Guitar tuners

[davis]

Those of you that play guitar or bass, if you use an electronic tuner, what's the brand name and model?

[Stevie B]

I use an iphone app called cleartune. Seems to meet my very limited requirements fine (i.e. getting a beat-up old acoustic roughly in tune).

[kid_runningfox]

I have a wedge-shaped Korg Chromatic tuner that I always run in-line on gigs. This makes me something of an anachronism on the acoustic scene these days, as it seems that many of my peers prefer those tuners that fit on the end of the headstock. I've tried these latter, however, and do NOT like them.

[No Pride]

I used the Boss TU-2 Chomatic Tuner pedal for years, although these days I use a Line 6 M13 Stompbox Modeler instead of a pedalboard and that has a built in tuner that works well. Nowadays, Boss makes a TU-3; obviously the "new improved version," but honestly, the TU-2 worked rather flawlessly, so I don't know what there was to improve.

[Jefferson James]

I use a Fender PT-100 stompbox-type tuner; it doubles as a mute in-between songs or during really quiet parts where I'm not playing something (right, like that ever happens).

[progmatist]

I find Korgs to be the most accurate. Other brands can tune ever so slightly sharp or flat. I've had tuners that tune two different guitars with different pickup configurations to different pitches. No such problem with a Korg.

[davis]

okay, I have a Fender AT-3 and a Korg GA-1 that came, respectively, with the electric guitar & bass I have. The Korg seems to stop functioning when I try to tune the D string (bass). The Fender tuner did the 6th and 5th strings alright, but then goes wacky; the string lights (D, G, B) jump around. am I dealing with "cheap" or faulty equipment or am I just confused because I'm starting from scratch? I'm thinking maybe I should spend more money and get one good quality tuner to use on both guitars.

[davis]

I have a wedge-shaped Korg Chromatic tuner that I always run in-line on gigs. .

what do you mean by 'in-line'? that you plug your guitar into it with another cable going from the tuner to your amp? Remember, I'm on a kindergarten level here.

[Mikhael]

I use a Peterson clip-on most of the time now. It's probably the most accurate tuner on the market right now, in that form factor. All Peterson tuners have an accuracy of +/- 1/10 cent, which is an order of magnitude greater than most other tuners. They're not cheap (mine was around $70US, I think), but they work great. Otherwise I use the tuning function on my t.c. electronic G-Major, since it's always there.

[kid_runningfox]

what do you mean by 'in-line'? that you plug your guitar into it with another cable going from the tuner to your amp? Remember, I'm on a kindergarten level here.

I mean precisely that. There a lot of tuners now for acoustic instruments that clip on to the end of the headstock and work from the vibrations of the instrument. In general, I've found them to be extremely inaccurate, and easily upset by extraneous vibrations other than those of the string sounding. Not nice!

okay, I have a Fender AT-3 and a Korg GA-1 that came, respectively, with the electric guitar & bass I have. The Korg seems to stop functioning when I try to tune the D string (bass). The Fender tuner did the 6th and 5th strings alright, but then goes wacky; the string lights (D, G, B) jump around. am I dealing with "cheap" or faulty equipment or am I just confused because I'm starting from scratch? I'm thinking maybe I should spend more money and get one good quality tuner to use on both guitars.

It could well be the tuner (cheap tuners are often notorious for their inaccuracy and inability to track notes well), or it could also be the leads you're using (which people often scrimp on), or it could be as simple as the battery in the tuning going flat (some tuners, especially cheap ones, can be real battery hogs).

On the other hand, it could be that the intonation on your guitars are out, which is causing the tuners problems in correctly identifying the note you're playing. That said, it shouldn't be that severe. As a first step, you might want to change your strings if you haven't done that in a while and see if that makes a difference. If the strings are new, you can check to see if you're intonation's out by playing the harmonic, and then the fretted note, at the 12th fret, if they're different, you need the intonation adjusting. If you're a beginner, I suggest taking the into your local music store, or to your local guitar repair person, and getting them to set the guitar up for you, as it's not a job for the unwary!

One more thing to check - do you make sure that all the other strings are muted when you're tuning each string? If the other strings are sounding - even slightly - it can cause overtones that can confuse cheap tuners especially. Try tuning the guitar whilst taking extra care to damp the other strings and see if that makes tuning any easier.

[eporter66]

I used the Boss TU-2 Chomatic Tuner pedal for years.

Me too - no complaints

[Progbear]

I don’t even have one. I just use the A=440 tone from my electronic metronome.

-------------
MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

‘“What blow, Goblin?” said Corinius.’ --E. R. Eddison

N.P.:“From Where I Stand”-Fanny/Rock & Roll Survivors

[rapidfirerob]

Boss TU-3. More accurate than the TU-2 and more importantly it can be seen better in bright sunlight.
Nothing wrong with the TU-2. I sold it to a friend of mine.

[davis]

I take it you have to kneel down to tune with the Boss TU-2 and 3 in order to see it, or is that different for everybody considering eyesight. actually, it's called a pedal, so do you press on some part of it with front of your foot? Also, how does a tuner work if you have a wireless electric guitar?

