Best Tonearm and Cartridge for 4K or under for restored Garrard 301

@kanchi647 

Did you get the 401 sorted? It's been a while. Hope all is well.

Joining this discussion a little late. I recently upgraded from a shelter 501 to  a rebuild  Koetsu black. My listening interests are mostly blues, jazz and a lot of Indian music (I have lots of LPs from the 60s/70s). The rest of the system is decent

1. Well tempered classic with JMW 12 tonearm 

2. Zu Omen Mk2's and zu event cables

3. Ifi iphono black 3 

4. Benchmark LH 4 preamp ( I swap sometimes with a fantastic preamp built by my friend for me 

 (Sridhar)

4. I also have 811 based monoblocks driving the Zu's built by my friend

If I thought that the shelter 501 was good with vocals, the koetsu black is several notches better especially in the midrange. I cannot believe how the same vinyl sounds so much better (more details seem to be easily heard). Granted my shelter was old but this is really good. I have a month to evaluate the Koetsu black and in case I do not like it, I can exchange for a kiseki or others. But so far the Koetsu has been outstanding. Have not yet listed to rock etc with it.

Also, I have heard the same records played back with Lyra Delos; the Koetsu definitely seems better to my ears.  The dealer who I bought the Koetsu from was suggesting that I should upgrade my player to a Merril with a kuzma 4 pt tonearm --) way over what I can afford right now.

 

 

Nanda you have to decide for yourself after your own experience with those tonearms and different cartridges. FR66s is not $4k tonearm, it’s twice as much in price. This is a high mass tonearm for low compliance cartridges. If you already have 64s in perfect condition then try Ikeda (short of long). You can pimp your 64s by sending it to Ikeda for rewire and maintenance (if your 64s is not perfect). 

What do you all think about Osiris tonearm which is held by a magnet..

@rauliruegas @patrickamory @bigbucks5 @yagbol2 (they specifically mentioned IT-407 is better than fr66s)

I bought a peter riggle woody tone arm, SME 3012 ii and FR 64S.
I am looking at FR-66S vs IT-407.
I bought a Shindo platter and bearing as well which is being shipped.
I am happy to spend the money as long as I can get it back if I don't like it.
The reason I am buying so many arms is that I can have mounting boards made for them and compare them.
I am also interested if someone isolated the tonearm mount from the plinth. I saw some youtube videos and they look amazing. 
A lot of forum members are claiming that FR-66S is better than Ikeda IT-407 (early version and later version), even though IT-407 is good on paper doesn't translate into sound is what they claim.
I would like to get your thoughts on that.  

Thanks
Nanda

fsonicsmith

... due to higher mass, a 12" arm can not react as quickly to changes in the vertical plane ...

Is that actually how you define "latent reaction to groove modulation?" It genuinely isn't clear what you're trying to say.

fsonicsmith

... the inherent superiority of 9" arms over longer arms to minimize latent reaction to groove modulation...

Will you please explain what "latent reaction to groove modulation" is?

I can’t tell if that is snark or not. The concept is that due to higher mass, a 12" arm can not react as quickly to changes in the vertical plane. Those that believe it is a real issue claim that the compliance of the cantilever is insufficient to eliminate the effect. There is no doubt, as a matter of physics, that the advantage of a 9" arm in this regard is real. The question is whether in reality, a mere 15 to 30% of additional arm length makes an audible difference and one that outweighs the advantages of lower tracking error.

Just for the record, what I wrote and what I had in mind have nothing to do with tonearm length.  The same rules apply no matter what the length, and I was not meaning to advocate for 9-inch tonearms.

fsonicsmith

... the inherent superiority of 9" arms over longer arms to minimize latent reaction to groove modulation...

Will you please explain what "latent reaction to groove modulation" is?

I'm also sorry, but your argument about the effect of a high mass counterweight is specific to FR and Ikeda, and I am talking in general about the calculation of tonearm effective mass. A heavy CW, which because of its weight can be placed close to the pivot, can have the effect of reducing effective mass, because the factor of distance between the center of mass and the pivot is squared, whereas CW mass is to the first power. Those are facts. Ikeda didn't abrogate physical laws. If you want to minimize effective mass, you are best off with a heavy CW that can be placed as close as possible to the pivot vs a lighter CW that has to be further from the pivot to achieve balance or the desired VTF. That's all I was saying.

