, not to mention for a listen? Or maybe I am looking at all the wrong places.