The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #26

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    My TC Polytune gathers dust since I got the Peterson HD Clip-on. Don’t care for the sweetener setting, though.

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  3. #27

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    I have the Sonic Research Turbo Tuner, which is an extremely accurate tuner, but I rarely use it anymore. I picked up a D'addario clip-on tuner for 13 bucks that's does the job and is a lot more convenient. Unless the aesthetics of a clip-on tuner really offends you, I'd suggest trying one of those to start with. You won't have much to lose and you can always get a plug-in tuner later if that's what you really want. My hunch is you'll find the clip-on tuner to be much easier.

  4. #28

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    Send me the guitar, I’ll tune it for you.

    BTW did you ever hear Lennie Breau’s Mister Oppernockity joke (told to keep the audience quiet while tuning up)?

  5. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
    I used a high quality chromed steel tuning fork before good, affordable tuners came along and still carry it in the tool kit. To use it on a gig, just gently tap it against your knee or other firm padded surface, hand mute your strings, and hold it over a pickup just above the strings.
    Classically trained with enough orchestra experience I'm still able to correct my tuning by ear even under ambient noise, but I find it much more difficult with steel strings than with classical strings. I clamped my tuning fork between my teeth (against my canines); this works about as well as holding it against your head and the bone conduction means your hear it really well.

    I'm reviving this thread because I'm also looking for another tuner. I mostly use my iPhone with the Airywave strobe tuner that's (almost) as accurate as the modern Peterson desktop tuner but probably not as fast. But I'd like something that's fast and that I can leave on; the black tape-wounds I use need rather frequent tuning corrections that are tricky to do by ear because they really sound sharper after the initial attack. An option for selecting/programming different temperaments would be nice and a display of the current offset in cents is crucial. That, plus the auto-off make the Peterson and TC Unitone clip-ons a no-go for me. I don't mind a pedal format, but it'd be nice if it would work with a purely acoustic guitar too (possibly with a plug-in external self-powered mic). Any suggestions that aren't much more expensive than the Peterson clip-on HD?

  6. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by TedBPhx
    My TC Polytune gathers dust since I got the Peterson HD Clip-on. Don’t care for the sweetener setting, though.
    Same exact story here.

  7. #31

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    Turbo Tuner is fast enough to transcribe the notes as you play them, and has a very high resolution in terms of pitch - you can see the effects of finger pressure and detuning from tipping the guitar body forward. Nothing to fine-tune by ear here.

    Mine is more than 10 years old and still works as new. It's an older ST-200 very similar to ST-300 they have now. The newer ones are supposed to be even better.

    Bought a TC PolyTune clip some time ago to use on an acoustic but it's nowhere near Turbo resolution-wise. Should have gotten the Turbo with a microphone when they were still made.

  8. #32

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    I find the Turbo Tuner really too expensive, sadly.

    I'm researching the Korg GA Custom (if its display is somehow calibrated in cents). I've seen the clip-on version in action which seemed fast enough. Their OT120 looks interesting too; I kinda like that it has an actual needle and selectable speed.

  9. #33

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    The TC Polytune clip-on has a claimed resolution of .02 cents in strobe mode, and .5 cents in standard mode. I don't think any competitor is going to be more accurate than .02 cents. I do prefer the strobe presentation of the Peterson, but I don't see it as any more accurate, just slightly harder to tune because of the difference between LEDs and LCD. I use either somewhat indiscriminately, but I tend to use the standard mode on the TC because it's faster for me, and accurate enough. I bought the TC because it was on a steep discount at Sweetwater, supposedly the UniTune but they sent a Polytune. I did not complain. I now have what I would consider to be a sufficient quantity of tuners, most of them sitting on a shelf. I keep the Peterson and the TC out ready for use.

  10. #34

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    The Korg CM-300 contact tuning microphone plugs into devices with a 3.5mm headphone jack and works well as far as I know. The iPhone AiryWave may not grab on to the acoustic signal fast enough with the iPhone inbuilt mike. The CM-300 contact microphone turns the iPhone or any tuner with a 3.5mm headphone jack into a clip-on tuner.

