I have recently intercepted an ancient turntable/arm that was on a free
parabola that would otherwise have terminated in a skip. :-)

The turntable is ye anciente Garrard 301. But although the arm looks
familiar to me I can't recall what make/model it is! Looked though various
old magazines and books I have, but not yet identified it.

I've put some pics on the page

http://jcgl.orpheusweb.co.uk/temp/arm.html

Can anyone identify the arm? And does anyone know of a user or setup manual
for it on the web?

FWIW The turntable rotates, but the arm looks to be in a condition
somewhere between FOBB and FUBAR. The (plastic?) grip that should hold the
lift and bias is fractured. And the arm is business-end heavy even if I
remove the headshell and move the weight back as far as I can. Although
this may be because I don't know something vital about the setup due to
lack of a manual! So any info welcome.

Looking at the arm, names like micro-seki and audio tech come to mind, but
none of their models I've found in references are the one in the pics, so
my mind may be playing tricks here...

If I could get the arm working I could at least check out the turntable for
rumble and speed stability, etc. Then decide if it was all junk, or worth
fitting some other ancient arm for experimental purposes.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Change 'noise' to 'jcgl' if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:03:42 +0000 (GMT), Jim Lesurf
wrote:

I have recently intercepted an ancient turntable/arm that was on a free
parabola that would otherwise have terminated in a skip. :-)

The turntable is ye anciente Garrard 301. But although the arm looks
familiar to me I can't recall what make/model it is! Looked though various
old magazines and books I have, but not yet identified it.

I've put some pics on the page

http://jcgl.orpheusweb.co.uk/temp/arm.html

Can anyone identify the arm? And does anyone know of a user or setup manual
for it on the web?

FWIW The turntable rotates, but the arm looks to be in a condition
somewhere between FOBB and FUBAR. The (plastic?) grip that should hold the
lift and bias is fractured. And the arm is business-end heavy even if I
remove the headshell and move the weight back as far as I can. Although
this may be because I don't know something vital about the setup due to
lack of a manual! So any info welcome.

Looking at the arm, names like micro-seki and audio tech come to mind, but
none of their models I've found in references are the one in the pics, so
my mind may be playing tricks here...

If I could get the arm working I could at least check out the turntable for
rumble and speed stability, etc. Then decide if it was all junk, or worth
fitting some other ancient arm for experimental purposes.

Slainte,

Jim

Can't think of the name, but I certainly recognise it.The bias control
is really crude with that little weight that leans against the rod-
very prone to friction.

As for the counterweight, I think there should be an additional weight
there too. You set the numbers to zero, balance by sliding the weight
back, then set tracking force by twisting - the numbers approximate
grams.

The turntable should be rescuable, but I think the arm is for the bin.

d

In article 496f1aff.1315218@localhost, Don Pearce (Don Pearce) wrote:
On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:03:42 +0000 (GMT), Jim Lesurf
wrote:
[snip]

http://jcgl.orpheusweb.co.uk/temp/arm.html

Can anyone identify the arm? And does anyone know of a user or setup
manual for it on the web?

[snip]

Can't think of the name, but I certainly recognise it.The bias control
is really crude with that little weight that leans against the rod- very
prone to friction.

Yes. Although at present that doesn't work as the support won't clamp to
the pillar as it is fractured. Can probably fix that with a bodge, though.

As for the counterweight, I think there should be an additional weight
there too. You set the numbers to zero, balance by sliding the weight
back, then set tracking force by twisting - the numbers approximate
grams.

Yes. The turntable/arm are 'at work' so I can presently only experiment
with it for short periods of time. But there is a grub screw which seems to
lock the widget with the scale to the weight. If this is loose you can
adjust where the zero is set. I tried to see if this also allows the weight
to be slid backwards some more, but no joy.

It does seem likely that there should be another weight, but no sign of it
when I caught the unit. It has been sitting. forgotten, at the back of the
department 'stores' for many years so I doubt anyone now knows where this
may have gone.

The turntable should be rescuable, but I think the arm is for the bin.

Yes. However it would be useful if I could make it work well enough to be
able to check the turntable. Otherwise I'll have to get another arm and fit
that before knowing if the effort is worthwhile.

If I knew the turntable was in excellent useable condition I might be
willing to get something like a working ancient SME and fit it. But not
worth the bother/cost if the turntable is ruined or requires extensive
work. Particularly as IIRC the 301 was notorious for rumble when used with
stereo LPs rather than mono, and radiates hum with enthusiasm. Maybe a
Sonotone LP/78 turnover mono cartridge would be appropriate here. :-)

FWIW The cartridge is totally ruined. The stylus is bent and flattened
against the underbody of the cart. Guess someone tried to use it with the
playing force wildly high (presumably due to the missing counterweight.)

