The Steel Guitar Forum

I used to refer to myself as The Snark Slayer, because they'd only last a couple months and then stop picking up any notes. After going through that for a while, I bought a Boss tuner that lasted for years; it worked on my mandolin and banjos, and all was well.

When it finally died, I wasn't able to find a replacement, so thought I'd try some other brands. I tried a couple of no-names from Amazon. Neither one of them would read a note, so I paid a couple more bucks to get a Fishman - which I assumed would be better.

It picks up the high E string on my resonator and lap steel (both tuned to open E), but nothing else unless I pick it super hard - which makes the string's tuning jump all over, of course. It's not a funny setting, because the Fishman is a chromatic tuner and only has on/off, no other controls. I tried replacing the battery.

I'm finding it hard to believe that I've managed to find three tuners that were made at 4:45 on a Friday afternoon, but I can't imagine what else could be wrong. Any ideas?

Before the tariffs nearly doubled the price of these things, I bought a bunch of 'em. All have worked flawlessly.

Yep, that's the one I have, Jack. I don't know why it's not working. I'd assume it was just a defective one if I didn't have such a history of tuners not working.

Peterson makes a clip on tuner now. I’m sure it’s better than most of the other clip ons.

I'm a fan of these...seem accurate, available in two-pack for small dollars....and unobtrusive (Picky of me, I know, but I don't like those big tuners sticking up from the headstock). Seems to pick up all the notes I need them to...used on dobros and lap steels and banjos and....
https://www.amazon.com/DAddario-Micro-C ... L2ZAM?th=1

I think the electronics have generally improved over time. I find the newer ones are better at picking up the notes than the early ones were. My frustration with them is the poor quality plastic they are made of. I've had a number of Snarks that became unuseable because of plastic failure. The D'addario micro tuners are worse. I liked the design so much when they first came out that I bought 4 of them. Only one survives. The ratchet teeth that tighten them get stripped very easily. Perhaps I moved them from one instrument to another too much. Currently I am using the cheapest clip on tuners E-bay has to offer. The brand name is "Aroma". They work as well as anything I've tried and at $6 apiece, I can toss them and buy another when they break.

I've been using a KLIQ Ubertuner clip on for some time on 6-string, dobro and lap steel. It seems to be quite accurate and hasn't quit on me yet (knock on wood). I think I got it on a special and the price was in my price range (cheap).

So what I'm hearing is that I need to try other tuners. I was really hoping this would just be something I was doing wrong - but I couldn't imagine what that would be. It's not a tricky piece of tech!

Hi Paul,
I use a Peterson Stroboclip tuner and have no problems with it.
I don’t even clip it to the guitar, just onto my homemade wooden guitar stand.
It has “Sweetened” tunings for C6 and A6 and I think for normal guitar and many other instruments too.
Keith.

Keith Glendinning wrote:Hi Paul,
I use a Peterson Stroboclip tuner and have no problems with it.
I don’t even clip it to the guitar, just onto my homemade wooden guitar stand.
It has “Sweetened” tunings for C6 and A6 and I think for normal guitar and many other instruments too.
Keith.

i use the same. great tuner for any kind of guitar.

play music!