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Do you use an electronic tuner?

#41
seanm said:
I use a Boss TU-2. Works great *except* outdoors in bright sunlight. Then the display washes out.

While I have all the tuner experts here.... I always tune by continuously plucking the string. Last practice the guitar player asked me why I kept plucking the string. He just plucks once and tunes. I would think this would cause you to be very sharp since the string would go flat as it decays

So do you "keep the note going" while tuning? And are guitars different?
Click to expand...

I believe someone else may have mentioned it, but to clarify, Only the volume decays, not the pitch. If the pitch is falling off, tuning won't help, you got string or tuning key problems.

Anyhoo, I use Korg CA-20 and CA-30 tuners. They'll fit near anywhere (they also hide themselves pretty well too due to the small size), are accurate and so far, pretty tough. I've yet to change a battery either. I love mine
 
#42
I still use an older version of this tuner:
Link Removed

It is the first and only tuner I've ever bought and have used it with out any problems for the last 10 years.
 
#44
This is what I'm talking about:
Pitchpipe.jpg

(I have this exact same one)
 
#45
MikeyFingers said:
This is what I'm talking about:
Pitchpipe.jpg

(I have this exact same one)
Click to expand...
I should think about doing that at home. I used to use a tuning fork and it really helped my ear. For quite a while after I could hum an A pitch.

Unfortunately, at gigs I often have to tune silently and I don't think a pitch pipe would work.
 
#47
Joe Nerve said:
My Boss got crushed...
Click to expand...
Man, I wish my boss would get crushed...

Oh wait, different kind of boss, my bad. ;)

My main tuner's a DIY built into my homebrew preamp, but its core is based on a Korg GT3. Both the original and my incarnation work great (can't comment on low Bs though, I only play a four-banger so far).

The GT3 uses an LED readout. In situations where washout in bright sun would be an issue, a Korg GA30 with an LCD readout (which in turn won't work well on a dark stage) would fly... I had one of these before I built my preamp. They work quite well too, and are dirt cheap.

Sounds like you've already made your choice, but since you asked I thought I'd sling it out there.

'rick
 
#50
addylewis said:
Whats that one? - looks pretty cool with all the lights on it and weverything...
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That's the Sabine ST-1100.

I had a Sabine ST-1000 when I was primarily playing guitar. Although it sounds silly, what I didn't like about it was I would wrap my cord through the handle on top of the amp, then into the tuner and then out of the tuner through the handle of the amp and into the input. What was "bad" was that the the in and out were on the "wrong" side for the way I wanted to use it.:smug:
 
#51
Throwing away electronic tuners is a great thing to do or even losing them as I did. This forces you to use other things like CDs harmonicas pianos or whatever else there might be left lying around the house that you can tune to. More importantly you are using your ears.

That said when it comes to stage performance I will always carry a tuner. There are certain songs that I drop to D for in my bands set. I can tune down quietly with my TU-2 whilst the guitarist is playing the intro. I can check tuning in the middle of songs during times I might not play. I don't subject the audience to harmonics or playing repitive uniscent notes or have the general displeasing noise of tuning up to another intrument being projected to an audience.Being able to tune silently I think is essential to a professional sounding band(my singer is using a TU-2 and guitarists korg is on the way. So i finally got them round to my way of thinking) However batteries run out and equipment malfunctions (or gets crushed) and being able to rely on your ears is a must.
 
#52
theshadow2001 said:
Throwing away electronic tuners is a great thing to do or even losing them as I did. This forces you to use other things like CDs harmonicas pianos or whatever else there might be left lying around the house that you can tune to. More importantly you are using your ears.

That said when it comes to stage performance I will always carry a tuner. There are certain songs that I drop to D for in my bands set. I can tune down quietly with my TU-2 whilst the guitarist is playing the intro. I can check tuning in the middle of songs during times I might not play. I don't subject the audience to harmonics or playing repitive uniscent notes or have the general displeasing noise of tuning up to another intrument being projected to an audience.Being able to tune silently I think is essential to a professional sounding band(my singer is using a TU-2 and guitarists korg is on the way. So i finally got them round to my way of thinking) However batteries run out and equipment malfunctions (or gets crushed) and being able to rely on your ears is a must.
Click to expand...


