Garrard 301 restore

After do this a few years ago i would also look at plinths form over seas they seem to be well made and reasonably priced.

I’d spend more on an arm if I was doing it again, but for the final arm you can getaway with a lesser arm to start. Also consider the 103r is not a modern cart and will required a heavier arm then most modern carts would. The arm is going to be the big spender, that and a proper arm board set up will take time and money to do right. Suggest looking at some arm boards that are round and have the hole off set to allow spindle to pivot changes. Also consider the Garrard’s can sit above or recessed into the plinth this will determine the arm board height or the need for shims etc.

Also consider if your table need restoration that it will not be cheep if your having someone else do it and will most likely require parts. Skimping on the restoration will give you unsatisfactory results, example rumble due to out of round idler. Upgrades can wait, unless your replacing something anyway may as well upgrade it.

IMO setting up a 301-401 for excellent results cannot be done on the cheep so focus on the main stuff now ( base table and plinth-arm board) and put off the stuff like costly carts and arms for a time when you can afford more.

If not done right you wont be happy in the end. They can sound great but if not done right they sound mediocre at best.

I ended up spending upwards of $5k (Canadian) on my restoration with a 12" jelco 750 arm ($850). Expect to spend more over time to sort it out correctly.

In the end I ended up selling mine.

How much do you have in the Garrard 301?

A restoration by a quality rebuilder will be a few hundred. You could keep your plinth for a cost of zero $. A tonearm will cost at least $500 unless you find a real bargain. No idea on the cost of a Denon.

$2,000 will be a tight squeeze depending on what you have in the 301.

I looked for a great rebuild of a 301 for many years.

When I finally found a Woodsong 301 in their highest level plinth and $3500 Jelco arm I was v happy to buy it for $5300. You might ask for advise from Woodsong, but Chris Harban is great at what he does and not cheap. But he is a v nice guy and I’m sure will help on the phone.
The original price was $12K. To do one on the cheap is possible, and possible to get pretty good sound. 
I have seen nice plinths on EBay for a few hundred. The Denon 103 is a very good cartridge for the price. You might also look at Grado. A better arm is a good idea.

Do you have a phono stage or preamp with a built in phono? This is probably where the lion’s share of your money goes.

https://www.google.com/search?q=garrard+301+plinth+for+sale&rlz=1C9BKJA_enUS675US675&oq=garrard+301+plinth&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i457i512j0i512j0i22i30l3.8372j0j7&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

There are a number of plinths on eBay. I would get one with a removable arm board in case you change tonearms. My reason for this is the plinth will be the biggest PITA to sell if you upgrade. So I would plan to not upgrade the plinth later.

I think you should buy plinth in the $800 - $1,000 range. A friend recently bought one and eBay and it was very nice, but not as nice as the ones from Woodsong.

You should spend the least on the cartridge, and maybe tonearm with a plan to upgrade later.

If it all does not fit in your budget keep the existing plinth until you can afford to buy something you will want to keep long term

jperry:

The USA rebuilders I Googled charge $450-$650 plus parts (figure an additional $200-$250 for there/back shipping).

As mentioned, the deck first and then what's leftover for the tonearm.

The OP has a functioning base, which is fine to get it up and running.

I (being a pot licker) would then experiment by "stuffing" the hollow base/plinth with various inserts/layers of plywood, probably using double sided tape in the beginning to hear how the added mass alters the sound.

The use of tape would give it somewhat of a constrained layer, which some seem to prefer in high mass TT plinths, plus it would allow easier experimentation.

DeKay