Garrard Turntable Owner's Club

[reubensm]

Hi everyone!

Good news - I had an old Garrard Synchro Lab 55 B with me. But it needed repair.
Luckily i found someone in Jaipur who could do it and now its in working condition.
Yay! I can hopefully now play all the old records of my father and hopefully add a few of my own.

My system consists of a MyWay custom amp made by Kanwar and Blumenhofer Genuin FS 5 speakers.
The MyWay accepts line level input only hence i am in need of a Phono Preamp to successfully use the 55B as a source.
Kindly guide me as to which would be suitable for this purpose?

I am looking something inexpensive just to get started and i will post an ad in the wanted section accordingly.

But i have no idea about phono preamps so kindly give some guidance on exactly what kind of preamp is needed. Thanks

If you can tell me what kind of cart you are using (probably a picture), I can send you a phonostage. I have a few lying around and I'd be happy to get my folks to mail one to you. Its Christmas season and there's no better gift than a phonostage

 

[arhantd]

If you can tell me what kind of cart you are using (probably a picture), I can send you a phonostage. I have a few lying around and I'd be happy to get my folks to mail one to you. Its Christmas season and there's no better gift than a phonostage

Thank so you much for the offer. Very kind of you sir.
Certainly no better Christmas gift, but only if its not a problem for you. I would definitely not like to bother you for this.

I am attaching the pictures here of the table and the cart, hopefully it will tell what type it is.
I actually do not know much about it yet, hope to learn on the way.
Thanks.

Hi,
few years back I had bought few Phono Preamp modules. They require separate DC supply. i will look for them but honestly I dont remember for how much I got them. Also they are MM cartridge Phono Preamps so will not work with ceramic cartridges.
Regards.

Thank you so much Hiten for this. I am attaching pictures here, so have a look, i dont really know yet whether this is a ceramic cartridge or not .

Thanks

 

[Hiten]

That looks like a MM cartridge. But can not guarantee. I have this type of Phono module.

But mind you this will require some electronics knowledge as DC supply needs to be added.
Regards

 

[reubensm]

Wow, that's a difficult one. The stylus looks like a Shure-compatible stylus but I have never seen a cart looking anything like this, before.

A simple check will reveal the truth. Just plug your TT into the line input of your amp and play a record. If you get moderate screechy sound out of it, then the cart is a ceramic. If you hear extremely low volumes (very very soft even with the volume control turned all the way up), then you've got a magnetic. Pls run a check and let me know. If its a magnetic, I'll send you a CNC phonostage, if its ceramic, I'll send you a Ceramic phonostage. These are all wired up and ready for use. You'd just need to plug in the battery.

Please note: I am referring to the sound coming through the speakers, after amplification and not what one would hear directly from there record surface.

 

[arhantd]

Wow, that's a difficult one. The stylus looks like a Shure-compatible stylus but I have never seen a cart looking anything like this, before.

A simple check will reveal the truth. Just plug your TT into the line input of your amp and play a record. If you get moderate screechy sound out of it, then the cart is a ceramic. If you hear extremely low volumes (very very soft even with the volume control turned all the way up), then you've got a magnetic. Pls run a check and let me know. If its a magnetic, I'll send you a CNC phonostage, if its ceramic, I'll send you a Ceramic phonostage. These are all wired up and ready for use. You'd just need to plug in the battery.

Please note: I am referring to the sound coming through the speakers, after amplification and not what one would hear directly from there record surface.

Thanks for the simple check method!
I think its a magnetic cartridge, because when i plugged it in the line input of the amp i could hear the song clearly but very low volume with the volume of the amp turned up.
And usually my speakers become too loud around that point to bear, so i guess its magnetic.

I did not hear any screechy sound as such, just the static of the old record or due to the old stylus.

And you are right i think my father has a shure stylus packed somewhere that belongs to this turntable. Will ask him to search for it.

