Intellituners - Info please

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: GUEST,Paranoid Android
Date: 12 Mar 05 - 07:36 AM

When I lost the swivel nut I used a plastic garden tie as a temporary repair. Works perfectly. This link shows a picure. http://www.capitalgardens.co.uk/acatalog/releasable_ties.gif

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: fair maiden of nottingham
Date: 12 Mar 05 - 06:42 AM

at least with digital reads, you can tune the guitar when you are drunk.
plus it is very handy when you cannot find your specs

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Mary Humphreys
Date: 12 Mar 05 - 04:52 AM

I would like to thank GUEST Paranoid Android for his mention of how to attach an Intellituner to a banjo. Mine has always had a tendency to fall off the head of the instrument because there are not enough flat surfaces for it to adhere to. It works brilliantly when attached to the drum by means of elastic bands.
Mary

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 12 Mar 05 - 01:39 AM

My Intellitouch is accurate (or so close that a deaf man would be pleased to hear the error) and I agree with Clinton, the digital display's easier to work with (IMO). It puts the high 'E' a little sharp, but if I couldn't fix that I wouldn't be much of a musician would I!

AAMOF, I generally only use a tuner to get pitch - I tune the 'A' from the tuner and then do the rest by ear using the 'tempered tuning' method that Rick Fielding explained here on Mudcat (I think it was Rick, I'm pretty sure it was). That gives a better result and works wherever on the neck I'm playing.

The only tuner I've used which was even more accurate was a Seiko that cost a hundred quid quite a few years ago. It got dropped and it broke just the same as a cheap one. And it needed a pick-up or silence to use it.

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 11 Mar 05 - 08:00 PM

Sure RB... but dead on is still dead on, no matter what kind of tuner you use...

I've tried needles... and I prefer digital reads...

Guess it's just The-Beast-You-Know eh?

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 11 Mar 05 - 06:54 PM

I said it on the last thread. I'll say it again. I am not convinced about their accuracy - there is a finite "gap" between sharp and flat, whereas with a moving needle (I use a Seiko) you can really see what the reading is.

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: s&r
Date: 11 Mar 05 - 06:00 PM

Korg: small, accurate, plastic with metal paint, tiny control buttons, unusual battery, comes in three pieces (small piezo clip, large piezo clip and display). Has mic or piezo. Not broken yet but doesn't feel robust. Seven out of ten

Stu

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 11 Mar 05 - 04:32 PM

Only problem with Intellitouches, as Vixen discovered, is that the mounting swivel is rather fragile. When my friend Fred (the guy who invented the Victor capo) broke his, he machined a replacement swivel from brass. It ain't gonna break again!

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 11 Mar 05 - 04:10 PM

anyone tried those 'no-name' leads with a piezo sensor loaded
crocodile clip at one end
and a jack plug at the other
that you can pug in and use on acoustic instruments with any tuner you like..??


do they work ok enough ????

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: radriano
Date: 11 Mar 05 - 04:04 PM

The Korg AW-1 is more versatile because of its ability to fit on a greater range of instruments and it's more accurate because of its larger pads. Only drawback, as I mentioned earlier, is that it doesn't have a backlit display.

Radriano

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: GUEST,Bruce
Date: 11 Mar 05 - 02:57 PM

Has anyone else used the Korg AW-1, mentioned earlier, which is of a similar design to the Intellitouch? Maybe it is a better choice? It certainly looks a bit sturdier.

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Mooh
Date: 11 Mar 05 - 07:52 AM

The best one I've known but never owned was a Peterson. Still trying to justify the expense. Saving for the new pedal model, I is. Wish they'd apply their smarts to an Intellitouch type model.

Current favourite is the tuner built into my Zoom multi-effects unit (GFX-1). Leagues better than the piece o'crap Digitech that preceded it.

The Intellitouch really shines on banjo, mandolin, fiddle, in my experience, but is pretty good all 'round.

Shouldn't complain much though...still remember when we all tuned by ear, to some shoddy piano or pitch fork (yeah, tuning fork), and then fought over it.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 11 Mar 05 - 07:11 AM

D'oh!!

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Big Mick
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 11:01 PM

I have always been a fan of these tuners, but I find myself agreeing with Clinton and David in part. I still really enjoy the convenience and accuracy of the Intellitouch, but in very high noise situations it is iffy. When I am in a solo concert situation it still is the easiest to use and is very accurate. I use it exclusively when I practice. In high noise situations, and when I am onstage with my band, I use my Boss pedal tuners, one for each instrument. One thing with the pedal tuners is that they become unreliable on battery power. I only use the battery as a backup, or when I don't have power available. Otherwise I use the power adapter.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 06:09 PM

"when some jerk puts on recorded music"

David... yer such a shrinking violet... tell us how you really feel eh mate...

