One thing the wire fix in the original post has going for it: reversibility. I know this doesn't mean much for most of us, especially when we're talking about a cheap light socket that can be replaced for 20 cents. The "right" way is the permanent way for most fixes, according to common sense, but fewer and fewer of these machines exist every year, and I can see an argument being made for more of a conservation mindset: fixes that are obvious, reversible, and (for larger repairs) well-documented. Just another way to look at it -- for the museum nerds out there.

Also, I want to echo what others have said above about the virtues of a functional players' machine with a patina of age on it. Hear hear!

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