Garrard 301 restoration project

[Wakefield Turntables]

That's why Bamboo is a good compromise, it's cheap, plentiful, offers better mass and damping compared to birchply and is very easy to work. Panzerholz or Permali (something else to try) will be a stretch too far I've you've damped too far with bamboo and hate the results. Hence my educated experiment with Bamboo, method in my madness.

[Wakefield Turntables]

The Garrard Restoration Project Pt XXXV - Two steps backwards and one step forwards (or that's how it seems)!

Things are going well. The new plinth is in place and it's safe to say that it's a big step up from the old birch ply that I'd been using for a decade. I have had some problems with setting up the SME 3009. I'm having great problems getting this thing to properly work, mainly because it's not designed to work with such a heavy cart as the Oroton MONO SPU. I've had to have a special counter weight made (thanks Steve) just so we can balance the SPU. I've just about managed to get 3g of tracking weight on the SPU which is the least recommended. Things sound very good with MONO recordings. I've had to add an additional record mat to help with VTA but it's a small price to pay. Adding an additional record mat is hardly that time consuming. I've also had to make some new mounting bolts for the tonearm base, this is the second pair. I suppose I'm going to have some teething problems before I get the design nailed. Overall I would say that I'm about 90% where I need to be.I also need to source some new isolation podiums for the Townshend sesimic plinth but that's another story.

As ever peeps, stay tuned...

[Wakefield Turntables]

The Garrard Restoration Project Pt XXXVI - Sweet Music, at last!

Hello people, I've decided to add some much needed content to this forum. The 301 project is now in it's second decade how the hell did that happen. Any major upgrade to a well established TT is bound to have many twists and turns and I'm thankful for this joyride. If anything else it has taught me which tweaks work well in my system. I have taken a month getting to know the new sound of the upgraded 301. I'm not going to go into massive details and list every nuance for every track that I've listened to, I think it's a pointless excercise. I can say without of a shadow of a doubt that the 301 has spades more detail, more conhesion to the soundstage, better seperation and an improved engaging feel to the presentation. The bamboo plinth has proven to be a very worthwhile experiment and I shall not be going back to birch ply.

I was most disgruntled with Townshend Audio, customer service needs to be improved and packages dispensed when stated. I should not have to listen to a churlish helper on the end of the phone basically saying that I'll recieve my package when they choose to dispense and no earlier. This is despite immediate payment from my end. Anyway this probably did me a big favour as I waited for the new uprated feet for the Seismic platform (or whatever gumph they call them). For all that I complain about Townshend I have to say that their products (in my system) work very well indeed. Twenty minutes of faffing and levelling has resulted in a very find sounding 301, it is painfully obvious that the 301's new improved performance partly comes from the new uprated Seismic platform which can now handle 48Kg of loaded mass.

My SME 3009 has proven to be a test of patience. I first had to order a new increased mass counter balance to be made by Steve at Magna Audio. Fit and finish are excellent as ever from Steve and the Ortofon MONO SPU balances perfectly on my SME S2 3009. I've had big problems with trying to get the cartridge to lower sufficiently onto the vinyl for any meaningful output through the speakers . Using several platter mats has resulted in the 3009 working ok but it's not ideal and I will have to decrease the height of the newly made Panzerholz tonearm mount for the 3009, probably by about 2-3 and this should then work well. I have been listening to the Croft MusicMaker phonostrage and everything wired up, so for the first time in months everything is wired up and working. The 3009 still needs a few tweaks by hey-ho I'm 95%+ finished. So just a couple of pictures showing you everything wired up.







As ever guys, stay tuned...

[Jimbo]

Looking good Andy, perseverance is the thing and you seem to have plenty of it.

[Wakefield Turntables]

I've learned to do one small thing at a time and see how things sound. This method also means you can see where you go wrong. You can easily feel that you've achieved something when you have a few small "wins" rather than trying to do everything at once. The 3009 is rather trying but hey-ho it's only a tonearm and vinyl.

[Jimbo]

I've learned to do one small thing at a time and see how things sound. This method also means you can see where you go wrong. You can easily feel that you've achieved something when you have a few small "wins" rather than trying to do everything at once. The 3009 is rather trying but hey-ho it's only a tonearm and vinyl.

That's definitely the way to go mate. I only do small changes at a time and more importantly always keep a route open to return back to where I started. Some folk do radical stuff and throw out (sell) everything and then its a very painful experience to return if they have made a mistake.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Some folk do radical stuff and throw out (sell) everything and then its a very painful experience to return if they have made a mistake.

Yep, I've never subscribed to that philosphy but good luck to those that have and found a winner.

[Wakefield Turntables]

The Garrard Restoration Project Pt XXXVII - An evil plan has been devised.............!



Hello again. I've not got much to report tonight. The nights are gettingt colder and I've turned on my Valve central heating (forget gas central heating), well the valve system seems to keep my listening room mighty warm! Tonight I've been contemplating moving forward with the various systems that I have sitting around me. I've decided to spend more on vinyl than buying new pieces of kit. Don't get me wrong I'll still be buying new kit, just less of it. I do have a slight confession to make. I have spent a massive amount on a new stylus for a cartridge that I was given to play around with, the Shure M44-7 (£19.99). As some of you may know I have a bit of a fetish for these carts and I still think that the M55-E is one of the best MM's I've ever heard. I've decided that I need a little toy over Xmas so I'm going to be messing around with the M44-7 with a SME 3009 S2 which should be a great match. I have a couple of decent MM phonostages to mess around with. It should be fun. I'm probably going to have a very good look around the JICO website over Xmas as they seem to be promoting a new M44-7 which they have built. They seems to have many many version of this cart with many stylii profiles. Who know's I may buy one at some point in the future alongside a whole collection of stylii profiles. The Ortofon 2M black is my favourite MM with the M55E a very close second. I think I have a plan for 2024 and also the 3009 should get some usage instead of looking like a nice appendage on my 301!



The Xmas break should be fun listening to loads of old vinyl through the Ortofon SPU MONO and messing around with the M44-7 and new (cheap) stylus!



It would be interesting to hear what you lot intend doing over Xmas with your vinyl rigs, any comments and discussion most welcome.



As ever


Stay tuned....

[Jimbo]

I am very much looking forward to your experiences with the M44-7 - it is not for the feint hearted. If I had a little more control over my phono stage loadings I may have used it in my system. I just about get away with the M55e and to be honest if JICO decide to do an SAS stylus again for this I will be in there like a shot. It was a close runner to the 2M Black and a great combination only loosing out to the 2M in ultimate dynamic control and incisiveness.

Unfortunately my TT will be locked away in a cupboard at Christmas as we have a 2 year old on the loose!

[Wakefield Turntables]

2 year old's are little monkey's and should be cherished!