So, one of the turntables is a Micro Seiki DD33 with a 707 arm. The other day I put a record on and.....no right channel. Had a look gingerly, no connectors loose, checked amp, no problem, took out headshell, all looking fine then I took off the connectors, refitted (all) and tried again. Still no right channel. Took all off again to see and....left channel wire fell out of the connector, meanwhile, right channel fell off at the point where the wire splits (they use very thin coaxial cable. In both cases, there was nothing I could do to save them (clean break with no stripped wire visible.
OK I thought, I have some other headshells, just swap one out.
Noooooooo, said a Japanese engineer from the late seventies/eighties. This wonderful arm deserves a connector all of its own. You will not use one that isn?t available only to time Travellers to Japan to listen to YMO at the source.
OK I thought, let me see how it can be done. GIYF in most cases, but the few threads regarding it had a late forum guru who knew more about turntables and the pointy part explaining to someone that you really do not want to go there.
So with Skollie?s warning ringing in my ears I came up with an all or bust solution (plan B was an eBay link from many years ago which may or may not have been an expensive alternative).
First, remove and stow cartridge, second, prize off the connector part at the back. Once those were safely out of the way, there was a useful looking molded end plate which allowed connection to the pins if I could get the old wires and what looked like a cover plate off.
The plate would not move. Knife blade (where there seemed to be a gap) was useless. Drilled into it a millimeter, still no gap. Another mill, no gap, the sinking feeling as it dawned on me, the whole bleeding thing was a molded plastic plug.
Caution to the wind time, drilled to just short of the grid plate. Nope, it?s a single molded piece. Cursing Japanese manufacturing excellence I drilled the lot out.
Next I had to find someone who could possibly solder wires onto the base plate. Workshops at work are closed, luckily there is a manufacturing jeweler up the road from me. Took wires from another simpler headshell and the baseplate to him. A weekend later, all soldered in place, added insulation at the solder points so looking good.
Not quite enough room to get the base back in so I carefully drilled out a bit more but didn?t count on....soft plastic bubbling!!!!
So the last part of my butchery was sanding down the bubble bit to get the headshell back on the arm. In the end, all back in place and just had to fit the cart, re-weight and now it works.
Cost? Nothing except time and worry - still have to let the jeweler know it worked.
Sound? Same as before as far as my ears go.
Would I recommend doing this? Not if you can afford plan B.
OK I thought, I have some other headshells, just swap one out.
Noooooooo, said a Japanese engineer from the late seventies/eighties. This wonderful arm deserves a connector all of its own. You will not use one that isn?t available only to time Travellers to Japan to listen to YMO at the source.
OK I thought, let me see how it can be done. GIYF in most cases, but the few threads regarding it had a late forum guru who knew more about turntables and the pointy part explaining to someone that you really do not want to go there.
So with Skollie?s warning ringing in my ears I came up with an all or bust solution (plan B was an eBay link from many years ago which may or may not have been an expensive alternative).
First, remove and stow cartridge, second, prize off the connector part at the back. Once those were safely out of the way, there was a useful looking molded end plate which allowed connection to the pins if I could get the old wires and what looked like a cover plate off.
The plate would not move. Knife blade (where there seemed to be a gap) was useless. Drilled into it a millimeter, still no gap. Another mill, no gap, the sinking feeling as it dawned on me, the whole bleeding thing was a molded plastic plug.
Caution to the wind time, drilled to just short of the grid plate. Nope, it?s a single molded piece. Cursing Japanese manufacturing excellence I drilled the lot out.
Next I had to find someone who could possibly solder wires onto the base plate. Workshops at work are closed, luckily there is a manufacturing jeweler up the road from me. Took wires from another simpler headshell and the baseplate to him. A weekend later, all soldered in place, added insulation at the solder points so looking good.
Not quite enough room to get the base back in so I carefully drilled out a bit more but didn?t count on....soft plastic bubbling!!!!
So the last part of my butchery was sanding down the bubble bit to get the headshell back on the arm. In the end, all back in place and just had to fit the cart, re-weight and now it works.
Cost? Nothing except time and worry - still have to let the jeweler know it worked.
Sound? Same as before as far as my ears go.
Would I recommend doing this? Not if you can afford plan B.
