Electronic Tuners

[Jeff Bollbach]

Hi Guys-
Did a search for this[Ineed one] and had no luck. I'm sure it's been discussed before[sorry for the Dept. of Redundancy Department]. Can anyone recommend one? Someone wants me to do some pearl inlay markers so I wanna get it right!

[Chasarms]

In todays world, I think most all of the little electronic ones work pretty well.

My teacher has the same little black Korg that all hail BG sells on his site. It's nice in that it also generates a tone. CA30 or GA30, something like that. It is less than $20 about anywhere.

I use one with the same guts but doesn't do the tone. It works really well. I even use it to set intonation on guitars and basses. It works really well for that also. They are fast and accurate and cost about $13 or so. Another nice thing about the one my teacher uses is that it is chromatic and has auto note recognition.

Sabines I have owned work well for guitars but seem to struggle to recognize bass notes.

If you are going to use it sparingly, I wouldn't worry about getting a really nice one. Unless you want to drop a few hundred on a Peterson strobe, the only thing you are really paying for is features like line through, oversize and/or lighted display, switchable mute, etc., which are nice in a gig setting, but otherwise frills. You are no more in tune with a $200 rack mount tuner than you would be with that little $20 Korg.

[esvsteamship]

For everyday, is there any reason to buy an electronic tuner.?I used a tuning fork that you whacked on your foot and then placed (very gently) on the bass's body. It sounded and 'a" and I thought that it worked very well, but is there a compleling reason to buy digital?

Beth

[Eric Jackson]

Originally Posted by esvsteamship

I used a tuning fork that you whacked on your foot and then placed (very gently) on the bass's body.

Whack it on your knee then hold it against the tip of the bridge or in your teeth. Hold your ear against the back of the neck to use harmonics to tune adjacent strings.

Or use a tuner...

[mchildree]

I've had great results with the Intellitouch Tuner, which doesn't require electronic input...you just clip it to your bridge and tune. It's great for gigs too, because it really works well with the slightest touch of the strings, so you can tune at very low volume. Seems to me to be as accurate as anything I've ever used and it also works very well for other stringed instruments.

[anonymous0726]

The one that I've always used and is definitely worth the extra cash is the Boss TU-12 (http://www.bossus.com/index.asp?pg=1&tmp=67 -- it's one of those damned Flash sites, so you're going to have to navigate to the listing). You have digital and analog feedback, which is particularly nive with DB as the pitch on any given note, especially open strings, wanders all over hell. The analog needle is slower than digital and so gives you a running average on where the string is, and you still have digital 'left or right' arrows to give you the immediate reading. It's also wired to handle low frequencies better than your average tuner.

[RevGroove]

Originally Posted by Ray Parker

The one that I've always used and is definitely worth the extra cash is the Boss TU-12 (http://www.bossus.com/index.asp?pg=1&tmp=67 -- it's one of those damned Flash sites, so you're going to have to navigate to the listing). You have digital and analog feedback, which is particularly nive with DB as the pitch on any given note, especially open strings, wanders all over hell. The analog needle is slower than digital and so gives you a running average on where the string is, and you still have digital 'left or right' arrows to give you the immediate reading. It's also wired to handle low frequencies better than your average tuner.

For $25 bucks more (prolly less in the U.S.) I'd go for the Boss TU-15...couple more features, extended range (the TU12 doesn't tune my open B string on a fiver), and it's back lit. Still have a TU-12 as a backup, but the TU-15 is definitely where it's at!

[Jeff Bollbach]

Thanks for the replies guys, but I am still a little in the dark. I am not sure either of the aforementioned tuners are what I want. Let me clarify. It seems both those models just tune certain notes[mebbe I am wrong] What I need is not to tune a bass, but to go for certain fingered notes. I have a client who wants me to put pearl dots on the side of the board at Bb, C, and D on the E string. I just want another tool besides my ear so I can nail it. {measure twice, cut once]. I have also had folks want me to mark the notes on an extension. Can these tuners mark a Db below low E?

[scott reed]

Originally Posted by Jeff Bollbach

Thanks for the replies guys, but I am still a little in the dark. I am not sure either of the aforementioned tuners are what I want. Let me clarify. It seems both those models just tune certain notes[mebbe I am wrong] What I need is not to tune a bass, but to go for certain fingered notes. I have a client who wants me to put pearl dots on the side of the board at Bb, C, and D on the E string. I just want another tool besides my ear so I can nail it. {measure twice, cut once]. I have also had folks want me to mark the notes on an extension. Can these tuners mark a Db below low E?

Hey Jeff, I found something in my copy of Bob Benedetto's
"Making an Archtop Guitar" that might help. On page 122
he suggests the following formula to establish the fret
spacing for any scale length. "Using 17.817" as a derivative,
divide the fretboard scale (he uses 25", but perhaps it would
work for a 41.5, 42 or 42.5" mensure as well) by 17.817 and
round off to the nearest thousanth. The result is 1.403" the
distance between the nut and first fret. The remainder
23.597" is now the distance from the first fret to the bridge.
Divide that distance (23.597") by the derivative 17.817".
The result is 1.324" which is the distance between the first and second fret with a remainder of 22.272". Continue
dividing successive remainders by the constant 17.817"
until all the fret spacings are established."
Just a suggestion from a non-luthier - or I guess you could
use a tuner!

