Recommendations for a modestly priced analog system

There are better turntables from the golden age than new Technics.
Those better turntables often even cheaper and you can use any tonearm on them including "12 inch tonearms (nothing can beat the PD-444 at $3-4k).

There is the very highly regarded, like new Pear Audio Kid Thomas on AA Trader at half price.

@millercarbon.   My preamp Cary SLP98P has a phono stage in it. But, I don't know if I should get a better one or not.

I returned to vinyl 1 yr ago, with a Denon VL12. For me: the perfect starter tt that also is easy to tweak and built like a tank. AND they're a bit under $1k. 

There are several different ways of spending $5-7K for turntables (including plinth, tonearm, cartridge, headshell, tonearm cable, phono preamp).
The easiest way is to buy one as a whole package. There are cons and pros of buying the whole or separates, and buying used or new. If you are not that knowledgeable on analog systems in general and not quite techy, I would recommend you to buy a new turntable from a local store that comes with everything (except phono preamp). If I were you, I would buy something like Technics 1200GR ($1600), Rega P6 ($1600) or Clearaudio Concept with Satisfy tonearm ($2000) and spend extra $500~1000 for a new MM cartridge. And $1000 ~ $2000 for a new phono preamp. Then, spend the rest for buying albums and an ultrasonic record cleaner. 

After a few years, you might feel an urge to try different, then you might think of buying vintages (like Technics, Denon, Thorens, Garrard) and think of mono cartridges or MC cartridges and SUT.

I've owned over ten turntables (which is a modest number for Analog folks), and now I have three, one from each kind -- BD, Idler, DD.
Clearaudio Bluemotion (whole system, bought new).
Garrard 301 with two arms (bought used, all separate).
Denon DP-80 (whole system, bought used).

Again, there are many paths, and there is no one right path.