The Best Guitar Tuners
When it comes to playing guitar, staying in tune is one of the most important parts of being a good player. Even if you can shred up and down the neck, it’s going to sound awful if you’re not in tune. That’s why finding a good tuner is an absolute necessity. But which one should you get? We’ve put together a list to help narrow down your search for the best guitar tuner so you can spend less time shopping and more time jamming.
What to Look For
When narrowing down the best guitar tuners on the market, we considered product design, price, and accuracy. If you wanted a simple clip-on tuner that’s affordable and trusted by players everywhere, the Snark SN5X clip-on tuner is a great option. And if you’re a gigging musician and wanted something more durable and accurate, the TC Electronic Polytune 3 Mini is a widely lauded tuner that any pro can proudly add to their pedalboards. Read on to see all our top tuner picks.
Fender FCT-2 Professional Clip-On Tuner
A timeless classic
When it comes to rock n roll, it doesn’t get any more iconic than Fender. If you’re looking to keep your instruments tuned up so you can jam the blues, you can’t go wrong with this affordable tuner. It has modes for guitar, bass, ukulele, violin, and a standard chromatic mode. It also has a built-in vibration sensor to measure tuning by touch rather than sound.
Pros:
- The dual-hinge design makes it simple to place on either side of your guitar’s headstock.
- The straightforward LCD screen layout comes in full color and is easy to read.
Cons:
- This may not tune as accurately with extended-range instruments like 5-string bass or 7-string guitar, but it should work great with most standard instruments.
Snark SN5X Clip-On Tuner
Hanging on
If you walk into any music school or a coffee shop on open mic night, there’s a good chance you’ll come across a Snark SN5X tuner. They’re definitely one of the most accessible clip-on options amongst players, and for good reason. They have a colored display, they can change modes for guitar and bass, and they even rotate 360 degrees for a great angle no matter where you put it on your guitar. The screen is bright and easy to see, making it great for tuning on the fly during a jam.
Pros:
- It has a tap tempo metronome feature which can use a light to visually count beats per minute.
- The design layout is simple and small, so it’s not a distracting eyesore if you keep it clipped on while playing.
Cons:
- It’s not always as reliably accurate as more expensive tuners, but it’s close enough for most uses.
Donner Dt-1 Chromatic Tuner Pedal
If you’re tight on pedalboard space and need your tuner to work in close quarters, this mini tuner pedal may be the best option for you. It’s extremely compact, so it can fit into even the smallest spaces and leave more room for your other pedals. It also has a wide tuning range, so it works for extended-range instruments like violin or 7-string guitar. It has a bright screen, quick response time, fairly accurate tuning, and several modes to choose from. This pedal proves big things can come in small packages.
Pros:
- It’s a true bypass pedal, so your tone is unaltered when the pedal is turned off.
- Despite being small, the metal housing is extremely durable.
Cons:
- The LED lights are extremely bright, though you can tape them over if they get too distracting.
Behringer TU300 Chromatic Tuner Pedal
Don't break the bank
Behringer is no stranger to bargains, and this tuner pedal is one of the best available. This affordable pedal is reminiscent of the classic Boss TU-2 and features a similar aesthetic and set of capabilities. It has seven tuning modes for different styles and has an 11-point stream meter to measure the tuning precisely. It can also be powered using a 9V power supply or a battery. If you factor in Behringer’s solid reputation for making quality gear, this is a steal.
Pros:
- The price is almost too good to be true and comes with an easy-to-use layout for simple stomping during gigs.
- The LED display is bright and easy to see.
Cons:
- The hardware isn’t quite as durable as competitor models, but it’s still great quality for the price.
TC Electronic Polytune 3 Mini Tuner Pedal
A pro performer
Simply put, this tuner pedal is the holy grail of guitar tuners. Its small size may be deceiving, but this thing has some serious power to it. It features polyphonic, chromatic, and strobe tuning modes, depending on your preference, and a bright screen that’s easy to read on dark stages. The polyphonic mode allows you to tune multiple strings at once, a feature that most other tuners don’t have. Best of all, its tuning accuracy is unmatched. For perfect pitch time after time, this should be your go-to tuner.
Pros:
- The price is surprisingly good compared to the pro-audio competition.
- It features an internal buffer to keep your tone strong even through long cables or complex pedalboards.
Cons:
- Although the value is great for the quality, it’s still pretty pricey for beginners or casual players.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will every tuner pedal mute my signal when I press on it?
In almost all cases, yes, but not necessarily. This depends on the routing of your pedalboard and your preferences. If you have a volume pedal with a tuner output, you can use a patch cable to place your tuner after the volume pedal in your chain. This sends a separate signal to your tuner, which always stays on, while your main signal runs through the rest of your pedals. Then you can use your volume pedal to control whether your guitar signal is muted or not, so you can tune at any volume.
What is standard guitar tuning?
Standard guitar tuning from the lowest string to the highest is E, A, D, G, B, E. This has been the standard tuning for decades, but it’s hardly the only one. Many players use drop-D tuning, which is when you tune the lowest E down to a D. There are also half-step-down tunings and D-standard tunings. These latter examples are essentially just standard tunings, but every string is tuned down to a lower note.
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