Clip-on tuners ... pros? cons?

[dave64o]

My tuner died and I was thinking about trying a clip-on tuner as a replacement. Then my wife started asking me to give her some Christmas gift ideas, so I thought that would be something I could ask for. But before I put it on my list, I thought it would also be worth asking about them first.

Any experiences with them? Good? Bad? Mixed? Other?

[SMILEYSIXX]

Blech... worst money I ever spent... never tuned right IME. I would use it and then compare the tuning on my other tuners and get notes quarter steps too sharp or flat almost everytime.

[B String]

The only one that's been half decent on my electric bass is the intellitouch PT10. Better than some plug in tuners I've used but just barely better.

[MalcolmAmos]

Since we have to plug in I use a plug in tuner on the bass, I do have an intellitouch and just keep it on my rhythm guitar. In the past I used the intellitouch on a banjo and a fiddle as there was no way to plug a tuner in.

So --- long story shorter - the intellitouch is great for acoustic instruments, however, is temperamental where a plug in tuner is not. If you play something unplugged the intellitouch has value.

Define temperamental - sometime gives an answer sometime does not - when this happens you must move it to another location to pick up that string. Big E string is read as B sometime for some reason, but, if you have no way of using a plug in tuner the intellitouch is the best/only way to go.

[Atticus]

My guitar player uses one that works fine for him. I prefer a tuning pedal, or just using harmonics to check tuning.

[stratovani]

I have a clip-on Intellitouch tuner. It works great on a guitar, but it's useless on a bass. I clip it on the headstock of my P-Bass, and I have to practically slam the E string several times to get it to pick up the vibrations from the string. Same with the A, but it picks up the D and G a little better. Use it on your guitar, but don't bother using it on a bass.

[B String]

Originally Posted by stratovani

I have a clip-on Intellitouch tuner. It works great on a guitar, but it's useless on a bass. I clip it on the headstock of my P-Bass, and I have to practically slam the E string several times to get it to pick up the vibrations from the string. Same with the A, but it picks up the D and G a little better. Use it on your guitar, but don't bother using it on a bass.

Are you talking about the PT10 or an older model? My PT10 isn't too bad. Better than the older imt 500 and 600 models.

[Slowgypsy]

On my acoustic guitars and ABG they work well. On my upright bass they work really well. On my electric solid body instruments they don't work nearly as well. On my semi-hollow basses they work okay if I'm patient.

Basically these devices use vibration to get the information they need to determine pitch. If the instrument doesn't develop enough vibration, there's not enough information for these tuners to work. Acoustic instruments are all about developing and amplifying vibration which is perfect for these tuners. Electric solid body instruments simply don't amplify vibration to such a large extent, they don't need to, they use pickups to do their vibration amplification.

[colcifer]

Like has been said before, great for acoustic; so-so for electric.

[bass_lord_mutha]

You guys should check out the Snark clip-on tuner. So far that's the only clip-on I've ever used that can actually pick up a low B on a 5 string. Plus it has a very easy to read multicolor display and a metronome

[B String]

Originally Posted by bass_lord_mutha

You guys should check out the Snark clip-on tuner. So far that's the only clip-on I've ever used that can actually pick up a low B on a 5 string. Plus it has a very easy to read multicolor display and a metronome

Ok. So as much as I like the Intellitouch PT10, even on my 5 string electric bass, I just ordered a Snark tuner on Amazon for $9.60 shipped. At that price I can give it as a gift. Killer deal!

[Chris K]

Originally Posted by B String

Ok. So as much as I like the Intellitouch PT10, even on my 5 string electric bass, I just ordered a Snark tuner on Amazon for $9.60 shipped. At that price I can give it as a gift. Killer deal!

IMMHO clip-on tuners are trash. The same goes for any other quartz tuner I've had experience with (through fellow musicians), guitar players who tune up the correct way with a quartz tuner, but still are out of tune. It happened (again) only yesterday night on a rehearsal.

No tuner is absolutely perfect, but I need a tuner that beats my ears.

This is the only on so far:
http://www.turbo-tuner.com/

Yesterday night, we retuned that guitar with this baby, and she beat the clip-on easily.

[JohnMCA72]

Biggest con for me: No automatic muting so everybody else has to be subjected to the sound of my/your tuning.

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by JohnMCA72

Biggest con for me: No automatic muting so everybody else has to be subjected to the sound of my/your tuning.

Just turn your volume down.

I've got an Intelli... whatever it's called. Intellitouch, maybe? Anyway, it's OK for campfire settings, although it doesn't work so well with my ABG. In a studio/rehearsal environment, I prefer a strobe. Live, I use the regular quartz tuner on my pedalboard.

[dvh]

I use a Planet Waves Headstock Tuner (clip-on) and it's great for my double bass and electrics. The light goes from red to green when you're on the money and, by my experience, it is accurate...

[newbold]

If you're not going tuner pedal or have a tuner on your pedalboard (or tuner out jack on your amp) then these work just fine and you'll NEVER leave it on your headstock like a complete dork.



A huge plus is that you learn even stronger what the 'in tune' note feels like through your body.

I'd like a few of these in my gig pack...guitar AND bass.

http://accessories.musiciansfriend.c...er-?sku=210059