Vinyl Asylum

Welcome Licorice Pizza (LP) lovers! Setup guides and Vinyl FAQ.

Return to Vinyl Asylum

Message Sort: Post Order or Asylum Reverse Threaded

Garrard 401 Plinth options

49.207.223.170
Posted on April 11, 2021 at 01:41:54
Gravetones
Audiophile

Posts: 230
Location: Asia
Joined: February 9, 2004
 Hello All,

I have been running my Vinyl with a decently tricked out Lenco L75 ( PTP5/Heavy Baltic ply plinth/Thomas Schick Arm) and have been flirting with the idea of a Garrard 401 but dont want to go the Heavy plinth/Highly damped approach.
I have been considering the suspended plinth ie a la-loricraft approach.( the closed wooden box with corner wooden brackets with squash balls)

Hoping for the views from anyone of you who have tried this particular approach to get an idea of your experiences and learnings. Any guidance on the the ideal wood type and thickness to try this out is also appreciated. the default option is either MDF or Baltic ply of 1/2 to 1 inch.


Cheers !


 

Hide full thread outline!
    ...
RE: Garrard 401 Plinth options, posted on April 11, 2021 at 10:01:45
fstein
Audiophile

Posts: 2996
Location: fstein
Joined: May 18, 2006
 Please let me know when you want to sell that lenco if you are anywhere near W. Massachusetts!

 

SME 2000 reinforced, posted on April 11, 2021 at 19:57:47
jusbe
Audiophile

Posts: 5950
Location: North Island
Joined: April 4, 2000

This is what we used to use. Reinforced SME 2000 plinth (extra beams across the bottom to make it rigid. 1" slate top plate resting on either squash balls or upturned door stops. Worked quite nicely.

Variations of this have appeared over the years, such as those that were produced by Vinylista (RIP) in Germany.

There should still be a fair few SME 2000 plinths about, abandoned and cheap as chips for a DIY project.








Big J

"... only a very few individuals understand as yet that personal salvation is a contradiction in terms."


 

RE: Garrard 401 Plinth options, posted on April 11, 2021 at 21:20:32
Gravetones
Audiophile

Posts: 230
Location: Asia
Joined: February 9, 2004
 :)
Nowhere close !

 

RE: SME 2000 reinforced, posted on April 11, 2021 at 21:24:34
Gravetones
Audiophile

Posts: 230
Location: Asia
Joined: February 9, 2004
 Thanks a lot of this Big J, very useful
was the original SME top plate also a slate ?
I really like the idea you suggested of Door knobs or other vibration dampers between the top and the rest of the plinth base as it gives a lot of flexibility.

Was the base plate some kind of Ply ? ( ie marine/Birch etc ? )

 

RE: SME 2000 reinforced, posted on April 12, 2021 at 08:33:40
PAR
Audiophile

Posts: 1732
Location: South London, UK
Joined: June 4, 2019
 " was the original SME top plate also a slate ? "

It was wood (or veneered particle board) matching the plinth walls.

As I am quite old I do remember the launch of this plinth system and . frankly, it looked gorgeous but was not that well received and was famed for rumble with a 401. I wonder if Jusbe recalls one fairly useless aftermarket cure for this, the Black Knight Rumblecure which involved decoupling everything from everything with foam :-).

It doesn't surprise me that the one that Jusbe features has had significant re-engineering. SME abandoned the concept of such a plinth later when they started producing their own turntables.

"We need less, but better" - Dieter Rams

 

RE: SME 2000 reinforced, posted on April 12, 2021 at 09:11:15
Gravetones
Audiophile

Posts: 230
Location: Asia
Joined: February 9, 2004
 "SME abandoned the concept of such a plinth later when they started producing their own turntables"

Thanks PAR, thanks for the history/trivia :). Whats your view on the Loricraft take on the plinth ?

 

RE: SME 2000 reinforced, posted on April 12, 2021 at 09:38:28
PAR
Audiophile

Posts: 1732
Location: South London, UK
Joined: June 4, 2019
 I guess that you refer to the new Garrard 301 plinth. It seems to more closely resemble the plinth that Loricraft created for their Garrard 501 turntable. Pretty massive and without spring suspension although sorbothane "pods" are used to isolate the top from the carcass.




