Fender Clip On Tuners

[DarrenF]

Greetings, this is gonna sound silly but it is just baffling me. I was shopping around for a digital clip on tuner on the cheaper side, and I landed on the Fender FT-1, currently $9.99 on amazon. I also come across a very similar model called the FCT-2, currently $19.99 on amazon. They look nearly identical outside of the FCT-2 seeming to have a multi color display, and the FT-1 appears to just appear in solid green/blue.

I was curious if there were any other bells/whistles that were the reasons one is twice the cost of the other, and all spec indications are they identical in function in terms of accuracy, A440 +/- 1 cent, and range from B0-B7, and have settings for mult instruments.

I searched google, amazon reviews, fender website; and could find find virtually no comparison between these models. Amazon indicates nearly 10k purchases of each, so it seems crazy I can't find one comparison. What is even more puzzling is that the FCT-2 appears to not exist on the Fender website, and appears is only for sale on Amazon.

First thought was that perhaps the FCT-2 was a discontinued model, but both appear to available since 2017, and it seems odd to me that a discontinued model would cost twice as much given it functions virtually the same. Maybe the prices have changed very recently and for some reason the FCT-2 has gone up and no one has noticed yet.

Sorry this post got so long over a $10 low end tuner, but its just bugging the crap out of me that I cant find a logical answer to this. Figured id throw it out here and see if anyone has explanation or theory haha. Thanks!

 

[Killing Floor]

It’s safe to assume 2 things:

1 nearly all consumer packaged electronics are manufactured by ECMs so it’s not as if Fender is making that in their factory. It’s just a branding.

2 (and this will get me flamed even though it’s an accurate statement) if you’re choosing between a $9 and $19 clip on tuner what difference does it make? Get the cheaper one.

 

[DarrenF]

Thanks for the reply Killing Floor, it absolutely does not make any difference. It not really a matter of me deciding, it was more a question of "what heck is this?", and "im shocked this hasn't come up anywhere on the internet". I get that what u alluded to in 1 in likely the reasoning, it just seems crazy to be 15k buy a fender product not even listed as a model on their website for twice the price of the model actually listed that appears to be virtually identical haha.

 

[evs]

Is the more expensive one a rechargable tuner?
Some of their more expensive ones are.

 

[DarrenF]

Good thought, but it does not appear to be rechargable in either model. Both appear to take standard CR2032 batteries. Each one lists that it comes with a battery.

 

[vindibona1]

Is the more expensive one a rechargable tuner?
Some of their more expensive ones are.

IMO....
The best clip-on tuner I have tried/owned is the TC Electronic UniTune tuner. But I have another thought...
As long as you are going to be attached to an amp, a good tuning pedal will superior to a clip on any day. In my case I actually use a Korg CA50, though in many cases I have another pedal that serves as a mute so my tuning doesn't come through the amp or house system. I have a UniTune in my kit but don't use on site unless there are issues that cause me to go straight from bass to amp.

 

[B String]

TC UniTune TC UniTune TC UniTune

 

[pholli00]

IMO....
The best clip-on tuner I have tried/owned is the TC Electronic UniTune tuner. But I have another thought...
As long as you are going to be attached to an amp, a good tuning pedal will superior to a clip on any day. In my case I actually use a Korg CA50, though in many cases I have another pedal that serves as a mute so my tuning doesn't come through the amp or house system. I have a UniTune in my kit but don't use on site unless there are issues that cause me to go straight from bass to amp.

I use my clip-on tuner to hide the chip in my headstock.

 

[Barghest]

I've got two use cases for a clip-on, one is when I'm at home and don't feel like getting either pedalboard out and plugged in, and the other is for the students I'm in a society with who don't have their own tuners. I just got a Unitune because my last clip-on had the hinge explode when I went to put it on a different bass, and so far it seems damn good.