  11. #35

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    Quote Originally Posted by sgosnell
    I do prefer the strobe presentation of the Peterson, but I don't see it as any more accurate, just slightly harder to tune because of the difference between LEDs and LCD.
    I might have sprung for a non-clip-on version of the TC but since they don't have that I currently have a Korg GA Custom on "trial" (thanks, A'zon Prime...). It claims 0.1ct precision in strobe mode but that argument is a bit moot since the display never stops moving with the guitars I tested it with yesterday (regardless of whether I use its built-in mic, an external electret, a clip-on external mic (piezo?) from another tuner or the PU of my Loar).
    The scale seems to be 5ct/LED (as I expected/feared; they could have used a finer precision around the centre!) but the LEDs aren't just binary (on/off) indicators as I presume the LCD segments in the Peterson are.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
    The iPhone AiryWave may not grab on to the acoustic signal fast enough with the iPhone inbuilt mike.
    Maybe you can run into this on entry-level Android devices but even my 1st gen iPhone SE has quite good built-in microphones with which the tuner app is just about as fast as the Korg I mentioned above. Knowing me I wouldn't take the risk of tethering it to the headstock of my guitar...

  12. #36

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    I have a Korg Hammerhead, which I expected to be very accurate, but it didn't turn out to be all that good. It is several years old, and may be somewhat typical for devices of that period. The LCD display of the Peterson is very similar to that of the phone version, but of course much smaller. The only downside of it is that it doesn't show cents or Hertz from center, just the strobe display. It's very stable, and very accurate. The TC clip-on is jumpier in strobe mode, but usable. I probably wouldn't have bought it if it hadn't been on sale for $16. It was a bargain at that price. The D'Addario Clip-free tuner is also a bargain, accurate once you figure out what the display shows, and is very discreet for those who are afraid to be seen with a tuner on their guitar. It's always there, ready to go at the touch of the on/off button. I have three, and I like them.

  13. #37

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    Peterson with metronome

  14. #38
    I am the original poster and finally 5 months later I found the Peterson HD slip on on Reverb new for $59. and bought one yesterday. Should get it by mid week and will give a my run down on it. I have this old Seiko Chronomantic that works but I find it finicky and needle moves too much. Seems as expected the attack on the string can cause the note to bump sharp then drop back down. I am hoping the strobe will capture the frequency better and be more stable.

    Also at least with this tuner for some reason some of my guitars it reads more consistent than others. I am not sure why could be the way the instrument responds. On my Super 400 it reads the note dead correct at least with little fluctuation while plucking the string. That is either acoustic or plugged in. That is pretty much the same on the L5. On the old 49 D'angelico if I pluck the string the fluctuation of the note is more and slightly bigger in regards to the number of cents. It may hit the high at 2 cents over E then drop backdown. Then I try it again and it may be dead on the E. Then i might hit it again and it goes up 2-3 cents and settles back. I can hear 3 cents difference no trouble but it does not sound anything like 3 cents. My thought is the quartz tuner is simply not as accurately picking up the note. My hope is the strobe with make this much better. The only thing I won't be able to do is tell exactly how many cents off it will be when setting intonation. I am looking at this basically for setting intonation and getting within 2 cents at the octave is perfectly fine.

  15. #39

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    Need maybe a new guitar tuner-b87f5b1a2b7a1935cffbe8fcac4ba2e5-png

    Korg CM-300 Tuning Clip-on transducer/microphone.

  16. #40

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    Because of this thread, I did purchase a Peterson clip on tuner (and a case for it) and have used it now on many gigs. I like it a lot. Very accurate tuning on the fly.

    Money well spent.

  17. #41

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    I too thought this in the beginning when I first tried a cheap (clip-on) tuner that did have a good evalation.

    I've since learned that the initial sharpness is normal. Part of that is due to the high frequency content of the attack (at least I think so), but even if you pluck with a finger you'll get this transient. Logical really: plucking increases the tension, just like pressing down too hard does, and that raises the pitch. Plucking nearer to one of the attachment points (the saddle) rather than in the middle also leads to an initial perturbation of the string's vibration that also alters the frequency content and might even make the string behave as if it was shorter. If those effects decay back to within +-5ct is fast enough we hear the effect as a sharp/loud attack, not as "false", but the tuner doesn't know about such things and can only show you the resulting pitch.
    FWIW, even on bowed instruments we learn not to play too loudly when tuning, and to prefer long strokes at constant speed to avoid transient effects that make tuning hard. On guitar, I find it helps to tune the harmonic at the 12th fret. I'm pretty certain that getting a clean harmonic requires a cleaner attack that causes less tension fluctuations, but halving the wavelength probably also has its benefits

  18. #42

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    I'm curious about players' experience with tuning while a loud band continues to play.

    I don't recall which clip-on I had, but I remember it responding to sounds other than my guitar. So, I couldn't tune while the band was playing.

