Are cheap electronic tuners good?

Wayne Carver · Post by **Wayne Carver** » 3 May 2003 6:54 am

Hello, I have a Korg CA-30 that seems to work good but not great. Seems like one with a needle would be better. Would a medium priced one work better? I wouldn't want to spend over $90.00 for a tuner. This is the only one I have so a have nothing to compare it to.

John Bresler R.I.P. · Post by **John Bresler R.I.P.** » 3 May 2003 7:42 am

I have a Korg DT-3 that I've had for about 5 years that works great for me. I don't remember how much I paid for it, but it was less than $90.00.

Jeff Newman says you should use a needle tuner, but I tune my E's straight up and tune everything else by ear. I've always been in tune with the band.

George Wixon · Post by **George Wixon** » 3 May 2003 7:55 am

I have a "Quik Tune" which I thing was around 20 or 30 dollars at the time I bought it. I don't remember the price but the one thing that I do know is that it has a hard time trying to detect 5 cents. If I tune any string to +5 using the tuner in Band in a Box, this thing may read 0 or +10 and the same is true going negative. Even with a new battery or using a harmonic on the 12th fret I still see the problem.
George

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 3 May 2003 8:02 am

There are a few things that expensive tuners will give you that cheaper ones won't. Among those are precision and stability.
Precision is whether you have to estimate 1 or 2 cents by getting it 'between the led's' or you have a dial that goes down to 1/10 of a cent.
Stability is how well noise/overtones are filtered out so that the reading is unambiguous.

In my experience, the Boss TU-12h is plenty good for tuning on stage. At $80 or less, it's the best compromise I've found. It has a needle readout and is easy to use throughout the range of both necks of a pedal steel. I haven't found anything cheaper than that I'm happy with.

Permit me to digress . . .
Most pedal steels are realtively stable, tuning-wise. If yours is not, you may want to have someone check the setup -- may be a symptom of problems that can easily be solved by a knowledgeable technician. I rarely tune the nylon nuts much onstage. BUT, before leaving the house for a gig or session, I spend a few minutes with the tuner to check all the open strings and pulls. I use an accurate tuner for this -- a Peterson VS-1, but the Boss would do fine. When I set up at the gig, I tune the open strings using either the Boss TU-12h or the built-in tuner in my Boss GT-6 and play a couple of minutes, then re-check the tuning. I'll check the A's and C#s and Ebs and Fs and I'm good to go. Takes about three minutes, mostly spent noodling to warm the strings up a bit. Works for me.

I like having the Peterson for tuning when I have time to check the pull and return of each string. I do this when I have the time to check, and if necessary, adjust the pedal or lever throw or return spring or whatever -- to be sure that the string does what it's supposed to, within the limits of the instrument (and there ARE limits). I usually do this at least once a week and it leads to far fewer surprises at gigs, when things can get crazy very easily. (sorry for the rant)

------------------
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 3 May 2003 9:05 am

I use a small Sabine LED tuner. There are
3 colored lights; yellow [flat]; green [tuned]; red [sharp].

They can be had from MusiciansFriend, for one, for about $49, I think.

I usually just use the tuner, also, to get
a reference note like the E, and tune the rest by ear.

Works fine for me.

Bruce Derr · Post by **Bruce Derr** » 3 May 2003 3:56 pm

I just bought a Seiko ST757L tuner for less than $30, after seeing it recommended by someone here in another thread recently. It has an LCD simulated needle, but more importantly it displays Cents, which helps get the tempered strings right. Haven't used it much yet but it seems very stable, and the accuracy is stated as within one cent. The ST757 is the same tuner without the backlit dial, for a few bucks less.

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 3 May 2003 4:10 pm

Chip Fossa said,

"I usually just use the tuner, also, to get
a reference note like the E, and tune the rest by ear.

I have heard many say this on this forum and other places. I believe MOST use a tuner pretty much to get the E reference and the rest by ear.

IF this is true, then I cannot for the life of me see why any one would pay more than 20 to 40 dollars for a tuner, since "tuning the rest by ear", negates most of the things the higher priced tuners were designed for.

There has been ongoing threads about the new Peterson electronic strobe tuners. Also several on the incredible PST-2 and 3 tuners. These tuners do NOT come cheap. They are awesome in design and capability.

Unless a person is going to tune all the strings, pedals and knee levers USING the tuner, I see NO reason to even consider tuners of this ilk. The same could be said for the fancy Korgs, et all IMO. AS a mstter of fact, why not use a tuning fork?

carl

Bill Terry · Post by **Bill Terry** » 3 May 2003 5:30 pm

Hello Carl, You said..

I cannot for the life of me see why any one would pay more than 20 to 40 dollars for a tuner, since "tuning the rest by ear", negates most of the things the higher priced tuners were designed for.

.

I agree, but the problem is in a club where you can't hear well enough to tune by ear. In that case you have to have some other way to do it, and IMO, the slightly more expensive tuners are just better suited for pedal steel..

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 3 May 2003 5:37 pm

You are supposed to tune these things? Wow! Seriously, I use a Fender Chromatic that cost about 30 bucks. It has a needle and works great.

------------------
1985 Emmons push-pull,Evans SE200

Michael Holland · Post by **Michael Holland** » 4 May 2003 4:19 am

Glad to hear you picked up the Seiko, Bruce. It's an excellent choice for a stable, inexpensive tuner that will display cents. If you want to tune your pulls to a chart this will do the trick. My search this morning turns up the best deal at Charles Music for $26.50!

http://www.charlesmusic.com/

Bruce Derr · Post by **Bruce Derr** » 7 May 2003 9:14 am

Michael, was it you that recommended the ST757L in that earlier post? If so, thanks, it was a good tip. I found mine on eBay, new in the box, for $22.33 plus 2.99 S&H. Great tuner for steel; I like it better than my Korg CA-20.

Jack Francis · Post by **Jack Francis** » 7 May 2003 1:35 pm

I use the Boss TU12H, and it's not bad
I had a few good quality Sieko's that were REALLY good but....they both died.
This Boss just keeps on tickin'

I just checked on Musicians Friend and they
have the Sieko ST737 for $16.99 + shipping.[This message was edited by Jack Francis on 07 May 2003 at 03:08 PM.]

Ken Williams · Post by **Ken Williams** » 7 May 2003 4:05 pm

I bought a quick tune chromatic tuner for about 20 bucks several years ago. I have no complaints about it. Simulated needle response is pretty solid, compared to some other tuners I've used in which the needle is bouncing around everywhere. It seems to be calibrated very close to other tuners. I use it get a reference E note and then temper other strings by ear.

Ken
http://home.ipa.net/~kenwill

Tony LaCroix · Post by **Tony LaCroix** » 12 May 2003 11:52 am

Ditto the Seiko. I have a stack of tuners at home wtih "simulated" needles- swore them off for good. Then my wife bought one of these Seiko's for bass. I told her to take it back, then tried it- best tuner I've ever used. They got it right with this one.

Jesse Harris · Post by **Jesse Harris** » 16 May 2003 1:13 pm

TU-15 Chromatic Tuner

these work great for steel and the backlighting is really cool and bright, it also beeps when yuor in pitch if you want it to
http://www.bossus.com/index.asp?pg=1&tmp=119