I'm entirely missing the point of your post. First, you say it's important to use your ears. Then you say it's unprofessional to not have a tuner.

:confused:
 
#53
I took it as sort of, "Learn the rules so you'll know when to break them." As in: Don't rely entirely on electronic gear; learn to tune by ear. Then use your tuner, but if it breaks or the batteries die or you can't see the display, you can still tune by ear. Which I heartily agree with.

But, as always, I could be wrong.

'rick
 
#54
The Golden Boy said:
I'm entirely missing the point of your post. First, you say it's important to use your ears. Then you say it's unprofessional to not have a tuner.

:confused:
Click to expand...

I agree with him:

a: you should learn how to tune by ear to develop your ear for music.

and

b: when on stage use an electronic tuner

IMO, nothing looks more amateur than tuning on stage by ear or to another instrument.
 
#55
The Golden Boy said:
I'm entirely missing the point of your post. First, you say it's important to use your ears. Then you say it's unprofessional to not have a tuner.

:confused:
Click to expand...

Sorry golden maybe the post was contradictory. BMC and Maverick sum it up though. Its important to be able to use your ears and when your at home on your own or in rehersal with your band its best to use your ear so you can develop it/keep it in check. But for stage performance you should use a tuner to maintain a sense of professionalism and protect the audience from all the horrible sounds of tuning up. You should still be able to use your ear because equipment isn't 100% reliable and therefore sometimes you do have to use your ears at gigs if a tuner fails or runs out of batteries or whatever as has happened to me once or twice. Its like an old guitar teacher of mine said that you should learn how to change the key of a song without using a capo and when you've done that then you can use the capo. Learn how to it without anything then use the devices to make things easier.

In fact the only time I have access to my tuner is at gigs because most of my stuff is kept in a van I don't own when Im not playing. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Edit:

Does anyone else think gabriels tuner looks like a reject from the first Star Trek series??:p
 
#58
Since it's been brought up, I don't know how much being able to tune your bass has to do with having a good ear, or even developing one. So long as someone knows how to tune to harmonics (ie. 5th fret A string to 7th fret D string) all ya need ot do is be able to discern the wuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuw sound until it goes...

wuwuwuuwuuuuwuuuuuwuuuuuwuuuuuuwuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.

:)
I don't know if a tuner is essential for everyone, but it is for me. Gives me the ability to jump on a stage and plug in and play without wanking and annoying people. If someone smashes into my headstock and knocks my D string out while performing, then I use my ears.
 
#59
Every musician (other than perhaps percussionists and keyboardists) should have a tuner. I use the cheapest one I can find that'll still handle a low B. While there is nothing wrong with tuning by ear (to help train your ear) at rehearsal or for private practice time, it should never be done before a show. Tuning audibly where the audience can hear it is bush league.

On the other hand, I don't see the point of super high dollar tuners either. If an instrument won't hold pitch for an entire set, then I don't need/want it.

sidenote: I have been known to demand that guitarists use a tuner when they tried to do it by ear. Playing a fretless gig with even a slightly tuning challenged instrument sucks a dog's nether regions.
 
#60
Joe Nerve said:
I don't know how much being able to tune your bass has to do with having a good ear, or even developing one.
Click to expand...
Heh. If you'd truly like to know, come on to Virginia and jam with one of the guitarists I played with week before last. We all launched into a number and, after cringing my way through it, I reached into my gig bag and handed him my little Korg tuner (which I used before I'd finished the one in my preamp, and now keep around as a spare.)

He looked at me blankly and said, "What, am I out of tune?"

Some people either can't hear those wuwuwus, or they don't think to listen for them.

'rick
 

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