The Steel Guitar Forum

I have long tuned with a Snark - my ears aren't that good - but since I picked up PSG I observed that my Snark would stay in the "green zone" through a pitch change that was audible to me. This couldn't be good enough. So I went looking for a better one that I could reasonably afford.

The good folks at Peterson Tuners have put their legendary strobe tuning into software for a smartphone whether you use iPhone or Android. Ten bucks. Accurate to tenths of a cent.

https://www.petersontuners.com/products/istrobosoft/

For another 14 bucks you can get a cable to plug into the smartphone and eliminate microphone / background noise issues. It says on the packaging it's just for iPhone, but it works fine on my Android.

https://www.petersontuners.com/shop/ite ... le-Devices

This combo brings extremely accurate tuning within reach of anyone who can afford a PSG no matter how much of a stretch that purchase was.

I am a very happy user, not affiliated with Peterson or any vendor in any way.

For a few extra dollars, they also offer ‘Sweeteners’ that are tunings to specific tunings such as the Emmons E9 tuning. As you stated, a good deal for getting a good tuner.

Ken Boi wrote:For a few extra dollars, they also offer ‘Sweeteners’ that are tunings to specific tunings such as the Emmons E9 tuning. As you stated, a good deal for getting a good tuner.

That option is only available for iPhone users. In fact, most of the software upgrades are only for iOS.

Pitchlab Pro free strobe tuner for your smartphone, custom temperament, I created a Jeffran temperament. Add a clip on that plugs into your phone and you good to go.

I don't use an iPhore or Android. I need a good, inexpensive stand alone tuner. Which one?

I have used a Korg CA-30 for almost 20 years, same one. cheap and effective. Not a back-lit screen or it would be perfect...for me.

what if I don't have a phone?

Jerry Dragon wrote:what if I don't have a phone?

Then you make a different choice.

I agree that the Korg CA-30 is a very good little tuner. I use it for 6 stringers, and used to use it for steel.

I now also have a Peterson StroboPlus HD....used mostly for my steels because takes all the memorization out of the tuning process...and at my age, I like that.

But the point is that the CA-30 is a worthy tuner to own. And you can get one on Ebay for anywhere from 5 to 25 dollars shipped!

Right now I'm using an ancient Cohn tube strobe tuner. Very good, but takes a long time!

I’ve used a Seiko tuner that has a digital cent indicator. I have an older model but it looks like this is the current one:

https://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SAT10-Guit ... B00B5L9CP2

Here is my thought.
First a person must learn how to tune a steel guitar to their own satisfaction and this takes a while.
After this any tuner will do.
A Peterson tuner with offsets or sweeteners will help speed up and facilitate learning how to play the PSG.

Bruce Bjork wrote:Pitchlab Pro free strobe tuner for your smartphone, custom temperament, I created a Jeffran temperament. Add a clip on that plugs into your phone and you good to go.

I'm using the same app. It works well and you can set up custom temperaments. In a quiet practice room, resting my phone on the steel was sufficient, but I just bought a Peterson "Pitch Grabber" clip to use at gigs.

Prior to that, I was using the same Korg clip-on tuner that I used for guitar. The way I tuned the offsets was by changing the "calibration" setting for different strings. Awkward, but effective.

The Korg CA tuner is very good. Accurate and dependable. I've been using mine for years.

Ken Metcalf wrote:Here is my thought.
First a person must learn how to tune a steel guitar to their own satisfaction and this takes a while. After this any tuner will do.

For years I tuned my open E strings with a tuner, and did the rest by ear. Learning to tune by ear is important. But some situations require tuning up in complete silence

My solution was PitchLab-Pro on a retired android phone, with a cable to my volume pedal's tuner-out. The app displays offsets in Cents. I carry a chart with sweetened offsets for open strings, and with pedals/levers activated. It's a bit of a hassle, but the OP asked for Affordable precision tuner. It does that.

Dan Robinson wrote:

Ken Metcalf wrote:Here is my thought.
First a person must learn how to tune a steel guitar to their own satisfaction and this takes a while. After this any tuner will do.

For years I tuned my open E strings with a tuner, and did the rest by ear. Learning to tune by ear is important. But some situations require tuning up in complete silence

My solution was PitchLab-Pro on a retired android phone, with a cable to my volume pedal's tuner-out. The app displays offsets in Cents. I carry a chart with sweetened offsets for open strings, and with pedals/levers activated. It's a bit of a hassle, but the OP asked for Affordable precision tuner. It does that.

