Please recommend a tuner....

[basspraiser]

I know this will probably get moved to another forum, but I am not sure where to really put it....

I am extremely frustrated with my current tuner (a "Quik Tune" Chromatic tuner).....it is really acting up on me.....I tuned up to it the other night before going to practice and after a few songs (which did not sound quite right).....the praise leader mentioned that I sounded slightly out of tune (which I was - about a half step).....this seems to be happening more and more with this tuner (I usually catch it earlier than I did last night though)....also, it seems to have trouble with the E string and forget about my low B!

also - it seems to be all over the board at times....

can anyone recommend a decent tuner - maybe a strobe? I am willing to spend a hundred or maybe more if I can get one that is 100% reliable!

BTW - also please let me know the pluses and minuses (as a bass player) for chromatic vs. non-chromatic and strobe tuners etc.....

thanks in advance for your help and suggestions.....

[Tony G]

I have the Peterson Strobo-flip, and it is the best tuner I've ever used. It is more precise than any tuner I've had, and I'm so used to it now that if I am even just slightly out of tune I can tell instantly.

[basspraiser]

Originally Posted by xgabriele

I have the Peterson Strobo-flip, and it is the best tuner I've ever used. It is more precise than any tuner I've had, and I'm so used to it now that if I am even just slightly out of tune I can tell instantly.

Thanks for responding so fast....I see they are $199 most places - not bad....do they handle the low B well?

[fivestringgecko]

Seems like the Boss TU-2 is a popular one around here and it's the one I've got on my pedalboard. It's a Boss pedal, so it's solidly built, it's dead silent, doesn't suck any tone and works great with a low B.

It sounds like you were using the Quik Tune to tune before you went to practice... with the TU-2, you can have it plugged in and tune anytime you like (silently!) and go right back to playing.

Tuning = good!

5sg

[MrSexy]

tu-2 +1

[Dave Muscato]

Petersons are great tuners, but a little pricey. You might be able to find a used one for $100.

I personally like "needle" tuners, as opposed to ones with lights. There are two things to consider when purchasing a tuner (among others): precision and accuracy. Accuracy means how close the tuner is to some fixed standard of measurement (for example, A = 440). Precise means how much this tuner can tell you that you're off (for example, 1 cent, 10 cents, 1/10 of a cent like the Peterson tuners). These are in addition to options regarding pedal vs. rackmount vs. tabletop, Buzz Feiten compatibility, etc.

My favorite tuner is the Boss TU-12H. Sabine makes some good tuners, too. For something smaller & cheaper, I like Korg tuners. However, the best way to tune, if it's practical for your situation, is by ear with a reference pitch. If you tune your open strings only, depending on your intonation, action, and simply how you fret notes, you will not necessarily be in tune when you start playing. When possible, I use an A reference pitch, and tune *fretted* notes like this:

5th fret on the B string is the fifth of an A reference pitch
5th fret on the E string is simply the A itself
7th fret on the A string is a fifth again
2nd fret on the D string is that same fifth
2nd fret on the G string is the A itself

Sometimes I'll double check my tuning with these fretted notes:

10th fret on the B string (A)
10 fret on the E string (D, a fourth up)
12th fret on the A string (A again)
7th fret on the D string (A also)
9th fret on the G string (E, a fifth interval)

If you listen carefully, you can hear a "waver" between the reference pitch and your fretted note. Tune the string until the "waver" becomes smooth & non-existent.

Hope this helps,

Dave

[Tony G]

Originally Posted by basspraiser

Thanks for responding so fast....I see they are $199 most places - not bad....do they handle the low B well?

Yeah, they do cost a bit much. I bought mine when musicians friend was giving a gift certificate with purchase, and I accrued about $150, so I only paid $50 out of pocket. Knowing now what I do about this tuner, and how well it has helped me tune and intonate my basses, I would gladly buy one at full price if I was ever to damage or lose this tuner.

And yes, it handles the low b like a champ.