I believe the point you are making is analogous to the point Mike Fremer and others make about the inherent superiority of 9" arms over longer arms to minimize latent reaction to groove modulation and warps in the vertical plane. That on paper may well be true, but in actual practice there are advantages to 10.5 and 12" arms and as has been a common theme in my posts on this thread, you have to pick your priorities. Are Koetsu cartridges with heavy stone cartridge bodies inherently inferior to lighter cartridge bodies since they require larger CW's to balance out? Common sense tells us the answer is no. 

Chakster, on the issue of graphite vs slate, I do owe you an apology if you were talking about mats in the first place and not plinths.  The OP was asking about plinths, and I assumed you were referring to plinths made by OMA, which are, or were last time I looked, of slate, not graphite.  On the other hand, if you were discussing platter mats in the first place, mea culpa.
I'm also sorry, but your argument about the effect of a high mass counterweight is specific to FR and Ikeda, and I am talking in general about the calculation of tonearm effective mass.  A heavy CW, which because of its weight can be placed close to the pivot, can have the effect of reducing effective mass, because the factor of distance between the center of mass and the pivot is squared, whereas CW mass is to the first power.  Those are facts. Ikeda didn't abrogate physical laws.  If you want to minimize effective mass, you are best off with a heavy CW that can be placed as close as possible to the pivot vs a lighter CW that has to be further from the pivot to achieve balance or the desired VTF.  That's all I was saying.

The purpose of the Post was to inform the OP the Idler TT, can be experienced in a variety of Sound Qualities.
It is a design that is for the end user, tweakable in many ways, and does not require the intrusion into the mechanics of the Deck itself. 
I'm sure with the directions available in this thread, the OP will find a place of great satisfaction in their front end source.  

^ This thread just got even better. ;-)

I can't wait to see the OP's final table. It's definitely going to be one of the more unusual interpretations of a Garrard build.

In my defence it has been increasingly hard to tell the pair of you apart at times though but no excuse, I screwed up badly on that accusation.

hahaha, almost every thread on here going crazy after first 5 posts or so

Miller

I must humbly apologise here, I could have sworn it was yourself that was the idler hater.
I was wrong.
It is Mijo.
Jeez, what a klutz.
At least I can admit when wrong though, unlike some.

In my defence it has been increasingly hard to tell the pair of you apart at times though but no excuse, I screwed up badly on that accusation.

But not quite sure why Miller even posting here as he is a confirmed idler drive hater?

At the risk of making the obvious mistake of thinking logic has anything to do with an uberwaltz post, having never said even one word one way or the other about idler wheels- EVER! Find it uberwaltz and I will GIVE YOU MY TURNTABLE you useless piece of... nevermind,like we all don't know anyway- so no merit as usual to that. But even if I had- which I have not!- I'd be a lousy idler wheel hater seeing as my own freaking turntable is rim drive, which is essentially a variation on an idler wheel!
Check it out! https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367
So much for the hater part. Now on to the question of why I'm posting here. Which is obvious to everyone else. Since the OP is asking about tone arms, I am letting him know about tone arms. Unlike uberwaltz, who went way off topic into idler drive just to gratuitously slam me for something I never did.

Doesn't make a lick of sense. Just like uberwaltz. Well I did say its a mistake to apply logic to any of his posts. Right again.

                 

@lewm

Chakster wrote that Oswald Mills Audio plinth is made of graphite. That is incorrect. They are made of Pennsylvania slate. Slate and graphite are two different things.

Wow, so it was my mistake then, mainly because those slate plinth looks identical to OMA graphite mats and shells. I watched a video how it was made (the plinth). Seems like they do not make any slate plinth anymore, now only cast iron.


OMA Graphite mat and graphite headshell

"The OMA graphite mat is precision machined from an extremely high grade of polycrystalline graphite, not amorphous carbon, which is graphite dust in resin." -OMA

Also, perhaps paradoxically, use of a heavier counterweight could have the effect of reducing the effective mass of the tonearm overall. This is because the effect of the counter weight on tonearm effective mass is proportional to its distance from the pivot-squared, times the weight of the CW. Thus the distance from the pivot is dominant. And substituting a heavy CW for a light one will bring the CW closer to the pivot, all other things being equal.

