• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Garrard Type A turntable

doctor fuse

doctor fuse

Super Member
I picked up an old 1962 Electrohome Montega console stereo a few years ago for $50, because I wanted to hear what old tubes sound like and the receiver looked quite hefty and well built. I have been using the aux in to play my digital sources since then.

Just recently I finally took a look at the turntable - a Garrard Type A. It actually looks quite respectable, with a host of screws for fine tuning the tone arm.

Would anyone care to comment on it? It seems to keep steady speed, but the cartridge is crap (the needle is toast anyways, and it most certainly is a cheap ceramic).

I'm assuming it's a nice idler wheel design. I'm toying with the idea of getting a cheap phono preamp and replacing the cartridge with an old backup Grado. Would this tonearm be able to carry that weight? It seems quite light (plastic) and doesn't have a whole lot of counterweight.
 
Register to hide this ad
Tough question! The Garrard Type A was, in the early 60's and at the beginning of the hifi era, one of the best turntables around. It's well built and flocks around it a group of die hard fans. In today's standards, it's average at best under the far fetched assumption that it's in a perfect working order and that it's original 50 y/o rubber parts (idler wheel) are not crumbling. It is very probable it will need to be refurbished and rebuilt bottom up. This could get costly and I cannot find justification for it due to the average expected performance. It's basically a mono turntable - and I'm guessing it's tonearm was designed for the best carts of the day at 2.5g - 3g of VTF. I don't think it's well suited for the lighter trackers of today's favour, but it may do well with some veteran Shure's. I think it deserves it's share of respect for historical reasons - yet - I'd be surprised to learn anyone is using it for the everyday casual or audiophile listening experience. It could have some advantage in playing mono LP's or 78's with perhaps, another dinosaur of the era, the Denon DL-103 cart. Anyway, if it hosts a piazo stylus it will need some conversion to host an MM or MC 1/2" standard mount stereo cart.
 
Last edited:
I've found that these work good with DJ type cartridges that run in the 2-5 gram range. The trip mechanism won't run reliably under about 2-3g anyway. Mine is wearing a Stanton 680, but other companies make a functional equivalent. Original mag probably would have been something like a Pickering 380. They're quite a decent machine. Some are mono, most are stereo though. They make a stellar 78 changer too.

Rebuilding isn't that bad, its just time consuming. If you're OK with small mechanical items, you can deal with this. They aren't super silent even when in proper running shape, and they are a little rough and clunky so I wouldn't play my prized rare records on one. I have something of a soft spot for Garrards, though I recognize that most of them are not exactly primo machines. I have an RC88, a Type A-II, a pair of Lab 80's and an AT6 kicking around and I've had and repaired others in the past. Its all about the same, remove the nasty grease and put in non-nasty grease.
 
I have a Type A that I can't seem to part with, it's just too cool looking. It needs a total rehab but is in mint cosmetic condition. It kind of reminds me of a 50's banana split...
 
Last edited:
I have 2 of these, picked up the second at a garage sale in case I ever wanted to play with the original. Neither one works. One of them does have a Shure M3D cartridge on it. My first Garrard came with a console that belonged to my wife's grandfather, but it never did work. Too many other projects ahead of it.
 
I'm using a Shure SC 35C on my Type A. I think I have it tracked around 5 grams (I forget, in that I tracked it quite a while ago). The thing is, you need a relatively low compliance cart, in that the arm is a little heavier than a more modern arm. Got it all teamed up with a nice mono Fisher TA-500 receiver and a single two-way alnico Wharfedale W60. Sounds great!!

Also don't worry about the higher tracking force. If you use a conical cart like the SC 35C, it won't really cut deep into the record groove and won't damage your records.
 
Last edited:
Love em! It don't take nothin' to throw it in the parts washer, clean the concrete-grease off, schlap some new lube on the criticals, put a new tire on it and crank it up... maybe a little more...
 
Had a couple of A's over the years. The last one was in a Scott 800B console and in that application, it worked great. Had a GE VR cartridge.

I like my lab 80 better, but I too have a soft spot for nice old Garrards. You can do a lot worse than a nice old A.
 
In the early 60s, the Type A was second in Garrards line up after the very expensive model 301.

After around 20 years, I just recently pulled my 1961 Type A out of mothballs. The reason was, I wanted to see what the GE VR-1000 cartridge I have would sound like with it. I did a basic cleanup on the Type A, just to clean the dust and grime on the motor puller, idler wheel, tonearm movement, etc.
Set the Arm to track at about 2.5 grams, which is what the VR-1000 wants.

Put on Nat Coles 1961 "The Christmas Song" album, in Stereo (of course). Capitol Records Rainbow logo.

I'm AMAZED. Seriously. I think there is some very special synergy with the tonearm on the Type A and the GE Cart. The detail retrieval is quite amazing, and the "air" I'm hearing on the Lp is astonishing. And I have even done the real cleaning resto on the underside, or tweaked the arm settings yet.

So......anyone who thinks the Type A isnt "audiophile" is simply using the wrong type of cartridge.
 
They work well if you use a period appropriate cartridge, or at least use one with suitable complinance. My Type A-II runs a Stanton 680 DJ cartridge, the Type A runs a Shure SC-35C. Both work very well.
 
Confirmed. Just had it up to 3 g before it even started to track, Back goes the ADC
no table I owned has ever liked this grado, tracking is off or sonics are off,it's been kicking around the stock pile a long time, good exercise anyhow :thumbsup:
 
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?
 
custom10 said:
Thread has inspired me, mounting a GRADO gold on the A tonight, Had a ADC olm 30 on it for a while. View attachment 1066267
Click to expand...

Not a happy match. Very inappropriate for the application. Remember this is a 1961 changer, and 3 grams was light tracking for a changer when this was designed. The trip mechanism on this is also a big limitation, use the Type A changer within it's ability to function correct. Remember that a Shure M3D was the state of the art MM cartridge when this Garrard was new. A Shure M 44-7 tracked at 3 grams or a Shure SC35C is more like it.
 
KentTeffeteller said:
Not a happy match. Very inappropriate for the application. Remember this is a 1961 changer, and 3 grams was light tracking for a changer when this was designed. The trip mechanism on this is also a big limitation, use the Type A changer within it's ability to function correct. Remember that a Shure M3D was the state of the art MM cartridge when this Garrard was new. A Shure M 44-7 tracked at 3 grams or a Shure SC35C is more like it.
Click to expand...

Correct. I have had this cart for a while just collecting dust, not a good match, not even close.
 
ivan100000 said:
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?
Click to expand...

Link to the service manual complete with a service bulletin on the matter, may help you out.TJ

https://www.vinylengine.com/library/garrard/type-a.shtml
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom