Garrard 301 motor and rumble


I had my 301 restored but I still complain about rumble at high volume. Iv'e been bitching about the plinth I made, but I just lifted the platter to see if perhaps the motor was the issue. when you engage the idler and apply a little pressure to engage fully, I feel the vibration. Either the brass speed selection post is not true or its the motor transmitting the vibration, but the motor seems very smooth.

 

What steps should I employ to figure this out?

128x128famoej

There are any number of gurus who claim to have mastered the art of perfecting the workings of a Garrard 301.  Artisan Fidelity are one of those, but there are others.  It's not cheap.  If you want to try to do it yourself, you've come to the wrong place for detailed instructions, but some of the other 301 aficionados here may be able to direct you to a source of the information you need. For example, if I wanted analogous information about my Lenco, I would go to the Lenco Heaven website.

Ah, the joys of idler/rim drive! Proponents claim a more forceful sound but with a higher noise floor! So a tradeoff there! 

@jasonbourne71 A nice measured answer. Thank you. As you modify the 301 with a such things as a precision machined brass bearing assembly and a heavier platter along with the many other steps to get the best of the 301 (like a complete motor rebuild) the 301 becomes less noisy but also loses some of that forcefulness. The Shindo 301 is a good example. The platter weighs more than 20 lbs whereas the original platter weighs 2.2 Kg, about 4.7 lbs.

I appreciate your frustration, but isn't complaining about the high volume rumble of a vintage Garrard 301, kind of like buying a vintage British sports car like a Lotus Super 7, then complaining that you can feel every bump in the road?

Isn't it just inherent in the idler wheel technology?