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Best Tuner

#103
For many years I used a Korg CA-40.

I have also used the Snark Clip-ons, and the Polytune Clip. I have found with the clip on tuners, the results very depending on where on the head of the bass the tuner is placed. I personally have had much better results with the Polytune Clip.

I also have a Korg Pitchblack Custom on my pedalboard. I have found it to be quick and accurate. However, if I ever have to replaced it I will probably get a Turbo Tuner.
 
#104
For those who have experienced certain tuners being a bit touchy or difficult to stabilize I will offer this. Both of my tuners (Peterson StroboFlip and Sonic Research ST-122a) seem to be sensitive to strength of input signal. There seems to be a sweet spot for both tuners in which each of my basses tunes easily and the readouts remain stable. Too much input signal or not enough leads to instability and difficulty with the readout. Anyone else experience this?

M. M.
 
#105
blowinblue said:
For those who have experienced certain tuners being a bit touchy or difficult to stabilize I will offer this. Both of my tuners (Peterson StroboFlip and Sonic Research ST-122a) seem to be sensitive to strength of input signal. There seems to be a sweet spot for both tuners in which each of my basses tunes easily and the readouts remain stable. Too much input signal or not enough leads to instability and difficulty with the readout. Anyone else experience this?

M. M.
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What I've noticed is a responsiveness to how hard I'm playing, not the actual signal level. This is a good thing, however, because if you tune using the techniques that you use during an actual song, you will be more in tune more of the time. All stringed instruments go briefly sharp during the initial note attack, and then settle into a more stable note. As a result of having a strobe tuner, I have developed the habit of tuning to fretted notes in the key of the song I'm playing, as opposed to using open strings. I prefer to have the center of my playing be as in tune as possible, rather than having perfectly tuned open strings that only get used a few times in a tune (or set). This of course leads to other OCD goodness, like trying to have better fretting technique....

Also I notice a lot of love for both the Peterson and Sonic Research. I only own the Sonic Research Turbo Tuner so I cannot compare directly, but at the time I bought mine, I was put off by molded plastic in the Peterson tuners, and some reports of reliability issues. My Turbo Tuner has been so unbelievably rock solid that I tend to think I made the right choice, but it would be nice to hear your thoughts, since you actually own both.
 
#106
hazysonic said:
What I've noticed is a responsiveness to how hard I'm playing, not the actual signal level. This is a good thing, however, because if you tune using the techniques that you use during an actual song, you will be more in tune more of the time. All stringed instruments go briefly sharp during the initial note attack, and then settle into a more stable note.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I've noticed that tendency, too. When I purchased my StroboFlip in March of 2007 I don't think the Turbo Tuners were even available back then. So far no reliability issues with the StroboFlip (or the Turbo Tuner). Interestingly, the Flip has an accuracy of plus/minus 0.1 cents, the Turbo is plus/minus 0.02 cents. Honestly, I can't hear the difference, but the Sonic Research is such an absolutely cool piece of gear.

M. M.
 
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#107
I liked the Turbo Tuner (ST-200) so much I snagged a second one here used. One never leaves my pedal board and the other hangs out in the guitar tool bag for setups or gigs where the full board is overkill. Haven't found a better one for dialing-in intonation (though I haven't used the Peterson, which I suspect is comparable).
 
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#108
Hey yall

My needs are pretty specific: mini size, clear readout, QUICK TUNING AND ALWAYS ON.
I have a signal splitter that runs to an always-on tuner because I had gigs where I had to drop tune to D on the fly, as we made it part of the song. I like that ability.
That Daddario Planet Waves tuner looks nice. Does it meet rhis criteria? Currently running a full-sized Polytune, but would rather it be in a guitarist's board.
 
#109
I’ve got two first gen Polytune boxes, one for stage and one in my tool box. I use it as a standby when we take a break, just stomp it and you are GTG. I’ve got a standby switch on my amp but it’s much easier to use the box. I run it off a power supply so it’s not like i wasting batteries when using it for a kill switch.
I’ve also got a first gen Pitchblack box. It’s a good tuner, but in high light situations the display is hard for me to see.
I’ve got some snark clipons but never really liked them as they all are slow on my E and A strings.
I bought one of the bass specific Korg clipons and it’s the shiznit, quick reliable and a display i can read without my glasses
 
#111
I bought a Sabine rack tuner back in ‘93 ( no affiliation:
SABINE RT-1601 RACK TUNER WITH 9v AC ADAPTER - Good shape.Many features.w/manual) and used it up until I sold my entire rack in 2012. That was a great tuner - very stable and quick response. It was suggested over the Korg of the time because of its stability.

I’m looking for a tuner that has great stability, but I am no longer using a rack...otherwise I’d buy that Sabine I posted above...
I want something that will be easy to use for accurately setting intonation as well...in pedal form. Which of the current pedals would serve me well?
 
#113
bassbenj said:
I own a zillion tuners from inexpensive to very expensive ones. And I"m sorry but the "best" one belongs to a previous more civilized age.
I'm amazed at what junk some very expensive tuners are! Kind of depressing really. I won't go into details.

My all time best tuner is the Korg CA-10. Cheap, accurate, works well with mic, works well with bass or guitar, used 9 volt battery. Cheap enough to have them everywhere.

Problem, of course is that it was too cool. The great things about it needed to be broken like say changing from a common 9 volt battery to AA or AAA batteries that will one day drip corrosive goo all over the insides and render it destroyed. All the later Korg models are inferior. It's been discontinued for a long time. Thus passes civilization. I've got a couple snarks they are OK but clearly inferior to the CA-10. The headstock pickup does not work well on the B string. Only place you can still find a few of these is on Ebay. History soul-powers On.
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I apologize for resurrecting this, but wow. This man loves these tuners.
 

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