Technics or Thorens, need suggestions

Technics. I've not heard the Thorens but it's like asking to recommend a BMW M5 or a Maserati Quattroporte.

This is what inside that Thorens. Yet another overpriced belt drive. 

Buy yourself a Technics "G" and forget about any other turntables. If you're comparing them by the pictures in the internet then you have to see and touch that SL1200G in real life. 

if wooded frame is what you like on Thorens then you have to look for Technics SP10R and some nice custom made wooden plinth. But it will be out of your budget. An alternative for lower budget (but not lower quality) is another vintage Direct Drive turntables (made in Japan), maybe Technics SP10 mkII.

My favorite is Luxman PD-444 and i prefer it over Technics. You can definitely find it under $4K with tonearms, spare armboards and including shipping. I have two of them and this is my reference! 

Absolutely the Thorens if you don't like listening to oscillating eddy currents and other direct drive artifacts. The Thorens will also have a much more flexible tone arm on it. The one on the Technics is a boat anchor. If you plan on using a high compliance moving magnet cartridge like the Ortofon  2M back you have no choice. It is much easier to add mass than it is to take it away.

Mijo has a thing against Technics DDs. The reality is that the 1200G will sound better and hold it's value. However at your price point, you should listen to what you're going to buy. As for arm compliance, at this level, you're probably looking to use a low compliance moving coil anyway. This is where we need more info. Is the aesthetic more important to you than sound quality? What cartridge? What other tables? Is it down to these two? Is the C2600 up to the job of a higher end front end? If you do want to swap arms, maybe a different table is needed?