If your short is at the base of the orange needle itself, it's not soldered connection ! The gauge needle has an insulating layer applied over metal needle, then the greenish EL coating is applied to the needle followed by the transparent orange paint over the top of the EL layer. The gauge needle is at an electrical GROUND potential. A common problem with the gauge needles is the insulating layer breaking down with the high voltage arcing over at the very base of the EL coating where the wire is wrapped to the needles EL layer causing a short.
If you think you are up to the challenge, it can be repaired. You need to carefully un-wrap the high voltage wire from the base of the needles EL coating layer, throughly scrape away the carbon residue around the base of the needle where the arcing was occurring. At the very BASE of the good EL coating, LIGHTLY scrape thru the orange paint 1/32" - 1/16" into the good EL layer. Using a tiny bit of 2 part epoxy, apply it to the SCRAPED off area. It should just extend to the good EL layer just below where the orange was scraped off. This will act as an insulating layer over the previously arced area. Once the epoxy fully sets up, cut back a tiny amount of the hi voltage wire to eliminate the defective arced over section of wire and tightly wrap a few turns of clean to the copper wire, into the very base of the greenish EL layer and apply a small dab of conductive paint to form the connection of the wrap of wire to the EL layer.
Conductive paint is available at auto parts stores. It is used to repair kits for rear window de-fooger strips. Good luck !
