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Garrard 401

johnhunt

johnhunt

pfm Member
A couple of years ago I bought a 401/pu7. I’ve been tarting it up ever since . Long dog psu - nice box but I’d have unplumb it to gauge what difference if any it made. Copper mat off eBay . Looks great . Had to faff around with the VTA to fit it . Less static possibly, maybe speed more stable. Platter damping rings . They were just a tenner.

SP SPH bearing from a maker found via a 401 Facebook group. Amazing thing . One of those rare omg hifi moments when I first listened. Still providing same thrill . Easy to fit too and not expensive, cheap in high fi terms actually

anybody else got 401 fettles they’d like to share?
 
I don't wish to cast a damper but the Engineers at Garrard really knew what they were doing and there's little room for improvement. My view is to have it maintained by experts and leave it as is.

Bit boring but it keeps everything original and me happy.
 
My advice with all these classic decks is to do nothing that is not easily and fully reversed out.
There are no experts, everyone who designed them is long dead or retired, so learning and sharing knowledge is essential to their long-term future.

PS The one thing I would never recommend is any third-party solution that replaces the main-bearing thrust-pad with a ball as they all seem to damage the now irreplaceable spindle-shaft. Replacing the whole bearing with a third-party unit is absolutely fine, just keep the original safe for a future user who will likely want it. It arguably preserves the original as it will see no wear. One role with classic audio is curator/custodian. These are important historical artefacts that need preservation for future generations. Some of the finest and most iconic turntables ever made. Do no butchery!
 
Tony L said:
My advice with all these classic decks is to do nothing that is not easily and fully reversed out.
There are no experts, everyone who designed them is long dead or retired, so learning and sharing knowledge is essential to their long-term future.

PS The one thing I would never recommend is any third-party solution that replaces the main-bearing thrust-pad with a ball as they all seem to damage the now irreplaceable spindle-shaft. Replacing the whole bearing with a third-party unit is absolutely fine, just keep the original safe for a future user who will likely want it. It arguably preserves the original as it will see no wear. One role with classic audio is curator/custodian. These are important historical artefacts that need preservation for future generations. Some of the finest and most iconic turntables ever made. Do no butchery!
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Matt at Audio Grail certainly seems to know his stuff.
 
idlewithnodrive said:
Matt at Audio Grail certainly seems to know his stuff.
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There are a lot of self-taught folk who have set up often very high-end businesses refurbishing Garrards, 124s etc. It has turned into a real boutique landscape. The important thing to remember is not one of them is Garrard or Thorens trained, none were involved in the design or manufacture of these decks. Some of them remind me of the people who stripped-down and refinished what would otherwise now be priceless Strats and Les Pauls in the 1970s with thick poly finishes and rewound pickups etc.

I’m not knocking anyone specific, though in some quarters there is IMHO a lot of FUD and bad advice changing hands for surprisingly high prices. I believe in very sympathetic mechanical and electrical restoration, and that is well within the ability of a well informed end-user. All this classic audio kit is widely documented in the public domain now. We need no mystics, gurus etc. In most cases dismantling, thoroughly cleaning and re-lubing according to the manufacturer’s original spec gets you 95% of the way there.

PS Again none of this is aimed at Matt/AG, he does good work, it is a general criticism of the high-end boutique market.
 
I've a 301 and a 401, tried many bearings, always gone back to the original. Idler wheels are the same, tried several and also gone back to the original. I would say that the only thing that a Garrard would benefit from is a clean, stable power supply.
 
Same with the 124. I’ve spent the last few years removing expensive boutique parts from mine. The only major non-standard part in mine now is the RetroTone upper platter, which is superb IMO (I’ve still got its original one just for completeness). That one is worth the money. Other than that just a blue belt and a set of motor isolation springs. The rest is absolutely stock or gentle like-for-like restoration (wiring, the odd bushing etc). It is done! Nothing more than oil needed now and maybe a replacement belt now and again. I’ll hopefully own it for the rest of my life.
 
I'm the lucky custodian of serial number 1205, bought it late 2019 in its original, ginormous plinth. The only thing I've done is rehouse it in a smaller heavier plinth of similar external design, beyond oiling it and changing the strobe bulb when required I plan to leave well alone.

As purchased.
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Replinthed with OL Conquerer 3C.
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With current R200
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I've got it in my mind to bring mine back to life. I have a plinth and 12" SME arm (modified with new arm tube). It's not run much at all since I bought it. I'm just in trepidation about disassembling the motor to clean and lubricate both ends. Is this strictly necessary if it turns out to run quietly or...is there somewhere a really good diagram or video of what to do?
 
Nic Robinson said:
I've got it in my mind to bring mine back to life. I have a plinth and 12" SME arm (modified with new arm tube). It's not run much at all since I bought it. I'm just in trepidation about disassembling the motor to clean and lubricate both ends. Is this strictly necessary if it turns out to run quietly or...is there somewhere a really good diagram or video of what to do?
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There should be some step by step guide on the net, or you can whip it out and send it to Ray at CTC for a rebuild, if the sintered bearings look good then just reoil the felts and leave them alone, if not remove them and boil them in 30W compressor oil to recharge them.
 
wd40addict said:
What was the motivation for swapping the conqueror for the R200?
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The Bardo that the Conquerer was on, was trapped in Germany during Lock down 2 after It developed a scrooping noise and I'd sent it back for repair. With the 401 temporarily doing main system duties I swapped out the RB250 that was on it.
When the Bardo came back I decided to harvest the R200 from an early Planar 3 so I could play with vintage (80s) carts and sold the P3 with the 250 on it.
 
As an addendum to the above, once the Wam show is over (exhibiting with the 401/200) I will be looking to rehouse it in a much smaller but similar design plinth with a BNIB bronze Jelco 750D.
As to the why I'm going to rehouse it, well as good as I think it looks in its current plinth, at 450 x 450 I only have 3 mm clearance between it and the wall, and that's with using a 90° Bulgin plug and pulling the granite it sits on forward.
 
Maybe a silly question, but how do you feel the conqueror compares to the R200 having used both on the same deck?
 
wd40addict said:
Maybe a silly question, but how do you feel the conqueror compares to the R200 having used both on the same deck?
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As expected the C walked all over the 200, having said that the 200 did not disgrace itself on a £ for £ basis. I much prefer it the the RB250 especially after it had been off to The Vinyl Source for a service, rewire, and new bias belt.
It plays nicely with a range of 80s carts: P77 Mg, EEI MCP555, OC5 and I never felt I was slumming it when using it with the mainly 70s - early 90s kit in my 2nd system. Though once the 401 is rehoused with the Jelco I will look at moving it on.
 
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