Bill wrote:

I have lost the left channel from my turn table. What would be the most
likely cause? Needle? The turntable was working fine until I cleaned
some LPs. When I tried to use the turntable after cleaning some LPs on
it, I no longer had a left channel. The turntable is a Sony PS-LX500

==========================

Probably not the needle.

The signals in a phono circuit are very low, in millivolts, and easily
interrupted by oxide on the connectors. Every place in the signal path
where there is a non-soldered contact is a weak point. The clip
connectors to the rear of the cartridge, the headshell plug (if any),
any plug at the base of the tone arm where the interconnects attach, the
phono plugs to the preamp all need to be checked. It also has happened
that internal wiring for one channel of the cartridge has opened up due
to poor workmanship. It's rare enough on moving magnet cartridges, and
a little less rare on moving coils. On a Sumiko Blue Point Special, you
could snag the wiring and destroy the cartridge if you were dusting it
off carelessly. But you don't say what kind of cartridge...

-GP