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Garrard 401 Turntable Price is negotiable . I have had this beautiful unit for a couple of years. Works perfect at both 33 and 45 rpm. Unit is quiet and stable. It has a new Technics mat as the original mat was damaged. The unit was not working on arrival ( the motor appeared to be stuck ). This was unexpected but thankfully I got in touch an SNA member ( cam highly recommended by other members ) and the unit was shipped to him for a review. His findings were 1/ Motor was stuck by the flywheel with the housing motor 2/ A small lid at the bottom of the motor's rotor is not kept closed a
Compared with the obvious alternative at this level — a complete, ready-to-play deck — A$2,500 is a touch above the A$2,492 median but still very much in the middle of the pack, not an ambitious ask. It’s also far clearer value than something priced toward the A$4,514 upper quartile, especially given the for parts condition; that makes it a fair-to-interesting number rather than a turnkey premium.
The appeal here is the machine itself: a Garrard 401 is one of the classic heavyweight idler-drive tables, loved for its torque, timing, and upgrade potential when restored properly. For a buyer who can source parts, tolerate a project, or already has an arm/plinth plan, there’s real upside in getting into a serious vintage platform without paying fully restored money. The main caveat is simple: because it’s listed for parts, budget for missing hardware, overhaul work, and the possibility that the price only makes sense if the core is complete.
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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