Regards
Arhant

 

[reubensm]

Thanks for the simple check method!
I think its a magnetic cartridge, because when i plugged it in the line input of the amp i could hear the song clearly but very low volume with the volume of the amp turned up.
And usually my speakers become too loud around that point to bear, so i guess its magnetic.

I did not hear any screechy sound as such, just the static of the old record or due to the old stylus.

And you are right i think my father has a shure stylus packed somewhere that belongs to this turntable. Will ask him to search for it.

Regards
Arhant

Great, in that case I will ship the CNC to you. Just require a couple of weeks as my wife is currently not in town. Will ship it on Saturday, 12 Dec. Hope that's fine with you.

 

[arhantd]

Thank you so much for all the help.
12th Dec is absolutely alright sir, no hurry at all, please ship at total convenience.
regards

Great, in that case I will ship the CNC to you. Just require a couple of weeks as my wife is currently not in town. Will ship it on Saturday, 12 Dec. Hope that's fine with you.

 

[analogadikt]

The cartridge is a Pickering V15. Most likely AC2 version. A Shure stylus is not suitable for this.

Regards,

 

[reubensm]

Thank you so much for all the help.
12th Dec is absolutely alright sir, no hurry at all, please ship at total convenience.
regards

After some trouble with the courier guys, the package has been dispatched all over again. Here's what the package contains:

I am not sure whether the batteries were included but my guess is that they weren't. Its been quite a while since I built this for another FM, who did not collect.

 

[navinsinha]

I have purchased a 301 in a good shape a few months back, it has a pretty heavy plinth. I have installed a new (NOS) Decca arm with FFSS cart. The whole thing would presumably weigh between 15-20 KG. The platform on which I have arranged my system, can't accommodate it as the plinth is 26" deep (the platform is only 18" deep). In view of this I wanted to sell it (but didn't advertise on HFV, only on HiFiAds) but so far, I have not got good response and I don't want to sell at a loss. I am therefore, thinking of keeping it by extending the platform. But I also want to fully service this TT before I use it. I would be grateful if any one could guide me about this - are there any professional restorers for Garrard 301s in India, preferably in Mumbai? FMs guidance would be highly appreciated.

 

[soundbuff]

Hello Navin,
Saw your ad in HIFIADs and was inevitably tempted! Anyhow keeping it is surely the best call.
Just curious, is the arm a unipivot? Does it have a model designation. TNT has a piece on one Decca tonearm service and rewiring. Perhaps it the same as yours.

Soundbuff

 

[navinsinha]

Hi Soundbuff,
Thanks! I am not very sure if it is an Unipivot tonearm. It is FFSS arm.

 

[vkkaushik]

I have a Gerrard Automatic Record changer model CC10 which is not working. Can any body suggest a repair person or shop in Mumbai.
V.K.Kaushik

 

[reubensm]

Will the legendary 301 and 401 rise from the dead, will the 501 continue or would there be a 601? Perhaps time will tell. The news is that SME now owns the Garrard Brand (accquired its original Brazilian owners, Loricraft was allowed to use the brand but did not actually own it) and Loricraft Audio as well. Here is the original SME website post

 

[Hiten]

You probably know this Reuben. SME and Garrard is now owned by Indian company. (Cadence Group). And Garrard 601 is already made few years back. Not sure but Mr. Nigel Pearson made some contribution to Garrard 501 Motor to reduce vibration or speed stability. A brief history is here.
Regards.

 

[EBDphile]

Hi . I was wondering what is a decent price to pay for a 401 or 301 in India . ( without tonearm)
Thanks in Advance.

 

[reubensm]

Garrard was famous for using similar parts across different models on their product range. Anyone recognizes the start/stop/reject switch lever on the right and the speed control lever on the left?

 

[reubensm]

Great video that explains the 3 types of turntables and also explains what is the secret behind that 'tempo' and 'attack' that the idler drive turntables bring to music listening

 

[yuvarajban]

Any repairs possible in India for Garrad Model 1000

 

[finevine]

How did I miss this one? Garrard 401, SME 3009, series 2. Ortofon Red 2M and Shure v15 Mk III. Etc etc etc