"We need less, but better" - Dieter Rams

 

RE: Garrard 401 Plinth options, posted on April 12, 2021 at 10:05:10
louie3
 My Lenco is in a Vinylista plinth, which is a similar approach to the Loricraft, or so I understand. Vinylista also did 301 and 401 plinths. I am not sure they are still operating, but there are other sources for these plinths on the used market I am told. Absolutely superb work and top notch performance.

 

RE: Garrard 401 Plinth options, posted on April 12, 2021 at 10:13:19
Gravetones
Audiophile

Posts: 230
Location: Asia
Joined: February 9, 2004
 Thanks Louie, they are not around now. would you know the material of the top plate and base ?

 

RE: Garrard 401 Plinth options, posted on April 12, 2021 at 10:20:50
louie3
 The top plate is a sandwich...1" mdf or similar, with top and bottom of some sort of formica-like polymer sheathing top and bottom. The surround of mine is mahogany, but there were several options. The plinths were built for specific drive systems, Lenco, Garrard etc and were different according to the drive system.

Here is a link to Lenco Heaven discussion about the plinth, you may find it useful: https://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?action=search2&search=Vinylista+plinth&submit=Search&advanced=0

 

RE: Garrard 401 Plinth options, posted on April 12, 2021 at 17:50:40
mnawaz3@aol.com
Audiophile

Posts: 502
Joined: March 28, 2002
 i have had the 401 on loricraft clone plinth. the heavy mass birch ply are much better. especially the versions that are too heavy to lift by 1 person. but if you value convenience (easy to lift) and just waant something that turns, its ok.

 

Vaguely, posted on April 12, 2021 at 20:59:04
jusbe
Audiophile

Posts: 5950
Location: North Island
Joined: April 4, 2000
 I only vaguely recall that, but I'm only 50. But it was in reference to the re-engineered design I received and for comparison purposes.

This was made by a chap in Bristol (and then destroyed after being dropped by a removal company).


Big J

"... only a very few individuals understand as yet that personal salvation is a contradiction in terms."


 

Reinforcements, posted on April 12, 2021 at 21:03:22
jusbe
Audiophile

Posts: 5950
Location: North Island
Joined: April 4, 2000
 They were deliberately battens of ply or a similarly stiff wood member. This is in contrast to the former flimsy panel which resonated a lot, unsurprisingly, and did nothing for structural integrity.

The top, as PAR mentioned, was similar to the sides but also did nothing positive sonically.

The replacement was specified to offer some of the damping quality of slate without being so massive as to kill the sound, if you understand what I mean. The reinforced frame was then simply meant to act as a sympathetic cradle for this top-plate and deck.
Big J

"... only a very few individuals understand as yet that personal salvation is a contradiction in terms."


 

The owner passed away not long ago nt, posted on April 12, 2021 at 21:04:34
jusbe
Audiophile

Posts: 5950
Location: North Island
Joined: April 4, 2000
Big J

"... only a very few individuals understand as yet that personal salvation is a contradiction in terms."


 

RE: Garrard 401 Plinth options, posted on April 12, 2021 at 23:28:57
Gravetones
Audiophile

Posts: 230
Location: Asia
Joined: February 9, 2004
 Thank you for some really great inputs! Was speaking to another Audiophile whose tastes run more towards the vintage equipment whose experiments also came to near to the Skeletal plinth by loricraft but with 36mm ply on top instead of the 25mm

Also found an interesting read below which also corroborates that. Maybe a skeletal with 36mm ply for the top plate and steel feet with options for Sorbothane/Squash balls or anything else is a good option
https://theanalogdept.com/diy'ing_a_time_machine.htm

 

Good luck with your quest. nt, posted on April 15, 2021 at 01:48:47
jusbe
Audiophile

Posts: 5950
Location: North Island
Joined: April 4, 2000
Big J

"... only a very few individuals understand as yet that personal salvation is a contradiction in terms."


 

Page processed in 0.023 seconds.

[ Top Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]