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Thread: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

  1. #26
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    I've never had a snark tell me an instrument is in tune when its out of tune but one just stopped working, even with new batteries; and my current one has an unreliable screen/display whatever, it can take awhile for it register than im plucking a string. I'll be looking into some of the other brands listed here for sure.

  2. #27
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    I've owned 2 Red Snarks for over 6 years,& both are still in perfect shape. They don't damage themselves,so it's down to the user to be careful. I'll admit that the readout to clamp joint seems a tad fragile,but i've had not problems with breakage,because i'm simply careful not to put any force on them. Any tuner can be broken if not enough care is used - i'd like to see somebody break a Tuning fork however, without a steamroller to hand. I think that carrying a suitable tuning fork would be a good idea for any musician who uses an elec.tuner - 'just in case',
    Ivan
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  3. #28
    Worlds ok-ist mando playr Zach Wilson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    Quote Originally Posted by Ivan Kelsall View Post
    They don't damage themselves,so it's down to the user to be careful.
    I have to disagree.

    I had two Snarks (a red one and a black one). The display bacame very faint on both of them to the point where you couldn't read it at all. I tried changing the battery, it didn't light up. I tried a different brand battery (thinking the gage was off) and it still didn't work. This happened to both!

    I was always careful with the tuners and always put them away in their bag after use.

    They did break themselves.

  4. #29
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    That's a problem but I wouldn't call it damage. I tighten a small zip tie around the receptacle for the ball joint as those can break easily.That will sometimes repair a broken one if only one tab is missing. I own lots of Snarks and have found them a fabulous product for the money.
    Steve

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  6. #30
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    Hi Zach - A dim display isn't the type of 'damage' that i meant. It's the breaking of the 'neck / stem' (whatever) that i was meaning.

    Your personal experience is the polar opposite of my own. The displays on all 3 of mine are very bright & crystal clear. If that had happened to either of my first 2 Snarks,i'd most likley have your opinion. I think that you've simply been unfortunate - how old were they when you had the problem & did you contact the manufacturers about it ?,
    Ivan
    Weber F-5 'Fern'.
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  7. #31
    Registered User sblock's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    Quote Originally Posted by Ivan Kelsall View Post
    Hi Zach - A dim display isn't the type of 'damage' that i meant. It's the breaking of the 'neck / stem' (whatever) that i was meaning.

    Your personal experience is the polar opposite of my own. The displays on all 3 of mine are very bright & crystal clear. If that had happened to either of my first 2 Snarks,i'd most likley have your opinion. I think that you've simply been unfortunate - how old were they when you had the problem & did you contact the manufacturers about it ?,
    Ivan
    This is my opinion, but I don't think it's appropriate to be so quick to blame the user when their Snark tuner gets broken during normal use. In fact, the weak swivel joint between the stem and head on Snark tuners is a notorious point of failure, and it's been reported by many people, going back several years now. Plastics tend to get more brittle as they age, and many Snark tuners repeatedly fail at this joint, often under what's more appropriately characterized as "normal wear and tear," NOT some type of physical abuse! You should not be so quick to chalk this up to user error.

    I've owned several Snark tuners myself that failed at this joint, most of which I was able to repair (with glue or cable ties), but not all. I eventually stopped using them altogether. I am not alone. No question about it: this issue is costing Snark valuable sales! In fact, if the Snark folks were smart, they would look into this common problem and re-engineer the joint, either by beefing it up or by replacing it with another type of swivel.

  8. #32
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    Hi sblock - I'm not 'blaming' anybody - but !. Usually 'any item' doesn't damage itself,by that i mean ''physically breaking''. I'd ask - how is it that my two 6+ year old Red Snarks are still in perfect condition ?. Answer = because i'm careful with them. I use them & put them back in my cases,making sure that there's no pressure on them. It's as simple as that, & i'm 100% sure that my Snarks are just like everybody else's.

    I would totally agree with you regarding the flimsy joint. Obviously it is a weak point, & i've read of many cases where it's broken. I'd think that a different way of attaching the readout to the clamp might be better,but,if i can keep mine in good order,so can others - it simply takes a tad more care. The simple joint on my old Intelli tuner was as strong as it ever needed to be,& the joint on my recently bought Snark SN8 'Super Tight' tuner is solid - only the readout swivels,
    Ivan
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    Weber F-5 'Fern'.
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  9. #33
    Registered User sblock's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    Quote Originally Posted by Ivan Kelsall View Post
    Hi sblock - I'm not 'blaming' anybody - but !. Usually 'any item' doesn't damage itself,by that i mean ''physically breaking''. I'd ask - how is it that my two 6+ year old Red Snarks are still in perfect condition ?. Answer = because i'm careful with them. I use them & put them back in my cases,making sure that there's no pressure on them. It's as simple as that, & i'm 100% sure that my Snarks are just like everybody else's.

    I would totally agree with you regarding the flimsy joint. Obviously it is a weak point, & i've read of many cases where it's broken. I'd think that a different way of attaching the readout to the clamp might be better,but,if i can keep mine in good order,so can others - it simply takes a tad more care. The simple joint on my old Intelli tuner was as strong as it ever needed to be,& the joint on my recently bought Snark SN8 'Super Tight' tuner is solid - only the readout swivels,
    Ivan
    It is pretty ridiculous -- and useless! -- to point out that "things don't usually break themselves." Of course they don't. But by that same logic, the very best way to keep them safe is never to use them at all. And you have chosen to take extraordinary care with them. That's because they tend to break under ordinary care, according to the experience of many other users here in the Cafe. These tuners have a weak point, and that's pretty hard to dispute.

