http://giphy.com/gifs/gravity-falls-soos-problem-solved-ToMjGpQhCXW8ZQjQK40
Soldered the wire back on, (Albeit somewhat poorly, but it's not smoking or sparking so... Once I get better at this I'd like to go back and reheat some of these not so great joints) and the drops and guard both now work! Can't play at the moment since everyone's asleep, but I'll definitely be playing it a lot tomorrow since I'm off and some friends are coming over! Glad I got it all fixed in time!
Now I can really start to fully enjoy this game! Still need to fix a few other issues, but now gameplay wise it's 100%. (Well, still need to fix the skill shot ramp not sending the ball through the hole)
From what I've played I'd definitely consider this an underrated pin like the rest of you. Some of the scoring may be a little imbalanced, but overall there's a lot to do and the quartz mechanic adds some really unique strategy to the game. Anyways, I'm glad it's a Gottlieb, kept the price down!
Also, probably going to watch the movie soon, because I stopped by the Goodwill when I was out looking for soldering stuff (Not in the Goodwill, I just popped in since I was passing by) and wouldn't you know it they had a copy of Stargate on VHS for $0.50! Might watch it Saturday evening, and then I'll have some idea of what's going on in the game!