Best tuner for intonation?

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laurie
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Best tuner for intonation?

Post by laurie » Sun Dec 26, 2021 2:57 pm

I have an ancient Korg tuner that I usually use, but it is in deep storage and unavailable.

Need to buy something for intonation - 6 string, conventional tuning.

What is good? Prefer plug-in rather than clip-on.

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laurie
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Re: Best tuner for intonation?

Post by laurie » Sun Dec 26, 2021 9:51 pm

Sorted... I downloaded the free Boss TU-3 app. It seems to be accurate enough, at least to my ear - I just did the intonation of the Samick guitar I mentioned in another thread.

The pedal is 1 cent precision. The Boss site doesn't quote an accuracy for the software version, but it feels like it should be 1 cent too.

sclitheroe
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Re: Best tuner for intonation?

Post by sclitheroe » Sun Dec 26, 2021 10:47 pm

Turbo Tuner, hands down is best for intonation. You can see the change in intonation holding a guitar vertically vs horizontally, it's that sensitive.

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chromandre
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Re: Best tuner for intonation?

Post by chromandre » Sun Dec 26, 2021 11:19 pm

sclitheroe wrote:
Sun Dec 26, 2021 10:47 pm
Turbo Tuner, hands down is best for intonation. You can see the change in intonation holding a guitar vertically vs horizontally, it's that sensitive.
yup absolutely the turbo tuner! IIRC the updated version isn't even more accurate it just has faster note detection but it was already basically perfect if you have a humbucker or noiseless middle position while tuning live

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laurie
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Re: Best tuner for intonation?

Post by laurie » Mon Dec 27, 2021 12:08 am

Confirming that this is the one?

https://www.turbo-tuner.com/

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chromandre
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Re: Best tuner for intonation?

Post by chromandre » Mon Dec 27, 2021 1:03 am

laurie wrote:
Mon Dec 27, 2021 12:08 am
Confirming that this is the one?

https://www.turbo-tuner.com/
yup! forum member CleanChannel used to post a bit, had impressive all boss boards but always subbed the st-200 turbo tuner for the boss tuner... thats the first I ever heard of it.

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bigtone23
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Re: Best tuner for intonation?

Post by bigtone23 » Mon Dec 27, 2021 6:45 am

The Peterson Strobe tuners are the industry standard, but I find them overkill for guitar. Plus, they are crazy expensive and large.

My #1 intonation tuner is the old MIJ TU12H. The needle reacts to very subtle pitch change. That tuner coupled with a little ear confirmation and testing notes at various places on the neck has great results. Plus, I have been using one since 1984, so it has entered a world of familiar and stubborn use for me. :D I still have the one I bought new in 1984, plus 3 others, as they were a steal at $15 shipped on ebay just a few short years ago and I grabbed up a few more to leave stashed on various 80s BCB-6 pedalboards I put together.

As much as I loathe headstock tuners, I found a Snark HZ on a stage I played a few years ago and it has some utility--it is pretty darn cool for intonation. It displays the note's frequency in 1 Hertz intervals, which is much more precise than the LED display, which is like rather coarse with 11 LEDs.

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laurie
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Re: Best tuner for intonation?

Post by laurie » Mon Dec 27, 2021 1:26 pm

I've had one of these for maybe 20 years:
https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/ ... z30bbi.jpg

I've always used it for intonation - it has 2 cent resolution which was always good enough.

It is packed away in deep storage somewhere... and unlike me I don't have a record of which box it is in so it would be hours of digging to find it.

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Re: Best tuner for intonation?

Post by sclitheroe » Mon Dec 27, 2021 4:03 pm

bigtone23 wrote:
Mon Dec 27, 2021 6:45 am
The Peterson Strobe tuners are the industry standard, but I find them overkill for guitar. Plus, they are crazy expensive and large.
Peterson makes some smaller ones, but they use LCD segments to show the strobe - which have very slow response time compared to the LEDs in the turbo tuner. I maintain that the turbo tuner is the best tuner you can buy. It's overkill. But its well built, not that expensive, and super, super accurate as a measuring instrument.

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Re: Best tuner for intonation?

Post by sclitheroe » Mon Dec 27, 2021 4:11 pm

laurie wrote:
Mon Dec 27, 2021 1:26 pm
I've had one of these for maybe 20 years:
https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/ ... z30bbi.jpg

I've always used it for intonation - it has 2 cent resolution which was always good enough.

It is packed away in deep storage somewhere... and unlike me I don't have a record of which box it is in so it would be hours of digging to find it.
The sensitivity of the turbo tuner will blow you away.

It's somewhat ironic that I was a fiend for having proper intonation, and slowly gravitated to Telecasters with 3 saddle bridges, and a Gretsch with a rocking bar bridge, so intonation is never right anymore (close, but never right). Even so, I count the turbo tuner as one of the best pedals I own - I've had it since we first crossed paths, so that's gotta be what? close to 15 years now?

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