Clip-On Tuners --- best and cheapest

[HereIGoAgain]

Scuze me?



..tiny letters.. mine might be an actual pos then because it's definitely in vibe mode. At any rate I haven't had the same experience.. and my bass has great sustain so can't blame it on that. It doesn't respond very well in the practice space. Maybe it's too sensitive. I'd try it here solo but I left it in the case turned on apparently and it's dead atm.

In all seriousness, if the guy who gave it to you really is guitarded as you'd say, perhaps the tuner saw a little bit of abuse.

Most tuners don't really like being dropped, hit, tossed, or the like. If he gave it to you new in the box, just take it to a dealer to get it swapped or call Snark:

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[smeet]

I love the NS mini. From the front, nobody can tell I have a tuner on. It automatically turns off after a few minutes to save batteries. As others have said, one on each instrument.

 

[Rockin Mike]

Hey Jimmy,

I use this one.
I keep one on every gigging bass.
Very unobtrusive from the audience and very accurate.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009LL2ZAM...e=asn&creative=395097&creativeASIN=B009LL2ZAM

Cheaply made. I got one of these for xmas and loved it... until it broke. The plastic clip is fragile but that's not what broke on mine. Something inside isn't making contact. It works when I have the cover off and push the battery with my thumb. I tried lifting up the contacts inside but that didn't help. At that point I said screw it and went back to my Snark.

I also have a Peterson Stroboclip which is actually the best but it's out of the OP's target price range and is too bulky to leave on the headstock.

I really wish the Planet Waves one worked out. Maybe they'll get it right in a future revision.

 

[Rockin Mike]

Accuracy isn't everything, especially onstage.
I like the display on the Snark that lets me pull a string into "the green zone" in just a second, then roll into the next song.

Obviously a strobe is needed for recording or setting intonation but the Snark is a different tool for a different job.

It tracks a lot better than the Planet Waves did. Maybe I just got a bad PW.

 

[smeet]

I've been using 2 NS minis for a couple of years and had no trouble, but I'm very gentle with my basses so maybe they are too fragile for you rough tough rockin guys.

 

[Rockin Mike]

I've been using 2 NS minis for a couple of years and had no trouble, but I'm very gentle with my basses so maybe they are too fragile for you rough tough rockin guys.

Well it worked fine until I put the bass away for a few weeks. Then I got a call and when I brought it out yesterday to practice, the battery was dead. Replaced the battery and found the thing itself was dead.

It never did auto-shutdown the way it was supposed to. It was brand new since Dec 25 2012 and had a dead battery before the end of January.

Nobody else is relating bad experiences so maybe I just got a lemon. As cheap as they are maybe I'll give them another chance.

p.s. I rock the house, not the gear

 

[carl h.]

Some of the Snarks do have a battery consumption issue. I can't recall which model it is, but not all of them have this issue. Mine has been going for over a year on the original batteries and is just starting to have low output on the display. I should think about new batteries sometime.

 

[PimasterPearson]

Hey Jimmy,

I use this one.
I keep one on every gigging bass.
Very unobtrusive from the audience and very accurate.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009LL2ZAM...e=asn&creative=395097&creativeASIN=B009LL2ZAM

Bingo, we have a winner! Every time I perform, I keep this little guy on the headstock (bass, acoustic guitar or electric guitar). It's tiny, accurate, and easy to read. I love it.

 

[blipndub]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009B6XSLC/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
Planet Wave NS copy (if you can believe that!) under $10 and works great.
I like the low profile ones that are snug against the headstock. I had a snark with the arm/stalk I liked the display but it ended up breaking in my gig bag. I have two planet waves NS and one of the Joyo and I just leave them on all the time, they are great and i love not having a pedal tuner to deal with.

 

[JimmyM]

Accuracy isn't everything, especially onstage.
I like the display on the Snark that lets me pull a string into "the green zone" in just a second, then roll into the next song.

Obviously a strobe is needed for recording or setting intonation but the Snark is a different tool for a different job.

