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Garrard 301 plinth design

Mick P said:
No you weren't a coward, you simply had the common sense to be cautious and not bugger it up during a time period when it would have been a major project to put things right.
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I went with Lorricraft for two reasons; my 301 had a Dustbug mark so needed a respray, and I wanted the cadmium linkages acid-bathing and re-plating. Both those processes are beyond my skillset.

Servicing the deck is absolutely no issue. I’m obviously very wary of the cadmium-plated linkages; wearing medical gloves, not brushing or attempting clean it at all, but everything else is easy enough. Thankfully it is all in nice condition and everything works smoothly. It will be a very nice 301.
 
The motor is all back in and running very smoothly indeed, though it won’t turn off! Looks like the switch suppression cap is shorted. I’ve ordered a new one from Classic. I was in two minds whether to change it anyway as it was bound to be tired. That decision has now been made!
 
Tony L said:
Servicing the deck is absolutely no issue. I’m obviously very wary of the cadmium-plated linkages; wearing medical gloves, not brushing or attempting clean it at all,
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I wouldn't worry excessively about the cadmium plating. It is stable and the oxide coating in particular is stable, hence its use as a plating material. You can handle it with bare hands just as you can lead. Don't abrade it or generate dusts and obviously wash your hands after handling it and especially before eating and drinking. But these are just normal good hygiene practices. Yes, the stuff is toxic, it's also carcinogenic, but it's not plutonium. It occurs in nature, vegetables absorb it from soil and you and I ingest it in microscopic quantities every day before excreting it in the usual bodily wastes. Skin absorption is negligible. Your additional exposure from handling a Cd plated piece of steel is minuscule, provided you follow usual good practice. Don't lick lead shot, don't lick cadmium plated steel. Choose to ignore the fact that mercury amalgam fillings, of which I have a mouthful, gradually release mercury, especially when they are new or when there has to be any dental maintenance and they are distrubed.
 
Just flung the platter on and checked the speed and the additional magnet seems to be there with good reason. With it positioned as the picture upthread I get a nice solid 33rpm with the normal speed control centred. I’ll leave it be. I’m in a high voltage area so I’ll check it again once back with its owner, which will likely be a month or two. Bar the capacitor replacement that’s hopefully it done.
 
I'm not sure if Martin Bastin has been mentioned in the thread (reading it all is on my list). I'm absolutely thrilled to have finally got my 401 serviced and put in a brand new plinth along with my rebuilt (to 12") 3009 S2.

Martin had been recommended to me for the deck rebuild and I made contact by telephone (Martin does not use email or have a website!) He told me about his MaxPlank (Planck) plinth and how it worked. I've always been attracted to stacked ply plinths and think they are rather beautiful. Martin takes this steps ahead with a series of internal channels to help dissipare motor noise, plus bracing for the deck including bearing suspension (wish I had internal photos but dare not disassemble it! The result is extraordinary imv - a thing of beauty, and devoid of rumble or any perceptible mechanical noise in the audible signal.

It is every bit the match of my Technics GR with the same cart. In addition I think it is beautiful (I love to look at it). I will leave notions of tunefulness and PRaT to those who profess to understand these things. Suffice to say, it sounds fabulous to my cloth ears.

Martin is now elderly (he retired as a GP decades ago), so might not be much of a stretch to say there cannot be very many more of these wonderful plinths to come. If you want one...don't leave it too long.

I bought the Garrard and SME around a decade ago and if I add what they cost me to that of the full service, new plinth and assembly, I reckon it comes to about the same price as a certain TT's latest incremental improvement. Just saying.

 
Mick P said:
A couple of years ago I bought some sorbothane semi-spheres from Peak Audio to replace the squash balls and they helped to improve the sound by a marginal degree. Also they are reputed to last a lot longer.
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Yes agree the peak audio sorbothane spheres are a better solution than squash balls as the top plate no longer sags at the heavier rear left and they also helped the sound too.
 
For my recently acquired 301, a buddy who excels at woodwork built this plinth for it. I really like it.

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New capacitor fitted and everything working as it should. I’m in a very high voltage area and even with the extra magnet need a little twist of the fine-speed control to the minus to hit 33.3 bang on. I suspect it will be pretty much bang on in a more typical mains area. Wow and flutter seems fine at 0.06% RMS according to the phone app (and that’s fairly cold, I’d expect it to get better) and it seems nice and quiet. Job done! Looking forward to hearing it when it eventually gets built into a plinth with a Zeta.
 
This morning I decided that I fancied listening to some Spanish guitar music and pulled out a LP of Joaquín Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez.

I have become a bit radio addict lately and I suspect that I haven't played the 401 for a few months bearing in mind I spent the whole of January in Spain.

I placed the record on the TT, clicked the starter switch and within 5 seconds it was turning at a precise 33.3333333333333333333 RPM. It was totally spot on and stayed spot on and the music was sublime.

One has to admit, Garrard certainly knew how to make turntables. I am now back into vinyl again.
 
Tony L said:
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New capacitor fitted and everything working as it should. I’m in a very high voltage area and even with the extra magnet need a little twist of the fine-speed control to the minus to hit 33.3 bang on. I suspect it will be pretty much bang on in a more typical mains area. Wow and flutter seems fine at 0.06% RMS according to the phone app (and that’s fairly cold, I’d expect it to get better) and it seems nice and quiet. Job done! Looking forward to hearing it when it eventually gets built into a plinth with a Zeta.
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they reckon tins of baked beans are the best.
 
Tarzan said:
Branston or Heinz?
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Bramwells from Aldi.

Brings back memories, the first tape machine I played with as a teenager (EMI TR50) was supported by 4 pairs of paint tins as the frame and case were missing - worked fine, excellent accessibility for service.
 
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