I am looking for a Garrard Lab 80 rebuild service. I have a pretty special one that may need a little more than just clean and lube. Any recommendations?
Garrard Lab 80 Rebuild Service
- Thread starter Hitachiht550
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KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
I am aware of none who do LAB 80. Very complex mechanism/very labor intensive to service. The only Garrard models which do have that level of rebuild service are 301/401 (Loricraft/Garrard/SME) support those models, as do quite a number of specialist firms.
Bruno Primas
Super Member
If the 80 is in original condition and has just been sitting for a while, it might not be that hard for you to do the job yourself. I got a 80 a few years ago and I took my time with cleaning and adjustments that I'm glad I did it. If anything would go wrong now, I feel confident enough to pull it apart. I even had to go so far as to replace the "finger" that operates the stacker spindle that someone had run the platter backwards and bent it so badly that it broke off when I tried to straighten it out.
For me it is just a time thing. I have so much happening right now that I would love to hand this off to someone and be able to just set it up when I get the space finished and ready for listening. I know Fix my Dual does Garrards but I was just seeing if there was a Garrard service person I could reach out to.
Thanks
Thanks
Such great tables that are also such pain's to keep running smoothly. When running well matched up sonically with any idler that I've owned, including Garrard 301. You read that right. Just a poundingly fun table that really was built beautifully. But just so many things that can be off even a tiny bit and unless one is really great at maintenance and trouble shooting turntables, and mechanically inclined, can really cause some serious headaches.
At least they did with me.
At least they did with me.
This particular one is a champagne and white one. As far as I know only came in the Packard Bell stereo consoles.
I believe you are correct. Always thought the PB color scheme was very cool.
Having rebuilt two of them for myself I will say they are indeed a pain to get running right. Once its sorted its fairly OK about staying that way but getting one right to begin with is tedious. One of mine had a problem with the center bearing support part moving under the weight of a record stack which would screw up the drop the next record vs shut down cycle. It was a pretty narrow range of position that made it right, and I ended up fixing it by putting some Loctite on the part then installing it after I figured out what height it had to be at. I think that one was the one that also had the slightly deformed cycle cam that i had to spend some time with a file removing high spots in order to make it run properly. It wasn't deformed enough to kill it, but it was just enough to make something rub and bind up. Once I found and fixed the high spot it ran fine.
The other one had this odd litle quiver that I could see in a record stack. That one ended up being a single dog hair in the bearing, and the shake was it coming around and making a high spot. I think there was some other stupid little problem with that one that I can't recall right now. Something with the trip linkage adjustment that made it not reliably engage the cycle.
Having rebuilt two of them for myself I will say they are indeed a pain to get running right. Once its sorted its fairly OK about staying that way but getting one right to begin with is tedious. One of mine had a problem with the center bearing support part moving under the weight of a record stack which would screw up the drop the next record vs shut down cycle. It was a pretty narrow range of position that made it right, and I ended up fixing it by putting some Loctite on the part then installing it after I figured out what height it had to be at. I think that one was the one that also had the slightly deformed cycle cam that i had to spend some time with a file removing high spots in order to make it run properly. It wasn't deformed enough to kill it, but it was just enough to make something rub and bind up. Once I found and fixed the high spot it ran fine.
The other one had this odd litle quiver that I could see in a record stack. That one ended up being a single dog hair in the bearing, and the shake was it coming around and making a high spot. I think there was some other stupid little problem with that one that I can't recall right now. Something with the trip linkage adjustment that made it not reliably engage the cycle.
Picture?
Yes IME a very frustrating turntable to get right, and it doesn't stay right for very long.
Of course this is just my experience; I'm sure somebody will chime in that their Lab 80 has been trouble-free since the mid '60s
