Upgrading a vintage deck

摘要

I am enjoying your magazine so much that I have been inspired to upgrade my vinyl front-end. But I just can't be sure which deck to invest in! I have a Garrard 401 with an original SME 3009, both owned from new by my father, initially, and now by me. They sit in a custom plinth made from layers of birch ply topped with an inch of oak. The Garrard has a new idler wheel and new spindle bearing. The cartridge is an A&R P77, which kind of dates the last time I dabbled with my vinyl.