Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008

Subject: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: GUEST,Ian Hendrie
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 02:02 PM

Advice regarding clip-on tuners for acoustic instruments is sought. A previous discussion is now at least two years out of date and there now appear to be a number of very cheap tuners available in the UK - but are they any good? I am particularly interested in the visibility of the display and ease of use. Comparison by visiting shops is not easy as many shops only seem to stock one make.

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: Peace
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 02:03 PM

Try one out. They work.

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: Lowden Jameswright
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 03:32 PM

The "Intelli" Chromatic Turner IMT-500 is brilliant - most acoustic guitar players seem to have one now - they're priced around 20 quid. I've bought several tuners down the years, including the Sabine "stick-on" slimline (which was great too) but these are the best.

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: Tootler
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 03:41 PM

If you are not a guitarist (or player of other "plucky things") get one of these and plug it into a chromatic tuner. They allow you to tune in a noisy environment the same way as guitarists do.

I use one with a Korg CA30 tuner to tune my flute at sessions etc.

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 04:06 PM

Hello,

I've got two...one elecrically digital and one you blow through!

The pitch pipes are about 40 years old and have never needed a new battery.

The digital one is an EMT 888GB.

Both excellent!

Best wishes,

Peter

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: Banjo-Flower
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 04:47 PM

"The "Intelli" Chromatic Turner IMT-500 is brilliant"
you were robbed they sell in the U K for a tenner
but they are brilliant

Gerry

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: PoppaGator
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 05:26 PM

Let's expand the discussion to devices available outside the UK, as well.

If I recall that earlier thread correctly, there are two brands with very similar names, one of them "Intelli," and one is said to be far preferable to the other.

I bought my first electronic tuner a little over a year ago. It's OK, but lacks features that I now realize I should have sought, because it's not as useful on stage as it is practicing at home. It does not clip on to the headstock, and it provides visual feedback only for the notes EADGBE.

If the price is right, I'm ready to spring for another tuner ~ but this time I'd want more info at my fingertips.

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 05:36 PM

ENO ENT3000


About four quid cheaper thn the intelli.

Check other sellers too.

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: JudyB
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 11:12 PM

I like the TUNE TECH TT-1000 CLIP-ON TUNER - $30 US at Elderly - http://elderly.com/accessories/items/TT1000-BLK.htm - I have an Intellitouch, and it gets me close - but the Tech Tune's little light doesn't go to green unless I'm really on.

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 12:30 AM

I've used and appreciated the Intellitouch tuner, but currently I'm using and highly recommending the Planet Waves Multi-Purpose Tuner (about $59 here in Canada). Best bass range response of any clip-on tuner I've tried and excellent rejection of extraneous sounds.

It's modular (2-piece, to be precise) and extremely versatile. The tuner part can be used 3 ways - plugged onto the piezo sender clip; plugged into a standard DI chord (it has an out as well, so can be kept in-line); or on its own as a stand-alone outboard tuner.

Neat thing is that since any tuner could be plugged onto the send clip, I've added the cheapest tuner I could find that had a physical needle display for tuning outdoors in the sunlight. (Ain't no tuner I've seen with LEDs that ain't a pain-in-the-you-know in daylight!)

Planet Waves is a division of D'Addario. Here's the tuner web page.

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 02:35 AM

I've got a £90.00 Seiko, a £40.00 Intellitouch and a £20.00 Intelli IMT 500, the IMT 500 is the best.

eric

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 03:22 AM

The ENO tuner mentioned above is quite useful if you want to tune thigs which aren't a guitar.
It has a VERY wide set of jaws for clipping to something thicker than a guitar headstock. Mrs Duck has one and it clips to the body of an autoharp with no trouble. My Intelli will not reach, and I had to clip that to a tuning pin, which was not a very convenient solution.
The Eno also has a built in microphone which can be selected for checking tuning on a wind instrument such as a whistle. It will even work on a voice if you want to test your ability to hold a single note.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 03:46 AM

The best tuners are clipped, permanently, one each side of your head. They're called 'ears'. I use an Itelli IMT-500 to get the A string to accurate pitch, then tune the other five by ear using the tempered-tuning method. Unless you spend £100+ for something like a Peterson, you won't get correctly-tempered tuning from an elctronic tuner. IMHO.

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 04:28 AM

Many thanks for all the advice. I have now ordered a tuner as my ears are not quite up to the job, though I admire and envy those in possession of a properly trained pair.

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: Banjo-Flower
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 09:03 AM

"The best tuners are clipped, permanently, one each side of your head. They're called 'ears'."

do'nt work so well if you've got a touch of industrial deafness John

Gerry

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: Rog Peek
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 09:22 AM

Banjo Flower

Where d'you get one for a tenner? Cheapest I could find was on Amazon, £15.79 + p&p (£4.50).

Rog

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: Mr Happy
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 09:24 AM

I've an Intelli.

Was great when I first got it, but if there's a banjo player in the vicinity, it picks up their vibes instead've mine!

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: Banjo-Flower
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 11:04 AM

Try cash converters

Gerry

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 11:49 AM

Ears are not so good if someone is killing a 100 watt Marshall stack next to you either whereas the vibration tuners are remarably good at rejecting outside sound.

As I said, I find teh ENO better than the intelli adn tehre are variants of vibration clip-on tuners on ebay down to a couple of quid and the same again for postage. Worth trying before spending lots, I say.

Subject: RE: Tech: Clip On Tuners 2008
From: Grab
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 01:00 PM

A previous discussion might well be 2 years out of date. However the discussion about clip-on tuners that petered out in November or December probably won't be... ;-)

Intelli was the general verdict there. IMO you're better not buying Intellitouch - they perform significantly worse than Intelli (the Intellitouch "arrows" aren't nearly as good as the Intelli "needle"), they're a lot larger so you can't leave them clipped on the headstock permanently, and they're several times the price.

Graham.