completed (click to expand)
You know that helpless feeling when something goes "snap"?
It's hard to say whether it's a worse feeling when it's the result of your carelessness, or when it's not your fault.
Tonearm wires (at the cartridge end) are some of the most vulnerable elements in our systems, and of course, the best ones are the most fragile.
When their time has come, there's not much you can do.
I don't know the exact gauge of Kuzma's, Crystal Cable, Silver/Gold wire (it's very good, wire, BTW), but it makes 34 gauge Cardas Clear (litz) seem like a steel cable in comparison.
Think in terms of the thickness of a human hair (a redhead, not a brunette) and you'll get the idea. The wire diameter is a small fraction of the diameter of the outer jacket.
After experimentation and practice, our technique is dependable and repeatable.
We don't advise this for the faint of heart, however.
work in progress (click to expand)
Until you develop your technique, you'll sacrifice several small lengths of wire due to failed attempts. We experimented with our own Kuzmas - at the RCA end and not at the headshell clips.
Not shown are the intermediate photos. We anchor both the wire and the clips with masking tape. It's important to hit the solder joint briefly. Stay on it for too long and solder will flow into the connector portion of the pin (blocking it) and you'll have to start over.
While this isn't quite microsurgery (and I wouldn't be so pretentious as to claim this), it's a good idea to get out the heavy magnification and perform this task several hours after your last cup of java - along with employing a few tricks we adopted ;-)
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