What Arm choices for the Garrard 301

i will be very interested in any answers as i have just purchased a Garrard 301. since the Garrard 301 is supposed to do fantastic bass; i would expect that a more neutral arm such as the Tri-Planar would be preferrable to.....say....some SME's or the Graham Phantom. i think cartridges would be even more critical. i'm told my Koetsu RSP would be too much of a good thing if installed on the 301.

a related question; does the Garrard like 12" arms more than other tt's?

For new, Thomas Schick and Ortofon 309, for vintage Ortofon or SME 3012.

It's not that the Garrard "likes" long arms, it's that the idler drive mechanism puts a lot of energy into the plinth. The further the arm pillar is from the source of that energy, the less vibration is passed on. Two inches of solid wood has a very positive effect on diminishing energy transmission. Then again, the lessened tracking error ain't too bad either.

I use Ortofon RMG 309 after trying SME3012 I think, that the Ortofon is making it more of the dream deck...I have Shindo plinth, plater, bearing and arm board on it.The bass is super!

Hi,
Thomas Schick's tonearm would be a good choice, but bear in mind that it is heavy, so those cartridges which like a heavy tonearm should be used with it. Thomas is one of the good guys, so I am a bit biased toward his. However, Joseph Esmilla has been experimenting with a heavy brass insert into the wood plinth of old idlers with positive results. The tonearm would be mounted onto the brass. Imagine a pod, but an integrated one, and you have the basic idea. That build method will allow for the use of a wide variety of tonearms without the concern of influence generated by the drive mechanism...just some thoughts.

I can give a little info. Whether it's of use???? ..... I have been using a a Tri-Planer with my Garrard (along with a ZYX Universe) with very good results. The turntable is not as quiet as I would like it to be, but it does have a certain magic that makes it a winner for me. Someday I hope to get a new platter/bearing set-up which I hope quiets things down to modern/belt-drive levels (SHindo maybe?).

When I first got started the Garrard project I experimented with a JMW 10. As you might expect the 'Planer sounds much better in all ways. It's true about the amazing bass and rhythmic flow..... Just a really cool TT IMHO.

BTW, I am curious about some of the 12" arms too......

Chris