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: ddw
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 06:07 PM

I've had an Intellitouch for several years and I was never really happy with it. Turns out the one I got didn't have one of the pads on the clamp. I cut a piece of soft plastic and glued it in and it was much better.

The two problems I still have with it, however, are (as several people have mentioned) the bass and treble E strings don't register all that well. The bass can be made to show up with the 12th-fret harmonic, but I sometimes have a helluva time with the high E.

My other problem with it is that it DOESN'T work in high-noise situations, particularly if he noise is music. It works on vibrations and when some jerk puts on recorded music between sets it's impossible to get it to not read the sympathetic vibrations in the guitar. I can always tell what key the recorded music is in though....

I'm with Clinton on the tuners. I wouldn't be too upset if I lost my Intellitouch, but I'd go snakey if I lost my Boss TU2.

Oh — and I had a similar experience to the one above with the lost spring. I lent mine to somebody and it got dropped. The battery cover door broke and my e-mail was also answered with a free one in the mail.

cheers,

david

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 05:10 PM

Actually Johnny... running an SM58 into my TU-2 also works better than the intellitouch in my experience...

But as a working musician, I have pickups, and SM58s withont arms reach at all time!

Heh

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Les from Hull
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 04:48 PM

I'm very pleased with my new Intellitouch, works well on guitar, bouzouki and bass. You can get them for about 30% off recommended price by buying on the 'net.

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 04:04 PM

Intellitouch works much better than the Boss TU-2 pedal tuner when you sho'nuff ain't got no goldanged pick-up though. :-)

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 03:20 PM

"are there models that work better on these instruments"

Ya... If they have pick-ups, the Boss TU-2 peddle tuner is the best money yuo'll (Or someone else'll) ever spend

Intellitouch, sabine, whatever, can't hold a candle to 'em...

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Don Firth
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 03:04 PM

I have one and I love it. I finally got one just after the 2003 Northwest Folklife Festival. Bob Nelson (Deckman) and I were due to lead off our portion of the "Geezer's Concert," and we were trying to tune to each other before going on. Somebody strode around the stage, whanging away at his amplified 12-string. When Bob and I asked him to cool it for a minute, he said, "I gotta do a sound-check," and kept right on. Like trying to tune in a boiler factory. Having run into that kind of situation on numerous occasions before, I decided it was past time to get myself a magical Tom Swift electric contact guitar tuner. The Intellitouch is excellent.

Sometimes when the low E string (guitar) is near in tune, or even when it is in tune, the Intellitouch says it's "B." It's picking up a strong harmonic (one-third the length of the string--the B an octave and a 5th above the fundamental note). I find that tuning the 12th fret harmonic of each string to the Intellitouch is easy and very accurate. Same notes, octave higher.

(Touch the string very lightly directly above the 12th fret and pluck the string. Ringing, bell-like tone.)

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: radriano
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 02:18 PM

The Korg company now makes a similar tuner that I like better except for one feature missing. No backlighting! The display is orange with black lettering so it's pretty easy to see in most situations. The advantage of the Korg tuner is a larger clip. The Intellitouch tuner sometimes falters on low open-tuning guitar strings. The Korg tuner has two clips, one being large enough to fit even on a tinwhistle. I still use my Intellitouch tuner on my fiddle but the Korg is much better for the guitar.

I can't think of the specific name of this new tuner here at work but I'll add it to this thread tomorrow.

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 12:36 PM

They're very good. I've suffered all of the little snags that are mentioned above - I've found that (especially with the low 'E') 'thumbing' the string, fairly gently, does the trick! Don't hit it too hard or use a pick, it seems to get fooled by too hard a hit!
S:0)

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: GUEST,KingBrilliant
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 12:30 PM

Still chuffed with mine after over two years of use.

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: GUEST,Paranoid Android
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 12:18 PM

Equally good for guitar or banjo. Incidentally, the thin bolt at the swivel joint can come loose unnoticed and the nut can be lost. This happened on mine but I eMailed Intellitouch and they sent me a replacement nut and boltimmediately.
Banjo players - check their web site for photographic instruction on attaching the tuner inside the "bars" on the banjo - not so easily lost this way.

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 11:59 AM

I find sometimes I have to movit around the head to get a good reading.

They are good tuners though, my second best is an intellituner that I got free with a guiatr from e-bay. I had to pay fifty quid for mine which is about twice the US price.

