It sounds like you are too much of a novice to do this yourself. Get it done correctly by a professional, and be done with it. In the future, hold the wire in your fingers, and slide the cartridge onto the wire. That way, the cartridge pin can't slip and be torn apart. After you get the 4 pins connected THEN mount the cartridge. I've been doing it this way for years without incident.
Headshell wire broke
Hi to everyone on the forum. I am new to this hobby and would like to ask for any suggestions on how to solve my problem. I recently bought a Nottingham Interspace Jr with an Ace Interspace arm here at Audiogon. I decided to change the cartridge today. While I was able to unplug all the wires without causing any damage, I somehow broke the white wire while plugging it in to the new cartridge. My question is whether it is safe for me to solder the wire myself or should I send it in. I prefer to do it myself (need to save money for x-mas and spring semester), but not sure if doing so will change the sound or do more harm. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.