Garrard 301 restoration project

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Originally Posted by Marra

It will be interesting to hear your findings re the new bearing Andy as I have been considering trying one on a GL75 that I am working on.

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Keith, it's going to be some time before the bearing gets a proper review. I've still got to fine tune the bearing height and I have a new idler wheel to fit as well. I've been running the 301 at 78rpm for a few hours each day to try and get the bearing bedded in. I can't advise the '75 version but I can heartily recommend that you buy one from Jolyon over on Lenco Heaven. I run one of his bearings and the bearing clamp he produces on my own '75 and it only took a couple of sides of vinyl to realise that it was something a bit special.

Tonights Update - The Garrard Project Pt 5 - Plonking stuff back together...

The Garrard has now more or less been put back together again. I've installed the new Idler wheel which arrived today and stored the other away for safe keeping. I also decided to add a little new oil whilst I had chance and give the idler wheel housing a bit of a clean up. I've also get the platter spinning around very nicely at 33.3333 rpm thanks to getting the roadrunner tachometer working again. The bearing is now better coupled to the 301's chassis which I'm hoping should bring some improved sonic benefits. I'm hoping to hear better sonics with the idler wheel as well. I bought the new Idler wheel for the Garrard on the strength of the improvements of the new idler wheel I bought for the Lenco 75. The 301 is still sitting spinning to try and bed the bearing in as much as possible before we do some listening tests. I'm hoping to get the SME 3012 repaired this weekend so I could be hearing some sonics before Saturday night :eek:.

Old versus new idler

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Time for a clean up and some TLC.

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A bit of oil.

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Everything installed, neat and tidy.

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Bang on speed tracking to within 1000th of a RPM!

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And that is another update completed!

Tonights Update - The Garrard Project Pt VI - Stuff to think about.

I've been looking at improving the 301 and seeing where I can nick bits of a Garrard 401 and plonk them on the 301. The bearing was the first bit. I tried the 401 bearing, yep better, got the Malaysian jobbie and things improved even more. The motor chasis has been mooted as a weak point of the 301 and now I find that CNC milled solid brass versions are available, I have no idea of cost so that a job for later. The chasis is supposed to flex and you can now buy a new fully CNC milled chasis but could this situation be improved with something like a bearing clamp onto the chasis? I have no idea so I have asked a couple of forum members to see if they can design me something to improve the bearings coupling and maybe negating some of the so called chasis flex? Now the Garrard 401 motor is also supposed to be better than the 301. Now I'd like to try one of those as well. So, why not just buy a 401, well I could but I think I can do all these mods cheaper than buying a 401. If I could find a completely knackered 401, then yes, possibly but for now I'm looking at solutions to improve the 301 as cheaply as possible. So, the quest goes on....

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Originally Posted by REXTON

Keith, it's going to be some time before the bearing gets a proper review. I've still got to fine tune the bearing height and I have a new idler wheel to fit as well. I've been running the 301 at 78rpm for a few hours each day to try and get the bearing bedded in. I can't advise the '75 version but I can heartily recommend that you buy one from Jolyon over on Lenco Heaven. I run one of his bearings and the bearing clamp he produces on my own '75 and it only took a couple of sides of vinyl to realise that it was something a bit special.

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Thanks Andy plan one it is then.

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Originally Posted by REXTON

Just a couple of quick questions -

1. Can anyone recommend decent copper cabling for a rewire of the 301?

2. Is there any specific grease or oil that is especially recommended for the 301?

3. Any specific recommendations for tonearms, I'm looking for synergy between the deck and the tonearm. I have 2 spare to play with, a SME 3009 (improved), and a Michelle Technoarm. I maybe moving over my Audiotechnica cartridge onto the 301 when I get my Ortofon black next year.

Andy

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I have one or two idlers including a 301 and to my ears , what makes good synergy is pairing it with a uni pivot tone arm. The 301 is famed for its tight fast bass and timing etc , and unipivots are famed for lovely midrange and sweet treble. Very well worth considering

Blimey all the kit listed in your previously comment has been long sold. I've got a couple of DECCA's and a MK 1 DECCA tonearm sitting around.

Tonights Update - The Garrard Project pt VII - All settled down.

The 301 has undergone some pretty big changes over the last six weeks. A new bearing and a new idler wheel. I've not commented on them until now because I'm a firm believer in waiting for things ot bed down and occasionally you need to fine tune and tweek these old idlers before you get the best from them. My 301 has been no exception. I've had to rebuild and lube the idler housing mechanism twice and play around with the new SPH bearing but things are finally bedded down. The bearing has had >50 hours usage and the idler wheel probably about 30 hours. The sound has changed from my old 401 bearing which I had mounted on the deck. The deck now seems more assured. I've noticed better timbral qualities to instruments. Stereo seperation has improved no end and instruments seem a little fuller. Soundstage has widened and noise floor has dropped to virtually nothing even on dirty / warped charity shop vinyl which was previously crackle and pop city! I think I've spent a little under £250 for a very nice leap forward in vinyl reproduction. I can't wait to get my Tannoy's back on line and then I should really be able to hear the changes through my valve system. The SPH bearing also enable me cheap entry into replacement platters. I've been looking at one of these http://www.peakhifi.co.uk/cgi-bin/ecom.cgi it's only something to consider at the moment. Right, enough musings, curry awaits....

Tonights Update - The Garrard Project Pt VIII - More power experiments.

I decided to spend some more money on a new PSU for the 301. This one varies markedly from the Pheonix Engineering system. It will now be a purely 240V based system rather than having to use a 120 to 240V converter. I hated this system and had many many wires sprawling all over the place. The 301 sounded very good indeed but the new system also allows me to change voltage and also the Hz going into the motor. This new system will also have a tachometer fitted. The new PSU also has some capability to regenerate and clean up the power supply and ultimately will be fed through the P10 regenerator! I've been extremely happy with the results that I experienced with my Lenco 75's PSU setup and hope to emulate some of that experience and results. I'll probably then allow myself some time to assess the new mods and then report back. I'm hoping to get all this done before Xmas!

Tonights Update - The Garrard Project Pt IX - Magnetic Dreams

The new PSU is 95% finished and should be here in the next few weeks so I have had time to look at the deck and modify. I have started to employ some of the techniques I developed when modding the Lenco 75. I decided to see how many components were magnetic. The first victim turned out to be the mounting bolts so these have come out and will be replaced by Nylon alternatives. I have decided to replace the washer with birch ply alternatives. I shall keep the mounting washer and for the time being I shall have to keep the heads on the bolts. The excellent new SPH bearing turns out to be MAGNETIC :doh: not good for the likes of DECCA carts, but what do you expect for the cost. I'm also loving the lack of all the boxes associated with the Pheonix tachometer and PSU, good as it was it meant numerous wires and step down transformers which I wasn't very happy with. Now I have the new PSU enclosed in one box @ 230V meaning things should be less congested and hopefully a better power supply for the 301. I intend to make a sexy silver power lead for the 301 when I get the new PSU. The bearing recieved it's first service and now i can quite literally blow on the platter and it seems to spin forever. The tonearm board needs assessing next, but that's for another update!

Attachment 21817Attachment 21818

A light and flexible mains cable is essential for the 301 due to it's suspended motor. A stiff or heavy cable will push or pull on the motor (= Noise + wear)