Leaving The Clip On Tuner On The Guitar During A Gig ? Do Ya ?
 

I never did. Always took them off.

However, I recently bought the Peterson StroboClip HD and kinda dig it. I've A/B'd it with the old "made to fall" Snark and my Fishman T2 and realize how much more accurate it is.

I went to see the Punch Brothers a while back and noticed Chris Thile had a clip on, and he left it on for the whole show. I've also seen multiple videos of him with a tuner on his priceless Loar, like it lives there. He obviously isn't concerned with it wrecking his tone OR the finish on the Loar.

And those boys tuned (quickly) between EVERY SINGLE song.

I might just leave mine on for the next gig and check things from time to time.

Perhaps my ears aren't as smart as my brain thinks they are...

I've always turned mine off after each tuning. Call it "being conservative." Usually I also remove it as I do not think they look good perched there. And they cover up the headstock. It annoys me when I see this done as it makes it harder to tell what brand of guitar they are playing.

Not am I so fussy or such a hard player that tuning is needed between songs. But to each their own.

Turning it off yes.

I just meant leaving it perched up there "ready" to check tuning at any time.

I don't play gigs anymore and can't see any way that I will in the future as I'm an old guy with M.S. That being said I think that being in tune is way more important than any perceived aesthetic disturbance to the audience. As far as causing damage to the instrument I really don't care as long as long as it's not structural in nature. I plan on keeping and playing most of my instruments until I physically can't. When my family opens the cases of my Advanced Jumbo, Les Paul, SG or any of my other instruments I hope that they marvel at all of the honest playing scars.

I tune because I care.

I hate the look of a big tuner like a Snark hanging on a headstock during a show. I just the D'Addario micro tuners on my guitars. A couple of the ones that mount to the headstock and a soundhole tuner in my CEO-7 but it may get the headstock version when I swap out the tuning machines.

It's just a question of how long you want to spend tuning during a gig. If you have time to reach for your tuner from where ever, clip it on , switch it on , move it to get the sun out of the display, tune , take it off, place it where you keep it, etc. etc.
I always play thru a boss TU on the floor and have a headstock tuner as well, often the sun makes it hard to see the display on one tuner or the other, so having two I can hopefully see the display of one without having to mess about because I usually don't have the time, then again I'm playing in a 5 piece so I'm not totally in control , unless I do a Clapton and call " ang on, ang on "

When gigging, I use the tuners built into my guitars' preamps, if they have one; it's not as accurate as some tuners, but it's close enough during a set to keep things in line and is great for shows that don't include much setup time on stage. It has the added advantage of disconnecting the pickup when you tune, so the audience doesn't have to listen to you tune through the PA. Floor pedal tuners do the same (and are more accurate), so if you have time to set up one of those before a show, that's probably the best solution, both visually and practically.

Beyond that, tuners like the Snark are pretty convenient, fairly reliable, and, no, I wouldn't keep taking it on and off throughout a set - that seems far more distracting than leaving it in place. For the few people interested in staring at my headstock while I play, most headstocks are pretty recognizable, even with one corner covered by a tuner. As for the aesthetics of a headstock tuner on a guitar, well, it just tells people you have a tuner on your guitar. I'm not sure how that detracts much from the looks of your guitar, especially when I also have a mic in my face and a mic stand in front of the guitar, and a cable running out the strap end.

Hope this doesn't sound too snarky. ;)

I see what you did, there...

Done with the Snarks after comparing them to the Peterson, they're all over the place.

Plus, they're "designed to fall"....

I agree with this. No one is noticing that there is a tuner up riding on the headstock with the capo. It is all in the mind.

I recently replaced my headstock tuners with D'Addario sound hole tuners.
I'm one that doesn't like the look of a tuner or a capo clamped on the headstock of my guitars.

When I do use a Snark, it is only on long enough to tune up and then back off it goes.

I only use a headstock tuner if playing without amplification, in which case I leave it on, otherwise a pedal tuner. Pedal tuners are usually more accurate, not subject to extraneous noise/vibration, discreet.

Since D'addario started doing those tiny tuners, there's one lurking on the back of all my headstocks 24/7. I don't take them off at all.

I'm not super-concerned with finish etc. My guitars are all intended to be played, gigged and generally used. Being in tune is a huge part of people asking you to play again, I find, and having a tuner makes that just that little bit faster and more convenient for me.

I think mostly that nobody cares a bit about it... the only ones that do, care because they're guitar (or mando, or banjo) nerds and want to see what the headstock says. So, I kind of agree with this.

I'd be much more annoyed by the performers being out of tune than I ever would be for them having a tuner on their headstock.

Like Snorse, I used to have those tiny D'addario clip-ons kept on headstocks all the time. No issues whatsoever, apart from they partially covered the logos.

However, last coupla years, I've gone to TC electronics "Uni-tunes" which are better in all lighting situations, far faster, and accurate .... UT - a little large so, no I don't leave them on.
Wherever I play (at home or away), I have a table or chair nearby on which I keep my pick box ,capo etc., so I can pick up the tuner quickly and check, and put it down.