Thanks. Like everything in life it is a matter of time, money and effort. I fiddled with 301's to my heart's delight and ultimately moved on (TW Acustic Baby Raven). Why?
Because the 301 appears simple but is actually quite complex and needs a BIG investment to reach its full potential - even when doing the work yourself.
Plus in the end I realized that I love music and not "fiddling" around all that much. I wanted to spend my time listening instead of constantly feeling like I was "auditioning" my turntable set-up.
Enjoy! :)
IMHO, the biggest "trick" is the idler wheel. If nothing else - buy a new one one from the guy in the U.K. ($100?).
The lower/bottom main bearing replacement made by Kokomo in Germany is another "most bang for the buck" upgrade as well.
301/401 idler wheels are quite intense from an engineering & manufacturing standpoint BUT they are rubber and they ALL outgas, shrink and harden with age. So unless they spent all their time in a cold place (dry ice, liguid Nitrogen, etc.) then they are are bad after 50+ years. Yes they may still run & have no flat spots but believe me the property of the material has changed significantly.
So why the controversy?
Well it is the idler wheel bearing that causes the confusion when changing idler wheels. So sometimes a new wheel needs to be burnished to fit an old bearing. Not a biggie but it is important to do it. The wheel must spin very freely and be of proper diameter to DRIVE the inside face of the platter properly. That is where the PRAT is at!
As for Plinths - old adage is very true. First separate/isolate the tonearm from the deck (most designs do not do this!) and heavier is better (the 301 base plate itself is VERY light!
Lastly, NEVER touch-up the platter - especially an early one! Whether grey or black those bare platters have a resonance to them (like a bell) and repainting will kill it! Do NOT paint them, add copper, etc. etc.. Nor do you need clamps or spindle weights!
MATS - get the Loricraft neoprene/cork strobe cut-out mat.
It is the absolute best - bar none! The original mat is BLAH! Nice to look at but not great sound. The neoprene cork is terrific and the the hole for the garrard strobe disk has a "pull down" effect on the record towards the spindle. I simply used some two-sided plastic tape in a few spots to keep it positioned on the platter.
Oh, one last thing...301 LOVES mass (no not the Catholic type! although... Gregorian chants by Enigma 1990("turn off the lights...") do sound very good on it!). By that I mean medium-heavy mass tonearm/lower compliance cartridges. So a modern example would be a Schick tonearm with a Denon DL-103R cartridge. Older example would be an ESL or FR-66 with an SPU cartridge.
I'm presuming that your friend GAVE you the turntable?
Or you purchased it from them?
Either way it is a very nice & worthwhile piece of vintage HiFi.
Because the 301 appears simple but is actually quite complex and needs a BIG investment to reach its full potential - even when doing the work yourself.
Plus in the end I realized that I love music and not "fiddling" around all that much. I wanted to spend my time listening instead of constantly feeling like I was "auditioning" my turntable set-up.
Enjoy! :)
IMHO, the biggest "trick" is the idler wheel. If nothing else - buy a new one one from the guy in the U.K. ($100?).
The lower/bottom main bearing replacement made by Kokomo in Germany is another "most bang for the buck" upgrade as well.
301/401 idler wheels are quite intense from an engineering & manufacturing standpoint BUT they are rubber and they ALL outgas, shrink and harden with age. So unless they spent all their time in a cold place (dry ice, liguid Nitrogen, etc.) then they are are bad after 50+ years. Yes they may still run & have no flat spots but believe me the property of the material has changed significantly.
So why the controversy?
Well it is the idler wheel bearing that causes the confusion when changing idler wheels. So sometimes a new wheel needs to be burnished to fit an old bearing. Not a biggie but it is important to do it. The wheel must spin very freely and be of proper diameter to DRIVE the inside face of the platter properly. That is where the PRAT is at!
As for Plinths - old adage is very true. First separate/isolate the tonearm from the deck (most designs do not do this!) and heavier is better (the 301 base plate itself is VERY light!
Lastly, NEVER touch-up the platter - especially an early one! Whether grey or black those bare platters have a resonance to them (like a bell) and repainting will kill it! Do NOT paint them, add copper, etc. etc.. Nor do you need clamps or spindle weights!
MATS - get the Loricraft neoprene/cork strobe cut-out mat.
It is the absolute best - bar none! The original mat is BLAH! Nice to look at but not great sound. The neoprene cork is terrific and the the hole for the garrard strobe disk has a "pull down" effect on the record towards the spindle. I simply used some two-sided plastic tape in a few spots to keep it positioned on the platter.
Oh, one last thing...301 LOVES mass (no not the Catholic type! although... Gregorian chants by Enigma 1990("turn off the lights...") do sound very good on it!). By that I mean medium-heavy mass tonearm/lower compliance cartridges. So a modern example would be a Schick tonearm with a Denon DL-103R cartridge. Older example would be an ESL or FR-66 with an SPU cartridge.
I'm presuming that your friend GAVE you the turntable?
Or you purchased it from them?
Either way it is a very nice & worthwhile piece of vintage HiFi.