[Smallmouth_Bass]

I'll add another one to the suggestions:
Korg DT-10

[MadMark5]

Originally Posted by fivestringgecko

Seems like the Boss TU-2 is a popular one around here and it's the one I've got on my pedalboard. It's a Boss pedal, so it's solidly built, it's dead silent, doesn't suck any tone and works great with a low B.

It sounds like you were using the Quik Tune to tune before you went to practice... with the TU-2, you can have it plugged in and tune anytime you like (silently!) and go right back to playing.

Tuning = good!

5sg

+1
after trying rack mounted tuners, my TU-2 has never failed me, and I beat it up pretty good. those boss pedals are built like tanks, and you can always fit it in a gig bag, so you can use different rigs and have it handy....

[vtwo]

Effects forum.....

Main contenders:
Korg DT10-BK
Planet Waves PW-CT-04
Boss TU-2
Peterson Strobostomp 2

The Peterson is obviously the best, but it's also double the price. The Boss and Korg are around $100 and the PW is $85ish. The Planet Waves and Peterson are both true bypass. The Boss has crap bypass (objective) and the Korg has a pretty transparent buffer. They all track pretty well, but I'm not sure about low B on the Boss. I'd recommend the Korg or Planet Waves if you don't want to go for the Peterson. The PW is the smallest.

That's probably all the information you'll need.

[Dr_Funkdamental]

+1 on the planet waves. Its nice and bright in low lighting, and it has a strobe mode and a lock in mode with the LED. I really like it. Its also tough and built for the long haul. Picks up the B well too.

[Wademeister63]

I really like my Korg GA-30 tuners. Super cheap, I bought a bunch of them. I lleave em at the practice place, give em to friends, have have a couple in my bass cases or gigbags or whatever. I never have a problem with not being in tune and they seem to respond a lot quicker than some of the more expensive fancier tuners I've tried. The only trouble I ever had with them was when I somehow get it set on "guitar" and it can't pick up the low frequencies. haha. Well I guess ya still gotta be smarter than the tool you're using, DOH!

[fivestringgecko]

Originally Posted by vtwo

The Peterson is obviously the best, but it's also double the price. The Boss and Korg are around $100 and the PW is $85ish. The Planet Waves and Peterson are both true bypass. The Boss has crap bypass (objective) and the Korg has a pretty transparent buffer. They all track pretty well, but I'm not sure about low B on the Boss. I'd recommend the Korg or Planet Waves if you don't want to go for the Peterson. The PW is the smallest.

After having both the Boss TU-2 and Strobostomp 2, I can say I'm MUCH happier with the Boss. The Boss feels a LOT more solid and while it doesn't have all the features of the SS2 (most of which I wouldn't really use anyway), my TU-2 actually WORKS, and THAT'S what counts. Plus, it's half the price.

My full review of the Strobostomp 2 is here, which will explain why I switched to the Boss tuner (mine's the first review, posted on 7/2/07 from Ross):

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/r...bostomp+2/10/1

5sg

P.S. I haven't had any problems with the bypass on the TU-2 whatsoever. That's one of the things I heard about the Boss tuner when I was researching what to buy, which is why I bought the SS2... Hindsight being 20/20, I definitely should've went with the TU-2 in the first place and saved myself a headache.

[FenderBinder]

i use a korg Ga- 30.... Its always accurate and simple. and cheap.

[blizzard]

I have a Korg ca-30 and for a pocket tuner its absolutely great. Not to mention it still works like it did when I bought despite the fact I always manage to drop it.

[Klisk]

I use a Guyatone Microtuner and I'm really happy with it so I never bothered to get another one. It's a pedal tuner.

I had a Korg hand-tuner once upon a time, which was OKAY, but it broke and the Guyatone is a lot more accurate in my opinion.

[KarateKid25]

I just use a cheap Korg tuner myself (can't remember the model) and it works fine. Otherwise I would probably go with a Boss TU-2.

Check out the effects forum and do a search there for tuners. You will get plenty of info to have a read of

[Scott in Dallas]

Another vote for the Korg GA-30. Korg has a new strobe type tuner for about fifty bucks that looks interesting.

[fullrangebass]

Peterson VS-2

[Spector_Ray]

Can't go wrong with the Boss TU-2.