This is where you are wrong, because IKEDA-SAN designed OPTIONAL W-250 counterweight for FR-64fx tonearm for use with his FR-7f series cartridges. Cartridge alone is over 30g and counterweight is located very close to the pivot when i’m using FR-7fz on my FR-64fx. As you can see in the catalog W-250 counterweight comes with FR-66fx tonearm, the 66 is higher mass arm.

To use FR-64fx with FR-7f series (or SPU) every owner need a heavier counterweight (W-250) for optimal performance on this particular tonearm. Bacause the stock counterweight for FR-64fx toneams is much lighter and smaller, to balance FR-7f it must be far away from the spindle which is NOT optimal for high mass low compliance cartridges. This is why W-250 was made by Ikeda. And it is very close to the pivot when FR-7fz is mounted and adjusted. W-250 is bigger than heaviest counterweight you have with your FR-64s.

My comment was given for Fidelity-Research tonearm "FX" series.

Now i have two FR-64fx tonearms, one that i use ONLY with my FR-7fz with W250 counterweight and it’s optimal for this combination according to Ikeda-San.

And another NOS in the box with stock small counterweight for conventional cartridges on conventional headshells that i’m gonna try on this tonearm in the future (Miyabi for example). "FX" series is so beautiful and i love it! I wish i could have black B-60 base for it. But now i have two N-60 for my FX beauties.  

Anyway, my FR-64s with b60 is next to it. 

Miller would have a baby with my tonearms setup on my 401.
Micro Seiki ma505ls.
Detachable headshell.
Din plug cable.
Out to Denon sut.
Out to Phonostage
Finally into integrated.

Lol.

But not quite sure why Miller even posting here as he is a confirmed idler drive hater?
Rumble, rumble like a cement mixer .
😉😉

@millercarbon   Funny, your first post here represents my tonearm.  It's a 1989 SME IV with Cardas rewire continuous from the cartridge clips to an outboard junction box (epoxied wiring at the bottom of the SME so it can't be pulled out and the box mounted to the back of the table).  I especially like the arm's less sensitivity to vertical tracking angle.  I can play 120 to 180 gram records and not have the problem many other high end arms have where the listener has to adjust the VTA up or down based on the record thickness.  The negative is that it's a pain to get the VTA correct using the armspring method and lock.  If I had to do it again, I would buy the SME V.  The arm has about 10,000 hours on it and is in perfect condition.   The 1989 SMEs came with crappy wiring and a DIN connection.  Rewire it with RCA termination and it's a bargain high end arm.

Chakster wrote that Oswald Mills Audio plinth is made of graphite. That is incorrect. They are made of Pennsylvania slate. Slate and graphite are two different things.
Also, perhaps paradoxically, use of a heavier counterweight could have the effect of reducing the effective mass of the tonearm overall. This is because the effect of the counter weight on tonearm effective mass is proportional to its distance from the pivot-squared, times the weight of the CW. Thus the distance from the pivot is dominant. And substituting a heavy CW for a light one will bring the CW closer to the pivot, all other things being equal.

I agree in principle with what Miller carbon says about having a direct connection from the cartridge all the way to the input of the phono stage, but that is only an ideal goal and certainly not a necessity. I do insist upon it with very low output moving coil cartridges, but I cannot hear a difference with higher output moving magnet cartridges, for example.

Can you pls elaborate on the One continuous wire from cartridge clip to RCAs..  I use RCA cable from back of the TT to PPA990.

Yeah that's what you want to avoid, the interconnect between the table and the phono stage. What you want is an arm with integral RCA. In other words the cable and RCA is hard wired into the arm. One continuous wire. 

This is because the signal coming off the cartridge is the weakest faintest most delicate in all of audio. The next stage in the process, the phono stage amplifies this weak signal by the most amplification in all of audio. The last thing you want to do in a situation like this is subject that signal to a whole bunch of unnecessary connections. Every one of which is prone to micro-arcing and all the many other imperfections inherent in every connection.

As far as setup goes, do it yourself. Its not nearly as hard as its made out to be. Its not nearly as expensive. You can download and print alignment grids right off the web, and then with a $20 Shure stylus force gauge and some tweezers you are set. 

