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Old 09-28-2018, 10:41 AM
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raysachs raysachs is online now
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Default Soundhole Tuner for X20 (and probably any other Emerald)

Since I got my X20 a few weeks ago, I've been playing around with where to stick a tuner that would be both convenient and unobtrusive. I love the Polytune , but it really sticks up off of the headstock. And I'm really fine with the basic tuning capabilities of the little D'Addario tuners that come in various configurations - I've used the soundhole version of that in my guitars that have a traditional sound hole and been plenty happy with them. You can just about get that tuner in the sound hole of an X20, but it's a pretty clumsy setup and not what it was designed for. I played around with various ways of attaching it to the underside of the headstock and came up with a good one, but then realized it would work just as well in the soundhole, which is really where I'd rather have it.

So here it is - I'm sure this would work just as well in any of the Emeralds with the newer soundhole that points both out and up.

unnamed-2 by Ray, on Flickr

I just used a couple of small pieces of 3M Dual Lock, which is basically just industrial strength velcro, with a much stronger bond. I use this stuff to hold my pedals on my pedal-board because it holds a lot better than velcro, which can come loose really easily. There's a little tab on the back of the tuner that it uses for attaching to whichever type of bracket it comes with, but it's really easy to cut that off with a coping saw or probably any other number of ways. Then a quick sanding of the back just to even it out and rough it up a little bit. Then a small piece of dual lock stuck on that smooth part of the tuner, and a matching piece on the underside of the soundhole, right next to the pickup controls. You could just use double sided tape, but this will make it easier to remove and replace to change a battery.

Works great, totally unobtrusive. I started using this same method at the headstock because I didn't like how either of the bracket options worked there. And it worked fine, but then it just kind of hit me - this'll work just as well inside the soundhole and it did...

So if anyone is interested...

-Ray

Last edited by raysachs; 11-01-2018 at 04:33 AM.
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Old 09-28-2018, 11:04 AM
Gordon Currie Gordon Currie is offline
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I LOVE those little D'Addario tuners, I have them in every guitar.

They are stealthy so you aren't advertising to the audience that you are tuning, and pretty easy to see. I find them to be as accurate as I'll ever need for onstage use.
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Old 09-28-2018, 11:07 AM
BT55 BT55 is offline
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Default Soundhole Tuner for X20 (and probably any other Emerald)

Adding a tuner to a guitar is a smart idea. On my Emerald X20 I added a D’Addario Mini tuner to the back of the headstock between the bottom tuners using double sided tape. It’s always visible and easy to use.
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Old 09-28-2018, 11:11 AM
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raysachs raysachs is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BT55 View Post
Adding a tuner to a guitar is a smart idea. On my Emerald X20 I added a D’Addario Mini tuner to the back of the headstock between the bottom tuners using double sided tape. It’s always visible and easy to use.
This is the same tuner using the same double sided tape idea, but just moved inside the soundhole. And instead of double sided tape, it's essentially stronger velcro so it's easier to remove and replace when you need to...
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Old 09-28-2018, 01:59 PM
jonfields45 jonfields45 is offline
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I'm liking the headstock version these days.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Yk...2dadREiZQVMFtX

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1h8...nktKBnjbnfGI3P
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Old 09-28-2018, 02:48 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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Clever, Ray. Simple and elegant and I like it.

I've pondered using an short aluminum L-bracket attached inside the sound hole using the strap button screw, then either using double-stick tape or just clipping the tuner onto that "tab". I happen to have a Snark that still works fine electronically, but the clip part broke off.(fairly common with Snark tuners). So I was thinking of a way to put it into my X20 while still maintaining the vibration-sensing capability, and being able to easily remove it for battery changes.
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Old 09-28-2018, 04:38 PM
rockabilly69 rockabilly69 is offline
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Quote:
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I just installed one of these todays, and frankly I'm impressed I think it locks on to pitch great!
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Old 09-28-2018, 05:50 PM
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David Eastwood David Eastwood is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jonfields45 View Post
That's the one I'm going with. Come to think of it, I should probably order one for my imminent X20.
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Old 09-28-2018, 09:03 PM
martingitdave martingitdave is offline
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Does the Velcro dampen the vibrations that the piezo tuner picks up?
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Old 09-28-2018, 09:59 PM
byudzai byudzai is offline
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you guys are all my heros! this was the ONE question remaining about how to pimp out my emeralds-on-order
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Old 09-28-2018, 10:23 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by martingitdave View Post
Does the Velcro dampen the vibrations that the piezo tuner picks up?
In theory I guess perhaps a tiny amount. In reality, not that you'd ever hear...
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Old 09-29-2018, 09:47 AM
BT55 BT55 is offline
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Default Soundhole Tuner for X20 (and probably any other Emerald)

Quote:
Originally Posted by martingitdave View Post
Does the Velcro dampen the vibrations that the piezo tuner picks up?


I used double sided tape to install mine. Since it’s on the back of the headstock battery access is available without removal.

I tested the tuning accuracy against my most accurate Snark and it passed with flying colors.
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Old 09-30-2018, 02:26 AM
Kerbie Kerbie is offline
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That looks great, Ray. Nicely done.
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Old 10-01-2018, 12:27 AM
TWISS TWISS is offline
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Default Tuner for emeralds

https://youtu.be/tEIEX6BTN9E

These fit the soundhole perfectly on my x20 and x20 8 string Baritone.
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Old 10-01-2018, 07:23 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TWISS View Post
https://youtu.be/tEIEX6BTN9E

These fit the soundhole perfectly on my x20 and x20 8 string Baritone.
I tried one of those in my X20 and it worked but I wouldn't say it fit perfectly. It barely fit in next to the pickup controller and it was at a slightly funny angle. And the little clip that allows it to hold so tightly on a flat wooden soundhole didn't seem to work as well with the slight lip in the X20 soundhole where the carbon fiber kind of wraps over on itself. It worked, but there was some movement to it, almost a slight rattle. In any case, not well enough that I wasn't looking for other solutions, but I'm probably pickier than some people that way. I like the double sided tape / velcro / dual lock solution inside the soundhole more - the only downside being that the buttons to control the tuner aren't easily visible to you, but they're still easy enough to use by feel.
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