I'm sure learning to tune by ear is important, but the mortar round that left the hole in my brain did a number on that ear, and other events in the same war did even more damage to the other one. Every sound I hear has to harmonize with the endless whistle. My head sounds like a late summer rural Missouri evening.

So I rely pretty heavy on a tuner and do the best I can. The only other option is not playing, and I don't like that one.

Dan Robinson wrote:Learning to tune by ear is important. But some situations require tuning up in complete silence.

Heh ... that's one problem. What I've run into more often is that the damn guitar player won't stop mindlessly noodling around long enough for me to hear myself tune up.

John

Dan Robinson wrote:
I carry a chart with sweetened offsets for open strings, and with pedals/levers activated. It's a bit of a hassle, but the OP asked for Affordable precision tuner. It does that.

Dan, did you know that PitchLab Pro allows you to set up custom temperaments? No need to carry around a chart with offsets. Here's how it's done.

1. At the bottom of the tuner screen there is a gear icon for "Configuration" settings. Press that.

2. In the Configuration screen, there is a drop-down for "Temperament". By default, it's set to "Equal Temperament", but if you tap on this, you'll see there are several dozen other options.

3. At the bottom of that screen, there is a button for "New". Tap that and you'll see the "Temperament Editor". Using that, you can enter an offset in cents for each note. At the top there is a place to name your custom temperament, then save it.

4. Go back to the "Temperament" screen and choose your new custom temperament as default. When you open up the app, it will briefly flash a reminder that you're using your custom temperament.

Once you're using the custom temperament, all your offset notes will read "straight-up" and you won't need a chart. The only minor issue is if you use different offsets for the same note on different strings (F# for instance) Even considering that, it's a lot easier to memorize one or two offsets than reading everything off a chart. Another alternative is to set up a second custom temperament for the pedals and levers.

Thanks, Tommy. I knew it was possible, now I know how.

Just noticed that it's "upside down." String 10 is on top.


I was working one string at a time, on this big readout.


Apparently the big single-note display uses the custom temperament. I can tune each open note straight up, no need for the chart. Some pedal & lever offsets might not line up. But overall this looks promising.

I use the full screen strobe setting with the Jeffran temperament, I set up a separate temperament for pedals and knee levers but find I don't need them.

Bruce, I'll give that a try. Looks like Peterson uses the same approach.

Jeff, you probably have the Newman ("Jeffran") offsets built in. Maybe the Emmons, too. If so you won't need the charts I sent.

Some phones create RF hash that gets into amps and PA systems. The iPhone-5 I carry for work is bad. Airplane mode might cure that. My retired android phone is quiet.

Thx so much. I just got pitchlab (not pro?) for $2.99 and in 10 minutes I had one of my temperaments loaded. I got a clamp on phone holder for $5 too. Well worth the time it’s going to save.

+1 for Pitchlab Pro! Any added benefits to upgrading to the paid version?

Chance Wilson wrote:Thx so much. I just got pitchlab (not pro?) for $2.99 and in 10 minutes I had one of my temperaments loaded. I got a clamp on phone holder for $5 too. Well worth the time it’s going to save.

I'd bet fifty cents that Peterson's cable to plug your guitar direct into your phone would work with Pitchlab. It's just a passive input transformer. Makes my phone tuner work in noisy environments. https://www.petersontuners.com/shop/ite ... le-Devices

Jeffrey McFadden wrote:

Chance Wilson wrote:Thx so much. I just got pitchlab (not pro?) for $2.99 and in 10 minutes I had one of my temperaments loaded. I got a clamp on phone holder for $5 too. Well worth the time it’s going to save.

I'd bet fifty cents that Peterson's cable to plug your guitar direct into your phone would work with Pitchlab. It's just a passive input transformer. Makes my phone tuner work in noisy environments. https://www.petersontuners.com/shop/ite ... le-Devices

You would win that bet. I don't think it has a transformer, just connects the ground and mic-in signal to 1/4" jack. I sacrificed an old headset to get the plug and cable, some careful soldering to 1/4" phone plug, and voila. Considering my trouble the Peterson product is money well spent.