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Sell Me Your Women, Your Children, Your Vintage Turntable...

Ok I’m trying to understand the appeal of buying something like an old Garrard 301 or an elderly Technics all trussed up in a shiny new plinth, versus something manufactured in the 21st century by people not wearing clogs.

Surely modern gear has to perform better, dollar for dollar? It isn’t like these restored Garrards are exactly cheap, i was looking at one for almost $11k yesterday on Reverb. The internals looked like something out of a Meccano set.
 I ought to be more in tune with the past, I’m almost 60 and wear bell bottoms, but the style of the older TTs just doesn’t do it for me. Now then, my Dr. Feickert Volare had a look that was hardly futuristic, but that’s about as retro as I’d prefer to go.
All that said... I will buy one of these old buggers if it genuinely elevates performance. 
With $10k available for table and arm, on the new or used market, how would you splash the cash?

Rooze 
128x128rooze
jperry
2,432 posts
 
I have not heard the Amazon so no comment on that.

I owned a SME 10 and compared it directly to my Garrard 301 which had a Ortofon RS 309 D tonearm. The Garrard was easily the winner.

Since then I made some improvements to the Garrard 301. The improvements include an Ikeda tonearm, Audio Silente idler wheel, and Shindo platter/bearing system.

I have no doubt that I would prefer it to the SME 20, which is a fine turntable.

I have heard the Dr. Feikert many times, although not in direct comparison to the Garrard 301, and prefer the Garrard.301.

I will be interested to hear which turntable you select.

Jim Perry
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axpert's avatar
axpert
110 posts
 
SORRY !! I don't have a "BLUES BROTHER'S" turntable for sale.
advanced101
25 posts
 
Once I had the VPI Avenger and an Artisan Fidelity Garrard 301 Classic.  Now I only have the Garrard 301.
solypsa's avatar
solypsa
462 posts
 
*If* talking new tables the STST Motus IIDQ is a giant killer. I sell them so I wont go on and on, but do some research...( oh and meets the budget easily ).

A lot of decent advice already on vintage idler. You can do some good things in vintage DD at this price too. I love them all but have a slight preference for good DD .

Of course my dream team would be at least one of each type ;)
pgaulke60
292 posts
 
Just a couple of thoughts here, without any conclusions.  This is a good discussion.

(1) I like the idea of investing in a new cartridge first.  There are exceptions of course.  Wouldn't put a $5K MC cartridge on a $2000 turntable. 
 
(2) Looks do matter to me.  Aesthetics are important to me.  They are not the first criteria, but they certainly are one of the criteria.

(3) Some modern turntables look like they should be in a NASA physic lab.  How they heck does one dust some of those machines.  Point being here I need one that I can effectively and easily operate at all times of the day (nudge nudge) and be able to keep clean and functioning well without too much fuss.

(4) What does rumble sound like?  I'm not sure I ever heard it. I'm sure I couldn't have discerned it on my old Pioneer systems.  Now my system should have very little of it, but I have never done an A-B for rumble. That would be interesting.  Not even sure how I would go about it.

(5) Hats off to you DIY'ers.  If I was skilled enough to create the beautiful plinths that you all do, I certainly would be displaying it front and center in my system.  Always wanted to be better at wood working than I am, but I still have all my digits!

In any event, more questions than conclusions.  I will say, without wavering, I love my vinyl.  

Spin 'em my friends.
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