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Vixen
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 09:04 AM

Just note about the folks at Intellitouch...I dropped my tuner and the little spring for the clamp popped out of its slot and vanished. I had all the parts except the spring. (the tuner itself was unaffected by the fall!) I emailed Intellitouch, explained what happened, and asked if I could purchase a new spring. They sent me a whole new clamp, free of charge. Very impressive--not too many companies do business that way anymore!

The device itself is marvelous; I've been using it on my guitar for 3 years, and have had to replace the battery just once. Reynaud uses his on his fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and banjo. I highly recommend getting one.

Just my $0.02, fwiw.

V

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: GUEST,Coltish ankle
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 08:36 AM

You can get intellitouch "bare bones" ( the white cheaper one ) and the black original version on Ebay.

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: John Robinson (aka Cittern)
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 04:14 AM

I've been pleased with the Intellitouch - I have found that it sometimes displays the wrong note but the display bars which show if the note is sharp/flat seem to be correct. So I ignore the displayed note and rely on my ears to reassure me that I'm not THAT far out!

Will try the harmonics and octave tricks though.

Now all I need is a tuner for my voice. Maybe I could clip the Intellitouch to my dose - ow that hurts ...

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: breezy
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 04:06 AM

I had a problem that El Grek sorted after consulting the manufacturers, it was to do with discharging its own built up magnetic field and the symptom was it only showed up one flashing note!
I cant be totally sure what the tech problem was but
'its all right now'

response is slow in the bas but thanks for the 'octave tip' amos. will try

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: s&r
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 03:58 AM

Intellitouch often reads B for low E - this is due to 2nd harmonic of E string - when tuning, pluck the string about at the twelfth fret (halfway along) and the harmonics are less. Reads easily on mine.

Stu

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 03:54 AM

I like my Intellitouch. I have the basic white model without the backlight--I don't do much playing in the dark, but I would agree that the backlight is probably worth it. On my guitar it sometimes doesn't hear the high E. But if I move it from the top to the side of the headstock it picks up that string just fine.

I really wish they'd come out with a model that uses a moving-needle meter graphic rather than those arrows. I resonate better with that visual image. Must be from my days as a ham radio operator, with the S-meter and VOM!

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: GUEST,The Shambles
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 03:42 AM

OK and thanks to all.

I did just find this review which rather confirms what has been said here. But it may be useful for someone else...http://www.acousticfingerstyle.com/ContactTuners.htm

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Davetnova
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 03:17 AM

Shambles get the intellitouch with the backlight. As long as there is a bit of headstock to clamp it to it will tune anything, in the dark, with everybody else playing 90dB it will still tune your whatever. No more excuses.

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: GUEST,The Shambles
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 03:01 AM

It is a bit political. The process is that I have to first specify the model etc - this will be bought for me - wrapped and given as a present. I perhaps could always return or change the model but this may cause offence.

The neeed that I have is also less for the guitar and more for banjo and bouzouki etc - are there models that work better on these instruments?

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 01:30 AM

LOve the Intellitouch. I've found it more responsive than the Sabine for lower frequencies (I play bass guitars - electric & acoustic),and less prone to ambient vibration (on stage in performance, in other words).
One warning, though: They're not as robust as they might be. A simple fall from the headstock to the floor (less than 3 feet) put it in pieces. Often repairable, but still . . .

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 09 Mar 05 - 09:00 PM

Shambles... buy one... but keep the reciept so that you have 30 days to return it if ya don't like it...

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Amos
Date: 09 Mar 05 - 08:36 PM

Use the octave harmonic on the low "E" and "A" if they won't read correctly on the Intellitouch.

Make sure the battery gets replaced every once in a while, too.


A

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: GUEST,Seaking
Date: 09 Mar 05 - 07:45 PM

I bought the Intellitouch (after reading this thread initially). It's simplicity itself but I would advise getting the posh model with the backlight, well worth the extra few quid. Sometimes doesn't like the bottom E for some reason but usually finds it - eventually. I jump between tunings so it's great for getting the tuning sorted out quickly - no more of the '5 to 1' tuning method !! Also folds back on itself so you can leave it attached to the headstock - just don't forget it's there or you'll be getting the superglue out. I've also really noticed the difference now that the guitar is properly tuned each time. Works great on the kids' Violins too.

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: The Shambles
Date: 09 Mar 05 - 07:12 PM

Of these new-fangled clip-on tuners - are there now makes that are better than others? Seems like I can buy one as a birthday present for myself and I would like to know what make to buy.....

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 06 Nov 02 - 02:04 PM

I road tested one for a while, and well, I wasn't all that impressed...

