"Steve Dobbins is probably the best person in the US to tweak it and refresh the linkage and idler. "
Not true. I'd try Chris at Artisan Fidelity, rumor has it they are currently working on a new 301 restoration which is going to be out of this world. Their plinths and restorations are top notch quality and they are said to be building the highest performing Lenco based idler drives available at this time. They're better built and certainly have much better fit and finish compared the the Canadian nantais modifier/builder. His work looks like it was built in someones shed by a high school woodshop student with a can of spray paint imo.
A buddy told me Artisan has been working on a design and prototyping a plinth and all new bearing designed especially for the 301/401 Garrard for over a year and its ready now and they are taking pre-orders. I will grab either a Lenco L75 based idler or 301 grease bearing model from Artisan Fidelity once I decide which way I am going to go. I know of a cable mfg. who even uses one of Artisan Fidelity's early model modified Lenco's as his reference unit.
On a side note, those Slate plinths are awful sounding in my opinion, definitely not for me, heard one made by oma on a Lenco. Give me a well designed wood based plinth any day over that sterile Slate. Hope to never hear Slate mated to a 301, bet its rough.
Back to the posters original question though, yes a 301 can be well worth the investment if it is properly restored, modified and mated to a really high quality and well tuned/designed plinth. Its not as easy as you would think restoring these things and building the plinths these guys like Dobbins, Thornton and Porter make. There is a mountain of work and effort involved.
I completely rebuilt and restored a vintage motorcycle once down to the frame and back up again and let me tell you, there is much work involved when you are doing a top notch restoration - modification project of any kind.