I always set intonation with cheap tuners The strobes might be a little more on the gnat, but these tuners today are so accurate, even the cheap ones, that I use them to set intonation and they work fine.

 

[Rockin Mike]

Some of the Snarks do have a battery consumption issue. I can't recall which model it is, but not all of them have this issue. Mine has been going for over a year on the original batteries and is just starting to have low output on the display. I should think about new batteries sometime.

My Snark has never had a battery problem, but my Planet Waves NS battery died (along with the unit) after two or three weeks.

 

[DWBass]

but my Planet Waves NS battery died (along with the unit) after two or three weeks.

Either and old or bad battery. Mine is still going after more than a year since I got it.

 

[Rockin Mike]

Tom Spaulding saw this thread and PM'ed me offering to send out a new tuner.
Just got it a couple of days ago, and I must say it works much better than the first one.

Great customer service, thanks Tom!

 

[vince a]

Ditto the PW NS Mini . . . I checked it against my rackmount Fender RT-1000 tuner . . . the Mini is spot on . . . and yeah, the original battery crapped out early . . . what battery does last forever? The replacement battery has lasted a very longtime! BTW, I use the Mini when I'm not using my rackmounted rig . . .

 

[foderaman]

Your problem was you put bass in case with Tuner on it and the tuner rests against the case at the headstock and has constant pressure on the on and off switch.Take it off when putting in case or gig bag and it will last>Its a pain but that is what I found out.

Well it worked fine until I put the bass away for a few weeks. Then I got a call and when I brought it out yesterday to practice, the battery was dead. Replaced the battery and found the thing itself was dead.

It never did auto-shutdown the way it was supposed to. It was brand new since Dec 25 2012 and had a dead battery before the end of January.

Nobody else is relating bad experiences so maybe I just got a lemon. As cheap as they are maybe I'll give them another chance.

p.s. I rock the house, not the gear

 

[foderaman]

I have has Snarks,Intelli Tuners,StroboClip and the Planet waves. The Snarks Break too easy.The three prong that swivels on the ball breaks. The Intellituners lock up and only way to shutoff is remove battery.The Planet Waves is quick and easy but you have to watch leaving in case or gig bag so it doesnt press switch all the time.The Strobotune is very precise but it is very sensitive and takes a while to tune quickly and accurately.These are just my opinions though.

Your problem was you put bass in case with Tuner on it and the tuner rests against the case at the headstock and has constant pressure on the on and off switch.Take it off when putting in case or gig bag and it will last>Its a pain but that is what I found out.

 

[ChrisCassisi]

I use the Intellitouch PT10 and love it. I am a ERB player and it works great. I have heard bad things about the Snark's arm breaking.

 

[JimmyM]

Tom Spaulding saw this thread and PM'ed me offering to send out a new tuner.
Just got it a couple of days ago, and I must say it works much better than the first one.

Great customer service, thanks Tom!

That's very cool.

So I lost my Snark on a gig Thursday and had to order another one. I guess it won't matter whether it breaks or not because I'll apparently lose them long before they break

 

[Dominic D]

The Snarks are as fragile as people say. My brother and I have each had one physically break on us.

I switched to the Planet Waves tuner about a year ago and it's been working great. However, I just recently lost it and ordered a new one. They must've recently upgraded them. The frequency button is harder to accidentally push. The power button turns it on/off instantly, rather than holding the button for a second or two. The screen is a bit brighter. The tracking is a bit faster. I don't remember if the older one could do this, but you can flip the orientation of the screen.

My favorite upgrade is that the clip has a tighter hold on the tuner. My only issue with the older version is sometimes the tuner would fall out of the clip while the bass is in its case. So far, the new version hasn't done that.

I would've recommended the old version, so I highly recommend the new version. I don't know if it's different from the old one, but the model is PW-CT-12. Most of the major guitar stores have it for around $20-25. Amazon has it for about $15.

 

[Russell L]

My Snark broke the other night. That three-pronged thing that holds the arm. The pod still works. Thought about taping it to the headstock somehow, or clamping it on flat, but then it would be hard to see. Guess I best stop by the ole store before tonight's gig.