Reason for buying old/classic turntables

Ketchup,
I don't think anyone is saying the 301's, 401's, TD124's or Lenco's are the end all and be all. They're not, but nothing is. Just saying that some old tables are every bit as good, if not better than some of the new ones out there.

04rdking,
That was not directed at you... I understand what you're saying.

I just acquired a Garrard 301 and have been reading everything I can about them as I look into its mechanics. People repeatedly put these things up on a pedestal and tout them as some fine piece of British engineering not to be touched today. Puh-lease. These things are crude at best. If it sounds great then, well, great. I'm going to use it. I just really believe that it was an accident that these tables work well with modern cartridges, arms, and plinths. HI-FI wasn't even around when these things were engineered, was it?

Well, first off, I didn't think it was directed at me. Secondly, I don't believe the 301's, 401's or the TD124's were an accident. After all, they were shipped w/o an arm and mostly without a plinth Now, did they know exactly what they had created? Maybe yes, maybe no. And yes, HI-FI was around. Some of the old Dynaco stuff still rocks.

Mrjstark, We are in the same boat. One reason that I am tinkering with these old tts, idler and dd types, not belt-drives, is that I have heard all the best belt-drives that cost less than $5,000 and already know that my Lenco in giant plinth can equal or beat them in all respects, IMO and in my system, of course. Since I am unwilling to invest more than $5K in a modern belt-drive, the logical course is to continue to explore the limits of the old tts. This is an added factor, in addition to my innate affinity for old stuff, that drives me. However, I take with a grain of salt any single report of one tt sounding better than another, unless I've heard it myself. (This is in reference to the notion that a Garrard smoked a Brinkmann, etc.)

In several replies posted here in this thread I have a strong feeling that many of us are merely driven by emotion and nostalgia towards the ownership of a vintage turntable, not because of the believe that these vintage tt's are better than the contemporary ones. Am I wrong?

Chris