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Garrard 301 plinth design

Tony L said:
There is certainly a negative aspect here too: There is now a huge gulf between the good, the average, and the bad. Far greater than I’ve ever had before. I’m really finding a lottery effect in playing records: some stuff sounds utterly stunning.
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I'm not sure that's a result of the 301 as I don't notice that effect at all. I suspect that valves and Tannoys simply suit some types of music/recordings much better than others, and that skews the results.

Personally I've never wanted a system that doesn't do a good all round job. Alex S's valve/LV system was stunning with acoustic, jazz and classical stuff, but lacking elsewhere. That's fine if that's the kind of music you want to listen too, but it also tends to become self-fulfilling.
 
FWIW none of the stuff I've written should be seen as a review, it's not at all - it's more a blog of where things are now / my feelings on it. Another factor that needs to be pointed out is that I've spent the last 3 months living in a tiny little two up / two down terrace with an iPod, a fairly cheap Marantz amp and my Heresys (which turn their nose up at both the former), i.e. returning to a genuinely revealing and full-range audio system in a much larger room is a bit of a culture shock. The iPod / transistor amp / Heresy system really homogenises everything down to it's level - it places music into the room in a nice background way, it's actually very enjoyable, but it's just not in remotely the same league as my main system. A whole different ballpark. The point I'm trying to make is some of this is down to me readjusting!

Tony.

PS The Heresys are actually superb speakers, they are just utterly nobbled by the source & inappropriate amp.
 
Tony
Have you considered putting the heresys in your main system as you have been listening to them previously so you know how they sound, this way you can just evaluate the 301 not a combination of the tannoys and 301.
just a thought
Alan
 
337alant said:
Have you considered putting the heresys in your main system as you have been listening to them previously so you know how they sound, this way you can just evaluate the 301 not a combination of the tannoys and 301.
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It wouldn't really tell me anything as I've never heard the Garrard through them before, i.e. trying to assess the slate vs. wood plinth would be even less possible than it is proving now.

I'm actually very happy with the deck. It is doing pretty much what I expected it to, and it is important to remember that this is the very first build of what is really a bespoke / one-off design - there is a whole raft of unknowns that can later be experimented with e.g. rubber washers vs. no washers, different feet, Kokomo bearing etc etc.

John's Virtual Bake-Off thread in the audio room is interesting too. I realise there are more variables in play here than one could shake a stick at (vinyl pressings, phono stages, computers etc etc), plus all soundfiles lose a fair amount of quality compared to the live source, but even so I don't get the impression that this 301 is disgracing itself in the company of some very expensive and well set up decks. I'm very happy with that for a first attempt. I think a slightly 'dark and weighty' character may be emerging compared to the Linns, but that is largely to be expected. The 301 seems to be known not to be a bright / forward deck, though I understand the Kokomo brings the top end out a little should I want too later (it doesn't sound 'dull' in room now, so not an issue).

I shall get used to it for a while, then maybe have a tweak or two!

Tony.
 
This really works


Garrard301WithPlinth
 
Wow, that's stunning! Oswald Mills Audio slate with a FR66S. Bet it weighs a bit too - mine is heavy enough and it's tiny by comparison!

Tony.
 
Stuart,
Yes the burgundy one is a kind of clone I guess. Up for grabs as I don't use any more, so offers are welcomed.

The latest one is from Oswald Mills, great but expensive,kind of last step I guess (how many times have I said that with audio?).

Tim
 
I have just built myself a solid cherry plinth with reducing motor appature stained in deep mahogany with 15 layers of varnish.

This looks very much like a shindo plinth

I may be persuaded to make another if anyone interested
 
I’ll bounce this ancient thread rather than start a new one…

53583607035_e452ca5888_b.jpg


I’m currently servicing a friend’s 301 that has sat unused and uncovered for decades. He bought it back in the very early ‘80s in a junk shop for £50 and has never used it despite my suggesting it is likely better than his LP12 (he has my old one with Zeta). Finally it is getting a scrub up and will likely end up in a different plinth with the Zeta.

The 301 is in very nice condition, no Dustbug mark, just a few chips around the screw holes. A nice honest example. The 3009 (my restoration fee!) is a bit of a basket case, but has some usable parts.

Anyway, that is all pretty boring, its just a 301, it’s getting a good clean-up and some oil. Not a major restoration, e.g. I’m being very, very cautious of the cadmium linkage etc which won’t be getting replated. I’m barely touching that, and then only with gloves on. Thankfully everything moves freely and the rubber parts are in amazing shape, superb condition idler (some Rubber Renew brought it right back) and the mat is the best I’ve ever seen, no cracking at all and really supple.

The thing that is interesting is this:

53583484934_701cc3b249_b.jpg


It is obviously an extra magnet to apply additional drag to the eddy-brake, but I’ve never seen one before. Anyone know anything about it, e.g. was it an official Garrard tweak, or a third-party mod? Maybe even DIY, but it seems too well done to my eyes. Certainly interesting and depending on how the deck runs I may well keep it there.
 
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I can't comment on whether it's an official tweak...I can only say that I've done something similar in that I added some neodymium magnets as the original magnet seemed weak. I can now run the correct speed at close to zero adjustment whereas it had been at one extreme.
 
53583154917_cb8c4f6d12_b.jpg


I was a coward when I owned a 301, so I got Lorricraft to service it. That meant I never got to see first hand what an amazing thing this motor is! Amazing build quality, a whole next level to the E50 in the TD-124. This one is in great condition. It wasn’t full of tar, rotor is really nice etc. I’m not doing anything more than a basic clean and re-lube, it doesn’t need anything else. It’s actually back together again now, though I’ve not fired it up yet. This is going to be a beautiful 301 when it is complete.
 
It's definitely a good idea to "bounce an ancient thread" rather to start a new one because you have all the information in one file so to speak rather than scattered all over the place.

I spent well over three hours yesterday reading every sentence in this thread and I did not realise what I once knew and how much I had forgotten.

By sheer coincidence I recently spoke to a friend who is married to a former Senior Buyer at Garrard who was once a mine of information on anything Garrard. Unfortunately he is now hitting 90 and is deteriorating and spends most of his time sleeping so all that knowledge is soon going to be gone.

The good thing is that we now have a micro industry of small firms who have the knowledge to maintain these TTs and this is going to help their survival.

My 401 is housed in a Loricraft plinth with 4 squash balls to help with the suspension and they do mishape after a while and this causes the plinth to go off level and the sound goes off as a result. 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.

Thus I think the good news is that it now easier to maintain these machines and well done to everyone involved.
 
Tony L said:
53583154917_cb8c4f6d12_b.jpg


I was a coward when I owned a 301, so I got Lorricraft to service it. That meant I never got to see first hand what an amazing thing this motor is! Amazing build quality, a whole next level to the E50 in the TD-124. This one is in great condition. It wasn’t full of tar, rotor is really nice etc. I’m not doing anything more than a basic clean and re-lube, it doesn’t need anything else. It’s actually back together again now, though I’ve not fired it up yet. This is going to be a beautiful 301 when it is complete.
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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.

There now seems to be a lot more help and information available so DIY is now a viable proposition.
 
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