Best Handheld tuner!

[grass132456]

Hey guys!
I hope this is the right section, but what is the best guitar/bass tuner? Hopefully one that is easy enough to hold in your hand and can tune to every note, not just the basic EADG(BE).
Thanks!

[kellyrojo]

Snark.... Cheap accurate perfect. Also use the search for more info. Gl

[rfslick]

++1 Inexpensive and effective. Simple!

[esa372]

Originally Posted by grass132456

...what is the best guitar/bass tuner? Hopefully one that is easy enough to hold in your hand and can tune to every note, not just the basic EADG(BE).

I'm not sure why or when you would want to hold a tuner in your hands, but this is the best tuner available right now:

Sonic Research Turbo Tuner

[grass132456]

Originally Posted by esa372

I'm not sure why or when you would want to hold a tuner in your hands, but this is the best tuner available right now:

Sonic Research Turbo Tuner

I don't want a pedal because I usually share a portable tuner with other people and if I have a pedal, it is just going to take much more time to just tune. I'm looking for simplicity and efficiency without pedals :P

[brianerwin]

Snark!!! All the way. You can tune ALL your notes.





Snark Tuner

[The Birdman]

I personally have not had good luck with Snark tuners on basses (they work GREAT on regular EADGBE-tuned guitars). The tuner that has worked best for me is the Boss TU-80. It "chirps" when each note is in tune, giving you a definite cue.

Roger

[megafiddle]

I have a Turbo Tuner ST-122, which is hand held (not a pedal).

It's chromatic (all notes) with a range of C0 to C8. Also has the standard notes for
various instruments, as you would expect.

I like these, they are true strobes. The signal is converted directly to display, much as
the rotating disc strobe tuners did, but different technology. Once the note has been
identified, the pitch information is instantaneous.

You do have to get a feel for it though. The tuner does not indicate "in tune" or "not in tune".
You have to do that.

[walterw]

Originally Posted by megafiddle

I have a Turbo Tuner ST-122, which is hand held (not a pedal).

It's chromatic (all notes) with a range of C0 to C8. Also has the standard notes for
various instruments, as you would expect.

I like these, they are true strobes. The signal is converted directly to display, much as
the rotating disc strobe tuners did, but different technology. Once the note has been
identified, the pitch information is instantaneous.

You do have to get a feel for it though. The tuner does not indicate "in tune" or "not in tune".
You have to do that.

this is by far the best "hand held" tuner at any price, but they're kinda hard to get these days; they're now made with a cool steampunk-looking aluminum housing which is apparently difficult to manufacture right, so they're in short supply. you'd need to call them to order one, and they're more like $170 now.

(i'm lucky i have three of the older ones, including one on my repair bench )

[phangtonpower]

I have a TU-2 tuner. It's a pedal, but I use it as a hand held. Just because it's a pedal doesn't mean you have to have it on a pedal board or on the floor in line with your bass and amp.

[tjh]

Originally Posted by The Birdman

I personally have not had good luck with Snark tuners on basses (they work GREAT on regular EADGBE-tuned guitars). The tuner that has worked best for me is the Boss TU-80. It "chirps" when each note is in tune, giving you a definite cue.

Roger

I had several of the Snark clip ons, and just never felt real good about them .. I never used the Snark hand held ...I have the Boss TU-80, along with a couple of the less expensive Korg handhelds, along with a brand new Korg Pitchblack pedal tuner, that never gets used ... I usually just end up using whatever handheld is in the case of the bass I grab ...

.. when I tested the Boss with my 40+ year old calibrated Peterson Strobe tuner (model 420?), it was perfectly accurate ... the TU-80 is also a metronome if that matters ...Musicians Friend has them on sale for like $22 now ... I paid mid $30's if I remember correctly ...

[esa372]

Ah, now I get it.

megafiddle and walterw have it - the ST-122:

[megafiddle]

They are amazing tuners. You can set one of these on a table top and then play a note
on an acoustic guitar. If you move towards or away from the tuner, you can see the pitch
rise or fall due to doppler effect.

[walterw]

ooh, i haven't tried that one!

my favorite is testing pickup installs before i put strings back on; i hold a tuning fork over the new pickup, then over the other ones, and if the half-circle in the display flips to the other side of the ring i know the new pickup is out of polarity with the others and needs its wires reversed.

[TheEmptyCell]

Buy yourself a tuner, and tell whoever the hell is using yours all the time to get their own. It's pretty unprofessional to have to borrow one of the most necessary items in any gigbag.

[Jay2U]

The CA1 by Korg goes from C1 to C8. It can either be plugged in or use its built-in microphone. It only costs around $18.

[walterw]

Originally Posted by TheEmptyCell

Buy yourself a tuner, and tell whoever the hell is using yours all the time to get their own. It's pretty unprofessional to have to borrow one of the most necessary items in any gigbag.

+1

grownups bring their own tuners.

[Randyt]

I really like my Peterson Strobo tuner..old type..(Blue)

[Thick McRunfast]

Another Korg fan here. The CA1 I have has been bulletproof. I've given several as gifts

[Stilettoprefer]

Yet another for Korg. Mine has proved to be pretty much indestructible, and its very accurate. I use it for setting intonation all the time.