Clip on tuners for your guitar, bass, or ukulele are a great alternative to the traditional tuner for a number of reasons. They are convenient, they can be used quickly at any time, you can leave them on your instrument at all times if you wish so you aren’t without, and they tend to be relatively inexpensive when compared to other options.
Some instruments end up falling out of tine more often than others – a good clip-on tuner can help make sure you are in tune at all times. They work by detecting vibrations from the headstock of your instrument and then indicating how close to the note that you are trying to tune to the string is, i.e. whether it needs to be tightened or loosened. Read more about a range of topics here.
The Snark SN-8: Snark tuners are extremely popular in all aspects of the instrument tuning world, and have been purchased by many guitar, bass and ukulele players for years. The Snark SN-8 Super Tight all instrument tuner is a new release and offers extremely accurate tuning. It has a bright display with excellent readability from all angles because of its 360 degrees rotation ability, and in varying light. At less than $20, this is a fantastic clip on tuner for your guitar, ukulele or bass.
Korg PC1 Pitchclip Chromatic Tuner: This tuner from Korg has a number of great features considering its small size. It offers an LED display and positions close to your instrument whilst still being readable. The tuner can be positioned at an angle, or can be based flat against your instrument when clipped on. The tuner can be positioned anywhere between 0 and 180 degrees. You can also clip the tuner to either the front or back of your guitar, since the display will adjust in accordance with the orientation.
Boss TU-10 Chromatic Tuner: This tuner from Boss is another fantastic package at an affordable price. It is easy to use, and even has a true colour LED screen fitted, which provides coloured feedback on the note that you are trying to tune to, and can be used quickly and easily at any time. The Boss tuner does unfortunately not have full rotational capabilities, but is still an excellent tuner for the price.
Peterson StroboClip: Peterson are well known for their highly accurate tuners, and the StroboClip Sc-1 is no exception to this rule . It is slightly more expensive than some of its rivals, but is extremely well made and has some exclusive features on offer. This tuner is a fantastic choice for the concert/event-playing guitarist with its real time display and 1/10 cent precision. It offers tuning not only for guitar, bass, and ukulele, with options for a number of other string and wind instruments. The display is amazing and is easily readable in bright and dark conditions.
When selecting the best clip on tuner for your instrument, you should take into consideration the conditions in which you will be tuning your instrument the majority of the time, and choose from the best in the market!