I think you did. I'm not in Norfolk, although from North London it's a couple hours and we sometimes pop up there for the day if there's an exhibition at Houghton Hall, or stay for a few days in the Brancaster/Burnham area. Used to go to Norwich for business quite a lot, before it changed its name to Aviva and have had lots of fun NFN clients up there. One was the Norfolk Radio vet, a lovely chap. I had a mental issue, his wife was Susan and I kept on calling her Sarah, don't know why, so when I went to visit she used to put a post-it note on my forehead as an aide memoire. Norfolk folk are a bit like that.
Garrard 301 component build
- Thread starter ssfas
- Start date
Some of the Norfolk folk I have met, after hearing you call them by a different name repeatedly, would probably assume that you were correct and that they had got it wrong for all those years.
W O W. Looks fantastic. Enjoy.
A question, was recessing the 301 into the plinth a styling decision or done to avoid need to raise arm's mounting surface?
A question, was recessing the 301 into the plinth a styling decision or done to avoid need to raise arm's mounting surface?
I wanted it flush. The photo shows it too low. I did not want the assembly to sit on top of the plinth. A good decision because the gloss finish (16 coats of lacquer that took five weeks) is fingernail thick and very easy to crack and scratch. Putting the assembly directly on top of the lacquer would have been a bit scary.
I've now raised the assembly a few mm with sorbothane strip all along the mounting groove. Given that the CTC 301 bolts from underneath, the assembly is now isolated from hard contact with the plinth. I also raised the platter 2mm (the bearing has height adjustment). I spray painted the feet a metallic grey to get rid of the shiny aluminium. So a couple of hours tweaking.
This wasn't the money pit I expected. The whole project - complete turntable with brass platter, both tonearms and phono cables, LDA power supply, steel hifi rack, shelving and slate top - came in at about $19k.
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It would be a hassle, and a fair bit of work, but it appears that you are in a good position to compare these two fine tonearms, should you be inclined? Same cartridge set up on each, then the other cartridge set up on each? Just a thought.
I've not directly compared them. Years ago I decided to use a second arm for mono and a cheaper MM for less good quality records and some casual listening. I had a nice/OK Goldring, but now for a very good MI cartridge (Soundsmith/OL) running into the Luxman 509X internal MM phono amp.
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That cartridge did not fit on the Groovemaster headshell, so I put a Denon DL103R (Expert Stylus upgraded) on it and got a Phasemation headsell for the Soundsmith/OL.
For the Reed 3P I have a Koetsu Urushi rebuilt by Dominic Harper (NWA) with a Fitz Gyger cantilever/tip, I have a DV XX2Mk2 as a spare. I'll be in Japan in a month, may pick up an Ikeda 9TT.
The Groovemaster III with the Soundsmith/OL cartridge performs really well and it's beautifully made. It doesn't have that last bit of fine detail as the NWA rebuild, but I could listen to it all day. It comes in a load of options and lengths, which is useful, I have a 240mm version. There is a new Groovemaster IV, which ends up almost double the price.
The Luxman MC phono is nowhere near as good as the RCM. There's a Vertere Phono Mk2 L on the used market that I may get for it. I had the Vertere Phono Mk1 and it's a brilliant little thing, incredible value.
p.s. Just been doing some direct comparisons with Jeff Beck "Blow by Blow". I think the Luxman MM phono is letting things down a bit for serious listening. The 301 with the Koetsu on the 3P through RCM phono is really a bit mind-blowing. I think I'll buy the Vertere. It's a no-brainer. I had the Mk1 for a couple of years and made a profit on it, so nothing to lose.
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It's not terribly difficult to do this, and ultimately it's a twin-arm deck that all in cost about £11k. Does that compare to a Rega Naiad, a cheaper Brinkmann or a Vertere? Soundwise - and I've heard all those including Brinkmann's absolute best, I'm perfectly content with the outcome from a purely performance perspective.
The donor machine and tonearms came from near you in Norfolk, the 301 unit, plinth and power supply all come from people within 30 minutes of Wakefield. Only one half-day trip was required. The gloss finish and steel stand were done 5 miles from my home. It took 6 months because I had to wait 4 months for the plinth, which in the end took 2 weeks to make.
Don't know about spiritofmusic, but I do have some spiritofnorfolk.
Black dogs are widespread in English folklore, the most famous obviously being the hound of the Baskervilles on Dartmoor. According to Wiki, Black Shuck originated in Bungay in the 16th C. Oddly, my 301 came from Emporium Hifi in Bungay, something of a coincidence seeing it's a very small place. The brewery is in Fakenham, which I remember well from my first visit because the weather was so bad (all going sideways) I wouldn't have been surprised if Black Shuck had appeared and eaten me alive. The good news I went there to visit a chocolate factory. I bought that bottle in Burnham Market. The English Whisky Distillery is near you, if you've not been, don't bother. They talk it up, but it's a hard sell and the booze a bit manky.
My modest bar (see post 11 above) is open to the well intended here in N London. Regrettably my audiophile credentials are very poor because what audiophile is inspired to get the guy who made the stand for his drinks cabinet to make his audio rack? And uses feet (below) that cost £3 a pop? As it happens, the stand provides the best isolation I've ever achieved.
No, I think that's commendable. Good to see the best options can also be the simplest and cheapest.
I got the Zavfino puck from Hugo Cass, along with both tonearms and a Phasemation headshell.
The Groovemaster was meant to be a secondary arm, but it's very good, I spoke to James Henriot at Whest and he did me an excellent deal on a Two.2 Discrete phono and a few weeks ago when in Japan I bought an Ikeda and headshell. So it has ended up being on a par with the other one.
Heard the RCM theriaa in a system next to Nagra BPS and Lampi Horizon digital last weekend. Like you say - mind blowing! Seriously good kit
I am close to ordering upgrades for my Garrard 301 table from Ray, including an upgraded spindle and his moulded idler wheel (when he has some!). I would like to build a more solid plinth to fit inside the existing SME one, so that the existing SME plinth just supports the dust cover and touches nothing else.
What thoughts do you have on the use of disk stabilizers, constrained layer damping within the plinth and damping feet like IsoAccoustics? The Garrard and tonearm are on a board which is spring mounted inside the SME plinth. I want to remove the springs and have this board sit directly on the new plinth.
What thoughts do you have on the use of disk stabilizers, constrained layer damping within the plinth and damping feet like IsoAccoustics? The Garrard and tonearm are on a board which is spring mounted inside the SME plinth. I want to remove the springs and have this board sit directly on the new plinth.
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@ssfas Thanks for sharing your incredible journey. Impressive workmanship and attention to the detail. May I please know the isolation feet brand and source. I’m on a very similar journey and looking for isolation feet options. And thank you for the tip on sorbothane strip.
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