Review Of The New Peterson StroboPlus HD Tuner

Joseph Meditz · Post by **Joseph Meditz** » 19 Apr 2013 7:50 pm

Since the unit has a 1/4-20 threaded hole in the back I decided to put it on a tripod to get it higher up and position it for easy viewing.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 20 Apr 2013 6:53 am

That little threaded hole on the backside is really handy.
I bought a little shelf from Al Risbeck here on the forum to lay my Boss tuner on. When I got the Peterson I just drilled a 1/4" hole in the middle of the shelf and fastened the tuner to the shelf.

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 21 Apr 2013 3:14 pm

Petersen offer a little knuckle joint which you can use to attach the tuner to the leg attachment that was available for the stroboflip --- this allows you to adjust to any angle you could need

Peter Freiberger · Post by **Peter Freiberger** » 26 Apr 2013 1:54 pm

Just got a StroboPlus HD Tuesday from Jim Palenscar after losing my tuner Saturday night (a great night playing bass with JayDee and Albert Lee, among others, for Buddy Sardo's CD release party). Of course the next day someone found my old tuner and called.

No matter, the Peterson is really cool for steel. It took quite a while, but after getting my E9 neck in tune by ear the way I like it (essentially beatless with compensators on 1 and 7 on A and B ala Tom Brumley) I set up my own tuning on the Peterson, and it works great. I had to find correct offsets for many notes to take into account the slightly differing amounts of cabinet drop. Then I made a second tuning just for the compensated strings.

It would be nice if the Peterson also gave you a numerical read out. Maybe it does and I just haven't figured it out yet...

Ross Shafer · Post by **Ross Shafer** » 27 Apr 2013 6:41 am

I second that on the numerical readout! Let us know if you do figure it out.

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 4 May 2013 11:29 am

Peter, are those letters on the rubber buttons visible at all on dark stages? I can't believe they're just debossed with no paint for better visibility. Maybe you don't use them much once you set it to your liking?

Glenn Brookman · Post by **Glenn Brookman** » 2 Jul 2013 12:27 pm

Just ordered one yesterday thanks to Greg's review and am looking forward to it's arrival!

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 28 Jan 2015 2:01 am

Has anyone created a video on how to use the StroboPlusHD for pedal steel players?

John Booth · Post by **John Booth** » 28 Jan 2015 4:33 am

I've had a bunch of tuners and this one is the best so far.
The notes lock in VERY well and VERY quickly (on my guitar)
Easy to read and after about 10 minutes the use of it gets easier.
They'll have to invent a guitar that tunes itself before I lose this tuner.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 31 Oct 2017 4:04 pm

I know this is an old thread but I was compelled to revive it by support exchanges with Peterson today.

I got one of these recently and had put off loading the custom sweeteners that were one major reason I bought it.

And I was absolutely shocked to find that there is NO documentation regarding loading them. Just a video.

I had been previously cautioned by support (during some initial use issues because of missing documentation) that loading any custom sweeteners removed the existing ones - so you have to re-load ALL the ones you want to use.

That being said there's no way I'm going to mess with watching a video, trying to make notes as to the time of things I *think* might be important so I can go back and re-watch parts to perform the process. I'm not even sure that last *sentence* made sense, much less the actual process of video use.!

I asked Peterson support about documentation and was told 1) there's only a video, and it's because 2) custom operations are updated too often to prepare it.

What?

They re-shoot videos - but can't write and just edit documentation? I flat don't get it. I will not use a video in place of documentation and I don't understand the whole concept.I don't like user-written "directions" either as users have no need to be accurate.

I've never encountered a technical product (except some minor ones based overseas with translated docs) that lacked an actual manufacturer-written manual - or at least a weak one with additional downloadable addenda.

IMO Peterson's documentation has always been very incomplete/poorly written, with missing details, conflicting terminology (especially between manuals and FAQ's) and lousy grammar/spelling - but couldn't they at least make an attempt? It's annoying to have purchased what I thought was a complete product, yet be left hanging because the manufacturer only wants to write part of the documentation.

Their basic tuner functions are great and I'm used to them, so I'll continue to use their products. But I wish I'd known how incomplete the docs were on this one *before* purchase. I would have done more in-depth shopping research.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 1 Nov 2017 2:24 am

The info is there, just have to re-read it several times.
Even for a "computer geek" it was cryptic, but I fianlly got it. I now have my own sweetened tunings (based on the sweetened Newman at 442.5) programmed. I have four tunings that I use or can use. My "JE9" which is both the opens and pedal/knee lever settings into one (except the 4th string raise to F# and lower to Eb), by "JC6" that has all the C6th opens and pedal/knee lever except the 3rd string lower to B in one program. A program for the mentioned that can't be in the JE9 or JC6, and the standard chromatic that can be used for a 6 string guitar or a bass.

I've sent (shared as Peterson calls it) these programs with quite a few.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 1 Nov 2017 12:09 pm

The info is there, just have to re-read it several times.

Really? Where? I couldn't find it and Peterson confirmed it's not there. They only have the video - NO documentation. So if you know of something on their site they don't know about that would be real interesting.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 1 Nov 2017 1:44 pm

This is from the manual:
Recalling a Preset for Use
To use a combination of Sweetener, Hz and Transpose values that was previously saved as a preset on your
StroboPlus, momentarily press the preset/ store button. Turn the encoder knob to display the preset number you
wish to recall. A moment after you stop turning the encoder knob, the display will change from the preset number
to the values associated with that preset. To begin using those values, simply wait a few seconds without turning
or pressing the encoder knob, or to immediately accept the displayed values momentarily press the power button
once

I have a PDF of the manual.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 14 Nov 2017 9:24 pm

Sorry Jack - what you posted has zero to do with my comment regarding "loading custom sweeteners"

You posted "to use a combination of {things)...** that was previously saved** as a preset..." (italics mine).

I don't HAVE any previously saved! I would like to read - and have on hand during the process - the directions for ***loading*** user-uploaded custom sweeteners. Peterson told me you can't simply add one...or two..or whatever. Because you ALSO to re-load every *&@#% one that came with the unit.

Peterson told me they update the videos every time something changes - so they MUST prepare documentation to prepare their own videos.

Why they can't convert their "script" into a real manual is absolutely baffling - and they won't budge.