Lifting the plastic cover from the voicecoil
assembly, I find one of the 4 suspension wires loose (unsoldered)
which explains the open focus circuit. The tracking coils look rather
fried.

Which means the pickup is definitely shot, yes?

Very bad news. As you know, locating a replacement pickup isn't easy, but
that's just part of the difficulty.

First off, the optical pickup is an entire module; its parts are not available
separately and would be impossible to install properly at a repair shop as
pickups are assembled to exacting tolerances.
The only exception is with very old LaserDisc players that used large HeNe gas
tube lasers, external optical components, and external photosensors. However,
the CLD series all used small semiconductor lasers along with the optical
components and the photosensor arrays and all integrated into a single modular
pickup assembly.

The other part is that, once you do find a replacement pickup, you have to
calibrate it. You can't just slap the new pickup in the player and expect it
to work instantly.

Properly calibrating the pickup on a LaserDisc player requires the correct
Pioneer service/calibration LaserDisc, the proper service literature, an
oscilliscope, the proper tools, and the proper training.

You have to calibrate the pickup and the player electronics to get it to work
with the player properly. This is all work that will easily exceed the value
of the player. The pickup alone, if you can find one, will sell for more brand
new than what a fully functional CLD-2950 is worth!

Besides, there are probably other problems with the player that has caused such
a catastrophic failure to the IC you replaced and to the optical pickup.

Unfortunately, I would recommend that your friend keep looking for a working LD
player. - Reinhart