Here are some pics with a little bit of info about the process.
Helpful hints"
1) Cover the sides of the plinth with duct tape of painter's tape to protect it.
2) Remove headshell, and secure arm
3) Remove the under chassis cover, and locate the tonearm wire assembly.
4) cut the coloured wires, and one ground (MAKE SURE YOU DON"T CUT BOTH GROUND WIRES GOING INTO THE TONEARM)
5) After cutting the wires, remove the tonearm lift, it's held in place by a very tiny allen/hex screw (loosen the screw, don't remove it)
6) Locate the phillips scew that's under the tonearm (loosen it, don't remove it)
7) Once the screw is loose enough, pull gently on the tonearm tube, and it should slide out, if the wired have been cut inside the wire assembly, the tonearm tube should easily separate.
8) Locate the tiny screw under the tonearm, close to the headshell. Being careful, try to unscrew it, don't be surprised if it stripes since it's aluminum, I had to use a pair of small pliers, since mine stripped. This screw should be places in a vault, safety box or somewhere where it won't be lost!!!
9) Once the screw is removed, pull the wires out, there is a small piece of copper, make sure you don't loose that. Unsolder the wires, and remove. I removed one and instantly replaced it with a new one.
10) My wires were 16" long each, so you will need about 16"x4. The best way to solder the new wires on is to install the cartridge on the small assembly, this way the pins are pushed out, and you get a better area to work with
11) Once all the wires are soldered on, slide them back in the tube. It's time to put that tiny screw back. There's a small see through piece of tubing, it goes inside the tonearm tube, remember to put the wires through the tube, and slide it back in the tonearm.
12) It's time to find a way to get the wires down the elbow of the tonearm. I usually use fishing line. I start by feeding it through the top, feeding it downwards, using a small pair of pliers helps get the fishing line down, into the plinth if you're having a hard time getting it to go.
13) Once the fishing line is in-out, tie all 5 wires (ground included) with the fishing line. and pull gently, at the same time feeding it through the top, be careful, if you are using litz wire, the silk is very fragile, but all wires of this gauge are fragile non the less. If you secure the tonearm tube to the tonearm rest, you will have one less thing to worry about. Once finished re-tightened the phillips screw.
14) If you're keeping the old wire configuration, just solder wire to old assembly, using a multimeter to check right connectivity.
15) If you're installing RCA jacks, I would suggest you drill your holes, dig and prep the path around step 7 here.
16) Once all the jacks, and wires are though, solder the wires with right connectivity, and reinstall underchassis.
odds&ends:
I loosened a screw in the motor assembly and attached a ground wire, re-tightened and soldered to a grounding connect, I like to think it helped.
Also I found the motor screws under the platter loose, I tightened them, making sure I didn't over tightened them.
I know litz wires are highly regarded here, but a great alternative would be wires from headphones, I have used wired from headphones sold at dollarama for a tonearm with GREAT results, I was planning to use the wire in this project, but I couldn't find it here at home. I fund them a bit too late, so I used it for my cartridge leads.... something to keep in mind.
*~*~*~*These steps are only suggestions to help you through the process you have decided to undertake, so please be careful, as I don't want to be held responsible should anything go wrong.*~*~*~*
1 used-2 new)
, grounding the motor assembly has quieted it when the turntable is on but not playing.
