Peterson StroboClip HD-S

I own the original Peterson Strobostomp from almost 20 years ago. The one that's built like a tank. And let me put it this way - I love strobe tuners because they give you the best available tuning that standard tuners just can't.

But I needed something more portable and I actually have two TC Electronics Uni-tune units that I'm using in what I can only desribe pseudo-strobe mode.

Guess what... Peterson is just much better, it gives you better tuning, you get closer to the sweet spot. It's more precise. Don't get me wrong, Uni-tunes are good for noodling. But once you try a strobe tuner, you'll never go back.

Seriously, if you never used a strobe tuner, go for it. I had no issues getting used to this and the reward is FAR better tuning. This clip on could be your way in.

BTW, you cannot physically get the excellent intonation if you don't have a strobe tuner. Not my words... words of a certain London luthier who worked on guitars of Jeff Beck, Brian May, Chris Martin, Chuck Berry... and mine.

This is a really nice tuner with a lot of great features. The different tuning profiles are very useful and it is a very nice size to fit most stringed instruments both acoustic and electric, e.g mandolin, ukulele, guitar, bass. I have used it on acoustic and electric guitars.

Overview: The display is clear and the interface allows a very exact method of achieving correct pitch. This is in contrast to the usual digital tuners which can be annoying to use. I've used ones in the past where there is a long delay between sound input and the displayed pitch and also ones that really only tune approximately to a true pitch. This tuner is better than any I have used previously, and allows you to get very precise tunings.

Pro: When you are tuning the display interface feels like it is in real time, making tuning very fast. The screen is bright and clear. The tuner is small and easy to use discretely in a live setup. Pre-programmed tunings makes tuning live to different open tunings very easy. If you are playing with other people this tuner easy to share between acoustic and electric instruments.

Con: It's expensive. The font of the letters used is a bit too stylised to me, but the letters are easy to interpret. The screen is small so it will be harder to see for people with poor sight, but this is because it is supposed to be a small unobtrusive tuner. The arm that attaches the tuner to the fixing point feels a little brittle. It would be nice if it was more manoeuvrable, but I assume they limited the motion to ensure vibration gets to the electronics.

Conclusion: This is the best tuner I have used. It may be over the top for most casual players, but if you are frustrated with cheaper tuners this one will not disappoint. There are conflicting opinions on whether such accurate tuners are necessary. In my opinion it really depends on who you are playing with and whether you need/want a very close tuning. Another factor is speed. A responsive tuner like this one lets you tune up fast, which is really nice when playing with other people or live.

For me the interface with this tuner is what sets it apart. You are tuning in what feels like real time and it is more like tuning to a tuning fork than an electronic tuner. I am very happy with it and definitely recommend it.