I'm curious to know what arm it is. Irritating that I haven't recognised it
or been able to find info as yet. And identifying it may help with getting
a suitable replacement for a missing counterweight...

Slainte,

Jim

--
Change 'noise' to 'jcgl' if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

"Jim Lesurf" wrote in message
...
I have recently intercepted an ancient turntable/arm that was on a free
parabola that would otherwise have terminated in a skip. :-)

The turntable is ye anciente Garrard 301. But although the arm looks
familiar to me I can't recall what make/model it is! Looked though various
old magazines and books I have, but not yet identified it.

I've put some pics on the page

http://jcgl.orpheusweb.co.uk/temp/arm.html

Can anyone identify the arm? And does anyone know of a user or setup
manual
for it on the web?

FWIW The turntable rotates, but the arm looks to be in a condition
somewhere between FOBB and FUBAR. The (plastic?) grip that should hold the
lift and bias is fractured. And the arm is business-end heavy even if I
remove the headshell and move the weight back as far as I can. Although
this may be because I don't know something vital about the setup due to
lack of a manual! So any info welcome.

Looking at the arm, names like micro-seki and audio tech come to mind, but
none of their models I've found in references are the one in the pics, so
my mind may be playing tricks here...

If I could get the arm working I could at least check out the turntable
for
rumble and speed stability, etc. Then decide if it was all junk, or worth
fitting some other ancient arm for experimental purposes.


Morning Jim,

The arm looks like a Neat G series.
A 301 is usually always a worthwhile rebuild project.

Iain

In article ,
Iain Churches wrote:
A 301 is usually always a worthwhile rebuild project.

Vastly overrated IMHO. Plenty of better designs which don't produce so
much rumble and hum. They were solidly constructed, though.

--
*Ham and Eggs: Just a day's work for a chicken, but a lifetime commitment

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Iain Churches wrote:
A 301 is usually always a worthwhile rebuild project.

Vastly overrated IMHO. Plenty of better designs which don't produce so
much rumble and hum. They were solidly constructed, though.


The popularity of the 301 makes it a worthwhile
rebuild project - there is plenty of demand for them.
Hopefully, if Jim does not have the time to do this
himself, he will pass it on to someone in the UK
who has, of offer it for spares.

Iain

In article , Iain
Churches wrote:


The popularity of the 301 makes it a worthwhile rebuild project - there
is plenty of demand for them. Hopefully, if Jim does not have the time
to do this himself, he will pass it on to someone in the UK who has, of
offer it for spares.

All else failing I will probably either give it to the 'Museum of
Communication' in Fife as they already have an audio collection, or see if
someone wants it for restoration. But if I can I'd get it going myself if
only to spend some time seeing how well it works. Matter of curiosity.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Change 'noise' to 'jcgl' if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

"Iain Churches" wrote in message
i.fi

A 301 is usually always a worthwhile rebuild project.

The 301 caused a lot of head-scratching in the U.S in the day of. Idler
wheel drive was equated to cheap and poor performance in most discriminating
people's minds. One more reason why anybody who was interested in serious
quality paid no attention to Garrard. My Garrard Lab 80 cured me,
permanently.

In article ,
Arny Krueger wrote:
"Iain Churches" wrote in message
i.fi

A 301 is usually always a worthwhile rebuild project.

The 301 caused a lot of head-scratching in the U.S in the day of. Idler
wheel drive was equated to cheap and poor performance in most
discriminating people's minds. One more reason why anybody who was
interested in serious quality paid no attention to Garrard. My Garrard
Lab 80 cured me, permanently.

The 301 was the basis of a record playing unit at the BBC (RP2/4, IIRC) -
modified so it motored up the record off rests and therefore from
stationary (on an aluminium disc) for cueing purposes. A typical BBC
device that must have cost a fortune to make - and worked very well. But
for mono only. Stereo pickups of course respond to vertical as well as
horizontal movement. Not that BBC R3 used them anyway for playing serious
music - only really TV etc for sound FX.

I can't see why anyone would bother with a 301 apart from as a curiosity
given how many decent belt drive units are around. Unless you wanted 16
and 78 rpm.

--
*Why is "abbreviated" such a long word?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Arny Krueger wrote:

"Iain Churches" wrote

A 301 is usually always a worthwhile rebuild project.

The 301 caused a lot of head-scratching in the U.S in the day of. Idler
wheel drive was equated to cheap and poor performance in most discriminating
people's minds. One more reason why anybody who was interested in serious
quality paid no attention to Garrard. My Garrard Lab 80 cured me,
permanently.

Even the 401 I had (still have) was a little rumbly. Fixed by adding mass to the
plinth, ideally concrete. Couldn't fault it otherwise.

Graham