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Thread: Took advice of others

  1. #1
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    Default Took advice of others

    And for Christmas I received a Unitune to replace one of my Snark tuners. It is a very responsive tuner (much more so than my others) and appears to be well built. Hopefully it will provide years of service as others have experienced. Will replace the remaining 5, one by one, as needed with the Unitune. NFI
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  2. #2

    Default Re: Took advice of others

    Great choice, I’ve switched my daily players to Unitunes also. I still have d’addario micros mounted on a couple of instruments and like them better than the snarks but the unitunes are definitely my favorite so far.

  3. #3
    not a donut Kevin Winn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    I swapped out all the Snarks for Unitunes and am no longer embarrassing myself by swearing at my tuner...
    "Keep your hat on, we may end up miles from here..." - Kurt Vonnegut

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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    I was in need of tuning the other day and with the mando in hand was looking all around my "office" for a tuner, checked under tune books, shelves, retraced my steps from the dining room, not to be found, I did come across an old Snark ( which I have moved to Fishman), but it still needed a battery, after checking more than one closet and a few "junk" drawers I found the battery, although it was not in the package and might have been old, i grabbed it hoping it would work. After I managed to get the old battery into the Snark, I grabbed the mando and was about to clamp it on the headstock, but I couldn't because there was the new Fishman i was looking for, clamped to the head stock all this time.
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    Registered User Kirk Higgins's Avatar
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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    I have the Unitune as well but I find the design and strength of the clip a little over the top. I continue to use the D’Addario micro tuner on my mandolins. I leave it attached all the time whereas with the Unitune I take it off after the instrument is tuned. I am a little concerned that the strength of the clip may damage the softer varnish finish on mandolins. I do use the Unitune on my guitars but still tend to take it off when tuned.
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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    I was test driving a mandolin at a local music store and the owner handed me a D'addario micro tuner which I found totally useless. Maybe the battery was bad or tuner was bad, something was bad. I can't imagine D'addario producing a tuner that is relatively useless. Do like my new Unitune though.

  8. #7
    Registered User doc holiday's Avatar
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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Mead View Post
    I was test driving a mandolin at a local music store and the owner handed me a D'addario micro tuner which I found totally useless. Maybe the battery was bad or tuner was bad, something was bad. I can't imagine D'addario producing a tuner that is relatively useless. Do like my new Unitune though.
    must have been the battery. I used the micro on my Heiden & Ellis...with success... these days i use a unitune..... or occasionally (on my guitar) the soundhole version of micro. the D'Addario still out tune any Snark...
    Last edited by doc holiday; Dec-27-2022 at 10:29pm.

  9. #8

    Default Re: Took advice of others

    Unitunes are great. Got one each for my guitar and mandolin. Be careful when clipping onto, or removing from, the headstock as they have quite a “bite”. That aside, they’re great tuners.

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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    I leave my unitune clipped on the headstock with no problems. I do open it to clip on and off and don't pinch the actual tuner, I have cracked a couple when not doing this. They still work fine, just avoiding doing it in the future
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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Mead View Post
    And for Christmas I received a Unitune to replace one of my Snark tuners. It is a very responsive tuner (much more so than my others) and appears to be well built. Hopefully it will provide years of service as others have experienced. Will replace the remaining 5, one by one, as needed with the Unitune. NFI
    After hearing about the Unitune on this forum I decided to try it after breaking another Snark. It is a major upgrade from the Snark. There is no going back

  12. #11
    Registered User Billy Packard's Avatar
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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    I never leave the tuner on the guitar or mandolin once they're tuned.

    Billy

    ps, I'm gonna try a Unitune tuner (cuz it sounds like loonytunes)
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  14. #12

    Default Re: Took advice of others

    I keep my Unitune in strobe mode where I believe it's the most accurate. It's much easier to read than other strobe tuners for me.
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    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    Quote Originally Posted by Don Grieser View Post
    I keep my Unitune in strobe mode where I believe it's the most accurate. It's much easier to read than other strobe tuners for me.
    Yeah, I find the Peterson almost indecipherable.
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  17. #14
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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    Actually I find the Peterson easier to read than the Unitune in strobe, but then I grew up using a big ol Peterson tuner in band in H.S.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

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    Registered User bbcee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    UniTunes are like hen’s teeth in Europe. I just ordered one from Thomann.es, and the wait will be “a couple of months”. I pulled the trigger because the Snark is absolutely no help in trying to get my E strings in tune on my F5.

