My tuner bit the dust yesterday...started smoking and died. What is your favorite tuner?

If you like the clip on the headstock tuners, I prefer the Meisel or the Intellitouch...

Merry Christmas!

John Chamberlain

I'll be honest...while it may be overkill, I sprang for a Peterson Strobe tuner...the stroboflip model. It's far from a headstock tuner, but it is the absolute best I've ever used. It goes from stage to studio, and it has become an indispensable tool for me. Although I will say, with Collings guitars, it is not quite as necessary as with some others...

I carry one of the little Seiko clip on tunes with me in the case when travelling etc. Easy to use and easy to read. Works on either vibration or mic setting, and swivels in any direction so it can be used front or back of the headstock etc.
Best one of the small clip ons I have ever used.

quote:

Originally posted by citycountryguy:
I'll be honest...while it may be overkill, I sprang for a Peterson Strobe tuner

Not overkill as far as I'm concerned. I don't like using anything else, not just because it's super-accurate, but also because once you get the hang of the scrolling bars it's pretty quick. And the sweetened GTR temperament is lovely.

I have to agree on the Peterson Strobo Flip. It is expensive and takes a bit to get used to but as far as bang for the buck in tone improvement, to my taste it is one of the best investments I have made. It has some different "sweeteners" that you can go into that are very cool. I have been using the acoustic sweetener and I am getting fantastic tone. Once again to my taste anyway.

I'll third the Stroboflip, worth every penny for accuracy and extra features.

I also have had an Intellitouch clip-on tuner for a long time and recently got a Intelli (or Meisel, by another name). It is better than the Intellitouch, more sensitive and easier to read. They can be had for about $20 on eBay.

Merry Christmas all,
Don

A lot of people doubt the effect a tuner can have on tone, and I understand that and I even agreed with that mentality before I bought a Peterson. "It's just a tuner - you're either in tune or not." Not true.

There are so many overtones and harmonics and subharmonics generated by the strum of a guitar and you don't necessarily realize how important it can be to get all of those tones ringing at frequencies that are flattering to each other. the difference of a fraction of a cent can mean something much bigger to the overall sound of your guitar. A perfectly-tuned guitar will sound more focused, which could be good or it could be bad. "Focused" will be less interesting to some ears, although I believe most people enjoy a perfectly tuned guitar, and it lets the voice of the guitar itself shine through a bit better since the slight dissonance of out-of-tune harmonics is gone (or at least diminished). Down-and-dirty songs will sound better with that dissonance a slightly out-of-tune guitar brings as it shows a wider sound. So in these cases, a Peterson might not be such a good idea.

But I'll say this - the first time I tuned my D2H with the GTR sweetening temperament on my Peterson strobe, it was nothing short of amazing to play. I'd never heard such amazing focus where the entire character of the guitar was in line as one voice. No wavering, longer sustain (a long story), and just "pure." It's hard to describe if you haven't heard this.

I also have to say this - just having a Peterson doesn't mean you'll get this every time. In order to get that "one" voice, you'll have to get used to moving the tuning knob in very small increments to get the tuner's readout to stay still, resulting in a perfectly-tuned guitar.

And about the GTR temperament - it's a proprietary temperament that Peterson developed which compensates for the imperfections of a 6-string fretted instrument like a guitar where it's not ever perfectly in tune all over the fretboard. This temperament does do a great job of offering the best compensation though. It may be strange at first because you've grown accustomed to the tuning imperfections of standard tuning. Nearly every recording of a G chord high up the neck is out of tune a certain way, and that's what you're used to hearing. When you play your guitar, you expect certain chords to sound a specific way. The GTR temperament will change some of those and it can be a little odd at first. Personally, I'm much happier now, ESPECIALLY when layering guitar sounds where they're now much more defined.

Sorry. End of rant.

Well, I agree with everything that was just said. All my guitars sound better with the Peterson, and my Collings guitars, although they sounded better to me than the others already, took a more giant step forward. Take a guitar that majors on fundamental tone, built by someone who is a fanatic about quality, and tune it perfectly with the Peterson and that guitar sweetener setting, and it is really something. My only fear lately has been becoming too dependent on the thing...although I will say, that using one is also great ear training, because once you hear how you want it to sound "in tune" it becomes easier over time to get it back to that with just ears.

Interesting stuff! I've been using a Boss TU-2 for years, but you've got me wondering... My biggest complaint about the Boss tuner is that you can't see the darn LED's in full daylight.

A couple questions:
1: Is the Peterson readable in full sunlight?
2: Do those tempered tunings work with other band members? Will you sound out of tune with everyone else?

thanks!
David

well, you clip the stroboflip to your mic stand, so it only has to show for about half the distance as a floor tuner. i used it twice outdoors this summer, and it read fine to me. once really bright sunlight, once a cloudy day, so not much of an issue. I use an A/B box so I can mute and tune to throw signal to the tuner and mute the house.

And I've never sounded out of tune with anyone I've played with...most of the time it's only one or two other instruments, but never an issue for me.

quote:

Originally posted by citycountryguy:
...using one is also great ear training, because once you hear how you want it to sound "in tune" it becomes easier over time to get it back to that with just ears.

I've also found that to be true. Good point.