Acoustic Guitar Tuner Issues

My apologies if I have posted this in the wrong forum. I play in a weekend band and play mostly acoustic guitar. Been having a bit of a problem finding a decent tuner for my acoustic guitar and I have tried quite a few. I play a Gibson J200 with a Fishman undersaddle pick-up and on board pre-amp. I have been using an old Conn strobe tuner with excellent results but it bit the dust and the tech I take all my repair work to says it can't be fixed.The problem I get with trying other tuners ( Boss, Sabine, Korg,and several of the clip on the headstock types ) just to mention a few, is they jump all over the scale. I never had this problem with the Conn. I always assumed it was because the jumbo sized body of my guitar kind of resonated from ambient noise in the clubs and bars we play causing it. The other tuners I have tried worked okay with my Telecaster but the acoustic is a different story. Have been looking at some of the Peterson tuners but hate to spend the bucks for one of them and have the same problem.Was wondering if anyone else has had this problem and could offer some suggestions. Again, my apologies if I have posted this in the wrong forum.

Clip-on tuners can have issues, esp in noisy places with acoustic instruments, which can vibrate sympathetically. Some are better than others, no doubt. It might be wise to invest in a good tuner pedal. The Strobostomp is expensive, but there are other, cheaper choices.

I like the Hardwire stuff (they make a single-note and poly-note tuner). Many pros (like Pete Thorn) love the TC Electronics PolyTune. BOSS is a big favorite, as is the PitchBlack.

Thanks for your suggestions. I have tried the Boss stomp box tuner as well as the Pitchblack and neither worked well for my application. The TC Elec. Polytune is one I haven't tried. I'll check it out. Thanks again

Maybe there isn't enough gain coming out of the guitar. Try cranking the preamp a bit when you tune. We can assume your battery is okay?

I've got a K&K passive pickup that hits the tuner before the preamp and it gets a little squirrely sometimes.

I like the strobostomp for a floor pedal, but I find that it prefers a signal with less treble. Sometimes I fingerpick when tuning to get a more muted sound, and pick with the middle finger and mute the two adjacent strings with the index and ring fingers (a slide players trick I believe).

The Planet Waves NS Mini is an awesome little clip on, meant to be used closer to the nut as opposed to at the top of the headstock. It just barely fits in next to the arrow volute on a Martin. Nearly invisible from the front, the display sits behind the headstock.

The Peterson app for an iPhone or iPod is very cool, and while it's more expensive than most apps its certainly cheaper than a tuner. In a quiet green room you can use it to get the guitar in tune, but you'll still need something else to use onstage.

I use a plain old Snark with no problems whether performing or sitting at home, flattop or Tele.

If you have a problem with a tuner jumping around, sometimes you can control that issue a bit by muting all the other strings as you tune each string. It seems a little tricky at first but after a while you can figure out certain ways to hold the fingers of your picking hand (tip: use your thumb in combination with your fingers) as you go across the strings. Some of the cheaper tuners have a hard time focusing on the string you are tuning if there are other strings resonating - even just a little bit. I just purchased a Peterson clip-on and it seems to reject all the other string vibrations very well. The "strobe" does seem to have a harder time focusing on the low E string sometimes, though - but it's not a huge problem.

Another vote for the "Snark" works on every instrument I have and out performs my intellitoch.And can,t beat the price!

I just got a Snark myself. They are fantastic, works great for my Martin and my telecasters. Have not tried it in a really noisy environment though. I got the model that is only designed for guitars and uses vibration instead of a microphone. Considering the cost, you don't have a lot to lose. :smile:

Boyd,I use it on stage and tune my Tele,Dobro and steel with no issues:!: