RADAR is a price search engine. We link to the original listing — we never sell direct. Transactions happen on the source site.
Angeboten wird „401“ von Garrard als Gebrauchtgerät aus der Kategorie „Plattenspieler komplett“ bei audio-markt.de - dem Online-Marktplatz für High-End. Das Inserat mit der Nummer 8683454742 endet am 01.07.2026 um 10:52 Uhr.
At €4,500 for a good-condition Garrard 401, you're paying a premium over the Thorens TD 124 crowd that's dominating this price tier—those spin effortlessly for half as much. Against recent EUR comps (median €1,937, ranging €1,227–€2,996), this asking price is ambitious, likely banking on pristine cosmetics or a fresh resto you can't spot in photos. Fair if it's mint and serviced, but it smells like seller optimism in a buyer's market.
Buyers, verify the idler wheel and tyre first—cracked or glazed ones are common failures on these '60s beasts, killing torque and rumble specs (aim for <0.5% WRMS). Confirm the motor runs whisper-quiet without bearing growl, and insist on the original 50/60Hz pulley, lid, and platter mat; missing bits tank resale fast. Test with a heavy arm like a SME for stability.
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.
See all Garrard listings on RADAR.
