As I tell others, Try using a tuning fork in a noisy restaurant with a big band tuning up with the sax players blasting coltrane licks at ffff.....
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Double Bass Electronic Tuners
- Thread starter Steve Freides
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As I tell others, Try using a tuning fork in a noisy restaurant with a big band tuning up with the sax players blasting coltrane licks at ffff.....
When it comes to bass, I agree with drub
That said, however, I have to say that the Peterson StoboFlip is by far, IMO, the most very best portable tuner for pedal steel guitar on the market. In my personal experience, that is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to the "just" vs "tempered" problem. I have no doubt that other multi-stringed chordal instruments would be similiarily benefited.
Dave Little
I find that the tuner that Bob Gollihur sells Invalid Link Removed is the cats meow for double bass - especially when "bass" is selected by the push button. Locks on to all 4 strings very well.
That said, however, I have to say that the Peterson StoboFlip is by far, IMO, the most very best portable tuner for pedal steel guitar on the market. In my personal experience, that is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to the "just" vs "tempered" problem. I have no doubt that other multi-stringed chordal instruments would be similiarily benefited.
Dave Little
Tuners = calculators. They are a useful tool but being able to do it longhand is a necessary skill.
I played pedal steel about 25 years ago, and those things are BEASTS to tune. I had one that had two 10 string necks, 8 floor pedals and six knee levers (Emmons D10). That was what led me to buy my first electronic tuner... a Korg something.
When you listen to old recordings of guys like Buddy Emmons playing EVERY SINGLE interval perfectly in tune, and then remember it was decades prior to any electronic tuners, it's truly amazing.
When you listen to old recordings of guys like Buddy Emmons playing EVERY SINGLE interval perfectly in tune, and then remember it was decades prior to any electronic tuners, it's truly amazing.
Thanks for the agreement Dave but I must admit that, while I believe I was correct in principle, practice was another matter. As I posted, the sad truth was that the Sabine's accuracy was so poor that, in the end, the cost of the Peterson did seem worth it. I ordered one and we'll see...
As for the Meisel tuner on Bob's site, it does look like an interesting option. I watched the video and I believe that michaeln is likely correct in suggesting that all of the "color change" tuners use the same chip. What I noticed in the video is something that really annoyed me about the Sabine as well. When the tuner changes color to indicate that you're "in tune," it freezes the "needle" display. This design was likely to keep the tuner from flashing colors back and forth as the frequency of the string changes through the attack and decay. The thing is, I want to see that change! For example, my Korg CA-30 emulates a physical needle display very well. Green and red lights above the display indicate flat, in-tune, and sharp. I like that idea. The needle, however, responds continuously. In any case, as michaeln pointed out, the operation of the color-change tuners does, indeed, cause them to indicate that the string is in tune when it's actually not.
I agree. Still, I don't do math longhand much anymore.
Knowing the fundamental of the blender in a joint like that becomes verrrry useful at times...
The older version of the Meisel (MST-10) is complete and total garbage, worst piece of musical gear I've ever bought. I got it from Bob Gollihur last January and really wish I hadn't spent the $25. It can't grab the low notes at all, it can't grab the octave harmonics when in bass mode, the battery lasts a month maybe, and it needs the battery removed to reset the tuner every other use.
Still loving the StroboFlip.
Really? You are going to play a fretless instrument but you don't need to know how tune by ear. Curious.
The StroboClip arrived yesterday and I had a chance to check it out a bit.
Mechanics
I was pleased to discover that it's "triple jointed" such that the clip and display can be rotated to a bunch of different positions/orientations. My only complaint in this regard is the looseness of the main "hinge." That's really a pretty small detail.
Accuracy
I checked the StroboClip against two other tuners and it's dead-on within the limits of what I could see. Unlike the Sabine Zoid (and likely all the "color-change" tuners), the StroboClip isn't going to tell you that a string is in tune when it's not.
Display
This is the unique aspect of the StroboClip.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
As most of us know very well, when playing an open string pizzicato to tune, the frequency will waver a bit through attack and decay. So, one doesn't see an ideal stable stroboscopic display that shifts either left (flat) or right (sharp). Rather, you see the display stabilize for a few seconds after which it (expectedly) gets a bit erratic as the vibration dies out. It took me a bit to interpret reliably the StroboClip display as the string rings. My main comparison was my Korg CA-30. This little inexpensive tuner has what I've found to be the most informative display (it also appears to be very accurate).
The "needle" is very fast-acting and the red flat and sharp lights clue you in quickly. I think what I'd like best is an accurate clip-on tuner with the display of the CA-30. (No, the Korg AW-2 clip-on does not have that). In any case, I quickly learned how to interpret the StroboClip's display under real-life conditions. BTW, tuning arco didn't prove to be much of an advantage.
Sensitivity
Here, the Stroboclip really shines! It's so sensitive that when I clipped it on the Korg CA-30 and set the Korg to sound a note, the StroboClip picked it right up and locked in. When I tried this with the Sabine Zoid, it was "deaf." The sensitivity of the StroboClip really allows you to tune the low E quite easily. In fact, this was the only string on which the StroboClip and the Korg disagreed. A few tests against a third tuner, playing harmonics, and moving the position of the Korg CA-30 around convinced me that it was the StroboClip that was correct all along. The CA-30 can't always easily lock onto the E. It does fine, however, if I plug my pickup into the 1/4" jack on the Korg. The whole point of getting a clip-on was to avoid having to do that, especially in noisy environments.
Precision
Here, the StroboClip sure had them all beat. The resolution of the strobe display easily allows you to see when a note is off by less than one cent. I left the StroboClip on while I played a chromatic scale and, according to it, I never hit any note in tune. It was correct, of course, but when I watched the CA-30 at the same time I realized that, in some cases, the error was very small-- too small for any reasonable person to care about.
