Mandolin tuner

[fiddler37]

I recently got a new mini-tuner that is made by Planet Waves. I already have at least 8tuners, and I can say without reservation, this mini-tuner is the absolute very best I have ever had. It is especially and really good on the mandolin, is small, compact, and can hardly be seen on the instrument. I believe that this tuner will set the mark for tuners in the future. Look it up, check it out, get one, and you will not be sorry. All of the other tuners I have used on a mandolin will frequently say the two strings in unison are in tune, but my ear tells me they are not. I do not have this problem with this mini-tuner.

[Chip Booth]

Have you tested it against another high quality tuner (non clip on)? I too have tried many tuners and the only clip on tuner I have found that is even close to accurate is the now discontinued Korg AW1. Most of them, like the Inteli, are a complete joke. Thank goodness I have two of the Korgs, but they don't have a back light and they go through batteries pretty quickly so I am always on the hunt for another option. Plus, I have at least one bandmate sorely in need of a good tuner option....

[fiddler37]

I have tried about all of them except a Strobe type tuner. I can tall that this new Planet Waves Mini[Tuner wins hands down. The only negative I have seen is getting it attached to a fiddle. Everything else works great. Type in Planet Waves and look at what they say. The cost is abouit $18 to $30 depending on where you get it and the shipping if any. Good Luck!

[mandroid]

Frugal, My base reference is an A-440 tuning fork.. to check the electronic one against.

[Ed Goist]

Mandroid breaking out the 'Old School' A-440 tuning fork.
I'm sure I still have my EADGBE pitch pipe at home somewhere...

[Phil Goodson]

Yep. I just got one of the tiny Planet Wave tuners too. I'm starting to think TAS is worse than MAS (but way less expensive).

The tuner is certainly tiny & very easy to use. Display is stable and reproducible. I compared the 'agreement' between the PW and my Korg-AG2 and found them to be pretty darn close. The Korg is harder to settle down, like it's over sensitive, but it's been my most consistent 'standard' for a while.
The 'agreement' with the Snark tuners is very close also. I don't have a strobe to compare these too, but the new PW 'mini' is accurate enough for any jam or on stage application and very easy to see and use.

It only touches the headstock in a very small area. Maybe a few square millimeters. I've been hesitant to leave a tuner on the headstock for very long because of finish risks. If this tuner causes a problem with finish, at least it would be in a tiny place only. Time will tell.

If I were recording in a studio, I might want to use a strobe for everyone, but if that happens I'll probably be living in some other universe anyway. :disbelief:

Anyway, having used it for 48 hours, I like it. It goes to its first jam tonight. If it disappoints, I'll report back.

[eadg145]

At the workshop last weekend, Frank Wakefield pulled an old pitch pipe out of his pocket, blew a D, then tuned the rest by ear from there. It made quite a first impression on me. (Many more impressions followed...)

[Mandobart]

I like that the planet waves is the first clip-on tuner I bought that could "hear" the low strings on a mandocello or bass. What I don't like is how easy the battery compartment door falls off. Lost one during a gig and it is gone like a Nixon file. Doesn't work well without it. I picked up a couple of cheap Snarks (the multi-instrument SN-2) and they seem to work just as well, better display, will expand to fit over a fiddle scroll, and have a more secure battery install. Yes it is uglier than the PW.

I grew up tuning by ear in orchestra, and it is easilly done, in the right environment. To me, when playing in a noisy venue, a tuning fork and tuning by ear just won't work. Pitch pipes don't stay true over time; humidity, temperature, etc. take their toll. My first fiddle came with a built-in A pitch pipe in the end pin. It's nowhere near 440 Hz now.

[Patrick Bouldin]

At the workshop last weekend, Frank Wakefield pulled an old pitch pipe out of his pocket, blew a D, then tuned the rest by ear from there. It made quite a first impression on me. (Many more impressions followed...)

Cool! Wonder if he does that normally?
Patrick

[mandomurph]

My question is: When the readout display is behind the headstock can you see the screen at all times while tuning, without repositioning the tuner once or twice so that your left hand isn't blocking your view?

[fiddler37]

If you put it on a guitar or electric bass close the nut, the answer is yes, you can see the display at all times. On my mandoin, I have it on the headstock at the end. I can see it at all times on the E and A strings, and some on the D and G strings. It is not a problem to look, move the tuning gear slightly, move your hand an look at it. I expect to get a couple more of these to use on my other instruments. There may be a better tuner than this, but I have not seen it. I think Gibson or somebody makes a self tuning guitar, which is an interesting concept, buy I doubt that it is perfect.

[Phil Goodson]

My question is: When the readout display is behind the headstock can you see the screen at all times while tuning, without repositioning the tuner once or twice so that your left hand isn't blocking your view?

On mando it works well for all except when tuning the uppermost D string tuner. Hard to imagine how to avoid that problem with ANY Tuner design that hangs from the back of the headstock.

Oops! Fiddler was faster than I was.