[S Clark]

A friend has loaned me his incredibly massive Technics vinyl rig, and I have enjoyed it for several months.  However a couple of weeks ago, it suddenly lost its right channel.  Is the most likely candidate the tone arm wire? If so, how complex a project is replacing it?  What wire should I use?  This are no model numbers on it, but it is perhaps 75 lbs, and  has a seperate power supply. It appears to be at least 15 years old.

update: It's an SP-10

[jsaliga]

It could be a problem with the tonearm wire, or even the headshell leads.  The latter isn't too costly and difficult to replace.  Replacing tonearm wire is more involved and expensive.

I don't know if this thread on Vinyl Asylum applies to your model, but judging from the pictures it is a fairly complex piece of work if you haven't done it before.

http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vinyl/messages/75/755529.html

--Jerome

[Wayner]

Cartridges fail to. Swap left and right channels on your cartridge and see if the dead channel changes.

Wayner

[jsaliga]

Excellent suggestion, Wayner.

--Jerome

[Wayner]

Thanks Jerome, but I only speak from experience, not knowledge, as I just had one die because the coil wire circuit became open. I mean the wire is so fricken small, that it may only take a static discharge to fry it, or it can come loose from the pins. This wire is way smaller then a human hair. Perhaps this is another good reason why TTs are grounded, to take the static charge away.

Wayner