The reason this is all you need is because all the fancy jigs and meters and whatnot, all they really ever do is get you close. Once you get close all the fine tuning is done by ear. When you are tweaking VTF .05g by ear and the cartridge spec is a range twenty times as big you begin to understand why it just doesn't matter what gauge you use. When you are tweaking VTA by equally tiny amounts and doing it all by ear you begin to understand what a waste an expensive protractor is. And when you do all this stuff and see and hear and it all sinks in then you actually know what's going on and realize that right there was worth ten times the effort- and you will not hesitate to do it again, and again, and it only gets easier and easier. So just do it.

@pindac;
A very heavy platter, like my solid brass platter from SMD will eliminate virtually all of the bass emphasis but sacrifice a good bit of the propulsive quality that many of us love about our idlers. With my current cartridge, a VdH Colibri Crimson, I like the trade-off but I am sure as hell not getting rid of my OEM platter. My current 301 set-up renders tons of detail and clarity at the expense of tone and midrange warmth. As I said above, no one turntable-despite what one noted analog expert would have us believe-provides everything. The same holds true for every individual component known to mankind, every phone cartridge, every system, and every room. 

@pindac thanks for sharing the info. I will keep this in mind as I am doing more tweaking in the future 

@noromance I went with PRW bcos I got it at a good price and works with all carts and has VTA, Azimuth on fly and many say it is as good as Reed arm 
I would like to know, why are you calling it an interesting choice 
I am also buying Sien’s tonearm. It looks awesome. I will have two tonearms mounted. Sien also suggested AT95E cart with custom aluminum body and shibata stylus, which I will mount on Sien’s arm. Need a cart for the woodie. 

@kanchi647 Congrats on the PRW arm. An interesting choice. The 103r version has purer and lighter wire. It's a no- brainer. You might also look at the Zu version.

I am a Ex Garrard 401 Owner and at present have a
Idler Drive PTP Solid 9 as well as other TT's with a Lenco GL 75 awaiting a complete overhaul and new plinth.

Idler Drives are known for two things that will effect there Sound Quality,

 1, is in all vintage models from any Brand, and that is,  they not accurate in their speed control, to a measure that is desired in a Modern TT Design. 

2, is that the Idler Drives I have listened to can if not treated properly at the time of setting them up have 'to my ears' a overbearing Bass, that indicate 'to me' as a undesirable colouration.

The above are not criticisms, but the noticeable traits of the models I have had the opportunity to enjoy over time,  while listening to the most basic set up, through to well thought out designs for the set up.

Here are my thoughts on how a set up can be produced to clean up
what I refer to as the 'Overbearing Bass', and allow the undesirable coloration 'I perceive' is being revealed in the Bass, to be brought into a control, that delivers more to Create the Perception of a Rich, Honest, Bass Note with a very attractive Decay.    

The first control measure to be considered is the Plinth.
The Plinth will have a noticeable effect on how the energies are to be controlled and how these energies will be dissipated.

A Massey Plinth will absorb the produced energies, cleaning up the lower frequencies, but the design will keep with Noticeable Perception of what I refer to as a Overbearing Bass, and this will as a result make the Mid's and the Highs be perceived as being subdued in the overall presentation.

A Lightweight Plinth like Panzerholz, Permali, or Multiplex will or a arrangement of materials to produce a CLD Plinth Design, will be much better through the principles of the materials in use, to dissipate the produced energies.
The Bass will be perceived as having a lesser presence in these type of Plinth Designs, resulting with the perception of the Mid's and High Frequencies becoming more projected in the Soundestage.

My preferred choice of Plinth today is the Latter, as I had a 9 Stone Granite Plinth with my Garrard 401, and the PTP Solid 9 has a Lamination of Corian Material, and I know my experiences with auditioning the  Idler Drives in a Lightweight Plinth design surpasses what I have and what memories I have of the other Granite Plinth.
My Friend / New Owner of the 401, has a Lightweight Plinth in use, as the 9 Stone Plinth was just to inconvenient when other TT's owned, were sharing the same support stand.       

Another important consideration to really take the cleaning up of the Lower Frequencies to another perception of Noticeable Improvement, is the consideration of Footers for the Plinth.
I have friends who have all being investigative into the best footers and Sub Plinths to use under their Idler Drive Plinths.
I took a wild punt on 'Solid Tech Feet of Silence' and got very noticeable and impressive results.
These were taken out to others systems and were exchanged for the designs used by the systems owners, the response the 'Feet of Silence'
has been extremely impressive, all the owners who have experienced them in use, have either bought a similar type of device at a more affordable cost, and one produced a Sub Plinth using multiple elastics on the same design principle, and this has remained in place, over a the previous Sub Plinth and Footer set up, that was about £200  in cost.

