As per the title I had the opportunity to pick up a Garrard 401 the other day and I couldn't pass it up, I've given it a quick spin and everything seems to work as it should, speed seems pretty stable and it doesn't make any horrible noises however I'm now in a bit of a quandary about what to do with it for the following reasons:
It has no plinth.
This pretty much means I can't listen to it, any recommendations for a budget solution? I have plenty of hard wood / Ply / MDF knocking about. I've found a template for the plinth cut out so DIY is an option.
Arm.
I have an RB300 kicking about I could use with this but have no idea where to mount the arm, can anyone point me in the direct of where I can find this info?
Servicing.
From what I've read so far there are a few oily bits that will need attention, I'm pretty handy but very inexperienced with TT's and I've never dealt with anything this old. Everything looks pretty simple and well built, but I've read threads about stretched springs etc, are spare parts readily available / are they easy enough to service?
How old is it?
The serial number is 06733 and the stamp on the underside is 602 which if what I've read is correct this means it was built in the second week of 1966, can anyone confirm this? If this is correct it makes it one of the early ones (no switched strobe though) as Garrards of this era seem to improve technically the later they were built would a later model be a technically better.
How will it compare with my Techie?
Sorry if this seems like a subjective question, whilst I may be new to this I've been on here long enough to know only I can decide whether I prefer the Techie or the 401 so this is not a "which it be better" question but a request for fellow members who have owned both so share their experience of the TT's.
Do I just sell it on?
As much as I'd like to play with this I do have a conscience. I know there are people who love these old Garrards who (quite rightly) would be disgusted by an inexperienced newbie such as myself fudging about with it, is this a truely vintage TT that should be protected with a preservation order or can I fiddle with it with a clear conscience?
Finally some photos: