With this money -more or less- and patience you can get a vintage classic like Thorens Td 125/126/145/160 mkii, Rega Planar 3, or even a Technics SL1200 mkii which all are in a different league than current models that cost $1.000-1.200
I agree with the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon recommendation, but you would do better buying from another vendor. Crutchfield, AudioAdvisor and MusicDirect are much better choices with great customer service, without the snooty and arrogant attitude displayed by Needle Doctor's personnel.