Too much to select from & having a meltdown.

U

Upstateguy

Audiophyte
Dad died this past Dec., at 86 and he left his collections of 45 years; predominantly; cameras, audio equipment & golf clubs (think two hundred sets). I've asked your counterparts in the camera world to put together a nice pre-war screw type Leica outfit from the dozens of Leicas and hundreds of lenses he had. Now I need some assistance putting together a sound system from the hundreds of components he left.

Most of the stuff he had was vintage so I'd like to go that way since like him I'm a history buff and appreciate the story behind the item as much as the item itself. So far I'm thinking about a McIntosh receiver (4100), used with a Garrard 301 (that I'll have to put some money into) and then pick a set of speakers from a list of ten or so but am leaning towards AR5's or McIntosh XR5's. Also have a bunch of: JBL, Bose, Klipsch, Infinity, Ohm, Advents, Sansui & Altecs. Also have a bunch of large receivers; Pioneers, Sansui, McIntosh, HK & Marantz. I picked the McIntosh components because I remember him saying it was the best. The only thing I'm 100% on is the Garrard - everything else I'm open to suggestions & guidance.

Happy to say money isn't a pressing concern since he also collected first edition books and liked to seriously dabble in initial public offerings which payed for the hoarding of everything else, think - fountain pens, knives, bronze sculptures, coins and just about anything else you can put a collection together for (I've also inherited 3,000 plus records, hence the Garrard 301).

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
Dad died this past Dec., at 86 and he left his collections of 45 years; predominantly; cameras, audio equipment & golf clubs (think two hundred sets). I've asked your counterparts in the camera world to put together a nice pre-war screw type Leica outfit from the dozens of Leicas and hundreds of lenses he had. Now I need some assistance putting together a sound system from the hundreds of components he left.

Most of the stuff he had was vintage so I'd like to go that way since like him I'm a history buff and appreciate the story behind the item as much as the item itself. So far I'm thinking about a McIntosh receiver (4100),used with a Garrard 301 (that I'll have to put some money into) and then pick a set of speakers from a list of ten or so but am leaning towards AR5's or McIntosh XR5's. Also have a bunch of: JBL, Bose, Klipsch, Infinity, Ohm, Advents, Sansui & Altecs. Also have a bunch of large receivers; Pioneers, Sansui, McIntosh, HK & Marantz. I picked the McIntosh components because I remember him saying it was the best. The only thing I'm 100% on is the Garrard - everything else I'm open to suggestions & guidance.

Happy to say money isn't a pressing concern since he also collected first edition books and liked to seriously dabble in initial public offerings which payed for the hoarding of everything else, think - fountain pens, knives, bronze sculptures, coins and just about anything else you can put a collection together for (I've also inherited 3,000 plus records, hence the Garrard 301).

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
I have little idea of what you actually have. I have no idea of condition. We need precise model numbers of what you have with pictures preferably.

I'm not sure if you have a Garrard 301 that needs restoration, or if you have to acquire one.

Note that Garrard just made the turntable and the customer had to provide the PU arm and cartridge. Only the latter ones were sold with a plinth. Most were sold as just the turntable and the customer had to make the mounting for turntable and arm.

The speakers you really need to be precise as to what you have. Very few vintage speakers are really usable today. Very few were much good.

I certainly know the Garrard 301 turntables, as I have two of them.



I have been acquiring and building gear for 64 years now.
 
Last edited:
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Yep need a detailed list of make/model with pics if possible for best advice.
 
U

Upstateguy

Audiophyte
Thanks, probably should have started out with a detailed list of the stuff, makes/models would be helpful wouldn't they, DUH! The 301 is just the table itself, no plinth but it appears to be in decent shape. Got a bit frightened when I found reading on the "The Garrard Project" online and the money involved in refurbing one of these things is serious cash. I'll slap together a list of the stuff I've got and have it back on here in a couple days, thanks again. PS - TLS Guy - that is one beautiful set-up you have. My dad didn't "refine" his collection, it was more of a stacking system, you know where they stack five or six turntables up in a corner and then keep them balanced with two stacks of receivers & amps on either side. The joy was in the acquisition and not in the cultivating or refining an appreciation of the technology. I'm guessing you also crafted the cabinet your system is sitting in? Just beautiful.
 
BoredSysAdmin

BoredSysAdmin

Audioholic Slumlord
PS - TLS Guy - that is one beautiful set-up you have. My dad didn't "refine" his collection, it was more of a stacking system, you know where they stack five or six turntables up in a corner and then keep them balanced with two stacks of receivers & amps on either side. The joy was in the acquisition and not in the cultivating or refining an appreciation of the technology. I'm guessing you also crafted the cabinet your system is sitting in? Just beautiful.
You really should click on the link to his systems in TLS guy signature.... lets just say that photo he shared above it a tip of an iceberg
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
Thanks, probably should have started out with a detailed list of the stuff, makes/models would be helpful wouldn't they, DUH! The 301 is just the table itself, no plinth but it appears to be in decent shape. Got a bit frightened when I found reading on the "The Garrard Project" online and the money involved in refurbing one of these things is serious cash. I'll slap together a list of the stuff I've got and have it back on here in a couple days, thanks again. PS - TLS Guy - that is one beautiful set-up you have. My dad didn't "refine" his collection, it was more of a stacking system, you know where they stack five or six turntables up in a corner and then keep them balanced with two stacks of receivers & amps on either side. The joy was in the acquisition and not in the cultivating or refining an appreciation of the technology. I'm guessing you also crafted the cabinet your system is sitting in? Just beautiful.
Thank you for your kind comments.
So you have just a Garrard 301 with no plinth, PU arm or cartridge. That is how most were bought back in the day. Is there a PU arm in your late father's collection? The commonest arm is the SME series II and sometimes a series III, but they were after the 301s. The other combination was with Decca ffss. I have one 301 with Decca ffss professional arm. I do have a first generation Decca arm also. I have LP and 78 rpm Decca heads.

301 Decca set up. Includes a very rare Auriol lift I restored.



Decca 78 cartridge.



Decca London Gold Mk VI



That is one of the most complete 301/Decca collections in the world.

The Garrard 301/SME series II/Shure set up.



The SME series II arms come up quite often on eBay. The Decca stuff is infrequent, highly sought after by collectors, and commands very high prices.
 
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