Garrard 301 restoration project

[Jimbo]

Jim, I promise I'm going to do an indepth M44-M55e bake off at some point, it's long over due! I intend messing around with lots of variables, silly things like pitting vintage Mullard ECC83's against RCA 5691's, trying Duelund speaker cable against SAEC, differing anti-bias weights, loading capacitance plugs, and even special wooden cartridge bodies. It should all be fun!

Brilliant, I know you always do a very thorough job, I would expect nothing less

Talking of speaker cable what are you using at the moment BTW?

[Wakefield Turntables]

I'm using Duelund https://www.hificollective.co.uk/wire/duelund.html in the Garrard 401 system. I use a pair of Yannis Tome IC's in the technics 1210 system and some SAEC in the 301 system.

[Wakefield Turntables]

The Garrard Restoration Project Pt XXXIX - Unflexible friend.

Possibly a stupid drunken purchase or maybe an upgrade, I have no idea. Spurred on by a little single malt I've purchased a stiffening plate for the chassis of the 301. It's from the USA, it's from someone I've never heard from before and I have no idea if it will work or not. I'm in for just over £100. What's the worst that can happen, I'm down a few quid , easy come, easy go!. As ever my friends stay tuned......

[Wakefield Turntables]

The Garrard Restoration Project Pt XXXX - Unflexible friend pt II

Now into the second decade of this adventure and we are still messing about to see just how far we can push this old beast. I have seen several several versions / attempts at reinforcing the chassis of a 301. The first was by Tim de Paravicini and then a later posh thingy demonstrated by Audio Grail (Wave break????), please correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway I spotted something on eBay a while back and as usual my wallet was lighter to the tune of £110 after a little single malt and jazz on one of my JAWS might (Jazz And WhiSkey) nights. It's arrived in the UK and here are a couple of pictures.







I've still to fit the thing on my own 301. These pictures give you some idea of what the thing looks like. The 301 has always been a project of experimentation and I quite like the idea of adding a third tonearm to the new Bamboo plinth, I'm uncertain as to what I would like to try. I fancy a Bokrand tonearm based around the Ortofon AS212 (12") or possibly the JurJi tonearm which has become popular over on LH. I also fancy bracing the bearing which is another popular tweak for Lenco bearings. Decisions, decisions.....

As ever. Stay tuned....

[Jimbo]

Nice bit of machined metal there and certainly looks promising. Is there one available for the Lenco?

[Wakefield Turntables]

Not that I’m aware, Jim.

[Wakefield Turntables]

The Garrard Restoration Project Pt XXXXI - Unflexible friend pt III

OK LETS GET THIS OUT IN THE OPEN BEFORE YOU READ THIS - I HAVE NO LINK WITH THE SELLER OF THIS PRODUCT.

Hello people! Here we are again we another small update on the Garrard 301 Restoration project. Tonight a few words on a drunken purchase several sundays ago from the U.S of A. I purchased a chassis stiffener for the grand total of £107 delivered. I've waited several years for this oppotunity. The fit and finish was very good but the instructions for fitting were nil, bugger all, nowt, nada, nuthink! It's a good job that yours truly know's his way around a 301 pretty well. After removing part of the motor cradle, several of the linkages and the cable spring we had a nicely fitted chasis stiffener plate fitted. So, my first gripe is I had to dismantle half the bloody 301 to get this thing fitted, BUT, I'm so glad that I did! I noticed an immediate improvement, or at least I thought I did . One of the benefits of owning my 301 for over 10 years is that I know it very initimately and I know how it performs. I can usually hear a difference in any tweaking within 15-30 minutes of any modification. I'm not going to beat around the bush, the soundstage changed. Everything had a little more solidity, definition, cohesion, and seperation. It was subtle but enough for me to judge this upgrade as a worthwhile punt into the unknown.

End of the road.......

I'd always wanted to try something like this but oppotunities are scarce. You don't see the Tim De Paravinci "H" bar up for sale and he can't make you one know. Classic Turntable Company offer a new chassis which is substantial in mass compared to the 301 but that's at a cost, then you have more esoteric things like the "Wave Break" highlighted by Audio Grail with very little info on the product. It's quite sad really as I'm now nearing the end of modding the 301. I suppose a new Panzerholz plinth could be the way forward and then we always have after market bearings and we also have other PSU's such as the the Long Dog PSU. New SPU's could also be an avenue of exploration. I would also surmise that there might some mileage in room treatment. So, maybe not the end of the road yet but I think I'll be slowing down with updates on the 301, but only because the oppotunities are very few and far bewteen, this latest upgrade being a case in point. Anyway, let's not get all sad, I'm looking forward to another ten years of updates for this deck, and here's a pick of the 301 with new mod fitted.



As ever, stay tuned....

[Jimbo]

Looks like it should have been on the TT from its inception? Wish I had kept my 301.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Looks like it should have been on the TT from its inception? Wish I had kept my 301.

Maybe Jim. Garrard did try and improve the chassis with the 401 but that's a different beast. I own both 301 and the 401, I still prefer the 301.

[Jimbo]

Maybe Jim. Garrard did try and improve the chassis with the 401 but that's a different beast. I own both 301 and the 401, I still prefer the 301.

Beautiful bit of engineering.