Electronic Tuners

[tsolo]

Originally Posted by DonZ

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.

This is my choice also. You have to keep the batteries fresh.

[Chasarms]

I found an Intellitouch in my Christmas stocking a few years ago. I used to keep it clipped to the peghead of my acoustic guitar. It worked really well on both acoustic and solid body instruments. But, one day, another player leaned into the peghead of my guitar and the tuner broke right where the chassis is hollowed out in a hex shape for the hex nut in the swivel.

Another bluegrass player I know really well had the same thing happen to them. A couple of months ago, I saw a guy at an acoustic open jam with a big glob of epoxy on his in that same spot.

They are great tuners, but I wouldn't buy another one until they address that design flaw. They need to either beef it up a bit there, or change the material they are using to make it.

[tsolo]

Originally Posted by Chasarms

I found an Intellitouch in my Christmas stocking a few years ago. I used to keep it clipped to the peghead of my acoustic guitar. It worked really well on both acoustic and solid body instruments. But, one day, another player leaned into the peghead of my guitar and the tuner broke right where the chassis is hollowed out in a hex shape for the hex nut in the swivel.

Another bluegrass player I know really well had the same thing happen to them. A couple of months ago, I saw a guy at an acoustic open jam with a big glob of epoxy on his in that same spot.

They are great tuners, but I wouldn't buy another one until they address that design flaw. They need to either beef it up a bit there, or change the material they are using to make it.

Get in touch with them. I've found that they are really good at helping out. I broke the battery cover. They sent me another. I also broke the bracket. Sent it back and they sent me another.

[Mario Lewis]

Maybe I'm a bit anal about being in tune, but I like to make sure that I am. As such, I'd REALLY like to get this tuner:

Wittman On-Board Tuner

It's a really tiny thing that goes just beneath the dot markers.

Works without the bass being plugged in. Just requires a power source (9V batt.) and a switch to turn it on and off.

I was actually talking to him one time to see if he and the SIM's LED guy could hook up to come up with a device that would enable the SIM"s LED's to alteratively finction as the tuning indicators. I want to say that SIM's is already developing a product like that. But oh, well, I can't find a luthier that'd do the mod to my Smith 6, and everyone tells me I'm a fool for actuallu WANTING to put Side LED's on a really nice Smith 6, so I just sit and do nothing. I'd have to route out of the back for a dual batery compartment to hold the two 9 volts. (Darn peer pressure!)

[Joe Taylor]

Originally Posted by Mario Lewis

Maybe I'm a bit anal about being in tune, but I like to make sure that I am. As such, I'd REALLY like to get this tuner:


It's a really tiny thing that goes just beneath the dot markers.
(Darn peer pressure!)

DOT MARKERS? My bass don't have no stinking DOT Markers! Nor Frets!

Joe

[Chasarms]

Originally Posted by Joe Taylor

DOT MARKERS? My bass don't have no stinking DOT Markers! Nor Frets!

Joe

In reading the his posts, I think perhaps he lost sight of the fact he had wondered to the dark side.

[EJ_Dad]

Bob,

I have a Peterson VS-1. I read an article on the web about how much more accurate they were. The article has since disappeared.

They have a LCD display like an old Strobo-Conn and a mode to handle bass frequencies. They have an input to take a mic or contact pickup (or direct input from an electric bass). I use a contact pickup on the bridge when practicing. They also have an internal mic.

They are somewhat more expensive than the typical Boss or Korg chromatic tuners, around $200. But the VS-1 is not prohibitive.

I like it much better than the inexpensive chromatic tuner with an LCD needle that I was using.

Peterson also makes the real strobe tuners, like old Strobo-Conns.

Here's the link:
http://www.petersontuners.com/produc...lvs1/index.cfm

[Mario Lewis]

Originally Posted by Chasarms

In reading the his posts, I think perhaps he lost sight of the fact he had wondered to the dark side.

I offer my deepest apologies. With this new Forum software, this is like the third time I've wound up in a forum that I don't belong in. You Double bass guys have my highest regards, as I could NEVER do what you do nearly as good. I'll delete my post and never return.

(Scared Wus voice on.)

Please don't kill me!

Please don't kill me!

(Scared wus voice off.)

(Wets pants.)

[Joe Taylor]

Originally Posted by Mario Lewis

I offer my deepest apologies. With this new Forum software, this is like the third time I've wound up in a forum that I don't belong in. You Double bass guys have my highest regards, as I could NEVER do what you do nearly as good. I'll delete my post and never return.

(Scared Wus voice on.)

Please don't kill me!

Please don't kill me!

(Scared wus voice off.)

(Wets pants.)

We are not going to kill you we are going to pull the fret wire off your bass and put shoe polish over the little dots.

To repent of your sin you must sell your toy bass and get a real bass and a bow. And get a teacher.

Joe

[Mario Lewis]

Originally Posted by Joe Taylor

We are not going to kill you we are going to pull the fret wire off your bass and put shoe polish over the little dots.

To repent of your sin you must sell your toy bass and get a real bass and a bow. And get a teacher.

Joe

I tried selling my Smith 6 once before and NO ONE wanted to buy it. They're REALLY not gonna want it after you guys finish ripping the fret wire out of it.

There's no place like home!
There's no place like home!

Some where, over the rainbow..... C'mon, everybody sing!
Way up high......

Music fades.

[Marcus Johnson]

I guess "Larry Graham's Love Child" shoulda tipped us off

[Damon Rondeau]

Yep, any chromatic should be able to do the job. Where I've seen less than satisfactory performance among tuners, though, is on the low end, exactly where we bass players live. Some tuners will read a low note but won't be able to hang on to it very long. With those tuners, the situation is made worse when you're going through the built-in mic and not plugging right into the thing.

I'd test 'em first.

Having said all that, I really like the Intellitouch -- just the ticket for acoustic instruments in noisy environments. I haven't liked it enough to ditch my old Korg chromatic with it's gen-u-ine VU meter, though (IMO, this is one of those areas where analog is waaaay better than digital.) There's two of the Intellitouch units on hand when I'm playing with my bluegrass boys.

BTW: I may be mistaken, but I believe you can get software these days that does the same work the Peterson strobe tuners do. That'll impress your client, Jeff, setting up his dots with the laptop humming away right there...