Is a strobo tuner really better ?

Brian Waits · Post by **Brian Waits** » 16 Mar 2017 5:24 am

Interested to see how many use a peterson strobo. Is it really any better that a snark or any other tuner when it comes to pedal steels ?

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 16 Mar 2017 5:30 am

The advantage of the strobotuner is that it is pre-loaded with the sweetened settings most steel guitarists use. You dont have to remember the (+/-) cents for each string.

Scott Duckworth · Post by **Scott Duckworth** » 16 Mar 2017 6:32 am

When I played pedal steel, I used a chart and a Seiko SAT800 tuner.

You have to get used to watching the strobe display on a strobe tuner. It drives some people nuts.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 16 Mar 2017 6:57 am

Depends on how you tune your guitar on whether a strobe, such as the Peterson's, is useful or needed.

Most do not tune everything to "0" thus with a standard tuner you have to remember or have a tuning chart when you tune. With a programmable (or pre-programmed) strobe tuner you don't have to have a chart as all the variations have been programmed into the tuner and you tune everything at (compensated) "0" (no movement on a strobe). This method is much easier and faster.

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 16 Mar 2017 7:21 am

The good strobe tuners provide a more precise readout and in my experience are much more stable on the lower strings. Initial accuracy is not critical but as a guitar begins to drift due to things like temperature, play in mechanisms etc it's better to have the initial tuneup accurately centered. A few cents off is nothing but added to the drift that occurs in all guitars over the course of a few hours the total error can be very audible.

If you temper tune, then you at least need a strobe, needle or digital readout to get the temper correct. One big advantage of a strobe is that you can see and use it easily along distance away so your tuner can sit somewhere safely and remotely off your guitar.

Chris Schlotzhauer · Post by **Chris Schlotzhauer** » 16 Mar 2017 10:28 am

I just got the Strobo Plus HD...very nice unit.

I am struggling to figure out how to use it. The manual is very complicated for this country boy.

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 16 Mar 2017 10:57 am

Skip the manual!

All the pedal steel settings are below. Here's what I do in 4 easy steps:

Select SE9, tune E9 neck open strings
Select SP9, tune all the E9th pedals
Select SC6, tune C6 neck open strings
Select SP6, tune all the C6 pedals

Substitute OE9/OP9 for SE9/SP9 if you want a slightly different E9th tuning.

PEDAL STEEL GUITAR
SE9 Peterson E9 Pedal Steel Sweetener 1 SE9
SP9 Peterson E9 Pedal and Lever Offsets for SE9
SC6 Peterson C6 Pedal Steel Sweetener
SP6 Peterson Pedal & Lever Offsets for SC6
OE9 Peterson E9 Pedal Steel Sweetener OE9
OP9 Peterson Pedal & Lever for 0E9
EM9 Peterson Emmons Style E9 Pedal Steel Sweetener
EP9 Peterson Emmons Style E9 Pedals & Levers
EM6 Peterson Emmons C6 Pedal Steel Sweetener
EP6 Peterson Emmons C6 Pedals & Levers
U12 Peterson Universal Pedal Steel Sweetener
P12 Peterson Pedal & Lever for Universal Pedal Steel

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 16 Mar 2017 1:22 pm

I have my own programs, based on the SE9/SP9 programs. The SP9 doesn't include some modern changes that were not around when Newman developed his tunings. e.g. 1st string full tone raise (F# to G#) and 2nd string half tone raise (Eb to E). There are several others.

I also developed one E9th program for both opens and pedal/knee lever changes (except 4th string raise to F# and lower to Eb as these conflict with the same changes that have different offsets).

I did the same thing for C6th, everything except the 3rd string C to B is in one program.

The three exceptions are in a separate program. However, they rarely need tuning so no big deal.

As I've posted before, if your e-mail is registered with Peterson Connect I can "Share" (as Peterson calls it) my tunings with you. You can then download them to your tuner. (I've done this for quite a few forum members).

I have an E9th program that another forum member gave me with everything in one program but it doesn't work for me.

Jim Reynolds · Post by **Jim Reynolds** » 20 Mar 2017 5:35 pm

I just go to the Sweetened E9th and it has them all there. Mainly I still just use the old needle tuners, and tune to the Newman chart. I have them memorized and don't have a problem, and this is the U-12 too. When you get into tuning, it's like religion and politics. hahaha

Dave Meis · Post by **Dave Meis** » 20 Mar 2017 11:06 pm

I really like my Stobo Plus..especially on a noisy stage!

Craig Bailey · Post by **Craig Bailey** » 21 Mar 2017 3:50 am

I just got my strobe tuner. When you turn the unit on, how do you access the sweetened tuning?

Craig

Jim Reynolds · Post by **Jim Reynolds** » 21 Mar 2017 7:04 am

Craig, the manual explains it very good, but the big knob on the right, turn it, it will change an icon on the screen, keep going till it come to se9. I just leave mine there, but as I said I seldom use it. I still use the old Boss tuner with the needle.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 21 Mar 2017 8:04 am

What I like about the Strobo Plus HD is that you can have it in line without affecting the tone. I tried that with the Boss tuner and that unit did affect the tone. I had to plumb that separately.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 21 Mar 2017 11:13 am

Is it better? It's very well made.
Their customer service is, frankly, outstanding.

If you leave it in line, remember it you're using a sweetened tuning, you cannot use it to track your intonation. If you play a C# chord in tune with anyone else, your strobe is gonna tell you you're crazy sharp (and even worse if you play an F.

I don't like the very concept of programming the tuner.
If you're gonna run your C#s 17 cents flat because they sound better that way, you ought to know it, understand why and aim your needle at -17.

Just some things to think about

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 21 Mar 2017 1:57 pm

I've never left any tuner in line. I connect it, tune up and then disconnect it. I don't find I (normally) need to touch up or retune during a set. I may check the tuning when we take a break but even that's not all the time.

A comment about the Newman C6th sweetened program in a Peterson. I tuned up using the "Harmonic" method (that Buddy documented at one time) and then checked it with my Peterson. Surprise I was in tune with the Newman tuner program!

Rich Upright · Post by **Rich Upright** » 21 Mar 2017 2:21 pm

I use the needle. Been using the same temper for years, so I got 'em memorized.

Thomas Kowalchuk · Post by **Thomas Kowalchuk** » 21 Mar 2017 2:23 pm

There is some discussion on the Peterson tuner in this thread as well:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... highlight=