AUTOMATIC GUITAR TUNER (Page 1 of 2)

Hi Doc ,
   I used to tune by ear untill
by little bro turned me on to
the little fender pedal tuner
about twelve years ago . I love this thing . I just use a tee connector into it and I plug everything I'm using in to it before the chorus . It's
full chromatic so I can tune anything with it , and it will pick up the tone even if you're a mile off . Also it does'nt eat batteries just having something plugged into it . When you hit it , it lights up and is easy to see on the floor .

I don't know...I looked up the website on that Action Tuner and it seems to be more of a gimmick to me. I think someone is better off with a quality tuner that you can plug into or use the built in mic for acoustics and simply tune the instrument. I have a Korg that I can tune everything that I have with. Also have a little Seiko that clips on to the headstock and senses vibrations...I use it on mandolins and it works well in a noisy environment...it also has a built in mic. I just can't get into the concept of a machine turning my tuning pegs until it thinks everything is right...maybe I'm just an old codger  or something.

i dont know doc tunning is kind of a ritual with me and i enjoy doing it myself i like the idea that i control the procedure not some machine theres to much we entrust to devices because its easier and quicker i favor a slower hands on approach

amen

Is the kind of tuner that you clip on to the head of an electric at all accurate?

I don't mind tuning the 6 string by ear, but the 12 string is a nightmare. I know the principal is the same, but timewise its just faster and more accurate to use a tuner, and i believe i have a good ear for pitch.

ROGER, I am throwing the ball back in your camp. (at least a small ball) WHY? most of us are able to tune the guitar. If you see an online video, they start explaining how to tune your guitar.
I also noticed that a "tuning device" showing you that the needle or digital, shows you a tuned chord. My point is, that EVEN WITH THESE TUNERS, you need 100% play different chords.
Even if my guitar is tuned "perfect' you still need to do a "check-up" by strumming A, E, G, C, D, B(less). In at least 50%, I need to adjust a so called TUNED string "BY EAR". I never relie on what I see on my tuner. 90% of the chords are nicely in tune, and even seeing this, the most important item to tune your guitar is and will always be YOUR EAR. Nevertheless the automatic tuner is maybe a gadget, but weren't the first electronic tuners also gadgets? A lot of people used a tuning fork. CHALLENGE: remove all your strings, and put brandnew strings on it: WHO CAN TUNE HIS/HER GUITAR ONLY BY EAR? I agree you can tune perfect your guitar resulting in the faact that your E string is higher or lower. You have no point to compare. Maybe if you change your guitar string after string, giving the opportunity to have a point of reference.
I really love the AUTOMATIC TUNER, it is an evolution.

Lieven,

What Russell has said is exactly right and to answer your question to me.

I use, what is now quite an old, Korg tuning device as it has a meter and not a digital disply and I must admit that I normaly have to make minor adjustments to the B and e strings but it takes only seconds to do. The automatic tuning gadget could tune no better than I can with my Korg and I guess I would still have to make minor adjustments.

The other thing that concens me with the auto tuner in what does it do if the string is too tuned high? Does it tune it low and then bring it up to the correct pitch? Or does it just tune it down to right pitch so that as soon as you start playing it goes out of tune again?

I disagree with your comparision between automatic tuner and a tuning device. A tuning device gives you an accurate reference to work to when tuning your guitar (far easier than carrying a piano with you to tune to ). The automatic tuner takes away the human element of a skill and is saying that a chip of silicon is better than a human.

In my opinion my brain and skill is better than any automatic tuner and when I have to rely on a contraption like that is the time for me to give up playing.

