advertisement


Garrard 401 and SME 3009 tone arm

J

justshoemark

pfm Member
hi all pick one of these up the other day for 600 witch i thought was a good drill.
looking for some help really.
the sme arm is missing a nut that claps it and down the little tracking weight just wondering the best place to buy these from.
all so the plinth it is need needs some attention.
it is supposed to by spung but it is missing to of the springs on one side. just wondering the best place to look for these as well.
i will post some pics up.
many thanks
 
IMG-20240515-211339153.jpg
 
They are known as 'Acorn Nuts', and originals are occasionally listed on 'e-pay'.

"SME TONEARMS" in Ontario (Canada) supply N.O.S. parts for SME

SME 3009 / 3012 Acorn Nuts [Acorn Nuts] - $30.00 : SME Tonearms, SME 3009 Turntable Parts Templates & Manuals

SME Tonearms SME 3009 / 3012 Acorn Nuts [Acorn Nuts] - A Genuine (NOS) SME 3009 / 3012 Acorn Nut These SME Acorn Nuts are suitable for all SME 3009 / 3012 Tonearms. Another highly misplaced part. Thank God we have them in stock. Please Note - These nuts are individually priced. They are not sold...
www.smetonearms.com

"Audiosilente" in Rome (Italy) manufacture replacements
www.audiosilente.com

SME inox Acorn nuts+fixing screws

This is a complete set of 2 screws + 2 knobs made of stainless steel for SME 3009 and 3012. The knobs are very similar to the original parts. The cut does not match exactly the original drawing. Made in Italy by Audiosilente. New inox steel 4.5 gram weight for SME III tonearms. Just like the...
www.audiosilente.com www.audiosilente.com

I have purchased parts from both, directly from "Audiosilente" (Lenco parts) pror to 'brexit', and via 'e-pay' from "SME Tonearms" (SME parts).

Regards
Mike K.
 
Thanks for the links I will take a look.
Any idea what to do with the plinth. Is it easy to get a new springs or would it be better if a new plinth.
 
It's difficult for me to say anything about your plinth, given that I've never personally seen a 401 mounted on springs.
My 401 is 'bolted' onto a 'motor board' which sits on four sorbothene spheres.
Regards
Mike K.
 
Looks like it has a sprung base board - plinth as opposed to a sprung plinth - chassis (took me a few seconds to see what’s going on in the pic!). I have seen decks from that era were completely solid and some that were sprung but it’s been years.
Not sure who made plinths back in the day, if they were available from Garrard or after market. It’s possible someone will remember!

It’s worth a tel call to SME, back in the day they sent me a couple of bits FOC (Allen key and something else!) but that was decades ago and ownership has changed. Also prices will undoubtedly have increased, alternatively you’ll get something on the bay, check there for springs as well!
 
I still have the sme plinth that came with my 401...never used it as i had a new plinth made. It came with two different sets of springy boingy things, not sure if one set was used or both together. I gues the OP is looking for these springs?

ibb.co

IMG-3788 hosted at ImgBB

Image IMG-3788 in Icemonkey's images album
ibb.co ibb.co
ibb.co

IMG-3789 hosted at ImgBB

Image IMG-3789 in Icemonkey's images album
ibb.co ibb.co
ibb.co

IMG-3790 hosted at ImgBB

Image IMG-3790 in Icemonkey's images album
ibb.co ibb.co
ibb.co

IMG-3791 hosted at ImgBB

Image IMG-3791 in Icemonkey's images album
ibb.co ibb.co
 
I’ve always liked the look of those old SME plinths, classic ‘mid-century modern’. If I still had a 301 I’d be very tempted to try and convert one internally to something sonically better without altering the looks. I’d have thought one could emulate a Loricraft style hefty ply top-plate on squash balls construction whilst retaining the outer shell and overall aesthetic.
 
mjkelshaw said:
They are known as 'Acorn Nuts', and originals are occasionally listed on 'e-pay'.

"SME TONEARMS" in Ontario (Canada) supply N.O.S. parts for SME

SME 3009 / 3012 Acorn Nuts [Acorn Nuts] - $30.00 : SME Tonearms, SME 3009 Turntable Parts Templates & Manuals

SME Tonearms SME 3009 / 3012 Acorn Nuts [Acorn Nuts] - A Genuine (NOS) SME 3009 / 3012 Acorn Nut These SME Acorn Nuts are suitable for all SME 3009 / 3012 Tonearms. Another highly misplaced part. Thank God we have them in stock. Please Note - These nuts are individually priced. They are not sold...
www.smetonearms.com

"Audiosilente" in Rome (Italy) manufacture replacements
www.audiosilente.com

SME inox Acorn nuts+fixing screws

This is a complete set of 2 screws + 2 knobs made of stainless steel for SME 3009 and 3012. The knobs are very similar to the original parts. The cut does not match exactly the original drawing. Made in Italy by Audiosilente. New inox steel 4.5 gram weight for SME III tonearms. Just like the...
www.audiosilente.com www.audiosilente.com

I have purchased parts from both, directly from "Audiosilente" (Lenco parts) pror to 'brexit', and via 'e-pay' from "SME Tonearms" (SME parts).

Regards
Mike K.
Click to expand...
I can highly recommend Audiosilente. Simone is super helpful and has even customised parts to suit. As suggested above, deal directly by email rather than ebay.
 
The SME 2000 plinth system was HUGE in its day. Of course, now, slate and laminated wood monsters are the order of the day so it might fit into the 21st century aesthetic.
 
sktn77a said:
The SME 2000 plinth system was HUGE in its day. Of course, now, slate and laminated wood monsters are the order of the day so it might fit into the 21st century aesthetic.
Click to expand...

Looked exactly right on a long low Ercol or G-Plan mid-century modern teak sideboards or those very cool modernist 60s-70s wood and metal rack shelving systems (someone here has one) that I can’t remember the name of. With a Quad 33/FM3 and Revox A77 nearby, obviously.
 
Thanks for the replies. Still not Shure what to do with the plinth. Could put a MDF bottom or think ply bottom and think ply top plate for the 401 to sit in and keep the surround. Is it best to isolate the top plate or just have some big isolation feet on the bottom.
Haven't found bits for tone arm yet either.
 
sktn77a said:
The SME 2000 plinth system was HUGE in its day. Of course, now, slate and laminated wood monsters are the order of the day so it might fit into the 21st century aesthetic.
Click to expand...
Well, the SME is physically quite 'large' :) - but was popular because of the alternative 'motor boards' which were available to suit the various Thorens, Garrard, and perhaps also the Goldring 'tables of the time.
However, I have read that the actual 'suspension / levelling system wasn't that good, and I believe that at least one member on PFM has removed the suspension and substituted a 'slate' motor board which gave better results.
Regards
Mike K.
 
I don’t think the SME plinth system is overly big…it’s the lid/dust cover that gives it that humungous look (height wise).

Alternatively, you could plonk it into a more modern mid-century looking birch plywood plinth like the one I had made for me, more or less the same footprint, the 401 performed superbly in it.

IMG-1413-3.jpg


IMG-1421-3.jpg
 
Last edited:
That certainly looks like a very competently made plinth.
I'm using mine in the plinth that Loricraft supplied with it, however, after having to change the 'squash balls' several times in a relatively short period, I changed to the 'sorbothene' alternative, which are still in place, and have maintained their original 'spherical' shape.
Regards
Mike K.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top