When this level of control is in place, then a further attenuation can be worked with, using Platter Mats and Spindle Weights/Clamps.
I am getting very good results from a Tenuto Mat and a AT638 weight.
Be careful with this though, trialling of Mat Material in a set up is quite important to create a personal sound, I have had the Tenuto removed from another system, it made the High Frequencies too much for the system owner on their belt drive TT. 

Now the  road leads to Speed Controllers.
Do not under estimate the importance of one of these devices being put to service with a Vintage Idler Drive System.
I mention it last, as it could be confused as cure all, if it is used from the off set, the good impression it will make will leave the impression, enough has been done to upgrade.
If brought to the set up as a last addition,
if all the work done prior to the addition, has been perceived at each stage as having a noticeable improvement,
then the addition of a speed controller can leave a stratospheric impression for the better on the works done prior to it being put to use.

My Speed Controller is out on loan, to a individual who has spent much time on the above modifications, and he absolutely places his 
'acquired free Lenco GL75'with about £100 spent on Mod's,
over his expensive Linn and Thorens TT's. 

Sien 'SPH' offers bearings for various Idler Drives.
I suggest that you can read up on these affordable bearings,
learning of his earliest to his most recent reviews on Lenco Heaven.

My Friend that owns my 401, has been instrumental in offering design information to Sien, for the Latest Composite/Two Part Platter Spindle Design.
My Friend has chosen Ebony as the material that the Platter connect to when seated on the Platter Spindle for his Stacked Platter GL75.
He has been trailing this New Bearing against his original bearing with secondary extensions to create a stacked platter, and is reporting back that the Bass is much more controlled, and the Mid's and Highs are very impressive.
He is claiming the perceived improvement  is mostly attributed to do with the non metal to metal contact between the Spindle and Platter,
I have no data of any type to support these descriptions.

My Suggestion is, if you are going to produce your own Plinth, or have a Plinth Produced for you, choose a Plinth Design that will allow for you 
to go for the Longest Bearing that can be offered for the 301, as the Geometry of the Long Bearing will be the best design.
If you are to use a Sien Bearing, use the Composite Spindle,
and if you can experiment try a few different Platter / Spindle Interface Materials. 

As for Tonearm and Cartridge, well the options list is near on endless.

My personal choice today, for a Idler Drive is a Ortofon MC, as these are a little lean in the Bass, and compliment very nicely with a Noticeable Prominent Bass on a Idler Drive.
My Tonearm of the Past was a SME IV, but this is now replaced with a custom modified Audio Technica AT-1010, referred to as a PMAT-1010,
the PMAT-1010 was my most favourite find in many years.
Two individuals have bought into it since auditioning mine, and there is a growing number of converts throughout Britain and Europe. 

I know that the thoughts on how to get the best from any TT Set Up are varying, and that some of my information on offer that is produced from experiences and sharing in the experiences of others, might not be agreeable to some.
I hope you get something usable from the direction contained in the above.     
        

Just bought a Pete Riggle Woodie universal tone arm.
now have to look for a cartridge. Thinking of Denon DL103.
what’s the difference between DL103 and DL103R?
Thanks 

The 301/401 oil bearings are interchangeable. I'd check with Sien on specific compatibility to be certain. I think he has a video but it seems to be private. The bearing is taller so keep that in mind. With the platter removed, you just need to remove 3 bolts to change the bearing. No need to overtighten. 

@noromance Is the SPH same for 301 and 401 (30mm size).  Will it work with grease bearing as well? Any you-tube videos on how to change the bearing?
Thanks

Just get the SPH. However you should listen and understand the 301 sound with the original bearing first if you can. After a few weeks, swap the bearing. It’s a 15 minute job. Leave run for 6 hours. Then listen to your reference record. Be prepared to be amazed. The same with the idler. It's a blast. 

I spoke with Sien regarding the SPH Bearing. He made a lot of those for Lenco and TD124 and now makes them for 301/401. 1/3 the price. I am planning to buy one from him. @noromance thanks for the lead. Anyone here have any experience with SPH bearing?

