Any audio people here?

[WalnutSpice]

I recently got a Pioneer receiver from around the mid to late 70s and it all works perfectly except the turntable. I also got two speakers with it. The thing is, the speakers are RCA, and the only outputs are RCA. So dumb ass little me takes an alligator clamp, clamps it to the output and clamps the other end to one of my better speakers wire's. Of course, it didn't work. The RCA out sparked and now I can't get audio from that channel w/ the original speakers. The other channel works just fine, so I didn't blow the amp. I have no idea what happened, Google comes up with zero results. This receiver sounds incredible and looks incredible, I'd hate to be the one to kill it.
Can someone here give me some advice?

Nothing smells or looks blown, all wires seem to be intact. Left channel works, right channel is the broken one, but can still be sorta heard when cranking the volume all the way up.
If worse comes to worse, I have a few AV stores around me that may be able to repair it. I once bought a receiver from Goodwill and it has an AV repair centre's phone number on the back, they're in Akron. So I could give them a call.

 

[WalnutSpice]

So I was looking into it again, using different keywords. It seems I blew the right channel. So I'm thinking, redo the wiring to that jack and re-solder? Or could it run deeper than that?

 

[Dronecatcher]

Have you tried swapping the 'dead' right hand speaker to the left channel to establish whether the problem lies with the speaker or the amp output?

I'm a little unsure about your connecting methods - maybe a photo of that would shed some light.

Finally, it was an item thrown out so maybe it was broken to start with?

 

[WalnutSpice]

Have you tried swapping the 'dead' right hand speaker to the left channel to establish whether the problem lies with the speaker or the amp output?

I'm a little unsure about your connecting methods - maybe a photo of that would shed some light.

Finally, it was an item thrown out so maybe it was broken to start with?

Yes, I have tried swapping. It's not the speakers. But no, it was fully working until I did what I did.
I did however go back to Google using better keywords. From what I've read, it seems I may have blown a fuse.

Heres what I'm working with.
Left channel is working, right one is not.
Anything else you'd need a photo of?

 

[Dronecatcher]

I see - I re-read your first post, I thought you were using the original speakers not your own. There may have been a mis-match on impedance but I've never experienced a short circuit from that. You say you can hear faint sound when the volume is up, that make's me think it can't be a blown fuse.
Does the amp have a headphone socket, does that work?
I can only think when you used the crocodile clip you made a short circuit with the right output finding no electrical resistance.
When I was young I messed around with no end of stereos, amps and speakers but nothing ever 'popped' - the audio would be dead until I got it wired correctly, I'm guessing this was perhaps close to dying anyway.
I'd open it up and firstly look for an internal fuse, then any obvious burnt out components.
On the bright side you haven't spent anything
If all else fails, splice the left speaker into the right one's cable and run the output as mono (if it can - will work either way) - you'll still have a good looking retro piece that makes some noise.

 

[WalnutSpice]

I see - I re-read your first post, I thought you were using the original speakers not your own. There may have been a mis-match on impedance but I've never experienced a short circuit from that. You say you can hear faint sound when the volume is up, that make's me think it can't be a blown fuse.
Does the amp have a headphone socket, does that work?
I can only think when you used the crocodile clip you made a short circuit with the right output finding no electrical resistance.
When I was young I messed around with no end of stereos, amps and speakers but nothing ever 'popped' - the audio would be dead until I got it wired correctly, I'm guessing this was perhaps close to dying anyway.
I'd open it up and firstly look for an internal fuse, then any obvious burnt out components.
On the bright side you haven't spent anything
If all else fails, splice the left speaker into the right one's cable and run the output as mono (if it can - will work either way) - you'll still have a good looking retro piece that makes some noise.

I do have a headphone jack, but it's the bigger type, not 3.5, so I cannot test that. I did take your advice though, currently rocking it in mono.
I guess I should say that before I did do any of this, I was having a few issues with the right channel. It was pretty staticy when changing volume and didn't sound full until the volume was at least half way up while the left channel sounds perfectly fine. So, I'm just gonna assume that channel was already failing and what I did just did it in.

I do really like this receiver though, so I'm going to save some money to get this right channel and the turntable properly repaired.

Thanks for the help, I never would have thought of just extending the left channel over to the right and going mono on my own.

 

[Dronecatcher]

Thanks for the help, I never would have thought of just extending the left channel over to the right and going mono on my own.

Improvisation - all started when I wired my bass into the stylus pickup of a turntable to make a guitar amp

 

[Umbreon]

I'd also try using some canned electronics cleaner on the controls, especially the volume and balance. The pots (potentiometers) used for these controls get oxidized over the years, leading to intermittent connections. You'll want to remove the knobs and spray the electronics cleaner inside the controls, moving them around--use lots of it. This stuff is solvent-based and non-conductive. You can get it at an electronics supply store (e.g., Radio Shack, if you can find one).

 

[Gamer9430]

My massive audio setup is a bit picky. Usually, if all the speakers don't turn on (I have a pair of bookshelf speakers, as well as some speakers from an old TV), I have the whack the side of the receiver causing it to click and then all the speakers turn on. Also, from time to time, it clicks by itself. I have no clue what causes it. It may be my homemade speaker wires that I use for the speakers from the TV, or maybe I just have way too much plugged in, lol. I have every AV input plugged in, every speaker output is in use, and I have something plugged into the power out. It may also be the fact I have the base and mid-range turned up all the way, idk, lol. Sorry to derail, but figured I'd add my 2 cents