audio-talk

The easiest way would probably be to measure the 401 platter diameter (between the strobe sections), you'll need an o ring a little smaller as i guess it needs to grip the platter (the more it grips the better?, how tight are yours richard?). Then just phone em up, tell them you want nitrile and the size and cross section and let them deal with wading through the stock

They probably have a minimum order but ask em.

hark at me, i dont even own a 401

The orderer could also ask for a sample of other o rings, the same size but different materials. See if nitrile really is the best

Yep, I'd be interested in trialing them if available at a nice price. Maybe Richard could measure gauge and circumference of his? Also, are you using an original Garrard mat or something else? My experience is original mats are best and adding rings may just assist where no original mat is used.

As for taking an angle grinder to a 401, I have a scruffy one and thought hard about this myself. Looking at the underside of a 401 chassis reveals considerably more mechanical complexity compared to a Lenco. In the end I concluded that it would be a step too far, creating significant functionality problems to overcome.

Sell it to me, ill cut it up

when you look at the 401 there is very little excess metel you could remove,

it is also a far more substantial base plate than the Lenco so I don't think there's as much room for improvement in that direction as there is with the Lenco

I havent explained my intentions though

I wont right now either as its all based on semi guesswork untill i get hold of one (not that im seriously looking yet)

I'd be looking at removing as much of the mechanisms as possible, improving whats left and re mounting the bearing.

Oh, 'substantial' may not be the word, garrards chassis and platters are both lighter than a lenco's They are stiffer, but the mounting to the plinth is also rubbish! A modded lenco pan, properly fixed to a decent plinth is a far better/stiffer chassis than the garrards (imo)

Im sure i could do alot with a garrard, if only i had the money to chop one up

diameter of the rubber is 5mm

inside diameter of the ring is 28cm

timing is much better, there must have been a lot of smearing before

with so much stufff i'm having 'oh this is what it's supposed to sound like' and 'i see now why other people like this music'

i am using the origional mat on the platter

it is possible i suppose that there could be a problem with my turntable the rings are compensating for

its the same deck i bought to owston. wish now we'd done as will suggested and tried swapping platters to see what difference it made. will had blue tack patches on the bottom of his platter as well as the rings

I'd certainly give them a go, if we can get them for a sane price. They should only be pence or maybe a quid max. Trouble is we may need to order a thousand. Could still be cheaper than 20 quid a pair.

some of those great big thick elastic bands might do the same job but wouldn't look quite as nice !

O rings are easily made and can usually be supplied by bearing suppliers at reasonable cost.

I'm up for a set too at the right price. I was told that Martin Bastin first came up with the idea, don't know how true that is.

Came up with what idea, damping a platter!

Maybe the idea was finding something ludicrously cheap and selling it for an astronomical price, hence being able to retire quietly - an attractive proposition to many.

Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuttt at present we only have Richard's word for it and although he's a nice, serious minded and sensible chap so I'm willing to entertain the notion that bits of rubber stretched around my turntable platter really does improve things, we don't have any more corroborative evidence, do we?

I mean ... remember those fuses!?!

simon wrote:I'm up for a set too at the right price. I was told that Martin Bastin first came up with the idea, don't know how true that is.

there's a rubber ring on my oracle from the 1980's

i've just removed it while i type.. its 1/4 thick and 1/2 high and is quite soft.. very un-o ring like
its more like a soft drive belt..
i'll see if it fits on the 301 i have set up

steve

Graeme wrote:Came up with what idea, damping a platter!

Erm, specifically using big cheap o rings to damp the periphery of the platter.