What Garrard is this?
- Thread starter sloober
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KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
This is definitely a variant of the Garrard Auto-Slim series. There was an odd variant (didn't have the usual VTF scale on it) used in compacts and consoles. One of the better Garrard changers of it's day!
jd-audio
Well-Known Member
Yep "Sloober" you are right, the arm is not "standard" AT6 (same as SP25) but looks identical to the SP20 arm. Shame there is no badge as the type would probably also be written on this badge (or it could have been a "rebadged" badge).All other features look identical to the AT6. Probably a "special" console version as "Kentteffeteller" said.
It is not the AS4 autoslim (more compact with a smaller platter, one-piece-arm and simpler design).
Can't help out any further.
-John-
It is not the AS4 autoslim (more compact with a smaller platter, one-piece-arm and simpler design).
Can't help out any further.
-John-
datsunmike
Active Member
Unless the albums or 45s were beat up I wouldn't use it to play anything. While it may have been great in the 60s TTs have improved a great deal since then.
illinoisteve
Super Member
If it is all in good working order, it might be good for playing 78s. As you can see from the picture, the flip-over stylus has the wide 78 stylus down in playing position (when the 78 label is up and readable, its stylus is down; when the LP label is up, its stylus is down). It is almost certainly a ceramic cartridge, probably tracking around 2-3 grams. You could upgrade it to a magnetic cartridge designed to track in the same range, but you'd need to interpose a preamp into the circuitry or you wouldn't hear much. If you use it for 78s, I don't recommend stacking them, since they can be rather fragile. It's a sharp looking old table!
sloober
Super Member
I have much better tables, but this thing is just soo cool. The speakers are connected to the system by the copper hinges, and the table door has a mechanism to provide a slow decent. Just open the door, and it slowly lowers until flat. A red light comes on when opened illuminating the table. I have been using it with a CD player and with Am and FM, but was wondering about how good the table was after reading about all the Garrard owners. I considered trying to eith mount a better table into it, or mounting a CD player to the table area, but hate to molest something as nice as this is.
It still has a full set of Radioshack "Lifetime" tubes in it, so They are good for...forever!
It still has a full set of Radioshack "Lifetime" tubes in it, so They are good for...forever!
It's a variant on the Autoslim with a large platter. The arm isn't counterbalanced, so it's very heavy toward the front (cartridge) with a strong spring pulling upward to compensate. The tension on that spring is set by a thumbwheel underneath the arm about halfway back toward the pivot from the headshell.
Later Garrards with non-counterbalanced arms, such as the Model 50, 40 Mk II, 40B, 50 Mk II, SL55 and SL55B had a partial counterweight at the rear, with a much lighter upward-pulling spring for tracking weight adjustment.
The arm on yours is the same as was on the Autoslim/P (P for Plug-in). The original Autoslim didn't have a plug-in shell. Your headshell is the same as on the AT6, and interchangeable with the lightweight cut-away version on the AT60, 60 Mk II and SL65 (non-B version) in the USA.
It is capable of tracking down to about three grams. Most likely such a Garrard in a radiogram would have a ceramic cartridge that tracks a lot heavier than that and would be damaging to records. There is nothing to stop you from physically installing a lighter-tracking magnetic cartridge that would work at three grams (some of the current "disco" cartridges, for example) but it's likely that the radiogram doesn't have the necessary phono stage to provide gain and equalization for it. Also, such a Garrard in a radiogram is likely to have a two-pole motor, whose basic rumble frequency is way up into the audible range, around 60Hz in the USA. Radiogram speakers aren't likely to reproduce that low so their users never knew! Component-grade Garrards such as the separately-sold Autoslim, the AT6 and variants named above, and the Model 50/40 Mk II were all equipped with the better four-pole motor.
Later Garrards with non-counterbalanced arms, such as the Model 50, 40 Mk II, 40B, 50 Mk II, SL55 and SL55B had a partial counterweight at the rear, with a much lighter upward-pulling spring for tracking weight adjustment.
The arm on yours is the same as was on the Autoslim/P (P for Plug-in). The original Autoslim didn't have a plug-in shell. Your headshell is the same as on the AT6, and interchangeable with the lightweight cut-away version on the AT60, 60 Mk II and SL65 (non-B version) in the USA.