[dlm]

I use a Snark clip on and am very happy with it.

[No Pride]

I take it you have to kneel down to tune with the Boss TU-2 and 3 in order to see it, or is that different for everybody considering eyesight. actually, it's called a pedal, so do you press on some part of it with front of your foot?

It IS a pedal (or "stompbox" if you prefer, and as that name implies, you step on it with your foot). When you step on it, the signal is muted so you can tune silently. It's very easy to see standing up, even if you're tall. Most LED pedals are hard to see in bright daylight, but Rob says the newer Boss one (TU-3) works well in that situation and I don't doubt it.

[rapidfirerob]

Ernie summed it up. Wireless or cable from your instrument, it makes no difference. If you have no effects and don't want
to use just one pedal, then a stompbox is not for you. Otherwise, just stick it in with the other pedals on your pedal board. It's the only stompbox I use currently as I'm in an Allman Bros. tribute band and no effects for that music. I have a full pedal board sitting in the closet at present.

[Yodelgoat]

I own several of the pinch on head tuners, and for most situations they do OK. When playing live with multiple musicians, we have always used one strobe tuner for everyone. - The quickest way to sound bad as a band is to have everybody out of tune with themselves and also each other. After every break, we all plug in to the strobe and tune before we play. its an absolute rule. Ive never compared the head snap ons to each other, but I would not be suprised to see them yielding slightly different results.

[Mikhael]

One other thing - if you're playing an electric, make sure the magnetic pull from the pickups isn't too strong, and causing tuning errors. Many Strat players have that problem, because the poles *are* the magnets on those pickups. You can only put them so close to the strings, before their pull begins affecting the physical vibration of the strings, causing errant nodes.

[davis]

I'm using a Squier Strat. It has a switch that has 3 or 4 positions, which I assume are for the pickups. Can the pickups' magnetic pull be controlled w/that switch? and what is 'intonation"? And can I learn to control/adjust these things or is that tech territory? I had a tech adjust the action on my bass, as the strings were pretty much lying on the neck. I attempted to adjust that with the tuning pegs but quickly learned that wasn't the solution.

I have a full pedal board sitting in the closet at present.

2 of my 3 favorite guitarists use(d) pedals, so I'm not staying away from that when the time comes.

[No Pride]

I'm using a Squier Strat. It has a switch that has 3 or 4 positions, which I assume are for the pickups. Can the pickups' magnetic pull be controlled w/that switch? and what is 'intonation"? And can I learn to control/adjust these things or is that tech territory? I had a tech adjust the action on my bass, as the strings were pretty much lying on the neck. I attempted to adjust that with the tuning pegs but quickly learned that wasn't the solution.

You have much to learn, Grasshopper! But that's okay, we all had to start somewhere. I've already dawdled on PE far too long and I've got "chit" to do in the real world now, but if nobody addresses your questions by tomorrow, I will.

[sonic]

Guitars need tuning?

[Mikhael]

I'm using a Squier Strat. It has a switch that has 3 or 4 positions, which I assume are for the pickups. Can the pickups' magnetic pull be controlled w/that switch? and what is 'intonation"? And can I learn to control/adjust these things or is that tech territory? I had a tech adjust the action on my bass, as the strings were pretty much lying on the neck. I attempted to adjust that with the tuning pegs but quickly learned that wasn't the solution.

No. Magnets are magnets, and can't be switched on or off (unless they're electromagnets, and these aren't). Think of the old horseshoe magnet - there's no switch on it. The switch simply selects which pickup it connects to the output. The screws on either side of the pickup will allow you to raise or lower the pickups. If you play it very cleanly, and hear a warbling tone where it should be a clear open note, then lower the pickups, and see if the warbling goes away.

Intonation simply refers to adjusting the bridge saddles so that the guitar plays in tune. The general method is to play a harmonic at the 12th fret, then play a fretted note on the 12th fret. If they do not show up as being the exact same on the tuner, then move the saddle backwards or forwards until it is. Now, there are more involved methods to get it to play even better, but that's the standard.

[fictionmusic]

It IS a pedal (or "stompbox" if you prefer, and as that name implies, you step on it with your foot). When you step on it, the signal is muted so you can tune silently. It's very easy to see standing up, even if you're tall. Most LED pedals are hard to see in bright daylight, but Rob says the newer Boss one (TU-3) works well in that situation and I don't doubt it.

I hate outdoor gigs for pedal use. I can never see ANY of the leds. I like the TU-2 well enough though and the mute function is handy.

I don't know if anyone else does this, but I tend to go through pedal phases (and phase pedals for that matter) where I have a dozen or so and then times when I don't use any. It usually starts with one pedal, then a few more until I have a huge pedal board. Then I chuck it all in the studio and just go back to plain guitar. Right now I am using a guitar, a cable and an amp and I LOVE it. I don't even use my tuner anymore (it really isn't that hard to tune by ear although being onstage and tuning out load isn't all that cool either).

[Kim Olesen]

I find Korgs to be the most accurate. Other brands can tune ever so slightly sharp or flat. I've had tuners that tune two different guitars with different pickup configurations to different pitches. No such problem with a Korg.

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