Accurate Tuner for a 5-string

[S-Bigbottom]

The point in this video that most digital display tuners can't 'display' as finely as the spec on the tuners' accuracy is often overlooked by people.
Also, for those who tout Polytunes but use it in needle mode, they're not nearly as precise as when they're running in strobe.

It does not say it in the current manual for the Korg Pitchblack but in the manual I had about five years ago it said that it was more accurate when used in Strobe Mode verses Needle Mode.

 

[darwin-bass]

Clip-on tuners only do 1/2 the job. The point of a tuner is to help you tune AND to be a mute switch. A clip-on only does the first job, not the second.

For years I've been happy with my original Polytune. I just bought a Turbo Tuner ST-300. I configured the ST-300 to be always-on. The footswitch serves as a mute. When playing unlined fretless I have an pitch indicator for when things get a bit wonky. It has been useful at home to fine-tune my muscle memory for playing in tune.

 

[Watchootognbout]

I use a TC Unitune clip on.
It tracks the open low B on my sixers.
But I fix it near the bridge.
It reads the vibrations better there than when it"s on the headstock.

But they're rare as hen's teeth now!
Try finding one!

 

[tekhedd]

Check out Turbo Tuner. There isn't a more accurate tuner and it tracks all strings flawlessly.

I vastly prefer this to my Peterson Virtual Strobe.

Strobe Tuners by Sonic Research - Turbo Tuner Home Page

I detune my 5-string, and the Turbo Tuner tracks my low A string effortlessly. Visible in sunlight. Can verify the tuning on 5 strings in about 3 seconds between songs. I believe it locks the pitch after only 5 cycles, or something like that.

I heartily recommend this product. (Not for pay, I'm just saying it's great.)

Oh, I had a StroboStomp (two different ones actually) and...I totally unrecommend it. Slow and glitchy on bass. To Be Avoided. [edit] I know what you're thinking "but I like my strobostomp, it's plenty fast." You're just not spoiled yet. I used to think it was adequate but I'm definitely never going back. Not that I can, I gave mine away to a friend, and then it failed.

 

[NicJimBass]

I'll echo what others have said- Turbo Tuner. The larger version can be set to always tune, and the footswitch acts as a mute. I've had to tune during a song before, and it catches the string that's off very quickly.

 

[Jay2U]

When tuning the B and E strings, I strum flageolets, which produce exactly twice the frequency, making the job way easier for a tuner.

 

[LaklandLaksNADA]

I LOVE my strobostomp. Its super accurate and speedy!

 

[Valvehead]

I switched to a TC Polytune 3 because the Korg pitchblack couldn't keep the low B tight and wobbled instead.
Polytune tracks everything perfectly.

 

[S-Bigbottom]

When tuning the B and E strings, I strum flageolets, which produce exactly twice the frequency, making the job way easier for a tuner.

What the heck is Flageolets?
My search came up beans.

Flageolet bean - Wikipedia

 

[Lownote38]

I don't understand the issue. I have two 5 strings, and a Snark works fine on both of them for the B string. The basses are totally different in construction, too, so the Snark seems to work great regardless of what the bass is made of (as it works on vibration).

 

[Valvehead]

TC Polytune 3. Replaced my Pitchblack with that.
Has a specific bass mode and no wobbly low B tracking.
Very happy with that one.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Clip-on tuners only do 1/2 the job. The point of a tuner is to help you tune AND to be a mute switch. A clip-on only does the first job, not the second.

That's what the volume knob is for. It works well.

 

[Maynjo]

I use a Son of Snark mini tuner, and as long as I use the harmonic on the 12th fret(assuming your intonation is good) instead of playing the open note, I have no problems getting it to read the B string. I have even accurately tuned down to drop A this way.

 

[ZedLepp]

I have had no problems tuning the B string with my poly tune clip set in bass mode.
It's the only tuner that I have tried that works with the low B string.

Also, poly doesn't work in bass mode. TC stated in a video once that they did this because they didn't think that bass players knew how to strum the strings.

 

[darwin-bass]

That's what the volume knob is for. It works well.

Yes, you have a point there, the volume control will cut your signal. But it does nothing to allow you to unplug your (active?) bass with no POP in the PA system.

 

[Sparkl]

Looking for an accurate tuner that ACTUALLY works! These headstock tuners are okay for my guitars, but terrible for bass. I tried using some plugins in my DAW and the only one that would actually tune the darn thing and not have the needle going haywire for the B string, was the Line6 Podfarm standalone tuner.

So, what physical tuner would you guys recommended? Preferably, something that doesn't break the bank would be nice.

Any tuner will do either for a 4 or a 5er. Trick is to play the upper harmonic of E an low B on the 12th fret and it will catch it perfectly.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Yes, you have a point there, the volume control will cut your signal. But it does nothing to allow you to unplug your (active?) bass with no POP in the PA system.

True. I use Neutrik Silent Plugs for that. Mainly when I'm not using a pedal tuner, which is rare. And I'm usually going passive, though not always. And my amps do have mutes, which help at the amp, but not the FOH, unless I'm DI'ing from an amp and not one of my separate DIs... The list of qualifiers is quite long, really.

As we used to say back in the old days, before any hint of disagreement was grounds for utter annihilation, YMMV.

 

[Jay2U]

What the heck is Flageolets?
My search came up beans.

Flageolet bean - Wikipedia



View attachment 3970297

A flageolet is a note played with a finger (or a pick) touching the string halfway (above the 12th fret). So not fretting it. By dividing the string in two equally long halves, a tone of twice the fundamental frequency is produced. Most tuners just work better with higher frequencies.

 

[Cutter8]

The KLIQ UberTuner is the best clip on for 5-string that I have found, and you can get them for about $20. I don't know why, but they do a a much better job of picking up the B string than any of the half dozen other clip on tuners I've tried.

 

[Bassmaster55]

Nope.

The 12th fret harmonic IS the exact octave of the open string (unless your strings are so worn or damaged that tuning is futile anyway). If you intonation is off, the FRETTED notes are wrong, but the harmonic is the standard to which you compare the fretted note.

The 12th fret harmonic is better because it's twice the frequency of the open string. The open A is 55 Hz, so the open B is about 32 Hz. The tuners count the frequency of the string and compares it to the quartz timing circuit. Giving it a 64 hz signal to count means less margin of error than counting 32 Hz.

I have no idea what I was thinking. You're absolutely correct.