Garrard 301 Vintage Turntable with Custom Plinth, Linn Tonearm, and New Sumiko Cartridge

Free Shipping on Most Electronics - Excludes Speakers and Items Requiring Freight - Contiguous U.S. Only

General:
This is a SkyFi custom build without the long lead time, ready to ship!

The drive is the holy grail of vintage tables, the Garrard 301 with smooth platter. The drive is in amazing survivor condition, tuned and tested for another 60 years of reliable operation. The mat is also  a super clean original Garrard rubber piece.   

For the arm we chose the magnificent Linn Ittok LV II because of its super-smooth lifter operation, and amazing bearing system.  

For the cartridge we chose the detailed Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250. We love this cartridge because of its boron cantilever and nude shibata stylus. It will arrive perfectly calibrated and ready to rock thanks to our included 12-Step Premium Turntable/Cartridge Calibration.

Give us a ring if you'd like to select different cartridge or want some advice on the best fit with your system.

The plinth is a custom affair, made of maple and black lacquer. The black top rests on 1.5" rubber internal cushions providing a dampened platform for the drive to operate inside, and absorb vibrations.   

The SkyFi Testing Process for Turntables:

First we try to identify any mechanical issues, particularly in the tonearm bearings.  We check for freedom of movement or any resistance on both the horizontal and vertical range.  There is a quick test for this which involves placing the table on its front edge and allowing the arm to swing freely like a pendulum.  We then make any adjustments necessary to achieve minimal resistance and sometimes adjust the bearing pressure.  On gimbal tonearms we inspect the cone tip with a magnifier.  

We then asses the platter speed by using one of several methods, the most accuse is a playing a test tone on a test record and measuring the frequency out put with a frequency counter or oscilloscope.  We also utilize test equipment to measure the wow and flutter to ensure its within spec.  We do this for all speeds available for that particular model.  Adjustments are then made to achieve proper speed which will vary depending on table drive design.  Some require an adjustment of an internal or external potentiometer, some will require a pulley or motor adjustment.  We also inspect the platter bearing to ensure its properly lubricated keeping in mind that some don't require lubrication at all.

We then inspect the power supply and address any issues with overworked capacitors particularly on Linn and later Thorens machines which tend to need attention.  

On fully mechanical vintage tables like the Thorens TD124 and Garrard 301/401 we will go thought the entire mechanism, replace any worn parts and lubricate all components necessary to ensure smooth operation, speed change and low mechanical noise. 

When fitting a new cartridge we will go through our detailed calibration process which can involve as many as 12 steps depending on the arm design.  We perform this work on our custom turntable calibration rig which was developed in-house.  

Some of these steps include:

• Pivot to spindle adjustment

• Tracing force

• Anti-skate

• Tonearm height

• Lifter height

• VTA

• Azimuth

• Stylus Distance and Overhang

We then do a critical listening test using our test records and our test system to ensure proper sonics.