I have a totally refurbished by myself Lenco 78 w/ many upgrades that Jean Nantais used in his TT and a couple that are beyond. Jean is the one who started the Lenco craze about 15 years ago. My TT now has a couple items from Artisan Fidelity including the AF chassis and pure copper platter, along with the Audio Silent idler wheel, JTN string/weight mod, Mirko bearing, 10-layered 100 lb. plinth of 3/4" birch plywood, and both 3/4" & 1/2" MDF.

I am now using a Pete Riggle Woody arm which has 3 different adjustments on it that can be done while the record is playing. All the adjustments on the arm can be done without tools, it looks very nice, and Pete includes an extremely thorough manual with detailed pictures on how to do all the adjustments to the arm. It is also capable of being a low mass or high mass arm by just changing out the headshell weight. It also looks extremely good with a Lenco or Garrard. The sound is on a level with any of the very good arms such as Schroeder, or Reed. New, the price is just under $2000. I got mine for $1200 used and in perfect shape. Pete will make any length you would like for the same price. He told me his 9", which I have, and the 12" have no discernible difference in sound. Therefore, I was able to just plop the arm in the Pete Riggle VTAF sleeve I had with previous arms such as the Origin Live Silver II and Trans-Fi Terminator w/ all the upgrades on it. Pete’s string theory bearing is genius and he stands behind his product very well.  I had a properly working Maplenoll Ariadne TT/arm air bearing combo, along with VPI Scout, VPI Classic, Avid Diva II/ Origin Live Silver II combo.  It was very tough to replace the Maplenoll with sound that was almost as good until I did the Lenco rebuild.  The combo I have now exceeds the Maplenoll in most areas and is totally safe in use with no chance of the air supply ever failing and thus, snapping cantilevers on expensive cartridges.  The Maplenoll is considered the greatest sounding TT/arm ever made by many experts. 

I’ve used Shelter 501 Mk II, Benz Micro Ruby 3, and currently Charisma Reference 2 cartridges, along with a Grace F9E w/ Soundsmith level 3 rebuild--much better sounding; all to great success. On the Maplenoll, I also used Clearaudio Aurum Beta S, Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood, plus Cartridge Man Music maker III cartridges.  They all sounded very good in the straight line tracking Maplenoll.  I’d let you see the whole thing, but I’m currently finishing off my basement and my dedicated music room is getting a pretty extensive rebuild that should be much more functional and could be even nicer in sound. Won’t know until I’m done if the things I did were beneficial to the sound until it’s done. I’m 98% sure it will be at least comparable to the previous room, but COULD be quite spectacular if the rebuild does what I hope it will do from the research I’ve done for many years.

Bob

The other question about what I said about Lyra. They are awesome sounding cartridges. But I find only with awesome sounding records. If your record collection isn’t up to it like most Indian music, you’ll find you’ll not be enjoying it. In comparison to others they’re very extended, very fast, and slightly lean. Similar to ZYX, which I also really like. I had an airy 3. But not with less than excellent recordings. This is one of the reasons that many of us have more than one tonearm and cartridge. Just make sure to choose what plays your style music best,  not what the rest of us think is best for our tastes.

@sdrsdrsdr Thanks for the tips about Indian music. Which TT does he use? Pls explain why the Lyra is not good? I am trying to learn and understand. Demo is a problem as I live in rural area. I live in Wheelersburg, OH. I am happy to travel to demo stuff if anyone is willing to show me.

My friend that likes the Indian music also has a 301. I talked to him earlier today and he’s selling his triplanar and airtight combo. Also selling his fr64s. He prefers the SME 312 and Koetsu Rosewood for his indian music. He likes a very smooth forgiving sound for his music. I bring my records when I come by and we listen to the other arm though, which I prefer. And so does he listening to my records. You should really audition first. It sounds like your budget is limited and many of these recommendations from others are beyond it. That’s why I mentioned the Reed 2a. Go for the 3P if you can though. A warm forgiving MC you could consider, wood body Benz, Koetsu Black, ortofon spu royal n, dynavector xx2. Or vintage MM cartridge. As far as all these expensive 301 modifications, fine if the budget is there but not necessary to get great sound. I recommend to give Steve Dobbins a call. Or Chris at woodsong audio. 

