An Interview with Thom Mackris of Galibier Design

LB:      Although you don’t manufacture tonearms, I know that you have certain favorites.  Do you believe that certain arms “synergize” with certain ‘tables, or is a good tonearm a good tonearm, period?  If there is synergy, what do you think accounts for it?

TM:    In general, a good tonearm is a good tonearm, and you need only concern yourself with cartridge matching.

When you find a turntable “preferring” certain tonearms, it’s typically (but not always) a suspended turntable, with the mass of the tonearm shifting the resonant frequency of the springs (sometimes unequally).

All of the usual candidates sound like a better version of themselves when mounted on a Galibier – quieter, cleaner, more dynamic, etc.  You will still have your preferences.

Regas are an example of a less than ideal match for a Galibier.  It’s fairly obvious that Regas were designed in synergy with their turntables along with other low-mass designs.  They sound a bit “tubby” on a Galibier.  There are times when you can’t be all things to all people (designs).

LB:      What are your thoughts on “peripherals,” by which I mean clamps (center and circumferential) and mats?

TM:    Since the advent of our carbon based record interface (first graphite, then carbon fiber), I haven’t found a record weight that on balance, contributes more than it detracts from the music.  Most of them give you that “dead” sound we discussed.  Joel Durand (http://www.durand-tonearms.com/) shared my observations about all of the usual suspects), and he reports that he solved the problem.  I trust Joel’s ears, and he will be sending me one of his weights to evaluate.

I’ve worked with two different perimeter clamps.  They have a marginally positive effect, but I will not manufacture one for two reasons:  (1) they present a very real risk of stylus damage, and (2) they take all of the fun out of playing your records.

I cannot in good conscience produce a product that puts the stylus of your Dynavector XV-1t at risk.  Periphery clamps (by necessity) grab the outer third of the lead in groove with a metal lip.  There will come that time in a late night listening session when you (with the lights down low) cue the stylus onto the clamp.

LB:      What are some of the challenges in manufacturing a precision product like a Galibier?

TM:    We manufacture locally, in the Front Range of Colorado where we have machinists who support high tech industries from aerospace to the computer drive industry.

Our byline – crafting technology in service of music – hints at a term we call high-touch manufacturing.  This is another way of describing the manufacturing model embraced by producers of exotic automobiles – blending the most sophisticated fabrication processes with high levels of human interaction when appropriate.

Our finishing process is one high-touch area.  Another one is the precision matching of bearings to platters (after they return from anodizing).  Another one comes into play with extensive quality control techniques we employ, along with the individual run-in and evaluation of complete systems.

No matter how good your vendors are, they are not perfect, and tight QC methodologies ensure that flaws don’t slip out the door.  This level of quality could not be maintained with offshore manufacturing.

LB:      Last but not least, please tell us a bit about your business model, especially with regard to the shuttering of so many high-end retail stores.

TM:    For our export model, we’re pursuing dealers, as a competent dealer is still the best way to support a customer who lives 10 time zones from you.  We’ve optimized our support structure to make it easy for an overseas dealer to directly support his customers.

In the US, we’re going to watch the performance of our dealers.  Our preference is to continue with a dealer distribution model, but if the level of competence and commitment fails to meet our standards, then we’ll adjust to maintain quality support.

LB:      Thom, thank you for taking the time to share with us your knowledge and views.  We at Dagogo wish you continued success, and look forward to seeing you at upcoming audio shows.

TM:    It was my pleasure, Larry.  Your depth of understanding of analog presented me with provocative questions.  Frankly, some of them made me wonder if you were eavesdropping on me at Galibier headquarters, because they paralleled many of the questions I’ve asked myself past 13 years.

I’d like to take this opportunity to mention the upcoming video presence we’ll be creating in the coming months.  Check our Support Page, where the first videos will appear.

Initially, we’re going to start with a video owner’s manual, but we’ll quickly shift gears to more generalized setup tips.  I love connecting with my user base, and now that we’ve passed through a significant development phase, I can turn my attention to this.

http://www.galibierdesign.com/index.html