It is capable of tracking down to about three grams. Most likely such a Garrard in a radiogram would have a ceramic cartridge that tracks a lot heavier than that and would be damaging to records. There is nothing to stop you from physically installing a lighter-tracking magnetic cartridge that would work at three grams (some of the current "disco" cartridges, for example) but it's likely that the radiogram doesn't have the necessary phono stage to provide gain and equalization for it. Also, such a Garrard in a radiogram is likely to have a two-pole motor, whose basic rumble frequency is way up into the audible range, around 60Hz in the USA. Radiogram speakers aren't likely to reproduce that low so their users never knew! Component-grade Garrards such as the separately-sold Autoslim, the AT6 and variants named above, and the Model 50/40 Mk II were all equipped with the better four-pole motor.
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bkmcallister
Member
What he said.
eb2jim
Super Member
I had one of those ages ago. I bought it for parts for my AT-6, and as others have noted it has many of the same parts, like a nice idler, with the major difference being the pre-set counterweight. Which considering that they were installed in lower to mid level consoles, you really didn't want to have a lot of adjustments that could go out of whack for the typical Perry Como fan of the early 60s. So they were preset and sounded good. And they stacked or played manually. Mom and Dad were happy. The kids were happy.
It is a good party box. They are great 78 players. The idea that a Garrard stacker would damage 78s is utter nonsense, and with a new needle it will be a good player. It certainly will not damage your vinyl. You could put a better cart in and check the weight. You could get it to track around 2gms with a little ingenuity. Like any AT6 or 60, they do need lube and cleaning typically. And you do have to go into the platter bearings or you will get rumble that is annoying. I would check the amp input - it may have a ceramic and magnetic input option hidden inside already. If a modern cart is not loud enough, and it was designed for a honking loud ceramic, then pick up a basic phono preamp at Best Buy for $20. Hook it up and hide it in back. Good to go.
Invite the gang over, stack some wax, and party!
It is a good party box. They are great 78 players. The idea that a Garrard stacker would damage 78s is utter nonsense, and with a new needle it will be a good player. It certainly will not damage your vinyl. You could put a better cart in and check the weight. You could get it to track around 2gms with a little ingenuity. Like any AT6 or 60, they do need lube and cleaning typically. And you do have to go into the platter bearings or you will get rumble that is annoying. I would check the amp input - it may have a ceramic and magnetic input option hidden inside already. If a modern cart is not loud enough, and it was designed for a honking loud ceramic, then pick up a basic phono preamp at Best Buy for $20. Hook it up and hide it in back. Good to go.
Invite the gang over, stack some wax, and party!
Brett a
~◦●○o0o○●◦~
That is a beautiful specimen there.
A definite keeper, but use it only on LPs you don't mind wearing out quickly.
What cartridge is in it? Mine has a Pickering U-38 that I really dig. It's a fun sound that strips away any of that distracting critical listening.
A definite keeper, but use it only on LPs you don't mind wearing out quickly.
What cartridge is in it? Mine has a Pickering U-38 that I really dig. It's a fun sound that strips away any of that distracting critical listening.
I have my Garrard AT6 MKII just for playing beat-up LPs and 78's. (I also have about 1,000 beat up jazz LPs from the late 50's to the late 60's, so having a 'table to play them on makes sense.)
richardkid2
New Member
There is a sliding contact underneath that shorts the outputs when the changer trips in. Could be a lot of things, but if your amplifier tubes aren't working (based on your other thread), the turntable won't be the immediate source of trouble.
There should be a model name or number on it somewhere. May even be printed underneath on a tag or rubber stamp. Lots of Garrard manuals available at thevinylengine.com if you register.
There should be a model name or number on it somewhere. May even be printed underneath on a tag or rubber stamp. Lots of Garrard manuals available at thevinylengine.com if you register.
I just bought a 40 Mkii like the unit in your photo for $5, thinking it might share some parts with my existing Garrard 3000 (aka AT5LM).
Does anyone have any more info on this 40 Mkii? Does it actually share the same cart/stylus as the 3000?
The 3000 has a goofy proprietary Pickering V15 on it. The other models are typically a 1/2" mount that could be any number of magnetic or ceramic cartridges. The mechanism is pretty much the same, but the arms differ. There are a lot of Garrard models that share the basic workings though, the only real difference being the arm, the motor, and the color scheme.