    I then gave up on clip-ons, even though I know that almost everybody uses them.

    I almost always have a pedal board which includes a tuner, so I rely on that. In rare instances where I don't have the pedalboard, I bring an old plug in tuner (unplug guitar from amp to use it).

  19. #43
    Regardless of what tuner I use or have ever used in the end I check everything against my ear. In my case I get the high e correct and then use harmonics at the 12th fret and the 7th string of the higher string, B harmonic vs B at 7th fret, first string. Moving through all the strings I then go back and check the actual octave in the middle of the necks frets 5 and 8. I then check the octave at the 9th and 12th. I do not tune as such in harmonics other than checking because we play notes not harmonics. To me the octave of strings is the gold standard for my ear.

    In getting the guitar in tune as well as it can generally involves some compromise. I play in the middle of the neck so I want the best intonation between 3 and 12 frets. Going way up to 15 on any string is pretty much a no need to worry unless it is the first or second string. There is a whole theory of stretching the octaves like a piano is done. I remember vaguely Bill Barker usually setting the bridge on his guitars so that it was ever so slightly sharp at the octave. He used an ebony saddle with gradual compensation from high e to low e, not the compensated ones that are seen at times. I too do not find them to be more accurate at all. I do use a wound 3rd but that makes no real difference to me. If I remember correct Barker would be fine with 2 cents sharp, he did not seem to want it flat but the logic of that I am not sure. Being dead on at the 12th does no always mean the particular guitar will be best for where the player usually works on the neck. It certainly is probably the best but we guitarist are tweakers for sure.

    I be curious how others approach this?

  20. #44

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    Good thread here, and very timely for me. I have a couple of Snarks that were left behind at our jam sessions, so I cheap-ed out. Now they don't seem very accurate on my classical guitars. I feel as though the nylon (softer than steel) strings aren't being read as accurately. There may be more play, or fluctuation with nylon???
    Anyway, I'm ready for a new clip-on. And the classical strings seem to drift more, while tuning, and after each tune.

    Thanks for the knowledge.

  21. #45

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    An archtop can vibrate sympathetically with loud noise (thus prone to feedback) and this vibration will naturally be transferred to the neck, thence the clip-on tuner. AFAIK this is unavoidable, but can be minimized, at least to some extent, by the orientation of the guitar, and by damping the top with your arms and chest. Another problem with tuning can be sympathetic vibration of the other strings when one is being tuned. I mute all the other strings when I tune, and I usually pluck the string with my thumb near the 12th fret, to minimize overtones. If a string is plucked strongly anywhere near the saddle, and all the other strings are open, all sorts of overtones will hit the tuner, at least momentarily. I think it's better to pluck softly with the thumb than to use a strong pluck with a plectrum. Tuning an archtop guitar is a fidgety process at best. Using a cheap tuner makes it more fidgety, at least IME.

  22. #46

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    And like the deacon, I rarely play open strings or much above the 14th fret, mostly near the middle, so I usually tune to the 5th fret, which is a compromise, and everything is a compromise of some sort. It's a harmonic point, and it's close to the middle of where I prefer to play. It's often a couple of cents off there if I tune the strings open, but it gives better intonation if I tune to that pitch. It's just what I've become accustomed to. I've tried the 12th harmonic, and sometimes still use it, but my preference is for the 5th fret. It's not a law, just what I do.

  23. #47

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    Quote Originally Posted by sgosnell
    And like the deacon, I rarely play open strings or much above the 14th fret, mostly near the middle, so I usually tune to the 5th fret, which is a compromise, and everything is a compromise of some sort. It's a harmonic point, and it's close to the middle of where I prefer to play. It's often a couple of cents off there if I tune the strings open, but it gives better intonation if I tune to that pitch. It's just what I've become accustomed to. I've tried the 12th harmonic, and sometimes still use it, but my preference is for the 5th fret. It's not a law, just what I do.
    I've done this too. For some reason, I don't do it routinely, but it makes perfect sense. Maybe it's that if I'm fretting a note with my left hand how am I going to turn the tuning peg? Well, it's certainly possible but maybe a little less convenient.

  24. #48

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    Quote Originally Posted by sgosnell
    Tuning an archtop guitar is a fidgety process at best. Using a cheap tuner makes it more fidgety, at least IME.
    Amen to that. Mine has the highest ratio tuners of my 3 guitars and for some not yet fully understood reason I often find myself turning them without noticeable effect at first, only to overshoot because the pitch also seems to continue to increase after I stopped turning. It's as if the strings bind at the nut but I don't believe that's the case here.

