Rega P10 v Complete rebuild Garrard 401!

Congrats on the choice of a Woodsong Garrard,
I have his 301 in the very substantial plinth. I prefer the look and feel of the 301 over the 401.
But I understand the performance is comparable.
My plinth is the dual arm board one. Excellent design and super solid. Chris is clearly one of the most knowledgable and skillful guys, He does all the work himself and is a perfectionist.

Hey Uber,
Appreciate your echos of my comments.
Yes, that USAM 301 is an attractive unit. Seems well beyond the “classic” 301 set up. And the new Woodsong idler wheel and new pulley probable make it very usable. Feel we have done our best to guide Gunner as vinyl and Garrard fans. I looked for my 301 for years. Got lucky to have found a pristine Woodsong 301 with Ortofon 309 arm. And Chris at Woodsong tells me that my $4k plinth is a special one he no longer offers utilizing Panzerholtz super dense wood. It certainly is a silver lining in these trying times for us audiophiles and music lovers. Special extra time to love our hobby. Wishing you and all our chat group folks to stay healthy and upbeat!

I was faced with this exact choice. The new Rega P10 or a rebuilt Gerrard 301/401. When I found a beautiful a Woodsong 301 used on US Audio Mart it was a God Send! Chris at Woodsong does an amazing job. And as good as the Rega is, the idler drive reproduces the impact and physicality of music that is a greatly different and addictive presentation from any belt drive table.
I am a long time fan of the Rega Sound. Natural and smooth. And the different philosophy of less mass below the stylus really works.
But if you can find a used 301/401 that has been transformed by one of the handful of these great rebuilders, grab it. 

Check out the YouTube titled Gerrard 301 vs Studer Reel to Reel.
An amazing video using the new SME $23k 301. The best sound quality YouTube I have heard from the UK Audio Show!

BTW, If you decide to go for Rega, get a P8. It is 95% of the P10.
I used to be a Rega dealer.

Hi Gunner,
Thanks for sharing your feelings about experiencing a comparison between a rebuilt Garrard and a Rega, etc.
The main thing that guided me on my desire/quest to own a nice 301 comes from my friendship with the great music producer/record company owner, Winston Ma. Specifically, the rather incredible fact that Winston used his personal 301 as the source for one, or more, of his incredible $50+ “gold label” CDs. Before I actually owned my Woodsong (shout out to Chris), I always thought of Winston’s “master 301”. And over the years conceptualized the reality of the Garrard 301/401 sound as stemming from the solidity of the deck and, mostly, the idler drive producing the physical “meat” stored in the groves unlike ANY belt drive. Not to negate the reality of the “super tables” but not many of us can afford tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands. I scored my Woodsong 301 with a $3500 Ortofon 309 arm for $5300 and feel grateful every time I listen and hear that wonderful, unique physicality that is a beautifully reimagined 301. In a real way, I was not surprised. A legend is not created without substantial cause!

Gunner,
I would strongly consider that $3500 rebuild on US Audio Mart that was linked in a previous post. The open plinth is not ideal but the amount of rebuild seems pretty good. And the rebuild and plinth appears to be well thought out and good quality. I would try to talk with the seller and, maybe, make a good offer considerably less than asking.
As mentioned, I feel lucky to have found that beautiful Woodsong 301 with the Ortofon 309 you mentioned. If you have indeed found a 309 for $2500 that is a good deal and you could have a very nice 301 rig for $6k. Maybe think of getting into a better plinth as a future upgrade, or not. If you went this way, I would definitely upgrade your phono stage and get something like a lower line Ortofon MC cartridge for $500 to $1000. OR, be patient and wait for a nicely rebuilt 301 with arm to show up on the Audio Mart or Audiogon. I would not buy a used cartridge unless you factor in a stylus retipping. One last thing is that I believe the main difference between a 301 and a 401 is the cosmetic. Personally, I much prefer the more rounded, classic look of the 301. Especially with a good rebuild, the tonal difference between the two tables is small.
If you wait, as I did, you may be rewarded by finding a beautiful Garrard. However, nice rebuilt rigs are few and far between. I only secured mine because the seller had medical problems. Again, check out that 301 with the open plinth!

Hey Gunner,
I just checked out that ad and the Acoustand Audio Twin Arm Skeletal Plinth on the Acoustand site. To buy that plinth new from that company installed would be $527. My Woodsong plinth was $4,000! That 301 is probably about 7 out of 10 mostly for cosmetics. It does have the Woodsong idler wheel and new pulley which are the most important parts. It does seem to be in quite good working order. I would offer the guy $2,000 USD. He is now asking  $2,227 which is a very fair price. And get that Ortofon 309 for $2500. It is what I have and seems to be a great and very appropriate arm for a 301.  I would sell that entry level Vincent phono stage and invest around $1,000 in one of the many good phono stages. And also make an investment in a mid level MC cartridge. I suggested an Ortofon to match the arm and as a good value. I would be quite content with such a rig. Would consider sending it to Chris at Woodsong someday for an upgrade, or not. One simple and excellent self upgrade would be to buy a Pureaudio Tenuto gun metal mat for about $400. I have one... big improvement. In any event, $2k for a decent and well functioning 301 is a good deal and a great start! I would not be overly concerned with having the “best”.  Good enough is good enough. And you will have a quite livable amount of the Garrard Sound.

Hey Gunner.
If I were you, I would grab that Canadian 301:
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649600198-garrard-301-rosewood-shick-12-emt-tsd15-stillpoints/
A great deal at $5K!
Complete with good cartridge and good arm. It looks beautiful.
You would have a 301 for life!
There's that recommendation of his friend:

I just noticed talk about the 301 in Vancouver. The owner is a good friend of mine named Sam. He replaced it with a nauntais 301 fully done out with the big power supply. He also had a fr64s he  mentioned maybe selling. You could maybe work a deal with the arm if that arm interests you. Our dollar is very low right now too.