Bottom line
The StroboClip is a keeper. Now, is it worth about $70? Well, when you figure, for example, that the Korg CA-30 with all its functionality can be had for $20 or less, the StroboClip may seem over-priced. Then again, the market is what it is and as far as I can tell, to get the precision and reliability that I want in a clip-on tuner, that's what I have to pay. After all, I paid about $23 for the Sabine Zoid and found it to be inaccurate, to give false readings, to be nowhere near as sensitive as the StroboClip, and to be frustrating to the point of being essentially useless.
That's my take, anyway. YMMV and Happy New Year to all.
Mechanics
I was pleased to discover that it's "triple jointed" such that the clip and display can be rotated to a bunch of different positions/orientations. My only complaint in this regard is the looseness of the main "hinge." That's really a pretty small detail.
Accuracy
I checked the StroboClip against two other tuners and it's dead-on within the limits of what I could see. Unlike the Sabine Zoid (and likely all the "color-change" tuners), the StroboClip isn't going to tell you that a string is in tune when it's not.
Display
This is the unique aspect of the StroboClip.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
As most of us know very well, when playing an open string pizzicato to tune, the frequency will waver a bit through attack and decay. So, one doesn't see an ideal stable stroboscopic display that shifts either left (flat) or right (sharp). Rather, you see the display stabilize for a few seconds after which it (expectedly) gets a bit erratic as the vibration dies out. It took me a bit to interpret reliably the StroboClip display as the string rings. My main comparison was my Korg CA-30. This little inexpensive tuner has what I've found to be the most informative display (it also appears to be very accurate).
The "needle" is very fast-acting and the red flat and sharp lights clue you in quickly. I think what I'd like best is an accurate clip-on tuner with the display of the CA-30. (No, the Korg AW-2 clip-on does not have that). In any case, I quickly learned how to interpret the StroboClip's display under real-life conditions. BTW, tuning arco didn't prove to be much of an advantage.
Sensitivity
Here, the Stroboclip really shines! It's so sensitive that when I clipped it on the Korg CA-30 and set the Korg to sound a note, the StroboClip picked it right up and locked in. When I tried this with the Sabine Zoid, it was "deaf." The sensitivity of the StroboClip really allows you to tune the low E quite easily. In fact, this was the only string on which the StroboClip and the Korg disagreed. A few tests against a third tuner, playing harmonics, and moving the position of the Korg CA-30 around convinced me that it was the StroboClip that was correct all along. The CA-30 can't always easily lock onto the E. It does fine, however, if I plug my pickup into the 1/4" jack on the Korg. The whole point of getting a clip-on was to avoid having to do that, especially in noisy environments.
Precision
Here, the StroboClip sure had them all beat. The resolution of the strobe display easily allows you to see when a note is off by less than one cent. I left the StroboClip on while I played a chromatic scale and, according to it, I never hit any note in tune. It was correct, of course, but when I watched the CA-30 at the same time I realized that, in some cases, the error was very small-- too small for any reasonable person to care about.
Bottom line
The StroboClip is a keeper. Now, is it worth about $70? Well, when you figure, for example, that the Korg CA-30 with all its functionality can be had for $20 or less, the StroboClip may seem over-priced. Then again, the market is what it is and as far as I can tell, to get the precision and reliability that I want in a clip-on tuner, that's what I have to pay. After all, I paid about $23 for the Sabine Zoid and found it to be inaccurate, to give false readings, to be nowhere near as sensitive as the StroboClip, and to be frustrating to the point of being essentially useless.
That's my take, anyway. YMMV and Happy New Year to all.
Didn't someone once write or say something to the effect that all things are legal, but not all things are beneficial?Very useful on my banjo(s).
Is it legal to admit to owning two banjos?
I am left-handed, but play conventional right-handed instruments in the conventional manner. I tried banjo once, but of course, my right hand had absolutely no dexterity to do the rolls and picking patterns. So I carefully set the instrument down and quietly walked away with a greater appreciation of those who do play banjo well.
Well, I used to have a nice Crafters of Tennessee and a nice Deering Golden Era, until I came to my senses and knew I would never, ever be able to play the thing at the pace that is demanded by bluegrass music.
I have very little interest in traditional bluegrass banjo. Listening or playing. 
I do more of the frailing/clawhammer/old-timey/original type stuff.
The StroboClip works great on all my oddball instruments (balalaika, dulcimer, ukulele, banjo, steel guitar, autoharp, etc), in addition to superb response on the basses and guitars. Anything that vibrates.
I used the Korg CA-30 for years. An excellent tuner for its price point. I've had two of them die after a few years of heavy use (not abuse). If the StroboClip holds up in the long run, it's a cheaper option.
I do more of the frailing/clawhammer/old-timey/original type stuff.The StroboClip works great on all my oddball instruments (balalaika, dulcimer, ukulele, banjo, steel guitar, autoharp, etc), in addition to superb response on the basses and guitars. Anything that vibrates.
I used the Korg CA-30 for years. An excellent tuner for its price point. I've had two of them die after a few years of heavy use (not abuse). If the StroboClip holds up in the long run, it's a cheaper option.
I have used my StroboClip on mandolin, acoustic guitar and double bass, and it works perfectly on all of them.
The sweetened tunings for Dobro sound great on steel guitar in dobro tuning.
I haven't tried the sweetened tunings for bass yet.
I'm not sure if they're for bass guitar or double bass.
I haven't tried the sweetened tunings for bass yet.
I'm not sure if they're for bass guitar or double bass.
