Abstract: An equivalent model with short length, which could be set in laboratory, is proposed for experiment studies on cable vibration control. The equivalent model attached with a full scale damper aims to simulate behaviors of a damped stay-cable interpreted by taut cable-linear viscous damper theory. Specifically, with the same optimal damper, the equivalent model can achieve the same natural frequency and modal damping as those calculated by taut cable theory for a full scale cable-damper system. Firstly, the model and relevant parameters are proposed by a conceptual analysis; then taut cable-linear viscous damper theory is reviewed, and the parameter analysis is carried out to explore the dynamics characteristics of the model, where numerical method is applied; finally, by comparing the dynamic characteristics of the taut cable and equivalent model, a designing approach is derived. As the verification, the simulation of a cable and its equivalent model are conducted via the finite element method and results illustrate that the errors of the frequency and modal damping ratio are less than 5%, indicating the equivalence.