3012s1 are hard to find but do have a higher effective mass vs the 3012s2 or 3012r. Meanwhile the 3012r has a cult following.

The Groovemaster titanium is no slouch and highly recomended for a brand new arm under 2k but *if* you can find an excellent 3012s1 or fr66s or Ikeda and the like awesome. I agree get the arm you want even if this means a bit of a skimp on cart.

only thing I'm going to add after just finishing my Garrard 301 is spend more on the arm now and skimp a bit on the cart for now. also think about an arm with VTA on the fly its a god sent for set up. 

also a consideration is the plater Hight of the plater above your specific plinth as the plater is quite high if  the table is not countersunk. I put a 12" Jelco 750  arm on mine and had to make am arm board about 1/2"-3/4" taller then the plinth, my table sits on top of the plinth. I would not get a Jelco if it's not the new design, the older ones as good as they are have set up issues that the new ones don't. (grr VTA setting, but there are aftermarket VTF on the fly for the older ones, highly recommend for those with older jelco arms)


VTA on the fly !!!!    

@fsonicsmith I sure will. May I ask why you did not use the Brass platter and bearing and spindle from STS? Greg said that the one he makes sits on top of the original platter. Its like having two platters. 

Please tell Greg Mitch from Ohio referred you. 

I spoke with Greg at STS. Great guy. 
I am planning to get it rebuild by Greg. He offered a lot of upgrades for 301. He stocks  AudioSilente idler wheel. 
He also has long spindle bearing and bigger platter which sits on top of the original one. He says that it is better than the shindo bearing and platter. This upgrade is for 2600$.
I will go with upgrading idler wheel for sure.
I will buy the plinth from  Layers of Beauty and ship it to Greg.
Greg likes SME 3009 and SME 3012 version i or ii tone arms and he said he can refurbish them as well. He also carries Schick tonearms. 
Now I have to hunt for a tonearm and cart.
Thanks again for all your help.

I meant slate all along. Not granite

so nice to see the warm help and expertise extended to OP, even if he lives in Ahia !

OMA plinth is Pennsylvanian GRAPHITE, not Granite
and now cast iron too 

kanchi, I think OMA was known and is known for slate plinths, not granite. Many of the cognoscenti who have tried granite (I have not) were underwhelmed and preferred slate.  Furthermore, there is a wonderful low production turntable based on the Lenco idea (the Saskia) that is entirely made of slate and very well regarded at the high end.

finding a really good Fr7f/z will take some hunting. I have a regular fr7 and its nice but not fantastic. I’m not afraid of vintage carts but you cannot ignore that they are old...

Regular FR-7 and FR-7fz is day and night difference.
I have compered these two FR-7f & FR-7fz versions and "fz" is much better.

This particular series (if the stylus is not worn) is the best investment because sealed suspension never fails. No one never seen any FR-7 sample with weak suspension/damper. This is just a proper design by Ikeda-San. Loads of fans here on audiogon.

Another killer Japanese LOMC is Miyabi Standard and Miyabi MCA from Takeda (Legendary cartridge designer). 
Those vintage MC cartridges are pure magic! 

Fidelity-Research FR-64fx tonearm with stock counterweight is not heavy, but with this optional W-250 counterweight (double size) and heavier headshell (or over 30g SPU alike cartridges) is heavy. The 64s is heavier by default, because the armtube alone is heavier, but two counterweight cab be used for different cartridges.

@fsonicsmith Lovely system. 

@kanchi647 The Precision Audio Components platter is aluminum from CTC.
https://www.classichifi-shop.co.uk/product/aluminium-platter-20mm-over-sized-satin-black-finish/

The SPH grease bearing is from sphBearing@gmail.com. Subject to availability. 

Lots of good suggestions and ideas. A couple comments:
1) the Cary phono pre has somewhat low gain for mc and limited loading (100/47k).  This may all be a non issue but take it into consideration. ( on the other hand the Cary preamp has a fair amount of gain...). In general it may be best to stick with carts .5mv and up...

2) finding a really good Fr7f/z will take some hunting. I have a regular fr7 and its nice but not fantastic. I'm not afraid of vintage carts but you cannot ignore that they are old...
3) this may be a process of discovery since OP preferences are not included yet...so an arm with good flexibility for various carts makes sense.

