Picked up a very clean Garrard 401 yesterday. The one good thing about the case it came in is that it has kept it very clean (and I think it has had very little use for it's age). Dropped it off at Vinyl-Ant's place yesterday for a new plinth and to fit an Ortofon TA-210 arm and a SPU cartridge.
From the day that Andy-831 brought his 401 over to my place, I knew I had to get one. Metronomic timing and percussive impact are remarkable...and addictive. Anyone else here using / previously used a 401 (or 301)? What arms / carts are you using? What tips do you have for getting the best from them?
Here's mine (seller's photos - I prefer Irish Mist to Baileys )
I am in the hi-fi trade
Status: Manufacturer
Company Name: NVA Hi-Fi https://nvahifi.co.uk/
Very clean does not describe that 401, it's about as close to nos as it gets. I've never seen one in such good condition that wasn't nos.
Mine was not even remotely as nice as this even after I restored it.....
Remarkably clean Paul, and that is my favourite version with the raised chrome strobe light and raised chrome Garrard lettering.
Does the bearing leak? Mine did till I fitted one of Ray Clark's bearing plates. Stopped it straight away. I tried Garrard gaskets, paper gaskets felt gaskets grease and nothing worked till I tried Rays.
Analogue
401 / PU7 / AT33ev
Longdog Audio Quartz Garrard PSU.
Longdog Audio Phono stage (MCj1) Digital
NVA BMU.
Innuos Zen / Caiman Seg and Dorado
Cambridge CXC Amps
Tron Seven Linestage.
Bel Canto Set 40, or LDA 300B Set Monoblocks Speakers
Tannoy GRF Memory.
Tannoy ST100 Supertweeters
Andy-831 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 19, 2019 10:46 pm
Remarkably clean Paul, and that is my favourite version with the raised chrome strobe light and raised chrome Garrard lettering.
Does the bearing leak? Mine did till I fitted one of Ray Clark's bearing plates. Stopped it straight away. I tried Garrard gaskets, paper gaskets felt gaskets grease and nothing worked till I tried Rays.
Yes, I think it does - there was a little residue around it. Thanks for that tip, mate...
I am in the hi-fi trade
Status: Manufacturer
Company Name: NVA Hi-Fi https://nvahifi.co.uk/
The residue is on the chassis, it looks like it's from when the felt washer on top of the bearing was charged with oil. That oil then gravity feeds the bearing
I haven't taken it out of the 70s plinth yet so i dont know if the bearing leaks.
Mine was pretty oil tight after I lapped in the end of bearing tube with some paste (done on a mirror to make it as perfect as poss) Can't really do the bearing end cap because of the raised section in the middle that the thrust pad sits on. Better gaskets work 99 percent of the time though.
It's a fairly early serial number for a raised strobe model so I expect the machining on the bearing casting will be pretty good on it.
Shouldn't have played the 301 for you Paul, it's cost you a few quid!
I use an early 401. It was always in nice nick but after seeing an Audio Grail "Sable" version for sale I decided I wanted mine refurbished. Mine's in a constrained layer plinth at the moment but I picked up a two-piece Cumbrian Green slate plinth at Tonbridge Audio Jumble for £100 to try. It needs an arm hole drilling and I haven't gotten around to that yet. I use an SME V on mine with A Benz Micro GullwingSLR and it's a pretty stunning combination. I'll see if I can find a picture.
P.S. Yes my bloody bearing leaks a bit!
Audio Grail "Sable" Garrard 401 with Cumbrian Green Slate plinth / Audiomods 6 / Benz Micro Gullwing SLR, Phono 2, NVA INT400sa. (Oh and a Copland CDA823 CD Player, for when I fancy a bit of the devil's spawn!)
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I go in cycles of no activity and then a huge frenzy.
