New-ish vs classic gear

[Nerfbat]

As someone who has been away from the hi-fi world since the early 90's, quite a bit seems to have changed. In particular some vintage gear that was previously dismissed, now seems very highly regarded which has me in a bit of a dilemma.

I've come into possession of a Garrard 301 /SME 3012 / SPU - GT as well as Gyrodec / Alphason HR100S / MC20 Super and I'm not sure which front end to go with, as I can't afford to keep both. The cost of getting the Garrard / SME serviced and having a plinth made is a lot for me (probably getting on for £2000 including a slate plinth), and I'd be interested to know if members here think it would be worthwhile compared to the Gyro combo (which probably also needs updating as it's an early model).

Is the vintage gear really superior when properly fettled, or is there a certain amount of romance surrounding the performance of this equipment ?

[paskinn]

You could sneak-up on this situation somewhat sideways. As you say, vintage gear is fashionable, and because of that it fetches good prices. My guess, assuming average condition and a mark 11 arm, is that your vintage gear would go for between £1200 and £1500. So you could sell that and spend a few hundred on a new cartridge for the Gyrodeck, which may need nothing but a new belt and a polish. The Alphason is a very good arm indeed. That way you would have at least a £1000 to play with.
If you decide to keep the 301, servicing and a decent plinth will eat up the £600-£700 you might get for the more modern combo. I'm not a big fan of the Garrards, which are inherently noisy so my choice would be for the Michell, which is a lot easier to get the best from.
Mind you, the 3012 is a fabulous arm.......

[NRG]

A slate plinth shouldn't cost too much. I would keep the 301 and Alphason. Download the 301 template and find a stone mason that has a water cutting machine and get one made out of Welsh slate.

[walpurgis]

I would keep the 301 and Alphason.

My thoughts too.

[paskinn]

I find that counter-intuitive; the 301 and 3012 are from the same era and surely belong together. If you go vintage, then go vintage. I think you also need to be pretty clear about just how expensive a good overhaul of a 301 can be . Garrard guys have the enthusiasts tendency to make it all sound easy and cheap. A lot of people have found quite the opposite.

[DSJR]

Lucky OP for acquiring two good vinyl setups.

I find the SPU is an acquired taste, but the arm and deck it's with can be a perfect match for it. The Gyro is two a penny and SME 3012's aren't exactly rare, but the HR100S is one of the all time greats as long as the bearings are looked after and the wiring possibly kept abreast of changes. The MC20 Super is re-tippable and worth it IMO but that's up to you.

There's a discussion on VE about the 301 and 401 and comments have been made that the 301 was better made, but the 401 was the better sounding! I'm not sure about this as the mat difference could explain most of it I reckon, but I believe the 301 motor may well have been potentially better and more resistant to mains fluctuations apparently (I need to scan the article in one of hifi dave's old mags).

Good luck with your eventual decision. maybe keep the Alphason arm and get an SP10 to put it on???????

[Nerfbat]

You could sneak-up on this situation somewhat sideways. As you say, vintage gear is fashionable, and because of that it fetches good prices. My guess, assuming average condition and a mark 11 arm, is that your vintage gear would go for between £1200 and £1500. So you could sell that and spend a few hundred on a new cartridge for the Gyrodeck, which may need nothing but a new belt and a polish. The Alphason is a very good arm indeed. That way you would have at least a £1000 to play with.
If you decide to keep the 301, servicing and a decent plinth will eat up the £600-£700 you might get for the more modern combo. I'm not a big fan of the Garrards, which are inherently noisy so my choice would be for the Michell, which is a lot easier to get the best from.
Mind you, the 3012 is a fabulous arm.......

Thanks for the reply - on inspection it seems the SME 3012 is a mk1 - I gather these aren't that common, but I can't get any idea of what it might be worth in non-serviced condition...

[Barry]

In the past samples of the SME 3012 Mk. I have sold for >£1,000 on eBay.