# Clip on Tuners



## GetRhythm (May 18, 2012)

Well I know it's a bit of a boring question, but what brand of clip on guitar tuner do you use? I am in need of a second one and they've come a long way since I bought mine so many years ago. I'm sure most brands are descent but what would you buy if you were shopping for one?


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I love Snark--they're cheap, work well & actually they work better than clip on tuners I've tried that cost 3 or 4 times as much.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

I just posted this another thread earlier in the evening.
zontar has better luck with Snarks than I have had....LOL

_Just a warning....I have been jinxed when it comes to buying the popular "Snark" clip on tuners...they break at the ball and socket joint (for want of a better term).
Maybe you will have better luck. However, this is apparently/reportedly not all that unusual for the Snarks.

Amagras is suggesting the TC Electronics version and I will put a plug in here for the
KORG PitchHawk -G2. The salesman at Folkway Music here in Waterloo recommended this tuner to me and it has been solid, easy to use/read, etc.

Cheers

Dave_


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

I stopped using them a year or so ago when I was a a jam and tested a couple of tuners against each other .... nope not in tune with each other ... so I went back to my regular one that I know is correct


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

shoretyus said:


> *I stopped using them* a year or so ago when I was a a jam and tested a couple of tuners against each other .... nope not in tune with each other ... so I went back to *my regular one *that I know is correct


Do you mean that you stopped using snarks or (all) clip ons?

What is your "regular one" ?


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I haven't broken one--but I have two & I can't find one right now.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

I use the Black Snark SN-8's and have never broken one. They are easier to read than the blue SN-1's. They will discolour the wood on the back of the headstock if you leave them on your guitar as they did on my Seagull. Now I just leave it on the guitar. I think they were $15 at Strings and Beyond but that was when our dollar was even. I also have a Boss TU-12H tuner for checking intonation on my electrics.









Update: I tuned my Seagull acoustic with my Snark SN-8 and checked the tuning with my TU-12H and it was bang on.


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2016)

I have one of these. Been using it for 30+ years now. Very accurate.
At a jam setting, I just say, 'someone give me an A, eh!?'


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I had a non-snark one, it worked well when I used it on my strat, but it didn't fit on the PRS. I would have one on an acoustic, but as far as electric I tune by ear or with my TU-3 on my pedalboard.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

greco said:


> Do you mean that you stopped using snarks or (all) clip ons?
> 
> What is your "regular one" ?


I still have a non Shark clip on somewhere ..but my regular one is.
a 2" by 3" Profile chromatic....


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

I'm in the market for one of the new TC polytune ones. $55 ish and I love the pedal version I'm using. I figure why not free up the pedal space.


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## pattste (Dec 30, 2007)

I used an OnBoard Intellitouch for many years. It still works, but I replaced it with the new TC Polytune Clip last summer. It is a nice tuner, very quick and precise and highly visible display. In my opinion, the polyphonic mode isn't very useful. The low E always shows flat in polyphonic mode even after you tuned it, the other strings are not very reliable either. But in one-note-at-a-time mode, it is great. The strobe mode is very precise but the display isn't really suited to it, in my opinion. I have had the chance to use someone's Peterson Clip and it is a better tuner, in my opinion. The display of the Peterson is (understandably) clearly designed for strobe mode and works very well. In the TC, strobe mode is an afterthought or something they did for a more complete feature list.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Snark and Oasis clip-ons at the moment, though every so often one disappears on a student's guitar without me noticing, and usually comes back. A nice Planet Waves PW-CT-05 sits on my desk (plus I have a back-up), and a Korg rack mount sits on my amp.

Even with all that I still use a tuning fork and tweak by ear if I'm traveling or on vacation. Old habits die hard.

Peace, Mooh.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

I have a couple of Snarks and they've been great. Everyone in our band uses them and we've never had an issue with one not being the same as another, though I know that can be an issue with some entry-level tuners -not just clip-ons.

I tune by ear when I'm at home, but they're handy at a noisy jam or gig. I still carry a tuning fork in my case, just incase my battery dies and I don't have a spare - or in the event of a catastrophic EMP.


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## GetRhythm (May 18, 2012)

It sounds like I'll be trying the black snark tuner. At my local shop I used a blue snark they had there to tune up a guitar I wanted to demo but as stated above it was difficult to read. The pick of the black snark looks easier to read. I have an intelitouch tuner at the moment. The whole screen is red until it is on key and then it turns green. It can be a little finicky at times.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I recently bought a Godin clip on tuner (called a TUN-E). I looked at the Snark but this one seemed to fold away out of sight better.

Seems to work fine so far.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Milkman said:


> I recently bought a Godin clip on tuner (called a TUN-E). I looked at the Snark but this one seemed to fold away out of sight better.
> 
> Seems to work fine so far.


I haven't seen those--sounds like something I may check out.


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## Rick31797 (Apr 20, 2007)

I liked my snark, tell it broke at the ball,i glued it back together still works but you cannot adjust it..then i bought a Intelitouch , very nice tuner except it takes 2 batteries..now it wont work...so i am in the market to buy a tuner also.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Rick31797 said:


> I liked my snark, tell it broke at the ball


Finally...someone else with a broken ball!


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

I had and liked my Snark tuner until, like others have mentioned, the cup that holds the ball joint broke. I bought the Son of Snark instead, as it doesn't have the same architecture, but it's a pile of garbage. It doesn't tune anywhere near as well as the larger Snark and it's nearly impossible to use with an electric that's not riding up around your nipples. It's even a bit of a pain for acoustics when you're sitting. That's a deal-breaker for me.

I'm looking at the TC PolyTune Clip now. $58 at L&M. Quite a bit more than the Snark, but seems more robust and better-designed.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

GetRhythm said:


> It sounds like I'll be trying the black snark tuner. At my local shop I used a blue snark they had there to tune up a guitar I wanted to demo but as stated above it was difficult to read. The pick of the black snark looks easier to read. I have an intelitouch tuner at the moment. The whole screen is red until it is on key and then it turns green. It can be a little finicky at times.


I think you will happy with the Snark. I just tuned my Seagull acoustic with my Snark SN-8 and checked the tuning with my TU-12H and it was bang on.
$12.98 US at Strings & Beyond but you need to get your order over $29 US to get free shipping. $22 CAN at L&M.


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## Rick31797 (Apr 20, 2007)

greco said:


> Finally...someone else with a broken ball!



no doubt a design flaw, i see the new ones are changed..


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## Rick31797 (Apr 20, 2007)

if i lived in the USA, Snark would have replace my SN-1 for free since it broke...but once i said i am in Canada they wont ship it...


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