For my buck, the best of the stick on tuners I've tried was the Sabine... It seems to be a little more forgiving, especailly in some of the REAALLY LOUD bars I play in... The Intellitouch I founds was totally overborn by harmonics and reasonence and such, making it mostly useless... In those situations, I found my Sabine was the one that was able to grab the note and hold onto it long enough for me to tune it...

For my money these days, I'll stick to running my guitars through my boss tu2 peddle tuner... Easy... quick... can tune no matter WHAT interferance is going on... and it makes a convienient on/off switch between the guitar and the sound board...

In mellow, accoustic settings, I slap on my Sabine...

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Fifer
Date: 06 Nov 02 - 01:42 PM

The guys at our regular session have 4 between us, and find them the most convenient of what is on the market to use.
They seem to function better when plucked with the thumb or finger , rather than with a pick.
I use them a lot for tuning up my mandola, and other paired string instruments. the only drawback being getting the two strings identically tuned, it's easier to set up the first of the pair with the tuner, and then tune the second to that string at times.
The guitarists in our crowd swear by them, and don't seem to have this problem. (also fine for banjo and fiddles) I would recommend them

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Leadfingers
Date: 06 Nov 02 - 01:38 PM

If you need to check a whistle,an intell will do that for youas well.
Useful if you're aposeur with tumable Whistles too.I got into them via William Pint and have had one for three years.The aftersales is pretty impresssive as well.I'd reccomend em to any body.

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: moineau nordique
Date: 06 Nov 02 - 01:26 PM

Actually, the price has gone down. When they first came out, they averaged about $55/US, now, it's possible to get them for around $45.

If one does not want to spend the money for the Intellitouch, there is another gizmo called the Tuner-Up, which can be used with your existing tuner. Take a gander at the website: http://www.tunerup.com/ . I have both kinds and used it with my small Korg tuner, before getting the Intellitouch.

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 06 Nov 02 - 12:19 PM

Love the design. It makes so much sense to be able to clamp the tuner to the instrument. Duh! Back before everybody had one I thought it looked way cool sitting up there on the peghead. Now they they're ubiquitous the cool factor is somewhat less.

On the con side, getting the tuner to display the pitch is not always a no brainer. I've had to fiddle with tuner placement a lot, and on one of my banjos I am simply unable to get the tuner to consistently display a pitch for every string if I clamp it to the peghead.

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 06 Nov 02 - 12:03 PM

They're a real handy tuner - can be used in a noisy room, will lock on to about anything the clamp will fit - guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, autoharp (with care), etc.

They run about $50 to $60 US, depending on who you know. There's a new "white" dumbed down edition (the originals are black) that doesn't have the backlight or ability to tune to non-standard pitch, and they cost about $30. I've got one of each, and I'd go for the more expensive - in a dark pub, or around a campfire that backlight is
a real saviour.

The downside to them is that the clamp and swivel mechanism is not the strongest in the world and you need to treat it with care or it will break.

I also discovered just the other day, on guitar, that on the low E string I couldn't get it to display when using a flat pick, but when I plucked with my thumb it came right up. Something to do with overtones or transients, or whatever ??

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Mooh
Date: 06 Nov 02 - 10:39 AM

Pretty good rig, but mine doesn't like bass notes below low G very much, though harmonics will avoid this problem like Amos mentioned.

I used mine to change tunings at an unplugged short solo gig one time and a guitarist in the audience told me afterward he'd never heard anyone tune so fast and precisely by ear, not realizing I had the gizmo clamped on the headstock. I don't remember if I let him in on the dirty little secret.

The most unobtrusive tuner.

Mooh.

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: Amos
Date: 06 Nov 02 - 09:55 AM

I concur -- it makes it fast, easy and objective.

On my dreadnought, I find it responds faster to tun ing the octave harmonic rather than the open string, but it works just fine and is a great timesaver.


A

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: moineau nordique
Date: 06 Nov 02 - 09:35 AM

The Intellitouch Tuner is a jewel. The font is large enough to see without squinting and infrared so it can be seen at night. I'd say it's accuracy is pretty spot on, as well. My advice is not to leave it clamped to the headstock of your instrument because it puts too much constant stress on the swivel mechanism.

Subject: RE: Intellituners - Info please
From: KingBrilliant
Date: 06 Nov 02 - 07:15 AM

The best thing is that its chromatic, so you're not restricted as to tunings.
You can also get it to take a reference pitch from another instrument, and then tune relative to that.
I expect the B# is just testing the display with all elements on.
I got mine mail order from fretsonly .
Its very good - it works through the vibration of the instr - so you can tune in a noisy room. Sometimes its a little temperamental - eg when tuning Amoret's bass I sometimes have to play a higher not up the fretboard a bit to get the bottom string right.