My new baby...
...soon to arrive at Gromit Towers, after which there'll be loads of photos/drivel to bore you all to tears with. 
Here it is - a nice & clean 401...
Haven't been this excited about getting a bit of hifi for a long, long time. As a mid teenager, I had a girlfriend whose dad had one of these, and I've wanted a Garrard ever since.
Here it is - a nice & clean 401...
Haven't been this excited about getting a bit of hifi for a long, long time. As a mid teenager, I had a girlfriend whose dad had one of these, and I've wanted a Garrard ever since.
Comments
Looks a good tidy example.
Happy days
4 weeks and 3 days old right now.
Mechanically it's obviously an unkown, but from many years of buying/mending/servicing/fixing old motorcycles, if something this old is as clean cosmetically, it often bodes well for the health of its innards. Saying that, mechanical stuff is usually easier to service/replace than getting someone to re-juvinate badly worn/damaged exteriors.
I'm going for Russ's Plinth 10 btw, but for a 9" arm - don't really have the shelf room for a 12" arm plinth, sadly.
I really hope you get it all sorted for Scalford mate - looking forward to seeing and hearing.
Will you be flogging the '71 and the '150?
The 401 will start with the re-wired 3009, but after a while I'll be thinking about moving that on possibly - would love to hear a good unipivot on it as I'm a big fan of them. Will get a detachable armboard made up.
Plinth now ordered aswell so now it's the long wait!
Has long has Russ said it will take?
See you and the 401 at Scalford
Things are at last looking up in the turntable dept .
Will the 150 stay armless for now or do you have another?
Sorry, so many questions!
Another option (which does open up more cartridge choices) is to fit the PL71's arm onto the 401 - this then means a Decca comes onto the radar as I know it works a treat in that arm. It would simply mean a small armboard could be screwed down over the SME mounting slot (probably using the 4 SME mounting screws) and there's then the choice of arm-swapping every now and then.
Don't really want to start putting 2 arms onto the deck, not necessary anyway with removable headshells. I WILL though be investing in a mono/78 cartridge as my dad has loads of 78's sat at home. Then the fun really starts!
Dom
Sorry for the plug guys
Dom
I've got an M75, it's surprisingly good for it's age.
One thing re the earthing. The electrical connections for the motor are simple enough and there's an earth point for the 3 core mains cable. Steve (Mozza) has run another earth from the motor assembly to the phono earth, to good effect. If he's about and reads this he may elaborate further.
Don't worry Dom. We have no problem with anyone trying to make an honest quid or two - you carry one mate
I will be producing a very tasty solid slate idler turntable and 12" unipivot very soon, as well as doing the turntable/tonearm restoration work.
Dom
I've got to make up a mains lead for the 401 anyway as the previous owner removed it from the terminal block. No problem - guess he may have used a short lead to an IEC socket on the plinth, which is what I may end up doing.
There is also a yellow lead with a ring terminal, screwed at one end to the 401's chassis, but is 'flying' at the moment; I guess this goes to the earth lead in the mains cable. or to the pre-amp earth? I'll probably screw an earthing bolt through the back of the plinth - washered on both sides so that any internal earth leads (from the deck & arm) can be bolted to, then externally an earth lead will then go on to the amp. This is pretty much the set-up on the PL71 and works well.
I'll PM you Dom.
Sounds right to me. I wish I'd had an IEC socket fitted, I just went with a flying lead. Can't fit one now, cutting a big hole in the Torlyte would shatter it
Good idea re the earthing terminal on the back.
Richard, I don't know what you paid for your 401 but I spotted at least 4 this morning, some early and some late. mone of them in particularly good nick and none less than £500. Also saw a 301 that looked very tatty and was up for £750 - which is daft - and it was still there 5 hours later when I left.
Of course with mine, I won't know how well it's working until I've got it sat in its new plinth but even if I have to throw as much again at it to get it working spot-on I will still have got a good buy, certainly compared to what's avialable new today.
Also saw at least 10 Thorens TTs this morning. Mainly 160s, one 150 in really tatty nick and one 134 - never seen one in the flesh before.
.
Interesting Jim. My 401 off ebay looks good value at £345. Bit dusty but a good clean and it looks ok. Yet to power it up but seller said it worked fine. Selling the G88 to fund the 401 project btw.
http://www.perfectsound.co.uk/index.php/garrard-parts/garrard-401
Might be of use to some of us I reckon.
He's a bit nippy then! Did you mention you were doing Scalford?
Photos, we want photos!
Will get the 401 up and running and depending on how it's sounding (it may need a bit of a service/clean up) I'll take it along to the show.
Just got the 3009 back from Johnnie at Audio Origami and it's sounding superb now - full Cardas re-wire, bearing adjust, new stub de-coupling and the cueing pot replenished and it's working beautifully. Will take some pics over the next couple of days as I put it all together.
What cart is going on the 3009 to begin with? It sounds very tasty now after the J7 treatment.
Just need the blasted courier to turn up with my plinth now!!
Anyway...news just in...
That was quick work mate.
Looks very, very nice.
And the sound?