What Is This???

[m2466d]

Just hoping someone may have seen one of these or something similar. I was told that it's a Russian made guitar synth but that information may be very iffy. I would love to know what the cord attaches into. Thanks for any info.

[nickb]

Open it up and let's see what's under the covers.

My WAG: It has a belt clip so I'm thinking it's the transmitter end of a wireless audio link. OTOH is that a lead for an external power supply...?

[Brad1]

A homemade acoustic guitar pickup preamp? Can't tell what exactly that connector on the cable end is. Is that an RCA, or an 1/8" TS plug jack? Looking closer, can't be an RCA plug, I don't think. I don't see an insulator between the outside and inside. Seems one of the them has to be an in, and another out, because it LOOKS like only that cable-end plug-jack, and the 1/4" on the box. No other jacks on the box? Maybe the acoustic pickup had a dangling cable with a non-1/4" plug that matches that one on the cable end, and the player attaches that, clips it on his belt for easier access to volume, and plugs a regular 1/4" instrument cable to amp? One knob..."boost volume"? Seems a guitar synth would have more than one knob, as would just about anything BUT a simple boost?

Then, again....how would THAT be powered? Looks like not enough room in there for a 9V battery, unless it's tucked in tight above (as viewed from top) the 1/4" jack and next to the pot. Doubtful it could fit under what looks like a board that may be riveted in, unless all of any possible electrolytic caps that may be sticking out from that board?

You haven't taken it apart to see what's in there? What're ya waitin' for?!

Brad1

[Chuck H]

OPEN IT!!!

[Enzo]

My guess is a belt pack preamp made for a cheap acoustic guitar pickup. I used to have a pickup that snapped into my sound hole on my Gibson J-50, and it used a 1/8" connector. Then the belt pack has a 1/4" jack for the cord to the amp.

I am with Chuck, open it. I bet you find a battery, and depending on age, either an op amp or a transistor.

[m2466d]

Lol, I don't know what I'm waiting for, I'll open it and get some pictures today. Thanks for the replies!

[m2466d]

I added a pic of the inside of the unit.

[m2466d]

For some reason I'm having trouble adding the pic to the thread. It doesn't seem to be adding it to my reply.

[Mark Hammer]

I'm with the others in thinking that it's a simple preamp. The cable with the mini-phone jack is likely the input for a small cable from a pickup on the guitar to the preamp. If I was adding piezo pickup to a guitar, and wasn't or couldn't use an end-pin jack, I would probably build something like that. Belt clip, small box big enough for a 9V battery, and flexible input mechanism to accommodate moving around and provide minimal weight. Note that some older archtops would have mini phone-jacks mounted to the underside of the pickguard.

If you are having trouble posting images, a simple description of what's inside will probably suffice for us detectives/diagnosticians. For instance, if there is a single transistor, and the number is visible, that will convey a lot.

[Chuck H]

I'm betting guitar headphone amp. Guitar plugs into the phone jack and headphones plug into the mini phone hack on the cord. Hopefully no corroded old battery in there. I have to say I thought it was funny that anyone would think that clearly homemade thing could be positively identified by anyone but the maker (or perhaps someone that knew them?). I mean, look at it! The best we can assess is:

1)it has a 1/4" phone jack
2)it has a pot
3)it has a 1/8" phone jack on a cord
4)it's small
5)it has a belt clip
6)surmise from the above that it's LIKELY something for guitar use.

For all I know it could be a homemade hearing aid thingy.

[m2466d]

Here's a pic of the inside.

[Chuck H]

Looks like a preamp or headphone amp. I'll still say headphone amp because I would expect another 1/4" phone jack instead of a 1/8" size if it were a preamp. It's NOT a Russian guitar synthesizer or a wireless transmitter.

[Enzo]

Yes, still looks like a preamp, a one lung version. One small transistor pretty much limits it to a gain stage of some sort.

A floor toy preamp, like a fuzz pedal or something would have two 1/4" jacks. But my personal experience with acoustics has been the little pickups had a 1/8" connector to keep it all small up on the face of the guitar, so I got no trouble seeing that small jack as an input. The small jack cable connects directly to the transistor, no cap in series, which would mean any ear buds or ear phones would have steady DC through them. Of course I could be wrong, but I like it as a preamp rather than phones amp.

We really ought to find out the transistor type so we know the pinout.

The 1/4" look like an output as the transistor is wired to the end of the control, and the wiper through that cap to the jack. Looks like classic volume control. Then again I suppose it could be an input level.

[J M Fahey]

That is a Russian made device to interfere with US elections.
Those who donīt believe that are idiots.

Me being an idiot , see a single gold pin transistor, what makes me think it was some kind of special type (at least way back then).
Couple it with the age of most components and I think itīs a homamade 70īs vintage single FET high input impedance buffer.
1/4" jack being the input, body mounted 1/4" jack being the output.
Made tons of those way back then, in a plastic case, and found a spring maker who made **excellent** spring clips intended for Police handgun/ammo clip/handcuff belt holsters, mu belt premps would *stay* clipped to belts no matter what.
For a Piezo pickup and probably gain=1X.

[Chuck H]

BING BING BING BING BING!!! And Enzo is the winnaaa!