Garrard Type A turntable

[malden]

I love my Type A, which I believe was a Europe-only variation with a three-tone white/red/gray color scheme. I run mine mono with a Shure M3D cart, a 1950s Fisher TA-500 receiver, and a KLH Six speaker. Period LPs from Pet Sounds to Atlantic label jazz just sound so right on this system.

My issue—as mentioned by others—is that it needs to be serviced. The idler wheel was rebuilt by Terry’s Rubber Rollers a few years back, but I evidently have a problem with the trip mechanism, as more often than not, an LP will start skipping at 20-30 seconds before the end of the record; it’s getting worse as time goes on. I know my limitations and I’m sure that if I were to watch instructional YouTube videos and try to tackle it myself, I would end up with “leftover parts” and other problems. There is no reputable turntable repair guy in the area, and I’m not inclined to get involved in boxing up this fragile thing and sending it cross-country to a boutique repair shop where the cost of shipping alone will set me back more than the value of the turntable. What to do?

The Type A is worth the effort and expense of having it repaired. You may not get your money back if you sell it but I doubt you would ever do so once it is running properly.

We need someone who has restored one from the ground up to start a thread here on AK dedicated to the Type A.

 

[gadget73]

I made an attempt to video an overhaul on mine, but when I played it back it was out of frame enough that none of it made sense. I tend to be bad at that kind of thing, and I'm not any good at step by step stuff either. I just get involved in what I'm doing and by the time I stop and think about taking pictures the job is usually done.

 

[mikey5967]

Mine is sounding pretty darn amazing for not having been used for 20 years!

What I would like to do is have a plinth made for it with rounded corners, like that guy on EBAY sells from Moldova.

 

[Randy Adams]

My quick and dirty approach on my Type A is to mount an Ortofon DJ cart and run at 3 grams. Even without skipping I could hear distortion as soon as the tone arm reaches the trip follower. I tried swapping to later versions of the trip mechanism including the presumably lower mass plastic one but that distortion was still there. Solution for the quick and dirty guy? Remove the trip follower and use it as a heavy tracking groovy looking manual. All inner groove distortion gone. My two Thorens 160s with Audio Technical carts cannot match the spectacular punchy sound of the old Type A with the Ortofon DJ cart on 12 inch 45s.

 

[gadget73]

Might need to run it a bit heavier than 3g. Thats probably at the low end of where that thing runs reliably. Mine is running a Shure SC-35C at I think 4 grams and it does OK. The other one is running a Stanton 680 DJ cartridge in the same range. I think the Shure performs better if I'm being honest about it. Overall the DJ carts do seem to be a good match for changers with their clunky arms.

What did you get the trip mechanism from, another Type A, or was that pulled from an A70? The A70 mechanism should be lower mass and lower friction but I have no clue if it can retrofit onto a Type A. Honestly I'd love to replace my two Type A's with an A70.

 

[ivan100000]

Gadget: Can you verify with a strong degree of certainty that tracking clean, original mono LPs at 4 or even 5 grams on the Type A will not prematurely chew up the record?

 

[Randy Adams]

Might need to run it a bit heavier than 3g. Thats probably at the low end of where that thing runs reliably. Mine is running a Shure SC-35C at I think 4 grams and it does OK. The other one is running a Stanton 680 DJ cartridge in the same range. I think the Shure performs better if I'm being honest about it. Overall the DJ carts do seem to be a good match for changers with their clunky arms.

What did you get the trip mechanism from, another Type A, or was that pulled from an A70? The A70 mechanism should be lower mass and lower friction but I have no clue if it can retrofit onto a Type A. Honestly I'd love to replace my two Type A's with an A70.

I may be running at about 3.25 grams because I think you're right about 3 being a little marginal. But that's on an old unit that has had no rebuilding or refurbishment at all. I definitely don't need to go to 4 grams. I like using a modern DJ cart because I won't have to worry about deteriorated innards and it's easy to source them and replacement stylii. And Ortofon is a good company.

Regarding the trip mechanism, I tried one from another Type A and then one from a Type A Mk. II. The latter one was still metal with (I think) the cadmium anti-friction surface. It was probably the exact same piece as on the original Type A. I tried lightly dressing the surface with a little 0000 steel wool. I don't think I accomplished anything other than shortening my life with the toxic element exposure. Then I obtained a plastic one from an A70, just as you guessed. The under-the-table mechanism is essentially the same as the Type A except for the different materials. FWIW, I didn't accomplish a good enough improvement. It really impressed me when I realized how much better it was on the final song with the mechanism removed. That typical final song distortion disappeared. The finger lift on the original Type A headshell is very clumsy for manual use but I cut my teeth on these units when they were new so I can still manage it at age 61. I picked up the Type A I have now for sentimental reasons and because I really do think they are beautiful pieces of postwar industrial design. I may someday get the more usable finger lift from a 4HF or TPA headshell and spray it black. And it is more rumbly than they were when new; I would love to have somebody qualified go through it.

 

[gadget73]

Gadget: Can you verify with a strong degree of certainty that tracking clean, original mono LPs at 4 or even 5 grams on the Type A will not prematurely chew up the record?

A good condition conical point in the 4-5 gram range won't bother anything. If its using the 1mil, the force is spread over a larger area as well.

I may someday get the more usable finger lift from a 4HF or TPA headshell

The RC-121 has a good one too. My A-II has a lift from a scrapped 121. I don't know what they were thinking when they designed the A's lift, but it kinda sucks.

