Linn Bedrok LP12 Plinth Upgrade

@mylogic

Nailed it! You have very precisely described my SME plinth.

My grease-bearing Garrard 301 has the SME 3009 improved fixed head shell tone arm, and the Shure V15 Type III cartridge (hyper elliptical stylus). My dad gave it to me so it has sentimental value

I got given it when I was on a world business trip just after CDs came out, and just after my hifi was stolen. I bought Quad gear on that trip - pre-amp, amplifier and ESL-63 speakers - so hardly used the turn table.

The on-going debates on vinyl versus digital and the rising value of Garrard decks has piqued my curiosity. What is all the fuss about?

You mentioned start up speed - half a revolution - and they can stop just as quickly. I have replaced the main bearing with an oil bearing from the Classic Turntable Company.

I have kept the plinth as an outer shell and dustcover, but removed the flimsy base. It is now infilled with constrained layers of MDF on IsoAccoustics OREA Bordeau pucks sitting on 50-kg of Sydney sandstone. The deck springs are bypassed at the moment, but can be used for a comparison.

Thank you for the extra information!

UPDATE That makes sense. My dad originally housed the Garrard in a cabinet I designed and he built. The board in the SME plinth looks factory cut to me, from veneered chipboard!  Could be my next upgrade.  It is a pity SME cannot supply parts for these plinths!

@richardbrand

301 & 401

The Garrard’s were mainly sold as just decks…..no plinth.
Lots of hi-fi enthusiasts as they were called then simply mounted them as required.

SME….

The company has stopped supplying individual models now and only sell them fitted on their SME turntables l believe. No back catalogue of spares for older stuff from the 70s is now commercially viable. It is a shame the UKs leading arm designer has now abdicated and left the building.

@mylogic

In May 2018, SME took over everything Garrard from IGB Gradiente S.A. of Brazil and seems to be manufacturing the Garrard 301 again, initially from New Old-Stock.  They also took over Loricraft Audio.  SME only supplies the new Garrard 301 with an SME M2-12R tonearm, or the V-12 magnesium tonearm.  They won't supply spare parts like the rubber mat to folk like me.  The price is quite incredible (over GBP 35,000) and they only seem able to produce one every two weeks, at best.

Do you know more?

@richardbrand

Resurrecting the Garrard 301

l’m afraid the rejuvenated 301 (from old stock rebuilds) is now looking more expensive than what you quoted. Loricraft are making a packet of money even if they can only achieve one deck sale every two weeks. It has become a sellers market. 301’s are good but a tall order value for money leap for that price point in all sincerity. Obviously l have not heard one and is just an opinion.

Garrard sold up their name to the Brazilian company just as the 501 was being designed and prototyped. The new company shifted manufacture to Brazil and did a terrible job with the later Garrard products which were rubbish. They were badly constructed and looked dumbed down caricatures of the old brand and ruined the Garrard name. A total mismanaged operation and it failed to interest old fans or garner new serious consideration. No wonder SME were able to buy it back. Leak and Wharfedale are similar resurrections and now back in the market place in Europe.

In 2018 the CEO of SME at an audio fare told a reporter that it was intended in the near future to re-release the SME heritage arms over time one by one. This did not materialise. I don’t think SME will commit to rebuilding the 301 from scratch (or even the rubber mats) l expect the restored 301 projects they are selling via Loricraft will be for a very exclusive club, not really considered value for money but a status symbol toy.

Check out Lenco Heaven website for their take on the whole affair. I bet the original Lenco owners may have missed an opportunity to do the same thing with their famous GL75 which quite possibly was the greatest best kept secret deck of the 60s & 70s. So many of these a old stalwarts are being rebuilt with new arms. Partly due to the unique drive system and enhanced performance in new plinths this turntable is a sleeping giant.

@mylogic

Wish I could remember but it is very likely the table that was stolen from me was a Lenco GL75. The apple does not fall far from the tree ...

The thief carefully took the record off and left it behind.  Of course, the police dusted it thoroughly for fingerprints.