I bought my Garrard 301 from Greg. Greg says he found it at an estate sale in essentially NOS condition-as if it had barely been used if ever. He cleaned it up and installed an AudioSilente idler and an SMD Acoustics main brass bearing from Peak Hi-Fi at my request. https://www.peakhifi.co.uk/cgi-bin/ecom.cgi?Command=ShowProduct&db_pid=718
Greg does not build plinths and does not particularly enjoy even dealing with plinths. He did recommend the Ray Walker PSU and so I bought one, had it shipped to Greg, and Greg assembled the wiring to make it easy to integrate  https://www.classichifi-shop.co.uk/product/classic-301-401-power-supply-unit-psu/
I kept the old grease bearing since it has virtues of it's own that I may wish to take advantage of someday. 
I then ordered the plinth from Russ Collinson and installed the Garrard chassis into the Russ Collinson plinth and then gilded the lily by adding this beauty  https://www.peakhifi.co.uk/cgi-bin/ecom.cgi?Command=ShowProduct&db_pid=1258

Now on my Thorens TD124, it was entirely different. It had been in my family for 60 years since my dad bought it brand new in 1959. It needed a lot of TLC. Greg stripped it down to the chassis and parts, had the chassis sandblasted and repainted to original cream color and at the time, Greg was able to supply a massive machined aluminum platter and custom bearing of his own design. He supplied the plinth and took all the steps necessary to implement the 12" Reed 3P including having a custom pillar pod machined to raise the arm the necessary height for the thick platter (something rather unique to TD124's where the chassis is elevated over the OEM platter more than usual). It too got a bunch of after-market parts including the AudioSilente idler. Greg's real passion and expertise is with Thorens and the 124. He studied repair of the 124 in Switzerland under one of the former Thorens technicians for several weeks many years ago. 

You are best off shipping your project to Greg and then only going to see  him when the project is done and ready for pick-up. He lives out in the boonies and prefers to meet at neutral locations. I never asked but assume he prefers his privacy and that his house and workshop are exceedingly difficult to find if you are not a local. 

And last, I live in suburb of Columbus OH. If you are ever nearby and want to see/listen, just PM me. 

@fsonicsmith OMG! that's a beauty. 
I have to admit, I did not know how to look at system. @noromance in his first post had a link to his system and I just clicked. Now I know how to look at someones system!!
Did Greg in Nashville rebuild  rebuild your system?
He is only 5hrs away and I can easily drive.
I actually drove to Washington DC to listen to Greg Beron's system and his tape decks.
I like your suggestion about going all in. 
I will order the Idler wheel.
If I may ask, where do you live?
Thanks!

The "beauty" of a medium mass tonearm is that you can easily add mass, if you decide to go with a very low compliance MC cartridge.  Whereas, medium mass tonearms, as is, mate well with most medium and medium high compliance cartridges.  On the other hand, you cannot easily reduce tonearm effective mass, if you should want to try a very high compliance MM or MI cartridge from days of yore on a very high mass tonearm.  So, I would stick with medium effective mass and think about Triplanar and Reed, primarily, if I were you.  I've never heard the Kuzma, so cannot exlude or include that one. fsonicsmith says his Cocobolo-armed Reed is "medium" mass at 18-19g.  I'd want to stay in the 11 to 16g range for max flexibility.  I use a Reed 2A with a Red Cedar arm wand.  Red cedar is a little less dense than cocobolo.  But rules like this can be gently broken, because if you look at the equation for resonant frequency, you can see that there is quite a bit of flexibility in values for effective mass and/or cartridge compliance allowed, while still staying in the desired resonant frequency range of 8-12Hx. 

As to slate as a plinth material, it's been excellent for me.  I own two turntables with solid slate plinths: Lenco L75 and Denon DP80.  They're both quite neutral sounding.  Slate is in and of itself "constrained layer damped", because that is the nature of slate per se; viewed from the side there are overlapping irregular layers of material, which is what makes it very difficult to cut with a water jet. (I know this first hand.)  On my Technics SP10 Mk3, I used a more massive piece of slate coupled to a cherrywood base, mounted to the slate from below.  I listened to the Mk3 before vs after I attached the wood base, and I heard maybe a 5% uptick in solidity and neutrality with the wood.