Help me buy a Garrard

Pani: Concerning which bearing to go with, grease Sched 1 or schedule 2 oil? Whichever is in better condition :) If you are going with a newer bearing it wont matter anyways and if you ever saw the original bearing of a Garrard flat spindle (contact area) against the sintered bronze (flat surface) or the later conical sintered bronze thrust plate you would DEFINITELY want a newer modern engineered solution.

I had Artisan Fidelity build my Technics SP10 MK3 NG and could not be happier. I was so happy in fact that I bought a Garrard 401 and delivered it to Artisan Fidelity for a complete restoration. The cool thing is I can do it in steps and various levels. For example I can start out with a simple restoration/plinth/Kokomo bearing... Later I could go to the Statement plinth and/or statement platter/bearing. The cool thing is you can build it up as you desire all at once or in stages or over time.

I obvious had a great experience having Artisan Fidelity build my SP10 MK 3 which is why I have them doing the work on my 401. I know they still do an upgraded standard bearing so you don't have to necessarily go with the inverted bearing.

Having said all that, I am sure that the Dobbins, Audio Grail...etc all sound EXCELLENT!!! I just happen to have only heard my stock 401 and then a Artisan Fidelity Statement 301 and it sounded sublime. The 401/301 will sound basically the same but the 301 is the one most desire. I personally like the 401. Hope this was of some help to you :)

Happy Listening...

BTW, I am having an Ikeada IT-407 arm with a Miyajima Madake cartridge installed on my 401 :)

Thanks Audiofun.

The difference between grease and oil bearing models is not just the bearing but also the motor. The grease motor has a higher torque motor compared to oil bearing version. That gives it the bulk of the difference.

Pani;

My pleasure. Have fun on your journey :)

There is a NIB NOS 301 on the Gon now...

You can always look up Woodsong Audio. You can see my work on my website, and also on my Woodsong Audio flickr page. Google search for 'Woodsong flickr'

I have done full service restorations on Garrards for the past 9 years, as well as building top quality plinths for them.



There have been a fair number of Audio Grail and Loricraft refurbished decks which have been purchased by my clients, and sent to me to install into my plinths. They are nice, nothing magical there, just consistent, reliable work.

I am personally NOT a fan of chassis repaints unless one wants to change the color. The main area of paint chipping, and almost every cream colored Garrard I have seen suffers from it to some degree, is at the mounting holes. On some of the repaints, the paint chips there too, and can easily look worse than the way the old enamel chips. I had my own mounting hardware made, polished heads to match the original, and I relieve the back angle of the fasteners to be a little more gentle on the paint at the mounting holes. The old enamel on the original cream color Garrards cleans up very nicely. In every instance I have seen big improvements. That said, I am about to paint a couple 301 chassis' in the next month.

My favorites are the old grease bearing Hammertones. Some of the old ones which are in in good shape, that hammered enamel does not seem to chip as easily at the mounting holes.

I also help source Garrards for clients, and have refurbished around 70 of them to date.

One additional thought, there are a number of aftermarket idler wheels available. This is a great idea on paper, however, in my experience the quietest idler wheels have been old original idlers that are in great shape, and many are still in good shape. If any of you decide to go this route, test for yourself, using a stethoscope, or with your ear pressed against the plinth with the platter running. Test the original, and test the new one. The idler drive circuit is the main source of noise on these decks, and second, the motor. I have spent many, many hours learning where the noises come from, and how to make them quiet. As far as idler wheels go, 'if it ain't broke, be careful if you try to fix it'!

As for the Kokomo, it will leave a dimple in the bottom of the spindle. I do not recommend the Kokomo. It does give some sonic benefit, though. One of the things that I often do on refurbishments, if the bearing thrust surface is worn, is to have a local machinist 'turn' the pad down a little.

The Garrards can be awesome decks! Enjoy!