the dreaded breaking of tonearm wire...now what?

Paul, glad to hear the cartridge did not dissapoint.
Thanks for your thoughts.

Buy one of those cheap third hand gadgets with the two alligator clips and integral magnifier from harbor freight tools. Also get a bright led light on it’s own stand and position where needed. Then get yourself some cardas silver solder. Here comes the most important parts....you must use the correct solder iron tip on low power. Use a pointed tip rather than the larger tips shaped like a regular head screwdriver. You want to be able to control the heat, so as not to over heat the tiny wire.
Lastly, place the cartridge connector in the jaws of one of the alligator clips on the third hand gadget and position under magnifier, and direct your light source accordingly. Then place the tiny wire, that has been pre tinned with solder, to the the second alligator clip of third hand gadget. It will take some time to get it all positioned correctly. You then have your 2 free hands to hold the soldering iron and solder. Another tip is to not try and strip wire with a tool. Use your finger nails to pinch wire and gently remove some insulation. A second tip would be to pre solder the connector, whereas you apply a small amount of solder to the entrance of the connector and then just reheat it as you insert the wire..In fact, when soldering it is best to tin both pieces of whatever you are soldering as it promotes an easier and quicker process.

Here’s a link to that gadget...
https://www.harborfreight.com/helping-hands-60501.html?cid=paid_google|||60501&utm_source=google...

To prevent doing this again, do not just pull the clip off. The mass of your hand and the tool will keep going with obvious results. If you are right handed you grasp the cartridge with you left thumb and index finger. The thumb should be just proud of the cartridge. Then you grasp the clip with your needle nose and lean the side of the tool against your thumb tip using the thumb as a fulcrum. You have just created a force multiplier. Now you can smoothly pry the clip off.
The better arms have teflon insulation on their wires which you can not burn. Tin both the wire and the clip with solder. Leave a good sized blob on the clip. Arrange the wire so you can orient the clip straight away from the wire. Heat up the clip and while holding the iron against the clip press it into the wire and remove the iron. The wire will melt in instantaneously.
Even if you have teflon wire if you overheat the wire you will shrink your heat shrink tubing so you have to be fast. Never use an iron less than 25 watts. With smaller irons it take longer to melt the solder and you wind up over heating things. The pros use a weighted stand with alligator clips which holds wires in place. 

pablo, it has happened to most of us who have been at this for a long time:)

tpsonic said
"If you are going to rewire ,I suggest a 24ga or greater solid core wire> 30-35ga would be best/sliver?"

Never use solid core wire for a tonearm cable. It will mess with the free motion of the arm and all the bending will make it short lived.

BillWojo

Many times I comment on how maybe the problem isn't what anyone said, maybe its a total lack of reading comprehension. Either not comprehending, or maybe not even bothering to read. Case in point. People giving advice to a guy who solved his problem 13 years ago. Thanks you two for confirming what I've always known.