I still have two TU-2s. Both were left behind after gigs and sat in our lost 'n found box for months without being claimed, so I finally took them home. I've had them for maybe fifteen years and they were old then.
Tuners: TU-3 or Polytune 3 mini?
- Thread starter Grateful Ape
- Start date
I have both and prefer the TC. No bells or whistles but it's noticeably faster than the Boss.
Yesyoudidyouare
Tele-Meister
Peterson Strobo Stomp HD.
Space Pickle
Tele-Meister
why not both
Kungpow!
Tele-Meister
Why not Korg pitchblack? Have had mine for 10 years And it has worked flawlessly. I love it.
They offer a mini, and a custom version now too.
They offer a mini, and a custom version now too.
Grateful Ape
Tele-Afflicted
No buffer, though
Grateful Ape
Tele-Afflicted
Cost, plain and simple.
nedorama
Tele-Holic
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2011
- Posts
- 566
No love for the TU3-S? Saves a ton of real estate on pedalboards... https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TU3S--boss-tu-3s-chromatic-tuner
northernguitar
Poster Extraordinaire
The polyphonic tuning feature on the Polytune makes it a superior pedal. I also have a Digitech HT-6 with the same feature.
Another recommendation for the Strobostomp HD. It can be set up for true bypass or buffered, the screen display color can be set to whatever you choose and you can read it from across the room, mutes when activated w/ no pop, tons of other features...and accurate to .10 of a cent. If you do your own setups, that accuracy comes in very handy. It's not a mini-pedal...but it takes up less a little less real estate than a Boss.
Grateful Ape
Tele-Afflicted
Don't you find that level of accuracy a PITA on gigs?
I don't gig, but if your guitar doesn't go wildly out of tune...it's pretty fast once you're accustomed to it. You get a sense from the speed of the spinning display just how much of an adjustment needs to be made pretty quickly.
Another plus I would think is the ability to change the display color. If a blue or green display is hard to see under the lights...you can change to yellow, red, etc.
Polytune 3 is great. Buffer or TBP. Big, easy to see display. Just the right tracking speed.
I like the Boss almost as much. All my other pedals are Boss.
I’ve used the TC for 5 years in a wild punk band. Still works. Not sure what the reliability concerns are?
I like the Boss almost as much. All my other pedals are Boss.
I’ve used the TC for 5 years in a wild punk band. Still works. Not sure what the reliability concerns are?
Lots of good recommendations above, but is there a specific reason for avoiding a headstock tuner? My TC PolyTune clip works great and frees up space on my board; I've had it a few years now, and the original battery is still going strong.
swervinbob
Friend of Leo's
I’ve got the Polytune mini and it is right on with the virtual instruments ion my computer. I’ve got a couple of Snorks that are just a hair off.
A buddy of mine had a Boss tuner go bad after several years of hard use.
A buddy of mine had a Boss tuner go bad after several years of hard use.
Grateful Ape
Tele-Afflicted
Lots of anecdotal reports about switches, etc
Just ordered one. Will see how it goes!
dswo
Tele-Holic
In practice, I find that the precision of the Peterson makes tuning go faster. That goes triple for intonation.
Ben Harmless
Poster Extraordinaire
I have both the TU-3 and the Polytune 3 Mini. I got the Mini because I was creating a specific rig that needed to be as absurdly small as possible, but still wanted a decent buffer, which in the Mini is switchable.
Honestly, I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between the buffered sounds. The TU-3 is better for me when I'm not wearing my glasses, but the Mini works fine for its intended purpose - mostly because I use it sitting down, so it's easier to see to begin with. I also find the polytune mode to be super cool dark magic, but just a little more information that my brain wants to process when I'm in rock and roll mode.
All things being equal, I'd go with the TU-3, just because of the peace of mind that goes with using a Boss pedal, but I've had no issues with the TC.
True story: any time people corksniff about tuners, I remember how many pro (like, legendary) level acts I worked with when I was doing live sound/recording/radio work for a living. This was about 10 years ago now. You know how many of them used TU-2s? Basically all of them. You might see a Peterson or something on a guitar tech's bench, but on stage? TU-2. We'd joke about always forgetting to buy stock in Roland. If it's good enough for people who played Woodstock to people who play the Whiskey A Go Go, it's good enough for me.
Honestly, I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between the buffered sounds. The TU-3 is better for me when I'm not wearing my glasses, but the Mini works fine for its intended purpose - mostly because I use it sitting down, so it's easier to see to begin with. I also find the polytune mode to be super cool dark magic, but just a little more information that my brain wants to process when I'm in rock and roll mode.
All things being equal, I'd go with the TU-3, just because of the peace of mind that goes with using a Boss pedal, but I've had no issues with the TC.
True story: any time people corksniff about tuners, I remember how many pro (like, legendary) level acts I worked with when I was doing live sound/recording/radio work for a living. This was about 10 years ago now. You know how many of them used TU-2s? Basically all of them. You might see a Peterson or something on a guitar tech's bench, but on stage? TU-2. We'd joke about always forgetting to buy stock in Roland. If it's good enough for people who played Woodstock to people who play the Whiskey A Go Go, it's good enough for me.
Grateful Ape
Tele-Afflicted
Yep, I love my TU2 and I've had it decades. It's just because I am putting together a small board that I need something other.
