Turntable suggestions for a newbie

OP: I bought LPs and cassettes back in the day. Between my wife and I, we had quite a lot of LPs, but after moving to Canada from the UK, I started into CDs and left my Garrard deck behind. Then I inherited all my brother's LPs (he was replacing them with LaserDisks and did not want his wife to know...). So nearly twenty years ago I decided to buy a turntable again (it was a Rega Planar 3) and have never looked back.

But what you did not mention is whether you already own any LPs. I'm not sure I'd do it (even from my current perspective, with two turntables, four tonearms and a pile of spare tonearms and cartridges)) if all I had was CDs and SACDs. The digital disks sound nearly as good (after many, many CD players), but I needed to be able to play LPs that were not available on CD. Having started, I now buy on LP as a first choice, and CD if vinyl is not available or is crazy expensive. Should you (or anyone else) start on that road if you don't own any LPs? Hard question!

Japan, where Technics products are nominally manufactured by a large conglomerate is hardly a 3rd world country.  (I say "nominally", because some of their lower end models are apparently now made in Malaysia.) Nor is the UK a 3rd world country, the nominal home of REL. I think what you mean is that you want a TT made in USA.  Then your choices are VPI and SOTA, period. Clearaudio are made in Germany or outsourced to a dreaded 3rd world country.

Also, there are big differences between an older Technics SL1500 and any of the newer G series TTs (SL1200G, GR, GAE, etc), all in favor of any of the latter. Technics have very recently introduced a G2 version, as well.

I literally came across two people this week in their 20s and 30s getting into vinyl without a single album and I gave them all the help I could. 

Maybe vinyl is not dead, after all....

Dogberry,  

I've inherited a bunch of old classical LPs from the 50s and 60s that were my fathers. I'd like to listen to them.   Besides that, I'm 50 yrs old now and finally have some disposable income which I'm choosing to spend on the HiFi hobby because I enjoy it and my wife does too.  Although she won't readily admit to it.  So that's it in a nut shell

I’m shocked that I bought a Technics SL1210G, and even more shocked that I’ve had it for over 3 years and have never thought about upgrading it.  I had VPI Classic 3, Classic 1, Clearaudio Solution and VPI Aries prior to the Technics, man, I  love the Technics, love changing cartridges, and easy to live with