It might have been from Steve, I remember bringing a TT back from Lopwell for you, no idea what it was though!
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Thatās the one. Thanks 
Another lovely turntable, Iāve been looking for a 401 but this looks the beesā¦.
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Almost the same mods as mine, other than the colour and speed controller.
Oh, and mineās a Mk 1 with an un-butchered plinth 
Lovely t/t though
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I heard that a few years ago and itās lovely.
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Have you got the variac for yours?
No
Superb!
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Fuck, so tempted as thatās the exact 124 Iāve coveted for years.
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The price is nearly right, it would be (post sale) a third hand item. Clive had this unit for a number of years, he was a good guy too - I donāt know the seller. Iām guessing the motor suspension grommets would be OK but the belt and idler would need to be checked. (More to do with how this unit has been stored & ageā¦ Clive had x4 TTās so usage would have been comparatively low under his stewardship)
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do you know what the arm is in the pics? Suits the table so well, and given that the table comes without an arm it would need factoring in cost wise.
Reading about TTās at the moment, subjective I know but interesting to read that the 124 is seen as slightly more refined than a 401, whilst less impressive in the bass.
Think its a Ikeda.Very good arms better than any SME imho.
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Yep Ikeda 345 (I think) probably worth around Ā£2.5 - 3.5k
Cart looks like an FR-7 but @pmac will know.
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Looks like it
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Certainly the arm pictured is an Ikeda. In terms of sound, Iām biased but it might be interesting to note the seller is keeping his 401. Clive kept his 301 til last selling the aforementioned 124.
There are many pros and cons to each TT. The Thorens offers greater functionality (Clutch system, leveling and strobe, 301 has no strobe, 401ās do) The E50 124 motor (Or Papst) is considerably smaller than either the 301 or 401 which some people attribute to the lessening in force / guts / bass. This is party a factor but bearing differences also come into play along with the 124ās reliance on belt and idler which on a good day is a great idea and on a bad day two areas that can play up.
I could go on a lot here but for me some of the downsides to a 124 stem from itās additional functionality. The top platter for example is pressed ally which leads to some issues, the tonearm mount onto the chassis frame (Makes it compact) but also doesnāt do much to in terms of isolation, the leveling system in turn can offer minimal contact with the mass of the plinth which again can lead to poor vibration managementā¦
Of course Schopper addresses much of this. Our other side of the business is called Significantsound, we specialize in 124ās and SME parts so over the years I guess weāve pulled 70-80 124ās apart and kept a fully modded 124 running for quite some time. TBH the best results we had were from ditching the top platter (Running a Tenuto on top of the main platter and moving the 12" arm āoff boardā into a mass plinth. )
One thing I can say with confidence is that any of the Garrards or Thorens need work they are in many cases 60 yrs old. The 124 offered for sale has had the work done, their values havenāt gone upwards in the same way 301ās or 401ās have but this example would likely hold itās money in full.
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Thats a cracking bit of insight, especially regarding maintenance of these decks. Iām at the start of the learning curve, and coming off the back of owning Regaās and Technics would probably be wise to a) spend more on a well sorted example b) steer clear for fear of having something that needs fixing that I have bugger all understanding of.
Main attraction for me is how these decks play music, seem to have a reputation for being good at rhythm, and my main tastes lie in funk & soul.
Mine is not on the same level as Cliveās but I have put a tenuto on, replaced the motor suspension with the hanze springs, replaced the motor sintered bearings and cleaned which all made a huge difference.
Especially given when I got it the platter took around 15 minutes to get up to speed 
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Many (Not all) serious Thorens guys are into classical, in some ways the smaller motor, two drive system and very well cast chassis of the Thorens allow it a sophistication that is not apparent in the MK1 124 or the earlier 301ās (Grease bearings, much sloppier toleranceā¦STEREO wasnāt supported by the majors until 1957) Where the Garrard can make up these shortfalls is with the right plinth, this is what the French and Japaneese (See Ikeda, Koetsu and Shindo et all all worked out) in the late 70ās.
Meanwhile Garrard went onto produce the 401 which was specifically designed for the requirements of STEREO transcription - The 401 sadly suffered commercial pressures (Garrard buy out etc which led to cut backs and corner cutting that harmed the unit cosmetically and in some ways mechanically) For what itās worth:
- Grease bearing 301 - Major torque, thunder bass, less detail = excellent for Mono / Blues / Jazz / Soul Think of it as a slightly wild child that you never get time to be bored, can be the best fun may make you loose your hair. Music can be very emotive / powerful / Driven
- Oil Bearing 301 closer tolerance bushes slightly less torque but quieter motor = Good for STEREO and great for MONO Similar to the above but still not offering full detail if thatās your thing? Can handle all genres still lots of drive / life in the sound.
- First type 401 quieter motor less torque again but better screened, stiffer chassis, more substantial build of many components = Can deliver detail, not quite so big on Drive, But the bass is still very capable.
- Later type 401ās, probably the quietest motor but everything else has suffered, less torque much of the signature energy is less present.
- 124 MK1 similar to the grease bearing in terms of downsides (Mostly in this case with how the motor mounts / transfers energy to the chassis. Heavy iron platter can be an issue with gradoās / Decca carts in particular)ā¦Still the sound has some detail and is nice with MONO recordings
- 124 MKII, motor vibration addressed but the top platter and belt / idler combo can lead to a less energized sound - That said more detail, less LF energy / drive.
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Hereās a rough iphone recording of a clients AG Grease bearing 301 playing some Gil Scott Herron in Stereo (If you like Soul / funk etc). I know it doesnāt offer much of a clue but perhaps the āforceā of the Garrard sound does come though (This makes sense to me, Iām a bit daft)
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stuff of dreams, thank you (I think)
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