Garrard 401 Project

[PinkMoon]

Hey everyone,

Just thought i'd give you an update and seek some advice at the same time.

So my Garrard design quest has taken me on a long journey. At first I really wasn't sure and someone I know said "Do you want to buy my old transcriptors hydraulic reference", so I took a break and ended up with that for a month. Well, a month was all it took for me to decide, its one of the best looking things ive seen, but not practical enough for me - so I sold it on and started thinking about the Garrard project.

Originally I wanted 401, but soon i felt myself being drawn to the 301 and decided RIGHT, this is it. I watched Ebay like a hawk and saw models come and go, but one thing I had in the back of my mind was, whatever I get - it will need a service.
That when I saw what Audio Grail do to Garrards, if you don't know check out what Matt can do, its siomply amazing, plus he is a TOP bloke. I must have spent over 3 hours on the phone to him. Anyway, 2 weeks later and im staring at a fresh out of the box Garrard 301, which is in new condition. Matt, being the top chap he is also sold me a nice 3012 series 2.

That got me thinking, so I decided to send the 3012 to Johnnie at audio origami to have it cardas wired, new phonos coming out vertically not horizontally and have the new leads soldered on for better connection. (don't worry, I made sure that any changes could be reversed and go unnoticed) - the guy is a legend and amazing with tonearms.

That took me up to the plinth decision, and thats where I found Russ Collison. I have decided on a solid layered cherry wood plinth that I have designed, and am going to user RollerBlock Jr's as feet. - http://www.symposiumusa.com/rbjr.html - The chaps at Coolgales rated this design and it seems to make sense.

That just left the cartridge, and I decided look, why mess about - so I brought the Ortofon Cadenza Black and also the Mystic Mat.

So hear I am, currently waiting 2 weeks to get the plinth and I start putting it all together, which is the part that worries me. Do you chaps have a guide - I mean, I need to get the cartridge set up, aligned and weighed?

Im excited but also dubious of doing this myself

Any suggestions would be really helpful, and thanks for your help previously.

 

[gortnipper]

Hey PM - there are alingment protractors available on Vinyl Engine for the 3012 - http://www.vinylengine.com/library/sme/3012.shtml.

I have heard good things about the Mint Best Tractor as it is custom made for a deck and arm combo - but you would need to buy that one - http://mintlp.com/best.htm#spot

I have rollerblock jr's on my 401 - they work a treat.

Have fun.

 

[krenzler]

IF you decide on a MintLP protractor please read this SME specific article first:

http://www.mintlp.com/best/sme tonearms.htm

A cartridge like Cadenza Black will be relatively easy to align visually because of its freely exposed (and relatively long) cantilever.

 

[effinity]

My 401 with 12in Thomas Schick tonearm & Koetsu Rosewood Signature & Koetsu headshell, in layered cherrywood plinth (a shindo copy) with cherrywood veneer and lacquered finish .. can put you in touch with the bloke who made this if you like. Superb job.

http://ubchgq.bay.livefilestore.com...IuKyIjDM_wsFUhNQRTS0ArMXf08fdl3C/Img_3616.jpg

Sounds as good as it looks. Oh I also added the Kokomo bearing kit, and it was superbly set up for me by John at the guildford audio.

Well, that does look nice! Still got it? (seems to be a DV cart in photo rather than Koetsu)
I'm just in the throes of sending off a Koetsu Rosewood Red K Sig to the maker for a refurb and it got me to thinking about a higher mass arm, in preference to my early 3009 non improved, to go with said cartridge on my CTC serviced Garrard 401. The t/t is currently in a HNE slate/wood plinth which is ok but an awkward shape being deeper than wide. Ray at CTC also inferred sound improvements would be forthcoming with a change of plinth.

Was your plinth made by Russ C or? The 12" T.Schick arm looks v.interesting too, such a shame I didn't latch on last year before brexit portcullis came down.
Cheers, Steve

 

[montesquieu]

Bit of a thread resurrection - 11 years! I still like a 401 ... I've had two subsequent ones since then - incidentally the deck to the right of the photo is a Townshend Rock Reference, I ran both together for a bit around then, before selling both to get a Voyd The Voyd ... but nowadays prefer a TD124 to all of them especially with the tweaks than mine has now.

Incidentally you can still buy a Schick arm if you want one from Coolgales in Bath, they are still being imported.

My current TD124:

Permali core plinth by Russ C wrapped in solid sapele (with permali armboards) , Schopper heavy main platter and bearing, Retrotone milled alloy solid top platter, Hanze motor spring kit, motor rebuilt by Martin Bastin, Longdog Audio regenerating PSU, Glanz MH-104S and MH-124S 10 and 12in tonearms, Townshend Seismic Pods ... it's about as quiet as an idler can get. Cartridges shown are MySonicLab Hyper Eminent stereo and Eminent Solo mono.

 

[effinity]

11 yrs yeah but you’ve not lost your enthusiasm for the eclectic analogue journey.

Very interesting references you’ve provided there thanks. Especially the Coolgales referral, another wonderful rabbit hole with Schick and Schroeder! Didn’t see that coming, had a DPS t/t over ten yrs ago and longed for a Schroeder arm.

Great photos, the plinth sets everything off.

 

[Tony L]

Amazing how fast time flies! Prompted by my pics on the preceding page I just checked my old 301 thread and it started in 2008, so I’ve been back with idler decks for 13 years now! It doesn’t feel that long!

My deck these days being a painstakingly restored TD-124/II, a project that started almost ten years ago now (Dec 2011 according to its own thread). Current spec: original Thorens heavy green iron sub-platter, Swissonor top-platter, Schopper main bearing, every sintered bushing replaced with Audio Silente equivalents, Hanze motor springs and belt, Audio Silente rubber ‘mushrooms’, Stereo Lab plinth, Schopper armboard, late-60s SME 3009, Nagaoka MP-500. It looks totally stock but is ‘race tuned’ to a degree due more to necessity than choice, i.e. I replaced anything that was less than perfect with the best I could find. It has been a fun project, if frustrating at times. As ever I learned the best way to approach these things is to learn how to do everything properly myself! I came to that conclusion way back in my Linn days. Never thought I’d get to the level of replacing bearing bushings etc though.

It has had quite a lot of use now since the rebuild and seems to have settled down very nicely indeed, I guess all the new bushings etc bedding in. It is behaving itself very well. My build is the polar opposite in some ways to @montesquieu above in that, iron platter aside, it is very lightweight/low mass for a TD-124. The Stereo Lab plinth weighs next to nothing, just a nicely bent and finished thin ply construction, i.e. it is totally hollow.

I think I’m done now, though I must register a passing curiosity with regards the Retrotone top platter. I’d rather like to try one of those. It would obviously be perfectly flat and the slight additional height would I suspect reduce the iron platter’s magnetic pull for MCs quite noticeably.