  19. #16
    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    Do like how accurate the UniTune is, but dislike using them in the sunlight. Have had better luck with the Korg Sledgehammer custom that uses a AAA battery. Or the newer Peterson. Just dislike how slow the Peterson is before being ready to use.

    I don't think our school used Peterson tuners. Remember using a Conn strobe instead. Even had one for a few years.
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    Registered User Murphy Slaw's Avatar
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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    Quote Originally Posted by pops1 View Post
    Actually I find the Peterson easier to read than the Unitune in strobe, but then I grew up using a big ol Peterson tuner in band in H.S.
    This.

    I prefer the Peterson, used them all my life, they look like a tuner to me. The Unitune looks like a Christmas tree ornament.
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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    Quote Originally Posted by Eric Platt View Post
    Do like how accurate the UniTune is, but dislike using them in the sunlight. Have had better luck with the Korg Sledgehammer custom that uses a AAA battery. Or the newer Peterson. Just dislike how slow the Peterson is before being ready to use.

    I don't think our school used Peterson tuners. Remember using a Conn strobe instead. Even had one for a few years.
    You may be right Eric, we may have had a Conn tuner in H.S. I really don't remember and had forgotten that Conn also made those big tuners. That was a looong time ago.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

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  23. #19
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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    Hah, when I was in school we used a tuning fork to tune one person then everyone tuned to that person. Not very exact but neither was our playing.

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  25. #20
    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    Quote Originally Posted by pops1 View Post
    You may be right Eric, we may have had a Conn tuner in H.S. I really don't remember and had forgotten that Conn also made those big tuners. That was a looong time ago.
    It was probably Peterson. They invented it and then Conn took over. At least our school district used Conn. Others seemed to use Peterson.

    Our band/orchestra room did have a tuning fork on a wooden base. That was our normal quick tune up tone. (Amazing I can even remember that after 40 years).
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  26. #21
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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    Quote Originally Posted by Eric Platt View Post
    It was probably Peterson. They invented it and then Conn took over. At least our school district used Conn. Others seemed to use Peterson.

    Our band/orchestra room did have a tuning fork on a wooden base. That was our normal quick tune up tone. (Amazing I can even remember that after 40 years).
    My reunion is next year- dare I say 55 years. How can that much time have passed so quickly?
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

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  28. #22
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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    Quote Originally Posted by Billy Packard View Post
    I never leave the tuner on the guitar or mandolin once they're tuned.
    I salute you and operate the same. Having a fine instrument, many, such as an F5, with an artistically ornate headstock…with a hunk of plastic clamped onto it looks like crap, at least from the audience when watching a professional musical act in performance.
    too many strings

  29. #23
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    Quote Originally Posted by Johnny60 View Post
    Unitunes are great. Got one each for my guitar and mandolin. Be careful when clipping onto, or removing from, the headstock as they have quite a “bite”. That aside, they’re great tuners.
    I noticed that when I clip mine to the F2 it was overlapping the headstock inlay. I decided to be more careful and move it a little to the side. Why take chances?

    (PS. All my mandolins share the same tuner )
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  30. #24
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    Default Re: Took advice of others

    Quote Originally Posted by Murphy Slaw View Post
    This.

    I prefer the Peterson, used them all my life, they look like a tuner to me. The Unitune looks like a Christmas tree ornament.
    I hung my Unitune on our Christmas tree this year. It told me the needles were a bit sharp

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  32. #25

    Default Re: Took advice of others

    The Peterson Strobe tuner is the best, most accurate tuner I've used. Battery life is good, has auto shut-off. Here it is on Amazon and the price is great - I think I paid around $90.

    http://https://www.amazon.com/Peterson-StroboClip-Ukulele-Woodwind-Orchestral/dp/B06ZZX99G8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1MHOVJTQSGOVH&keywords=peterson+tu ner&qid=1674055344&sprefix=peterson+tuner%2Caps%2C 217&sr=8-1

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