November 29, 2016 4:50 pm

Cream-white Garrard 301 Oil-Bearing

This is available and ready for rebuilding to either Classic levels (includes comprehensive restoration and improvement of the machine itself), or to Reference levels. I have already done one according to the Reference recipe and it responded very well with superb retrieval of fine detail. All my rebuilds are dead quiet with no rumble. Already, back in 2005, my 75-pound Classic rebuild of this machine had greatly outperformed both a Platine Verdier and a highly-reviewed Garrard rebuild (6moons).

This from that client, who mounted a Dynavector DV-507 MKII: “Well, got the stock i/c on the Dyna, and not all tweaked yet, and nothing sitting on stand, without isolation, and it betters the Verdier/Koetu Urishi on a special Isolation stand…I am candidly surprised. I did not expect this. I had the the Cain and Cain plinth and it did not sound good. This is way above. The 301 is incredible in your plinth. It has only the inexpensive Denon 103 R and that is not redone yet…and only a stock cable and it is better by a long ways than the Verdier on a special isolation table. Next I will try the Koetsu in the arm….and in my best phono stage and see. Damn…don’t let this get out, or it will ruin the high end.”

A Classic rebuild starts at $4500 (75-pound plinth, choice of wood finishes in my now-traditional style, includes all mechanical work, Kokomo bearing kit and Herbie’s Mat); the Reference rebuilds start at $7500.