Electronic tuners

[paulman]

I was looking for something totally different, and came across this...hope it adds to the discussion.  Micro-frets (looks crazy!)
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRsSjh5TTqI

[ed_zeppelin]

That's exactly what Anders Thibell's prototype guitars were like:
 


 
 
His guitar had 56 micro frets! And that was just to the octave/12th fret. The wiggly fret thing (I call 'em Dali frets) came about as a compromise, and a vastly more efficient means of producing the guitars commercially.
 
This article on tuning the guitar by Thidell's business partner is one of the best explanations of the problems with guitar tuning I've ever read.
 
Ironically, I've always played fretless, so I pay absolutely no attention to tuning  My interest in temperament comes from playing with a percussionist from India who said that to a musician trained in (microtonal) classical Indian music, all western music sounds like an oompa band, completely lacking in the subtleties inherent in having twice as many notes in the octave. Indian music has 24 steps to the octave, whereas we have 12, and Justin Bieber uses 3 (we learned a new chord for the album, called a G. We like it a lot, and hope to use it on tour someday, 'cuz yo, chicks dig it!)
 
(Message edited by Ed_zeppelin on December 24, 2015)

[edwardofhuncote]

All those whoppy-jawed (yeah - it's a real word here in Virginia) frets made me get emotional. And the squiggly ones just scared the crap out of me. I prefer continuously fretted basses... ask Ms. W. =)
 
Hey Jazzy, when using the clip-on tuner, try tuning using the 7th fret harmonic. I've had more success with this variety hearing that note better.  
 
Disclaimer: I don't own an electronic tuner, just an old A tuning fork I use in the shop, but I do play with a deeply gifted guitarist, who tunes obsessive-compulsively.

[5a_quilt_top]

You can tune a piano, but you can tuna...oh never mind.
 
Another quirk of stringed instruments is the affect of the amount of finger pressure applied to the string - the harder the pressing and higher the action = more out of tune the note will be. High frets and scalloped fretboards also require a lighter touch.
 
Also if the strings are inadvertently bent while being pressed to the fretboard, this will have the same affect.
 
I once played with a guitarist who had a death grip of iron - he actually pulled the neck of his guitar toward his body when he played - !  
 
And he wondered why he was always out of tune.

[edwin]

David, the Turbo Tuner and Peterson tuners all handle low B strings with no issues at all.

[charles_holmes]

I use the Peterson Stroborack at home in my studio & I use the Peterson Stroboplus HD on gigs. I think that Peterson makes a clip-on too.

[lbpesq]

Accuracy specs on tuners:
 
Boss TU-2 ........................... +/- 3 cents
Boss TU-3 ........................... +/- 1 cent
All Peterson's  
(including Stroboclip).............. +/- .1 cent  
TC Electronic Polytone ........... +/- .1 cent
Sonic Research Turbo Tuners .. +/- .02 cents
 
'nuff said.
 
Bill, tgo

[bigredbass]

Well, I can see I got to rush out and get one of those SRT tuners:  The difference in +/- 3% and  +/- 2/100 of 1% is giving me headaches . . . . kidding aside, the crazy thing is I know two people with perfect pitch that can probably hear that.
 
Joey

[keith_h]

In my younger years I knew a woman who was a professor of music at Northwestern University. She had perfect pitch and you could occasionally see her cringe at notes that sounded just fine to the rest of us. The funny thing was she liked Bob Dylan's singing voice. Go figure.  
 
As far as accuracy goes I think 1 cent is more than adequate and is more accurate than average folks can hear. It should also be accurate enough for the average trained ear. If you are playing in a loud band I would hazard 2 or 3 cents is adequate. This is another area where you can pay for spec's that are way beyond the average person or musicians ability to hear. The question is a personal one of whether the extra money is really worth something you can only measure. Personally I would be more concerned about road worthiness over it having 2 cent, 1 cent or better accuracy.  
 
That being said my Boss TU-12 is spec'ed at +/- 1 cent and I've always found it adequate for tuning my basses and guitars.
 
Keith

[edwin]

I don't have perfect pitch, and I hear it. +/- 1 cent is very audible to me and makes it sound like the whole band is out of tune. To my ear. I've never gotten any complaints, though. Hm.

[lbpesq]

I agree that there is a point of diminishing returns.  The most important factors to me are visibility, both in very bright and very dark environments, ease of use, and roadworthyness (is that actually a word?)
 
While I certainly wouldn't go pay another $100+ to replace a +/- .1 cent with a +/- .02 cent tuner,  I would (and did) to replace a Boss TU-2 that I couldn't see in sunlight.  And if I were in the market for a new tuner, I would certainly go with the most accurate that fits my other requirements.
 
The Sonic Research ST-200 that I have is built like a tank.  Also, the Sonic Research is a true strobe, not just an LCD virtual strobe, and is the fastest tuner at recognizing and reacting to the played note.  The new ST-300 series is supposed to be even faster and brighter.
 
Bill, tgo

[keith_h]

roadworthyness (is that actually a word?)
 
roadworthyness isn't but roadworthiness is.  
 
Keith

[lbpesq]

Damn spellcheck!
 
hehehehe
 
Bill, tgo

[lidon2001]

I happened to be in the market for a tuner and just received the ST-300.  Very nice, well worth it.  Thanks for the info to Bill and everyone.

[lbpesq]

Tom:
 
Did you get the mini, or is the full size one out?
 
Bill, tgo