01 Reference Garrard 301/401 plinth

Restoring a Garrard 301 to realise its full potential involves more than rebuilding the mechanism. The plinth plays a fundamental role in determining how much performance the turntable can deliver. A well designed plinth should complement the Garrard's original engineering while addressing the mechanical behaviour of the complete system.
 
The motors used in the Garrard 301 and 401 are exceptionally robust, providing the drive and speed stability that have made these turntables enduring references.
They also generate mechanical energy that, if left uncontrolled, can travel through the plinth and back to the stylus. The objective is not to eliminate this energy, but to control its path and dissipate it before it can affect playback.
 
Many traditional high mass plinths rely primarily on weight to resist vibration. While effective to a point, high mass structures can also store mechanical energy before releasing it back into the system, reducing transient precision and masking fine detail.
 
The Shida Reference Plinth takes a different approach. Its layered construction combines materials with different mechanical properties so that energy is dispersed rather than stored. A solid hardwood frame provides rigidity and forms the structural connection between the three main sections. The high density Keruing plywood motor board dissipates vibration across a broad frequency range, while the Forbo top layer provides a controlled interface beneath the chassis, reducing higher frequency mechanical noise.
The arm board is constructed from Panzerholz high pressure bonded to Corian and graphite. This combination provides the rigidity required for accurate tonearm support while introducing controlled damping at the arm mounting interface. The plinth also incorporates three energy dissipation columns using the same Panzerholz and graphite construction. These create a defined path for mechanical energy to move away from the chassis and tonearm. Each column terminates in a 70 duro Sorbothane hemisphere, where the remaining energy is absorbed before it can be reflected back into the structure.
Beneath the plinth, our dedicated 36mm thick S55 elastomer loaded isolation platform decouples the turntable from floor borne vibration. Operating within the correct load range, it provides effective isolation down to 12 Hz, reducing external vibration reaching the stylus.