Garrard Zero 100 tonearm - broken contact

[bberkom]

I purchased a Garrard Zero 100 recently that is in great shape cosmetically. It holds speed well, and I know what I need to do to get the automatic functions working again. However, I think I have the dreaded tonearm wiring issue that I was aware of when I bought this table. I get great sound in the right channel but a loud ground hum and very low level output in the left channel. I tested the continuity from headshell contacts to where the wiring meets the RCA jacks, and I am getting no reading on the left channel ground wire (blue/black). So I was fairly certain that there is a broken connection somewhere.

I decided to remove the headshell assembly by prying off the little cover and taking off the plastic nut so I could see the wiring. The photos below show what I found. It's a little hard to tell, but the black wire is still connected to the proper contact. The contact itself has broken off. I stuck a piece of paper under it to try to make it clearer for the photo.

I am doubtful if I will be able to repair this, but I'd love to save this table. I've read threads on this table, but I wasn't sure how to deal with a broken contact. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[kaplang]

Can you by pass the contact and connect the wire directly to the cartridge? If the head shells are engineered to be removeable that will be defeated, but it migh not matter to you if you can still use the TT

 

[bberkom]

Can you by pass the contact and connect the wire directly to the cartridge? If the head shells are engineered to be removeable that will be defeated, but it migh not matter to you if you can still use the TT

I considered that, but it would really make changing the cartridge an ordeal. I did just manage to somehow solder the small wire/lead to the contact point in the headshell, and I'm now getting good sound out of both channels with almost no humm! I'm not really even sure how I managed it but didn't have much to lose. Just closed my eyes and there it went. I'll be curious to see if it holds up as the head swivels, but so far so good.

 

[Beobloke]

Can you by pass the contact and connect the wire directly to the cartridge? If the head shells are engineered to be removeable that will be defeated, but it migh not matter to you if you can still use the TT

I've done this before on a Zero 100. You can still use the slide-in cartridge carrier, you just have to remember to disconnect the wires from the cartridge before you remove it!

The other thing you can do is solder a small piece of wire between the Left Ground (Black) and Right Ground (Green) contacts - they are joined under turntable where the output lead plugs in anyway.

 

[bberkom]

The other thing you can do is solder a small piece of wire between the Left Ground (Black) and Right Ground (Green) contacts - they are joined under turntable where the output lead plugs in anyway.

Well if they end up at the same point anyways, then I may just take the blue LG cartridge lead and solder it to the same spring contact as the green RG lead on the cartridge sled. I'll probably try that later today and see what happens. I'm not getting any humm as I have it set up now, but the output is still a little low in the left channel, especially the bass, which makes me think that repair job I did isn't quite making full contact.

 

[Ger Straten]

Hi guys, saw your posts about the wiring headshell of a zero 100. I have two of them and both have the problem with a broken wire in the headshell holder too. I started to dismantle the headshell but I come no futher as shown on the picture. How do you guys get this thing open? I tried to pry out the shield above the mounting bolt. But can't get it out without breaking it apart. Any suggestions?