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Strobe Tuner

Hopkins

Hopkins

Commercial User
Nov 17, 2010
13,967
7,058
44
Houston Tx
Disclosures
Owner/Builder @Hopkins Guitars
#1
I am looking for a decent strobe tuner for my work bench. I don't really want to break the bank on a Peterson 490, but I want something a little more substantial than a pedal tuner.

Any recommendations? There are a few Peterson Model 100s on the bay for around $100, but I am not sure if they are even worth that.
 
#5
You want the turbo tuner st122a without a doubt! You'd have to get the huge high-dollar mechanical Peterson that self-switches notes to even come close.
 
#7
been using mine on the bench for years now, there's nothing else i even wanna look at. (i also have the pedal versions on all my various pedalboards for different instruments, blows away everything else out there for speed and accuracy.)
 
#8
walterw said:
been using mine on the bench for years now, there's nothing else i even wanna look at. (i also have the pedal versions on all my various pedalboards for different instruments, blows away everything else out there for speed and accuracy.)
Click to expand...

So they are as accurate as an actual mechanical strobe tuner? I have my eye on a few ebay auctions for a few different Conn, and Peterson strobe tuners. If the price doesn't get to high I will jump on them.
 
#9
oh yes!

they are real strobe tuners; the tuning display is entirely analog, so zero-lag, zero error-margin, and the harmonics show up in the display just like with mechanical strobes. they're rated at +/- .02 cents, so well more accurate than even the peterson "virtual strobes" (themselves pretty kick-ass at +/- .1 cent).

they also grab onto pitches faster than anything else out there, can track way below a low B on a 5-string, and have a terrific built-in mic for acoustic instruments. (the automatic pitch-grabbing thing is key, reaching up to change the pitch knob every time for each note on a mechanical strobe starts to wear thin pretty quickly.)
 
#10
walterw said:
oh yes!

they are real strobe tuners; the tuning display is entirely analog, so zero-lag, zero error-margin, and the harmonics show up in the display just like with mechanical strobes. they're rated at +/- .02 cents, so well more accurate than even the peterson "virtual strobes" (themselves pretty kick-ass at +/- .1 cent).

they also grab onto pitches faster than anything else out there, can track way below a low B on a 5-string, and have a terrific built-in mic for acoustic instruments. (the automatic pitch-grabbing thing is key, reaching up to change the pitch knob every time for each note on a mechanical strobe starts to wear thin pretty quickly.)
Click to expand...


Sounds good, thanks alot for the info
 
#11
I had a Peterson for YEARS (model 420 from way back in the early 70's) had to manually switch on the dial, just sold it on here a couple years ago for a little over $100 ... I dont think the built in mic worked, but it may have if you used an external mic in the 1/4" jack ... I missed it after a while and got a Turbo Tuner also ... for bench work I liked the Peterson set-up, front display, etc, but TT has been more than acceptable replacement ... and it fits in shoulder bag to go ...

Edit to add: .. for the heck of it, I just checked Ebay to see what is available and what they were getting for old Petersons ... there is a beat looking 420, and this 400 which is EXTREMELY clean one owner .. I thnk the only diff between 400 and my 420 was the built in mic on the 420. If I was using it strictly for bench work, I would really be tempted on this one, but with the Reserve, who knows what he needs for it ...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Peterson-St...087?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item418c861697
 
Last edited:
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#12
tjh said:
I had a Peterson for YEARS (model 420 from way back in the early 70's) had to manually switch on the dial, just sold it on here a couple years ago for a little over $100 ... I dont think the built in mic worked, but it may have if you used an external mic in the 1/4" jack ... I missed it after a while and got a Turbo Tuner also ... for bench work I liked the Peterson set-up, front display, etc, but TT has been more than acceptable replacement ... and it fits in shoulder bag to go ...

Edit to add: .. for the heck of it, I just checked Ebay to see what is available and what they were getting for old Petersons ... there is a beat looking 420, and this 400 which is EXTREMELY clean one owner .. I thnk the only diff between 400 and my 420 was the built in mic on the 420. If I was using it strictly for bench work, I would really be tempted on this one, but with the Reserve, who knows what he needs for it ...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Peterson-St...087?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item418c861697
Click to expand...


That was one that I have on my watch list.

I am also thinking about this one, but the description scares me a little. If it lasts till Friday I may take a risk.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-CON...UNING-MACHINE-LEATHER-DUSTCOVER-/261700095834

Then there is this ole raggedy looking guy, but being beat up looking may score me a good deal when it gets down the last few minutes of that auction.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PETERSON-ST...848?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cee967648
 
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#13
If you do score one of those, promptly send it to peterson for recalibration/tune up.

I used a mechanical strobe for years; I loved the analog accuracy and the way it showed upper harmonics in the display, but hated having to reach up and change the dial for each note, so much so that there was a boss TU-12 that lived sitting on top of it and ended up doing most of the everyday tuning.

