As for aligator clips "just soldered" to a cable - speaking w/the mental remnants of a once well trained Navy electronics tech - and from recent experience & observation - that in itself wouldn't work. Those I have seen, on close inspection, clearly have some form, albeit very small, of pezio sensor (a type of "pickup"). Ya simply gotta give some kind of electrical signal to the tuner, the inputs are designed for it & a wire can't carry the simple mechanical vibrations worth a darn. So ya gotta turn the vibrations into electrical signals that vary as the mechanical vibration did so the tuner can sense it. I was gonna make one but then saw the IntelliTouch at a jam session & can hardly think the effort is worth it, as this tuner is so good. All the other tuners I've seen are clearly eclipsed next to this contraption. Gonna get one sooner or later. Maybe the Sabine you semipermanantly attatch to your guitar might be worth considering for me, but for flexibility & ease of use - at least in a reasonably well lighted area, the IntelliTouch blows them all into duet. Really. Check it out.

Cheers, BK