Garrard 301-Worth the effort?

Look at it another way. If you spend around a third the amount that you had planned to spend for a new turntable on fixing up the Garrard, after decent research on the possibilities, of course, you'll be out a couple of grand. That's the going price of a 301 without a plinth or tonearm. You could pull off completing it with trimmings by buying a nice used tonearm and decent cartridge. For that money you would have a really nice setup that would sell for more, if you ever decided to get rid of it. That's the key. It is an investment piece that sounds good. You will always be able to recover your money because it is a very good audio investment, especially when there was no initial cost for it. If you are handy, keep it.

I do believe that mass matters in certain designs, and I also agree that proportion counts for a lot. I suppose it comes down to how the best case scenario is accomplished.

A high mass plinth can be designed, so that its visual features are attractive by leading the viewer's eyes in a desired direction while achieving the result needed to meet the physical requirements of mass. It is a daunting task to do both, however. That's why you see so many clunky turntables out there, in my opinion. Then again, look hard enough and you will find some very pretty ones.

It seems that Artisan Fidelity is being unduly promoted here. It has been said that the promoter is an employee. Could be. By the way, the owner of Artisan Fidelity has been banned from another site I frequent for self-promotion. Like here, those posts were blatant.

Of course, everyone who makes a product likes to see it in the forefront, and the temptation to promote it certainly exists. However, it is a different matter altogether when such promotion primarily consists of denigrating the work of others. That tells me that maybe the emperor has no clothes, or at least the product being promoted cannot stand on its own. A truly good product can talk about itself only, or even mention worthy competitors in a favorable light.

12-08-11: Jeremy72
"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.
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And, then....

01-07-13: Jeremy72
"Mosin, don't forget to add Sonny1930 to your conspiracy list and any other hobbyists you wish to pick on. Don't forget about the Nantais fanboys and all others..... J"
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And I'm the one accused? Go figure. If nothing else, I do support the DIY community along with my friends in the cottage industry, and I know and consider Steve Dobbins to be in that extended family. He is one of the good guys. So is Nantais, although we have been at odds from time to time, but at least we did it in a direct exchange for all to see and judge for themselves. I hold no ill-will towards him, and I do take offense when I see his, or any, product being derided for the sole purpose of promoting another, but I said that in my earlier post.

Hopefully, we can get back on track to the original poster's purpose for the thread, and I apologize to the readers for keeping it off-track this long, but I felt a response was necessary.