Best Garrard 301 plinth

[Patrick Dixon]

I have a grease bearing Garrard 301 that I used for a while and then had completely refurbished by CTC about 5 years ago. It's been sitting in it's box ever since.

I would like to fit it in the best plinth I can and use it whilst I can, given that we are all getting older and I can't see me getting any richer in the future.

I have various tonearms I could use including a 12" Nottingham Analogue Ace Anna and a Hadcock 242, but whatever I go with I will probably fit a Decca C4E/SC4E cartridge. So I would prefer something that had tonearm fitting options up to 12", and down to 9" or 10". I don't want two tonearms.

I also have a Thorens TD124/2 and a Sony TTS-8000 (and an EMT 927 that I rarely use), and I would like it to be at least as good as those.

I don't think I want a generic multi-layer wooden plinth, I think I'm looking for something slightly 'more'. Options being/were considered include:

Oswalds Mill cast iron plinth - $16,500 cost rules that out
Martin Bastin - not sure about old school contact approach, what is offered, or whether he's still doing them
Cusworth plinth - not sure if they are still being made, cost around £3.5K last time I enquired
Audio Grail plinth - hard to get hold of them or find out any details. I don't do facebook.

Suggestions and/or thoughts welcome. I think I just want something that works great, looks great and is 'done' at this stage, rather than any DIY or semi-DIY approach.

[Barry]

Probably the best person to speak to is Andrew at Wakefield Turntables. He is very knowledgeable of Garrard 301s, makes his own plinths, and 'fettles' 301s.

He regularly posts here, so why not send him a PM?

[Patrick Dixon]

I could send him a PM, but I figure that the point of a forum is to have a discussion.

[Barry]

I could send him a PM, but I figure that the point of a forum is to have a discussion.

By all means have a discussion. I only suggested you send Andrew a PM, as he might not see your post; he is quite busy with his own business.

Although not directly pertinent to your enquiry, you mention you also have a Thorens TD124/II and an EMT turntable. So do I. The EMT 930 came with a plinth fitted with the appropriate connectors at the rear; the TD124s (of which I have three) have custom made plinths designed by either Jason Choong, or myself. All these decks are designed to be mounted in a console and are fitted with compliant rubber suspension.

The Garrard 301 and 401 decks need to be rigidly mounted to a board which also carries the arm, and this board and/or plinth in turn is decoupled from the surface on which it sits.

[Ali Tait]

From the various plinths I’ve heard Garrards in, slate sounded best to me.

[Wakefield Turntables]

OK. I would first suggest that you need to define what type of plinth you want. Do you want something all rigid and mass or do you something decoupling?

Materials matter. I use bamboo, the latest Audiograil plinths are made from bamboo. You may have to start doing Facebook if you want a Audiograil plinth and have a decent discussion with Matt.

I've heard slate and whilst very good, to my ears not as good as bamboo. I've never heard a Cusworth plinth or even seen one so can't comment. Martin Bastin is still above ground and breathing and produces an amazing birchply plinth which decouples your motor, it will not support two arms unless heavily modified. I own the Bastin plinth and will NEVER sell it. My plinth is a heavy mass bamboo 2 tonearms jobbie which does nothing special and does not decouple the motor, this may be something I might design in at some point in the next decade. :lol: I;m into my second decade of messing around with my 301. I sit all my TT's on Townshend Seismic platforms. These in my opinion are the best option to isolate you TT from unwanted vibration. I would not spend time/money/ on the latest fads, Townshend are expensive but spend once and do it right. There is clear R&D gone into these products, more than can be said for the latest fad from some bloke in a shed.

Shindo plinths are made from Cherry wood, they are expensive and to my ears massively over hyped. The best thing you can do to get your 301 running well is to make sure the motor and idler wheel are sorted. Make sure the bearing in in tip-top condition and most importantly make sure you pay extra special attention to tonearm and cartridge matching. The plinth to some extents is the least of your worries. This little rant probably didn't answer any questions but at least you can see where I've been. Please post any specific question, the whole subject is massive. My advice would also be to read lenco heaven this forum has more plinth designs than anywhere else on the net. You really really need to do your research and learn about the various principles behind plinth design. Good luck

[Patrick Dixon]

Thank you Andrew for your comprehensive reply.

I don't really want to do research and understand the various principles behind plinth design - that's what's got me to 5 years + with the 301 still in the box! I just want to buy a plinth that looks great, is finished and that I can be confident makes the 301 sound great. Then I can just enjoy the damn thing.

I don't want to sign up to facebook when I don't even know the ballpark cost of an a.grail plinth and whether he even sells them. I don't know if anyone here knows the answer? Also is it any good sound-wise (at least I have seen a picture)?

I'm OK with going to Ludlow but I don't know quite know if a Bastin plinth is what I want. I'm not sure if it would need finishing in some way - veneering or similar? I have so many unfinished projects, I don't really want another, so a turnkey solution is favourite.

The Townsend Seismic Sink is good suggestion - I've never tried one, but have heard good reports. The TD124 sits on a Hush platform but apart from being a bit squeaky, I don't know if it makes a positive difference. When I ran the 301 it was in a skeletal style slate plinth, but I never finished it as I originally intended and I don't really want to revisit it ATM. When I used the 301 I built a Nigel Speed Controller for it and that made a massive difference - I mean it was like being in the front row. I'm sure the Decca helps with that too.

The Hadcock/Decca is a good combo and the Anna/Decca too - I currently have one on the Sony an the other on the 124. The 124 is in a multilayer ply plinth and looks neat and great, but the 301 is a much more substantial beast.

The 301 was completely re-furbished by CTC, so I'm trusting that it's in good order.

[Patrick Dixon]

From the various plinths I’ve heard Garrards in, slate sounded best to me.

My slate one sounded OK, but was ... unfinished. So I'm loath to go back, and apart from the Oswalds Mill one (which I'm not even sure they do these days) I'm not that keen on the looks of the off the shelf ones.

[A.Grail]

I don't want to sign up to facebook when I don't even know the ballpark cost of an a.grail plinth and whether he even sells them. I don't know if anyone here knows the answer?

https://i.ibb.co/hF4Jy7yj/Photoroom-20250814-231024.jpg (https://ibb.co/23C1ynyQ)
https://i.ibb.co/67Jwv4xR/AD2-D9-E55-7194-49-B0-A17-E-9-B770-CEF0006-1-201-a-Photoroom.jpg (https://ibb.co/LXhRQCWz)
https://i.ibb.co/MkYrkb9W/Photoroom-20250814-231546.jpg (https://ibb.co/m5Lk5mS1)
https://i.ibb.co/h12r0JmT/83-E32-B70-4-D81-472-E-B8-F0-522-E9635-C7-D4-1-201-a-Photoroom.jpg (https://ibb.co/XkF6HrCG)
https://i.ibb.co/m5CGwzTP/Photoroom-20250814-231702.jpg (https://ibb.co/5hW6yc4J)
https://i.ibb.co/twTbHcVv/Photoroom-20250814-231947.jpg (https://ibb.co/vC6Jcm0T)


My apologies I don't check in here as often as I should. Guessing you are already settled into a new plinth but here are some images of the plinths we produce (Grosvenor or Belgrave) - made to order - 8 week turnaround - Twin or single arm mount.