Removing turntable tonearm - wiring question

[poupdujour]

Hello everyone,

I have a Vestax turntable and I am going to replace parts of the assembly around the tonearm. This requires me to remove the tonearm itself to access the other pieces.

I am doing a full disassemble once the replacements arrive, so right now I don't know if I can easily access the PCB where the tonearm wires attach. I did some research and found that they are likely 34 AWG wires (they are very thin). I have attached a picture with a toothpick for scale.

Is it possible to reconnect this type of wire properly if I have to cut it? What type of connectors/solder/etc would I need for wires this size? I have never had to solder or crimp anything this small before, they feel fragile too. Hopefully I can just access the PCB but I am trying to gather as much knowledge as possible just in case.

Thanks, I appreciate the help.

 

[Harald Kapp]

Your best option is not to cut them.
If you have to, they can be reconnected using a soldering iron with a fine tip. Remember to put a length of shrink tubing on the wires before soldering. This is used to shrink over the solder joint and thus insulate the wires after the repair.

 

[poupdujour]

Thanks for the quick response!

 

[galaxy]

I've repaired a few turntables over the years and as Harald said try to avoid cutting. They are usually very thin and flexible so they do not resist the arm movement in any way. If you do cut and join make sure it is well clear of where the wires are supposed to flex, like where they come through the base to the arm.