    "Tuning at the 5th fret", with a finger down or to the harmonic there? I'm guessing the former as the latter wouldn't compensate for pitch changes due to pressing down the string ... but in both cases you shouldn't be plucking at the 12th fret but somewhere between the 14th and 15th

  25. #49

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    I tune to the fretted note, not the harmonic, at least most of the time. I'm not religious about tuning, though, and I sometimes try using various harmonics for tuning. When tuning to the fretted 5th, I pluck the note, see whether it's high or low, and by about how much, and turn the button what seems the appropriate amount, and repeat as many times as it takes. It's not as easy as plucking and then turning the button while the string vibrates and watching the tuner change, but I've pretty much become used to it. I don't necessarily recommend it to anyone else, it's just how I've been doing it for awhile. And the pluck doesn't have to be at the exact center of the vibrating string, just somewhere in the general area, and away from the saddle - at least for me. The jumping of the pitch seems to me to be more pronounced on the D and G strings. The string has to slide over both the nut and the saddle, so it can bind in either place. Steel strings are also necessarily strong, and do not easily bend in tight winds, nor unwind. The winding around the capstan, for the last wrap, can still be just slightly loose, or tight, after the capstan is turned, and can move into place quickly, especially if there are many wraps which may overlap. Thus I always tune from below pitch, and give the string a tug to make sure it's tight against the capstan and all the slack is between the nut and saddle. Wooden saddles are obviously softer than steel, and can take the impression of windings from the string, which creates a tiny roughness which can inhibit the sliding of the wound strings across the saddle. There are many, many factors which affect tuning and tuning stability. And as far as I can tell, very few for the better.

  26. #50

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    I've had a ton of tuners over the years, starting with a pitch pipe when I was a child. My mother, who had impeccable pitch, said it had allowed me to tune my guitar (actually, her guitar) in tune with itself but not with the rest of humanity, and had me buy and learn to use an A440 tuning fork. That was fine at home, not much help on a gig. First electronic one was a Peterson 400, back when such devices had an actual strobing neon light and a spinning disc. Too big and bulky for me to take gigging though. Eventually I went through a variety of more portable tuners, including a Korg GT-6, Boss TU-12, others I don't remember. Finally wound up back with Peterson, a StroboFlip, in 2006. Liked it so much I bought a second one for the house. On gigs I connected it to my parallel effects loop send through a short patch cable, using the amps’ mute switch for silent tuning.

    Feeling a need for a backup in my gig bag I bought an original blue SN-1 Snark. Didn't like it much since it had a wide dead band. Every so often I’d try to fire it up only to have a dead CR2032. Good thing I never needed it. Trying to find something better I tried the original Peterson StroboClip. Hated it; could not stay locked on long enough to tune, even at home. Returned. Bought a Snark SN-2 "Supertight," which was no better than the original one, despite the name. Put it in my gig bag with the other one, so I could find two dead CR2032s when I tried them. I’m not kidding! One day the SN-1 just fell apart at the ball joint. I superglued it together at the best angle I could guess, left it sitting out on a table for occasional use. After awhile it got all sticky, threw it out.

    About five years ago I ordered two Reverb-branded tuners for $4 each from the reverb site. They turned out to be fine for a basic clip-on, better than either of the Snarks. I put one in my gig bag, removed the Snark, which I left sitting out in my guitar room. I picked one up one day and it fell apart in multiple places. Two Snarks down. About six months ago I bought two more of the reverb units just to leave around the house. One had a broken clip when it arrived. I notified the seller, who returned my payment for the entire order. Can’t beat that. I’m still trying to figure out a way to salvage the bad one.

    About the same time I made a major change to my gig rig, after which using the StroboFlip wasn’t as attractive. I decided to try the newer Peterson StroboClip HD. While I don’t like it as much as the StroboFlip, I do like it better than any of the other clip-ons I’ve used, and since it shaves a pound off my gig bag weight, it’s what I’ve used ever since. I don’t leave it on the headstock, instead clipping it to my music stand. Compared to the ‘Flip its display isn’t as readable and it does sometimes lose lock temporarily when the big band it in full tuneup mode, but it mostly just works. Hasn’t drained the CR2032 yet (I keep a spare with it). I found a small zip-up case in a drawer full of camera stuff that holds it and a Reverb tuner safely in my gig bag. I’m still trying to decide what to do with the StroboFlip.

    Danny W.