Not sure if this should go in "BASSES" but Basses need tuners so I figured it would work. If not, hopefully the mods won't mind redirecting it. 
When I bought my first bass back in the day I knew that I needed an amp, a cable, a strap, and a tuner. A good tuner is essential for any bass player to have. Whether you can tune by ear or not, there are some situations (noisy gigs) that tuning by ear might not be an option.
I have never been much on pedals or pedal boards and don't care much for stompbox tuners. I like things as simple as possible so I stick to the meat and potatoes diet of bass->cable->amp to make sure that nothing goes wrong live (if you use effects/stomp boxes I'm not bashing you). The headstock tuner was "the answer" for me for live tuning. I didn't have to unplug my instrument from the amp and go into a tuner which was great for me. I started out with a Snark. They are great tuners and are pretty much the standard. Honestly though, I thought it looked kind of goofy.
After using the snark for a while I then began using the Crafter tuner I have and it has been great. It's smaller than the Snark, not a bright color, and is just as accurate. I wasn't looking for a new tuner, but when I saw the demo video for Planet Waves new Mini tuner I was very intrigued and wanted to do a quick review.
Video:
Professional Accuracy - The Planet Waves NS Mini Headstock - YouTube
Since recieving the tuner Thursday, I have used it at home, at band practice, and during my church's worship services today. I am hear to tell you that this tuner is gig worthy. It performed flawlessly and I didn't have to switch back to the trusty Crafter that I have been using for the past couple of years.
Here are some things that I really dig about the tuner:
1. It's tiny. You can see in the pics that I am including in the review that it is the smallest of the tuners I own.
2. It's accurate. As stated, it is just as accurate as the Snark and Crafter which have both been proven to be accurate tuners.
3. Super easy to read display. I like that it uses two colors. Green=In Tune, Orange=Not In Tune (like the Crafter which I liked).
4. It's easy to turn off! Both the Snark and the Crafter you have to "hold" the on/off button or they will remain on. The Mini you only have to click the button and if you don't have time, it will turn off on it's on.
5. The mini reminds you that it's on by flashing green every few seconds. It will turn itself off if you happen to leave it on though.
6. It's CHEAP! My Crafter cost me around 25 bucks and the Snark was 20. At
BassStringsOnline.com which is where I bought mine it was much less.
7. It's quick! I walked from note to note and the tuner kept up without a problem. The Crafter and Snark did not do as well.
8. As the pics will show you, the small design and the 360 degree head will allow you to position the tuner closer to the nut so that you are NEVER blocking the tuner while tuning.
I could go on and on, but I'll stop and show you some pics:
I used my beastly Ibanez ATK 305 for these shots.
NS Mini vs. Crafter:
Tuning (Mini vs. Crafter) Sorry for the blur. 
And yes, I wasn't actually tuning the B string. Just showing that when I do reach for the tuner the other tuner was covered. NS Mini vs. Snark:
Tuning (Mini vs. Snark):
Tuning again (Mini vs. Snark):
If I lifted my hand slightly, I could see the Snark, but this didn't feel natural. Conclusion:
Planet Waves definately hasn't reinvented the wheel, however, they've made it sleeker and user friendly by really looking at what has worked and what hasn't worked with clip on tuners in the past. They have created a product that is fast, accurate, reliable, and most importantly affordable.
The only "con" this tuner has is it doesn't unclip as easy as the other tuners do. But that's not a bother for me because I clip one on and leave it on. The NS Mini is designed to be put on an instrument and basically stay there...it fits in your case without getting in the way so there's no real reason to ever "need" to remove it.
If you're needing a good tuner you should check this one out. Jason who owns bassstringsonline.com and who is a member here (
SLaPINFuNK has these available on his website and just like with strings he cuts TB members a break if you sign up for VIP pricing. Here's the link to his sight and the tuner:
Planet Waves NS Mini Headstock Tuner 