    I guess the point here, which we don't seem to have effectively communicated to you, is that one should not HAVE TO take such extraordinary care with something as mundane as a tuner. It should not be fragile in that way. But because the Snark is, I deem its design to be defective and in serious need of an engineering improvement -- even if it works for a long while when you're careful. This is no different from a lot of other commodities (cars, appliances, etc.) that turn out to have a structural weakness that cause them to always fail in the same way, rather than in a more random fashion. Successful car and appliance makers constantly work to eliminate such common modes of failure by re-engineering improved versions. Snark would be wise to do the same. That is my opinion, and a number of my fellow Mandolin Cafe players share that opinion. We don't want to have to 'baby' our tuners.
    Last edited by sblock; Dec-01-2018 at 1:12pm.

  10. #34
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    Sblock - I'm no more careful with my Snark tuners than i am with any other item that might be breakable. We can usually recognise fragility in most things,& we use them carefully - that's simply what i do with my Snark tuners. There's no 'extraordinary' care to do with it. I use them & put them back in my cases making sure that there's no pressure on them - something i even did with my Polytune & Intelli tuners.

    Quote - " We don't want to have to 'baby' our tuners. " Well maybe if more folk did there'd be less broken Snarks around. I wonder what the ratio of broken ones to ones still in good condition after many years is ?.

    Ultimately,if you have a Snark & it breaks,then you've only yourself to blame - it didn't break itself,a point that you seem to accept - if so,then 'who' broke it ?. I use mine everyday to check the tuning or any mandolin that i choose to play. If i can be careful enough to keep my 2 oldest ones safe from breakage,then so can others - it's as simple as that - Finis !,
    Ivan
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  11. #35
    Chu Dat Frawg Eric C.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    Quote Originally Posted by Ivan Kelsall View Post

    Quote - " We don't want to have to 'baby' our tuners. " Well maybe if more folk did there'd be less broken Snarks around. I wonder what the ratio of broken ones to ones still in good condition after many years is ?.
    I'd be willing to bet the cost of a Snark on the ratio of broken/not broken is drastically different between those that sit at home and play by themselves 100% of the time and those that do the majority of their playing outside their home with others. I've had two break on a stage between sets where it slipped out of my hand and fell while removing it from my headstock. I've had a handful break just simply rotating the display.

    I can say with absolutely certainty that I have never had one break when I do play at home.

    I can also say that complaining (or stressing) about breaking an accessory that costs the same as one or two sets of strings (or treating such an item as something sacred) seems kind of weird to me. You get what you pay for.

    My main complaint with Snark tuners is the battery life. Don't worry about pointing out the fault lies with me. I often forget to remove it while playing, let alone powering it down.

  12. #36
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    The battery life complaint seems to be a huge variable. I own a lot of Snarks and use them often. I have one in my teaching studio that I use multiple times every day. The batteries in all of mine last for months. I'm not disputing other people's experience but I'm surprised I haven't encountered this given how often this comes up in posts about them.
    Steve

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  14. #37
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    I get a year from the battery in the Polytune using it daily, my partner is always getting a new battery for her Snark.

    I recently put the Poly back to chromatic instead of strobe and can hear the difference in accuracy. .05-.002. It's an easier display to read, but I use my ear more, which is OK.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

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  16. #38
    Registered User Bob Buckingham's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    If I use a snark tuner, it is this one: Snark Son of Snark Mini Guitar and Bass Tuner.

  17. #39
    Registered User Tom C's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    Quote Originally Posted by Zach Wilson View Post
    I made the switch to the D'Addario NS Micro after two Snarks crapped out on me after very little use. So far (about 2 years) I haven't had any issues with my Micro tuners! Love um.
    Me too. Great as I leave it on mando all the time and will not loose it.

  18. #40
    Registered User Steve Sorensen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    Snark = Junk

    Hope this comment isn't too snarky.

    Steve
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner


  20. #42
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    Quote Originally Posted by Hockey Puck View Post
    I got three last week for the 3 for $20. Quality tuner cheap price.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

  21. #43

    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    Thanks,Puck. I just ordered one of them unitunes.

  22. #44

    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    Quote Originally Posted by Zach Wilson View Post
    I made the switch to the D'Addario NS Micro after two Snarks crapped out on me after very little use. So far (about 2 years) I haven't had any issues with my Micro tuners! Love um.
    Quote Originally Posted by Tom C View Post
    Me too. Great as I leave it on mando all the time and will not loose it.
    I also have the D'Addario Planet Waves NS Micro tuners on just about all my acoustic instruments. I'll use the Turbo Tuner if I'm on a gig, but the Micro is always there, and has no failure points like the Snark. Since it's so compact, it can even live on the headstock without needing to be removed before putting an instrument into a case or gigbag.
    ----

    Playing a funky oval-hole scroll-body mandolin, several mandolins retuned to CGDA, three CGDA-tuned Flatiron mandolas, two Flatiron mandolas tuned as octave mandolins,and a six-course 25.5" scale CGDAEB-tuned Ovation Mandophone.

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  23. #45
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    Steve L - I have exactly the same experience with the battery usage on my own Snarks. I use Duracell CR2032 batteries & they seem to last for months at a time - in fact,i can't remember the last time i changed one. The power usage of the LED display is very small,so a battery should last quite a while. Here's one reason why the battery might go dead if folks leave them clipped on :-
    "Despite the automatic shut-off after 2 minutes, if you tune and then start playing without waiting more than 2 minutes, the unit will stay on and try to tune. The result – a shortened battery life." I tune up,switch the tuner off & put it in my case,
    Ivan
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  25. #46
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    Default Re: Snark vs Korg chromatic tuner

    I do the same thing, tune and turn it off. The battery in my polytune lasts not for months, but for more than a year. I use if multiple times daily.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

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