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Garrard 401 Turntable and Tonearm Package Due to limited use I have for sale my fairly recently completed Garrard 401. It boasts an ‘Audio-Technica 1503 Series 3’ tonearm with head shell and brand new AT110 stylus, all professionally installed and calibrated. This 401 has been mechanically refurbished, upgraded and tested. It is in excellent working order with full service kit from UK supplier. The plinth is a very solid and weighty laminated marine ply painted professionally in a stunning durable green hammertone paint. *please see my ad for EAR 834 clone valve phono pre-amp (Camilla Gunar
Ambitious pricing: A$2,700 sits well above the median of A$1,087 and exceeds the 75th percentile of A$2,261 for used Garrard 401s in AUD.
The Garrard 401 remains a legendary transcription turntable prized for its authoritative bass, timing, and near-zero rumble, making it a direct path into your music with exceptional accuracy. Its massive 100-lb plinth and robust motor/flywheel system deliver rock-solid stability that still rivals modern high-end designs. While the price is steep relative to recent AUD comparables, the 401’s rarity, enduring sonic reputation, and potential for upgrade with premium tonearms (like SME) make it a worthwhile investment for serious collectors who value vintage performance that never fades. If this listing includes original accessories or is in original-owner condition, that upside could justify the premium.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Garrard Turntables trace their origins to the Garrard Engineering and Manufacturing Company, established in 1915 in Swindon, Wiltshire, England, as a division of the renowned jeweler Garrard & Co., founded in 1735. Initially tasked with producing motors and range finders for World War I, the firm pivoted post-war to consumer audio, crafting silent spring-wound motors for gramophones supplied to brands like Columbia and Decca. By 1930, it unveiled its first complete gramophone turntable, building a legacy in precision engineering amid the vinyl era's dawn.
The brand's product focus centered squarely on high-quality gramophone turntables, with iconic idler-wheel models like the 301 (launched 1954) and 401 (1965) standing out for their robust four-pole induction motors, aluminum chassis, and support for 33, 45, and 78 rpm speeds. These transcription turntables, favored by the BBC and European broadcasters, eschewed modern direct-drive or belt systems in favor of grease-bearing designs and eddy-current braking, often sold without plinths for custom integration. Garrard innovated in record changers and autochangers but never diversified into amplifiers, speakers, DACs, headphones, or cables.
Garrard occupies a revered niche as a vintage collector's cornerstone in the high-end hi-fi market, synonymous with the golden age of analog playback. Sold to Plessey in 1960 and ceasing production by the late 1970s, its decks remain prized today for their torque, build quality, and musicality among audiophiles restoring "Swindon iron" script-logo classics. No active modern entity perpetuates the original line, cementing its status as a benchmark for idler-drive excellence.
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