Headstock tuners?

[LGOberean]

Starting a thread of my own about guitar tuners that clamp on to the headstock. (I considered posting in an existing thread that has been dormant for months, but some in this forum are critical of such approaches, so I just decided to start my own thread.) I've been researching this, and it seems that there are mixed reviews on just about any one of them on the market.

I'm looking for a tuner for my acoustic/electric, particularly for checking/fine tuning before I go onstage. In a pinch, I might use it for my Teles. I have a tuner pedal and a Boss ME-70, which has a nice tuner function. So at home/for recording with the electrics, I'm set. It's just the a/e live setting that I'm thinking of.

Here are my questions.

1) Is the clamp on to the headstock tuner idea a good one in principle but not in practice? Are any of the offerings out there that accurate/sturdy/reliable?

2) Assuming for the moment that the answer to #1 above is "Yes," what brands/models are accurate/sturdy/reliable?

3) Specifically, what about the Planet Waves Chromatic Headstock Tuner?

The price is right about this one, but is that all that's right about it? I've read a dozen reviews, and 3 of 12 are critical/negative. So 75% positive, but there is that 25% negative. What do you guys think?

4) What about the Intellitouch PT1 Tuner?

There are a lot more reviews out there (and I've even read some in this forum), but the reviews seem even more mixed than the Planet Waves. Again, experience-based opinions welcomed.

 

[LGOberean]

I should have mentioned that I'm hoping for enough replies to nudge me one way or the other by this evening, since I'm hoping to place an order w/ MF before the coupon expires.

Just thinking that maybe I should have posted this to the Acoustic Heaven forum. Oh, well, I guess I'll see what kind of responses I get here. Maybe I'll also submit this to that forum, if the moderators don't move it first.

 

[z8894]

I ordered this one, Korg AW2G CLIP ON TUNER , over the weekend. It will be here in a couple of days. I'll try it out and let you know.

 

[Breen]

Get those if you can from a brand called Joyo. Chinese and cheap. And works on any stringed instrument you can clamp something on.

 

[Breen]

Get those if you can from a brand called Joyo.

Chinese and cheap. And works on any stringed instrument you can clamp something on. You break it or lose it as it unclips and hurls towards the heaving crowd, just get a new one~

 

[LGOberean]

Duplications?

Get those if you can from a brand called Joyo.

"Joyo"? Never heard of it. I guess I'll go do some Googling.

You break it or lose it as it unclips and hurls towards the heaving crowd, just get a new one~

What...? Couldn't quite pick up on your meaning there. It sounded to me like either anger management issues or a strike against the item I thought you were recommending.

 

[asatfan]

I bought the Intellitouch at a guitar show when they first came out. I think I paid around $75 for it. Used it for several years, mostly on my Asats. Works very well on acoustics and my mando, as well. Backlit so you can see it on a dark stage. I liked it. It did the job until I purchased a Petersen Strobostomp.

 

[LGOberean]

I bought the Intellitouch at a guitar show when they first came out. I think I paid around $75 for it. Used it for several years, mostly on my Asats. Works very well on acoustics and my mando, as well. Backlit so you can see it on a dark stage. I liked it. It did the job until I purchased a Petersen Strobostomp.

Thanks, asatfan. Good to hear that recommendation for acoustics, and I assume if the PT1 works on ASATs as well that it'll also work on my Logan Teles. Good to know.

 

[NankerPhelge]

I occasionally use one of these:

Works fine and was under £15.

 

[LGOberean]

I occasionally use one of these:

Works fine and was under £15.

Thanks for the recommendation, but I can't quite make out what model that is. Can you help me out?

 

[ASC67]

That is an Intelli tuner - I have an older version and it works pretty good. Sometimes the low E doesn't register but I usually just fret the G note on the third fret and that works for me.

 

[LGOberean]

That is an Intelli tuner - I have an older version and it works pretty good. Sometimes the low E doesn't register but I usually just fret the G note on the third fret and that works for me.

Yeah, I saw the brand name, and though I couldn't really read it, in the context the words "Chromatic Tuner" weren't hard to figure out. What I can't make out is the precise model #. Of course I could do a search for Intelli tuners on MF's website or something and probably find it that way, I was hoping to get a quick and easy answer here. Just lazy that way, I guess.

 

[chuck_zc]

I've got 2 made by Profile. Smaller one was like $5.00 and the larger was probally $8.99. Seem to work pretty good for me. Allbeit they're not a clip on PitchBlack.

 

[cactusrob]

4) What about the Intellitouch PT1 Tuner?

I have one of the Intellitouch tuners and it works great. The batteries last forever and it's really accurate.
The only problem is, it broke where the "hinge" joins the two sections together. Now I use it pretty much solely for my acoustic. So, I just lay the acoustic in my lap and lay the tuner on the front of the guitar and it picks up the vibrations just as well (if not better) and works great.

 

[goldtopper]

Intellitouch is all I've used for those type tuners. It's served faithfully for many years.

 

[LGOberean]

Intellitouch is all I've used for those type tuners. It's served faithfully for many years.

It's sounding more and more like the consensus of opinion here is the Intelli brand generally and the PT1 specifically. Thanks for that input, and keep it coming.

Now that said, anyone have any comments on the Planet Waves?

I have one of the Intellitouch tuners and it works great. The batteries last forever and it's really accurate.
The only problem is, it broke where the "hinge" joins the two sections together. Now I use it pretty much solely for my acoustic. So, I just lay the acoustic in my lap and lay the tuner on the front of the guitar and it picks up the vibrations just as well (if not better) and works great.

Now this gets to my "sturdiness" question. I've read that about the PT1 by other reviewers. If we were talking about a $15 device I might be okay with improvising in the manner you spoke of, but I think I'd be less inclined to do so with a $50 item. That approach doesn't seem to be as convenient for doing quick checks/fine tuning off stage or on.

So how quickly did yours break on you?

 

[ASC67]

Yeah, I saw the brand name, and though I couldn't really read it, in the context the words "Chromatic Tuner" weren't hard to figure out. What I can't make out is the precise model #. Of course I could do a search for Intelli tuners on MF's website or something and probably find it that way, I was hoping to get a quick and easy answer here. Just lazy that way, I guess.

The model is Intelli IMT-900 and it is a different company than Intellitouch. The Intelli is around $15 oppossed to around $50 for the Intellitouch.

 

[superchicken_VI]

Starting a thread of my own about guitar tuners that clamp on to the headstock. (I considered posting in an existing thread that has been dormant for months, but some in this forum are critical of such approaches, so I just decided to start my own thread.)

Hey, ya yahoo, why don't you use the search feature instead of clogging up the forums with all of these new posts????


Sorry, I just had to do it!

You can't win for losing with this, either the resurrect an old thread and get shelled for not starting a new one, or vice versa.

 

[PraiseCaster]

The intellitouch is reliable, accurate, and the battery life is long.

Keep an eye on the screw/nut that acts as the hinge, because I did lose it. I went to radio shack and got a replacement, and added some loc-tite to the threads, and it never fell off again.

 

[LGOberean]

The model is Intelli IMT-900 and it is a different company than Intellitouch. The Intelli is around $15 oppossed to around $50 for the Intellitouch.

Oh, okay, thanks, good to know.

The intellitouch is reliable, accurate, and the battery life is long.

Keep an eye on the screw/nut that acts as the hinge, because I did lose it. I went to radio shack and got a replacement, and added some loc-tite to the threads, and it never fell off again.

Thanks, bro. Good to have your input about the Intellitouch and the practical info on a potential problem and its solution.