Garrard Model 770
The Garrard 770 was first shown at the 1966 London Audio Fair. It was the flagship of Garrard's "series 70" line, above the 70, 70M, and 700. It's a four-speed, fully automatic record changer. It was a British changer built with an American-market focus, meant to bridge the gap between Japanese imports and the older British "wristbreaker" changers of the late 1950s.
The 770 is a rim-drive design with a 4.875-inch idler wheel and a synchronous (hysteresis-type) motor. The platter is an 11½-inch cast-aluminum piece, and the whole thing sits on a spring-suspended subchassis. The tonearm is aluminum with an adjustable counterweight and a plug-in shell, and it tracks at 0.75-3 grams. The changer handles stacks of up to eight records, with fully automatic play at all four speeds (78.26, 45, 33⅓, and 16⅔ RPM) and auto-stop at the end of the last record. High Fidelity (December 1968, p.44) covered a related Panasonic receiver in its equipment news section. Speed is selected with a large knob on the front left corner. The walnut-finished base was included. A "K" dust cover was optional.
In the US market, the 770 was sold with a factory-installed Shure M44-5 cartridge. Period forum commentary from owners is more mixed. The changer mechanism is reliable and the idler wheel wears well, but the tonearm is mediocre. It tracks heavy at the end of sides, and the cueing lever drops with a thud. One reviewer praised the 'remarkable low rumble' and 'smooth automatic cycling' (Gramophone Magazine, 1967 review, quoting Audio Magazine). The motor type is confused in the record: a synchronous hysteresis motor per some sources, a 4-pole shaded-pole induction motor per the service manual. The auto-return mechanism's sensing contacts are also prone to oxidation, which can stop the auto cycle entirely.
Known specs:
- Speeds: 78.26, 45, 33⅓, 16⅔ RPM
- Drive: rim drive, 4.875" idler wheel
- Platter: 11½" cast aluminum
- Wow and flutter: 0.25%
- Rumble: −35 dB
- Tracking force: 0.75–3 g
- Stack capacity: 8 records
- Power: 110–125V, 50–60 Hz AC (220V options available)
- Dimensions: approx. 16" × 12" × 5" (some sources say 16.5" × 13" × 5.5")
- Weight: approx. 10–12 lbs.
No original retail price has surfaced in the research, and production years beyond the 1966 debut aren't documented. A clean example with its original Shure M44-5 and dust cover sold for $165 at a 2019 eBay auction. A 2023 Reverb listing at $220 did not sell. Common issues include a hardened idler wheel (replacement kits are available from The Voice of Music for around $20), stiff speed-change linkage that needs cleaning and lithium grease, noisy motor bearings on some units, and cracked or missing dust covers. The tonearm counterweight is hard to find as a spare, so many surviving units carry a non-original weight.
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