Linn Bedrok LP12 Plinth Upgrade

@mylogic

My early series 401 (with the flush mount strobe light) was mounted in the huge ‘SME Plinth System’. The plinth base and depth was so big to accomodate the widest and deepest decks. The cover was of similar height to the plinth and designed to take the tallest 9 and 12’’ arms

I am wondering if the SME plinth I was given with my Garrard 301 is an example of the huge SME Plinth System?  At first glance, it has stepped sides, a floating deck and is essentially hollow with just a flimsy hardboard base.

The Garrard 301 does include six springs positioning its motor in space, and each spring is damped by a rubber tube around its middle.  Garrard also intended that the 301 should be mounted on a deck which is spring mounted to a plinth.  Garrard supplied the springs but not the deck, nor the plinth.  My SME plinth has long corner-mounted threaded rods which sit in the springs and can be adjusted by twisting four attached knobs above the deck.

The deck is damped at each corner by soft foam blocks, so lowering the deck increases the damping.  Nevertheless, the springing is nowhere near as soft or as "long travel" as an LP12

@richardbrand

Yes Richard, you have the SME Plinth System l mentioned. You could buy all the parts separately. When l bought the 401 from a friend he had the deck mounted on a hi-fi bench with just the Perspex lid. As he was an electrical engineer he was able to order me just the base and counter spring hinges to make the full system.

All your descriptions confirm this…. sides progressively bigger from the base up. Four large rod spring adjusters with black knobs to level the sub-chassis in each corner. Silver trim 360 degrees around sides. Very heavy cover with counter balanced spring assembly to keep the lid up. Holes in the back for mains and RCA cables. It was a MONSTER and could creak at times (thick grease on spring bases fixed this).The sub-chassis did not bounce very much and was quite rigid. The 401 needed a really substantial plinth and this construction was the best option available. We now know solid granite or very heavy wooden bases do the job much better.

Everything is as you describe. There are always some on eBay in the UK as more were sold here of course. The classic Garrard set up in the early 70s in the UK was considered to be….

Garrard 401

SME 3009 or the 3009 improved

Shure V15 mkII or mkIII (or Goldring G800 or G850, but they didn’t track so well)

SME Plinth System.

There has always been a debate on which was the best of the two turntables. It comes down to personal choice in appearance or operational preference. Underneath there was little design difference. The 401 would clunk a lot using the twist start/stop control. The corner levers of the 301 were easier. BBC DJs would normally position the stylus half a revolution from the start of the track next to be played and the 301 was much easier to engage the motor and supposedly had quicker motor up to speed performance.

The BBC STORY

The 301 was the standard BBC radio turntable in the 60s and was the most loved by the pioneering DJs. The 401 was intended to replace these radio stations 301s as Garrard wanted to maintain this status of suppliers of said turntables.It backfired on Garrard as the DJs demanded that the 301s be retained and put back because the 401 was not so easy to use. The DJs preferred the controls and quicker take up speed performance of the 301. The batch of 401s l was told were re-boxed and then just chucked into a corner of a room somewhere. About 12 years ago someone was selling four mint 401s in their original boxes on eBay saying they did a BBC clearance on old gear that were ‘surplus to requirements’. I remembered all this and was able to tell the seller as to how they found their way there. I informed him of this story and he was selling each one far too cheaply (about £600 each) ……..l should have bought them all myself.

UPDATE

l don’t believe the SME Plinth System appeared until the 401 was in production so your model 301 was probably rehoused. SME would cut out the sub-chassis to your chosen turntable and SME arm model position if requested.

@mylogic

Nailed it! You have very precisely described my SME plinth.

My grease-bearing Garrard 301 has the SME 3009 improved fixed head shell tone arm, and the Shure V15 Type III cartridge (hyper elliptical stylus). My dad gave it to me so it has sentimental value

I got given it when I was on a world business trip just after CDs came out, and just after my hifi was stolen. I bought Quad gear on that trip - pre-amp, amplifier and ESL-63 speakers - so hardly used the turn table.

The on-going debates on vinyl versus digital and the rising value of Garrard decks has piqued my curiosity. What is all the fuss about?

You mentioned start up speed - half a revolution - and they can stop just as quickly. I have replaced the main bearing with an oil bearing from the Classic Turntable Company.

I have kept the plinth as an outer shell and dustcover, but removed the flimsy base. It is now infilled with constrained layers of MDF on IsoAccoustics OREA Bordeau pucks sitting on 50-kg of Sydney sandstone. The deck springs are bypassed at the moment, but can be used for a comparison.

Thank you for the extra information!

UPDATE That makes sense. My dad originally housed the Garrard in a cabinet I designed and he built. The board in the SME plinth looks factory cut to me, from veneered chipboard!  Could be my next upgrade.  It is a pity SME cannot supply parts for these plinths!

@richardbrand

301 & 401

The Garrard’s were mainly sold as just decks…..no plinth.
Lots of hi-fi enthusiasts as they were called then simply mounted them as required.

SME….

The company has stopped supplying individual models now and only sell them fitted on their SME turntables l believe. No back catalogue of spares for older stuff from the 70s is now commercially viable. It is a shame the UKs leading arm designer has now abdicated and left the building.

@mylogic

In May 2018, SME took over everything Garrard from IGB Gradiente S.A. of Brazil and seems to be manufacturing the Garrard 301 again, initially from New Old-Stock.  They also took over Loricraft Audio.  SME only supplies the new Garrard 301 with an SME M2-12R tonearm, or the V-12 magnesium tonearm.  They won't supply spare parts like the rubber mat to folk like me.  The price is quite incredible (over GBP 35,000) and they only seem able to produce one every two weeks, at best.

Do you know more?