Simple question for the group….. can y’all recommend a good tuner pedal that’s not crazy expensive? I don’t currently have a pedal board and I’d like not to have to buy one just for a tuner pedal. I need to be able to just look down and make sure I’m on key during gigs. Appreciate all input!
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Best inexpensive tuner pedal
- Thread starter Bassdude66
- Start date
Don't know what they cost now but the SNARK tuner pedal was a good deal and easy to see on the floor .
What's your budget? Joyo or similar probably have decent tuner pedals for "cheap".
I personally think you can't beat the TC Electronic Polytune or the old faithful Boss TU-3.
I use the Polytune clip-on instead of a pedal tuner and have no complaints.
I personally think you can't beat the TC Electronic Polytune or the old faithful Boss TU-3.
I use the Polytune clip-on instead of a pedal tuner and have no complaints.
In the olden days I really liked the SNARK. I can't imagine why they discontinued it.
I imagine a used one would be pretty cheap.
I imagine a used one would be pretty cheap.
I have an On Stage Mini Tuner Pedal on my board and it does the job fine with a low profile. Some reviews say it's not as accurate as more expensive models, but it's worked fine for me. They are under $50 new.
A tuner is the only pedal you absolutely need. It mutes you while you tune so nobody has to hear you do that, and it works on every stage.
There's no need to buy fancy tuners but trying to save money on an essential is not a good idea.
I've gotten many years of stage use out of a Korg Pitchblack and still do. A Polytune is also solid.
I don't like the Peterson because it's slow and it has narrow viewing angles. I need to be able to tune quickly between songs.
Many pros use Boss tuners.
No brainer purchase.
There's no need to buy fancy tuners but trying to save money on an essential is not a good idea.
I've gotten many years of stage use out of a Korg Pitchblack and still do. A Polytune is also solid.
I don't like the Peterson because it's slow and it has narrow viewing angles. I need to be able to tune quickly between songs.
Many pros use Boss tuners.
No brainer purchase.
TC Electronic PolyTune 3. Has a lot of usefull features other tuners dont have. (Can switch between true bypass and buffered bypass for example).
Strobostomps are great. The mini is very mini and works great. Top jacks and powers usb or 9v. My friend just built a board with a cioks dc4 and a battery bank, but he had 5 pedals and the dc4 is only 4 power spots. But the strobostomp original gives you another power chain so he was able to get 5 pedals on a battery using a 4 pedal power supply. Another cool feature.
A clip on tuner sounds perfect for your use case - dont need to bring a pedal, extra cable, and power supply this way. It will not mute your output but volume knobs are there for a reason
I recently grabbed a (slightly used) Boss TU-3 for like $66 from GC a couple months ago. (A used TU-2 would be even cheaper).
The boss TU's have been reliable go to Pedal Tuners for years.
Nothing wrong with the TU-2 (or even the 1st one), BUT I'd rather a Used TU-3 than a new TU-2. Apparently the 3 reacts Faster, is easier to see and is even More accurate than the TU-2. That said, I've never "NOT" been in tune using the TU-2 (or 1).
But "more accurate" must be better, right?That's my story and I'm stickin 'TU' it.
T$
I have a Korg Pitchblack mini and love it. The displays on those are nice to look at and they tune with accuracy.
Properly set up your bass and check intonation (borrow a tuner for this). Once the intonation is accurate, tuning harmonically (by ear) has worked very well for me. Cost = $0 Won't get cheaper than that!
I bought 2 of the full size Pitchblacks used. I've seen them as low as $35 used.
