![]() ![]() A professional or well-researched amateur restoration can relieve most issues but can also be costly, depending on what parts and repairs are necessary. Ideally, the collector will have a chance to listen to a record on a prospective purchase to hear how smoothly it plays. Neglect, such as the turntable remaining unused and collecting dust for a long time, is not good for its operation. A mistreated turntable is much more likely to have audio imperfections. Look for surface damage and built-up dirt or grime on the turntable. The best indicators to tell original run from modern run 301s are condition (new 301s are pristine in a way the old ones cannot be) and verifiable paperwork. These turntables are faithful recreations of the 301s from the 1950s and even include some refurbished parts from the originals. ![]() The Zero series actually can be audibly better than similar tables with conventional arms, but the Zero arms are prone to friction, resonance, sloppy bearings, and all those parts increase the mass of the arm, which may be an issue for some cartridges. In 2019, the audio company SME, which now owns Garrard, introduced a “ new” run of 301s. The 80 and 95 both are obvious best of recommendations for standard Garrards. Sellers often list “chassis only” 301s and 401s for collectors looking to custom-build their machines. Garrard originally sold some turntables without an attached base or tonearm. The model 401, which followed in 1965, was even more prolific in its production run. The 301 found such success in markets worldwide that Garrard continued to produce them for over ten years. It required buyers to find other components independently and custom-build their turntables to make them fully functional. To compete in the high-end market, Garrard cut production of other machined parts and focused its efforts on an expertly engineered turntable worthy of the most discerning audiophiles. The company continued to innovate with each new model, introducing a magnetic cartridge on their RC80 in 1950. Garrard expanded internationally in the post-war decades. Garrard halted production for World War II, but the company caught a break when the BBC began buying their turntables to run their radio broadcasts. The Garrard 201, the first-ever transcription turntable, came out in 1930. After World War I, they started producing their own turntables. The Garrard Company began as a jewelry manufacturer before transitioning to gramophone parts in the 1910s. ![]()
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