[Chasarms]

Originally Posted by scott reed

Hey Jeff, I found something in my copy of Bob Benedetto's
"Making an Archtop Guitar" that might help. On page 122
he suggests the following formula to establish the fret
spacing for any scale length. "Using 17.817" as a derivative,
divide the fretboard scale (he uses 25", but perhaps it would
work for a 41.5, 42 or 42.5" mensure as well) by 17.817 and
round off to the nearest thousanth. The result is 1.403" the
distance between the nut and first fret. The remainder
23.597" is now the distance from the first fret to the bridge.
Divide that distance (23.597") by the derivative 17.817".
The result is 1.324" which is the distance between the first and second fret with a remainder of 22.272". Continue
dividing successive remainders by the constant 17.817"
until all the fret spacings are established."
Just a suggestion from a non-luthier - or I guess you could
use a tuner!

Or just click here:

http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.u...calculator.php

[Chasarms]

Originally Posted by Jeff Bollbach

Thanks for the replies guys, but I am still a little in the dark. I am not sure either of the aforementioned tuners are what I want. Let me clarify. It seems both those models just tune certain notes[mebbe I am wrong] What I need is not to tune a bass, but to go for certain fingered notes. I have a client who wants me to put pearl dots on the side of the board at Bb, C, and D on the E string. I just want another tool besides my ear so I can nail it. {measure twice, cut once]. I have also had folks want me to mark the notes on an extension. Can these tuners mark a Db below low E?

Any tuner labeled as chromatic will recognize any pitch in the chromatic scale and allow you to fine tune it. You are correct in that some sold are not chromatic.

As for recognizing the very low notes, some do it better than others. I think the little Korg I have will read C1. It tunes the open B on my slab without issues.

[tsolo]

Here's what you want. With this baby, you can tune a piano, harp, dulcimer. Why you could probably tuna fish.

Tuner

[RevGroove]

Originally Posted by Jeff Bollbach

Thanks for the replies guys, but I am still a little in the dark. I am not sure either of the aforementioned tuners are what I want. Let me clarify. It seems both those models just tune certain notes[mebbe I am wrong] What I need is not to tune a bass, but to go for certain fingered notes. I have a client who wants me to put pearl dots on the side of the board at Bb, C, and D on the E string. I just want another tool besides my ear so I can nail it. {measure twice, cut once]. I have also had folks want me to mark the notes on an extension. Can these tuners mark a Db below low E?

The TU-15 will. $125 Canadian (b4 taxes)

Edit: it also has a handy feature for helping set intonation, it beeps when the note is in tune, and it will tune bass, guitar, alternate tunings and chromatic.

[Nick Ara]

Originally Posted by tsolo

Here's what you want. With this baby, you can tune a piano, harp, dulcimer. Why you could probably tuna fish.

Tuner

For the "introductory" price of $440, this tuner better catch the fish, too.

http://www.precisionstrobe.com/

[anonymous0726]

All of the Boss TU tuners that we're haggling over are chromatic tuners and do what you want. The TU 15 sounds interesting and I'm going to go look it up right now...

Originally Posted by Jeff Bollbach

Thanks for the replies guys, but I am still a little in the dark. I am not sure either of the aforementioned tuners are what I want. Let me clarify. It seems both those models just tune certain notes[mebbe I am wrong] What I need is not to tune a bass, but to go for certain fingered notes. I have a client who wants me to put pearl dots on the side of the board at Bb, C, and D on the E string. I just want another tool besides my ear so I can nail it. {measure twice, cut once]. I have also had folks want me to mark the notes on an extension. Can these tuners mark a Db below low E?

[Joe Taylor]

Originally Posted by Jeff Bollbach

Thanks for the replies guys, but I am still a little in the dark. I am not sure either of the aforementioned tuners are what I want. Let me clarify. It seems both those models just tune certain notes[mebbe I am wrong] What I need is not to tune a bass, but to go for certain fingered notes. I have a client who wants me to put pearl dots on the side of the board at Bb, C, and D on the E string. I just want another tool besides my ear so I can nail it. {measure twice, cut once]. I have also had folks want me to mark the notes on an extension. Can these tuners mark a Db below low E?

If it says it's a chromatic tunner then it does all the notes. They all seem to have problems with notes below the a string.

Joe

[godoze]

I use the Intellitouch Tuner. It is spring loaded and you can put on the bridge easily. It tunes chromatically, is backlit, and you can change "A" from 440 to 438 and to 442.

Best tuner I've encountered in years for accuracy and ease of use.
$50 from stewmac.

[Wil Davis]

I've been very happy with the Korg OT-12. In quiet environments I use the built-in microphone, but the optional contact mic is more useful when the ambient noise is high.

- Wil

[reedo35]

Originally Posted by esvsteamship

For everyday, is there any reason to buy an electronic tuner.?I used a tuning fork that you whacked on your foot and then placed (very gently) on the bass's body. It sounded and 'a" and I thought that it worked very well, but is there a compleling reason to buy digital?

Beth

The tuning forks are great if you have a totally quiet situation, like in a practice room.but if you ever plan to play outside of your house, you will appreciate having a tuner where you can see your pitch on LED's.

[esvsteamship]

Thanks Reedo! If I ever end up in a noisy situation, I'll know what to do.

Beth