Roger

Since I first started playing I've been using an electronic tuner. I bought a pitch pipe 20 years ago but about a week later someone hipped me to the electronic tuner and I bought it (for a lot of money back in the day) and never looked back (I still have it and it still works). I personally have no natural "ear" to speak of (or talent for that matter!) so I can't imagine life without a tuner. Being a bad player AND out of tune is not where I want to be (cue the howling dogs). I've met a few people over the years who are against electronic tuners but most really couldn't tune by ear especially without a known good reference point (at least one string is in tune). These people always frustrated me because as much as they tried most were never in tune even though they "did it without the machine".
I guess I'm against something turning the machines for me but I wouldn't give up my tuner for anything..Heck my Takamine has one built into the pick up (real cool!!!)
There is NOTHING worse than playing with some jackass who thinks he can tune without a tuner and is always out of tune. Makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Using a tuner isn't cheating or cheesy it's smart.

I like the battery powerd tuners,easy and done in just a few moments.I can tune by ear,or with a piano e too begin with but it takes up alot of time. I do thinkyou should learn how too tune without a batt power tuner.

That is the reference(Calibration) point  so that your tuner can tune  "perfectly" or to "other" things

Concert Pitch stipulates that A = 440hertz and normally that is what you should tune to/set your tuner to  if you want to be in tune with everybody else when you have finished.

However the tuner has the ability to tune ( say 5 cents for example) flat or sharp so that you could use it to tune your instrument in to "the old piano in the corner" which is (say) 5 cents flat!

For example play a note on the "piano" to find that it is 5 cents flat according to your tuner so "calibrate" your tuner so that A now = 435 and then tune your instrument as normal(using the re-calibrated tuner) and then you should be in tune to the old piano! ( a bit flat!)

In practice you will be close but not perfect because  each key on the piano will not be exactly 5 cents flat but you should be close!

I have just returned to the studio since my first post last night to find that  "My First Tuner" was the Korg AT 12 and a mighty beast it was too! I now use the Harley Benton CT10 from Thomann which costs less than £10 and I have 5 of them that I use at the schools that I teach at.

I always impress the importance of tuning to my students when they start out but the easiest and the quickest way to do it unless you are very experienced is to use a tuner  and it can be as cheap as you like , just make sure it says "chromatic" on it!

The quicker you tune up the sooner you are playing!

MY GOD!
1 little question and such a discussion.

I NEVER SAW SUCH A LONG ANSWERS ABOUT AN "ITEM".
MOST  = 99% OF THE ANSWERS ARE CORRECT.

MY POINT IS STILL = HOW CAN YOU TUNE A GUITAR IN THE NORMAL TUNING E A G D B E, starting without one string (I 'more excited if a woman wears a string, bu it has to be difficult).

In the "PRE-TUNER" time, putting strings on a guitar, what DID THEY USE? STILL SPEAKING OF THE FOLLOWING E A G D B E standard tuning, when putting brandnew strings?
There are professional piano tuners THAT MUST BE HELL!!!
- MY STATEMENT IS STILL "A GUITAR WITHOUT A STRING, SO YOU NEED TO PLACE ALL YOUR STRINGS IN POSITION AND YOU ARE SOMEWHERE IN THE ROCKIES, TRYING TO PLAY FOR SOME GIRLS" WILL YOU BE ABLE TO HAVE A "PERFECT  E A D G B E"? I don't think so.
I am aware of the fact that you can tune indeed your guitar by ear, I can and most of you can. HOW MANY OF US WILL have the exact chord (Standard tuning)? You can be close, but I'm afraid that this will result in Eb or E#, or your tuning can be, AND THIS IS THE MOST SIMPLE = your guitar will be maybe tuned like this: Ab  Db  Gb  B  Eb  Ab, a second example A D G C E A.
IT ISN'T DIFFICULT like I could read and indeed, you go on a nice trip, you have to take the plane, AND your strings has to be loose or the risk of a head-crack is real. I can live with all your answers, I am able to tune my guitar with my eyes closed, and what if.. your E is an A now: PLAYING IS THE MESSAGE.
I am convinced that the most important "ITEM" = your ear, and that the standard tuning is less important on the condition that your guitar sounds great.
TONE FORK?