I retired it for the first Peterson virtual strobes, which tuned just fine but lost the analog "feel" and didn't show the upper partials.

When I found the turbo i at last had the best of both worlds, the analog strobe accuracy and "complex" display, all in a tuner that switched notes instantly. I've never looked back.
 
#14
walterw said:
If you do score one of those, promptly send it to peterson for recalibration/tune up.

I used a mechanical strobe for years; I loved the analog accuracy and the way it showed upper harmonics in the display, but hated having to reach up and change the dial for each note, so much so that there was a boss TU-12 that lived sitting on top of it and ended up doing most of the everyday tuning.

I retired it for the first Peterson virtual strobes, which tuned just fine but lost the analog "feel" and didn't show the upper partials.

When I found the turbo i at last had the best of both worlds, the analog strobe accuracy and "complex" display, all in a tuner that switched notes instantly. I've never looked back.
Click to expand...

Yeah, a recalibration will probably be necessary on an older unit like that.
 
#15
Hopkins said:
So they are as accurate as an actual mechanical strobe tuner? I have my eye on a few ebay auctions for a few different Conn, and Peterson strobe tuners. If the price doesn't get to high I will jump on them.
Click to expand...

Possibly even more so. Getting mechanical wheels to spin at JUST the right frequency is an awfully difficult problem. As Walter points out, the stupid things need to be calibrated.

The turbo tuner gets to use a nice high accuracy quartz crystal for its time reference. In fact, the modern mechanical strobes from Peterson do the same thing, but then they have the problem of trying to spin up a bunch of wheels, measure the speed, and compare that to the frequency coming out of the crystal, and adjust the wheel speed in a control loop.

Aside from having a slightly prettier display (the concentric rings of harmonics is pretty darn cool looking), the mechanical strobes don't have any advantage over the Turbo Tuner unless you need one of those crazy multi-wheel Peterson's used to tune steel drums.
 
#16
Handyman said:
Possibly even more so. Getting mechanical wheels to spin at JUST the right frequency is an awfully difficult problem. As Walter points out, the stupid things need to be calibrated.

The turbo tuner gets to use a nice high accuracy quartz crystal for its time reference. In fact, the modern mechanical strobes from Peterson do the same thing, but then they have the problem of trying to spin up a bunch of wheels, measure the speed, and compare that to the frequency coming out of the crystal, and adjust the wheel speed in a control loop.

Aside from having a slightly prettier display (the concentric rings of harmonics is pretty darn cool looking), the mechanical strobes don't have any advantage over the Turbo Tuner unless you need one of those crazy multi-wheel Peterson's used to tune steel drums.
Click to expand...


Thanks, I guess when I get ready to buy, If I don't find a stupid good deal on a used Peterson, as in cheaper than a new Turbo Tuner, I will get the turbo tuner. You guys pretty much have me sold on it. I do have to admit that the cool looking, spinning wheel display of the Conn and Peterson mechanical strobe is a selling point for me. But I am a simple primate easily distracted by shiny objects :D
 
#17
Hopkins said:
Thanks, I guess when I get ready to buy, If I don't find a stupid good deal on a used Peterson, as in cheaper than a new Turbo Tuner, I will get the turbo tuner. You guys pretty much have me sold on it. I do have to admit that the cool looking, spinning wheel display of the Conn and Peterson mechanical strobe is a selling point for me. But I am a simple primate easily distracted by shiny objects :D
Click to expand...

Oh, don't get me wrong. I REALLY want an old Conn or Peterson because of the cool flashy lights and spinny wheels. Its hard to convince the wife, tough. :)
 
#18
Mostly what I see these days on pro benches are various Peterson digital strobes. I've used a lot of tuners as a player and a road tech and my favorite bench tuner in terms of function and durability has been the Peterson VS-1 I've had for years....it couldn't be worth more than $75 used. I also have the 1st generation Peterson StroboStomp and a Turbo Tuner that are both excellent tuners I would not hesitate to have on the bench. The Turbo Tuner is very solidly built and super fast. If I had to have just one to do it all this would be it....a very worthwhile investment. My one complaint with it is that tuning always mutes the sound and doing setups or tuning acoustic instruments on stage don't like taking my ears out of play simultaneous to using the tuner. Any amp with a tuner out solves this but an option to mute or not would be nice. Lately too I've been using the Peterson StroboSoft on my iPad and honestly for $10 it's a great deal. It actually picks up a note slightly faster than the VS-1 and the massive display is kinda cool.
 
#19
I use the Peterson StroboRack tuner, and am very happy with it. I paid around $200 on eBay. I'm very impressed with the accuracy and ease-of-use. Plus, you can scroll your band name or whatever across the display if you wish.
 

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