I tend to agree about the modern cartridge too. My SC-35C has a new Shure stylus, the Stanton one was bought new a few years ago when they decided to kill the line and sell the existing stock off for cheap. At some point it will be done with but its not running a 40 year old stylus with damaged suspension in the meantime. Both my A and A-II were freebies. I sometimes feel sorry for unwanted record changers.

 

[dosmalo]

I love my Type A, which I believe was a Europe-only variation with a three-tone white/red/gray color scheme. I run mine mono with a Shure M3D cart, a 1950s Fisher TA-500 receiver, and a KLH Six speaker. Period LPs from Pet Sounds to Atlantic label jazz just sound so right on this system.

My issue—as mentioned by others—is that it needs to be serviced. The idler wheel was rebuilt by Terry’s Rubber Rollers a few years back, but I evidently have a problem with the trip mechanism, as more often than not, an LP will start skipping at 20-30 seconds before the end of the record; it’s getting worse as time goes on. I know my limitations and I’m sure that if I were to watch instructional YouTube videos and try to tackle it myself, I would end up with “leftover parts” and other problems. There is no reputable turntable repair guy in the area, and I’m not inclined to get involved in boxing up this fragile thing and sending it cross-country to a boutique repair shop where the cost of shipping alone will set me back more than the value of the turntable. What to do?

Please post a pic of that beautiful Type A you own.
It's an awesome example!

 

[ivan100000]

 

[dosmalo]

Thanks ivan, that's the sweetest looking Type A ever!

 

[gadget73]

Thats the best looking version IMO. I dig the base that matches the profile of the deck.

 

[ivan100000]

Thanks. I agree that they are a great-looking table, and as I always say, I can never decide if I want to play records on it or eat it.

Too bad that there is an issue with the trip mechanism, and LPs tend to skip once they get to 20 or 30 seconds from the end of the record. It had started out occurring once every 5 record plays or so, but it's happening progressively more frequently. No turntable techs in my area, and shipping it out to a boutique repair place (along with packaging costs & hassles) will exceed the cost of the turntable itself. Talk about first-world problems...

 

[jfchi]

I've had a type A since 1970. I have a Shure M55 in the tonearm and I play all my 50's and early 60's vinyl on it. I have a GE VRII that plays the 78's. There was an outfit called Turntable Doctors out of Long Island that would "volcanize" the idler wheel for about $20. The rest was just degrease and the use of phono oil.

 

[automojo]

Yep..I grew up listening to my dad's Type A, kit built Harman Kardon Cit IV and V-and Wharefedale speakers. I picked a type A II years ago-and sold my Dual Harmon Kardon T45.
This is what L/P should sound like-and what I remember all those years ago.
It's a huge difference between this sound, and modern decks.
And they can be picked up for a song.
Easy to service and set up.
Uses a Pickering 38u/AT cartridge-thanks sounds dynamic and musical.
Not sure how it compares the cult status 301/401, but I would imagine it's very similar.
Unless you have heard one of these heavy weights-it's really hard to describe the difference.
Kinda like listening to a reel to reel recording, if that makes sense.
These decks are best used with a conical stylus IMHO.

 

[ivan100000]

As a follow-up on my so-called "Ice Cream Truck" red/white/gray Type A, I did finally bite the bullet and take it to someone who knows these old tables. Turns out the Bearing brace--and thus the bearings themselves in the tone arm pivot shaft--were totally gone. Combined with hardened grease issues, it's a wonder this thing used to track at all. Now it works like a charm tracking at 4g.

My dilemma at this point is whether I should repair my backup Type A that's identical to this one and 100% complete/original. I have the Shure M3D in my working unit, and I have an NOS red GE VRII mounted in another Type A/4HF headshell that I would love to put to use.

The thing is that I really downsized post-marriage, and I with the stereo rig upstairs and the mono lo-fi in the turquoise room downstairs, I feel shoehorned in with gear as it is. First-world problems, I tell you...

 

[KentTeffeteller]

The Garrard Type A is a classic!

For me, of the classic pusher platform Garrard changers, the best looking, the best built (without Plessey bean counter interference and all the improvements and refinements of that design). In my area, never saw a Garrard Laboratory A with a magnetic cartridge which wasn't a Shure M3D. The LAB 80 and LAB 80 Mk II, the last of the true Garrard changers built the old Garrard way. From there, slowly, gradually and progressively downhill save for the 401.

That said, the one good Plessey era Garrard for me was the AT-60 and AT-6 (an improvement over the previous generation economy Garrard offering)

 

[Hunted11]

Just saw this thread and had to go look at my Type A This one has been in my family since new. it belonged to my brother. It has an Empire 108 stereo cart installed. Now I have to find time to power it up again and see what it does. It's been sitting for a long time.

 

[cubis]

Hi, Garrard experts I just recently picked up a Type A Mk I that had been installed in a console and was in as found condition. It doesn't look like it has been abused or messed with just needing basic service and lubrication. I did the work and every thing seems to work, records drop and changer works, but to my horror randomly when the arm comes over to the rest position during a change the arm will rocket inward dropping on the way down on to the record surface and scratching the record. Of course it always decides to do this on the best record in the stack! The other telltale during this occurrence is that after it has done this the auto trip when the the arm moves to the run out groves does not trip. I love the table, but I am afraid to turn my back on it for fear that it is going to attack one of my records. Has anyone ever experienced this phenomenon? Any thoughts much appreciated.

 

[gadget73]

sounds like something is still gummy in there. Guessing you'll find its something to do with the trip linkage or the pawl on the large center cam.