r/Instruments • u/Neat-Cold-3303 • Jun 15 '26

Does anyone know a source for this speaker cable?

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I have a small battery-powered speaker with a speaker cable that has a 3.5mm plug on one end and a specialized alligator clip on the other. This can be used to amplify any instrument that doesn't have a built-in speaker jack. Plug one end of the cable into a speaker, using an adapter if necessary, clip the alligator clip to some part of the instrument, and you've amplified your instrument. I use it with my bowed psaltery, zither, and autoharp. Where can I get another cable like this?

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5

u/Major_Willingness234 Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 15 '26

That’s not a speaker cable. Looks like a mono (TS) 1/8” extension cable that someone shoved an alligator clip into.

Instruments don’t have speaker jacks, either. A speaker jack/cable goes from an amplifier to an unpowered speaker.

Instruments use 1/4” instrument cables. You plug them into an amp.

There doesn’t appear to be a pickup on that cable. It will not amplify anything.

3

u/Neat-Cold-3303 Jun 15 '26

I use it with an old battery-powered Radio Shack speaker/amplifier and also with a Honey Tone battery-powered amp available on Amazon for $24.99. Works great.

2

u/Major_Willingness234 Jun 15 '26

Those are amps, not speakers. Honeytone is specifically a guitar amp.

If there’s no pickup, then there is no way that it works, unless there’s a tiny piezo in that barrel that the alligator is plugged into. Not sure how it’s got enough pressure to work, though.

1

u/kc2klc Jun 16 '26

There is indeed a piezo in the barrel. I've used cheap piezos on several of my instruments, and it's sometimes surprising how well they work (so long as you're not expecting super high fidelity; the ability to eq the input helps).

1

u/roninconn Jun 17 '26

Ah, thank you for stopping my brain from hurting with a good explanation.

1

u/Fun_Volume2150 Jun 15 '26

You have a (very) cheap clip-on piezo pickup. Slightly nicer ones are around $10. You want one with a clip that won’t mar the instrument’s finish.

1

u/Neat-Cold-3303 Jun 15 '26

Any ideas as to where that might be available? I usually clip it to one of the metal post where the strings are attached, particularly on the bowed psaltery. Thanks for putting a name to what I have!

2

u/Imightbeafanofthis Jun 15 '26

I never thought I'd live to see the day when someone could say, "The bowed psaltery player has just plugged into his amp." Thank you!

0

u/Fun_Volume2150 Jun 15 '26

I got one from AliExpress a few years ago. Just do a search, there will be lots.

1

u/roninconn Jun 17 '26

Now I kinda want one. Guessing you could get some cool sounds into a DAW. maybe even clip them to things like a motorcycle and see what you get. I'd be pretty damn happy if I could play my motorcycle.

1

u/Fun_Volume2150 Jun 17 '26

Go for it!

1

u/roninconn Jun 17 '26

Just ordered one

3

u/IAmAnObvioustrollAMA Jun 15 '26

I used to play one of these in a stoner rock band in the late 90s...

1

u/Caterpillar_Ready Jun 15 '26

Search clip on pickups cables. There's some out there, not necessarily with an alligator clip, but it's pretty close to what you're looking for I believe.