Live performance tuning question for classical guitar?

[savagetofu]

I’ve not ever performed publicly. I have a Córdoba GK Pro cypress & a Córdoba Hauser. I use D’addario e46 hard tension strings.

What kind of digital tuner do you recommend on stage? I may change tunings. I rumba a lot.

When I change my strings, particularly for the Hauser copy. It takes a couple days before the guitar sounds good. The trebles are the worst. So, how long before a performance do you change strings? Any advice or tips would be appreciated. Thank you.

[SBalderrama]

I love the TC polytune clip tuner. Very easy to see and accurate. I've had issues with Snarks, the head swivel mount breaks way too easy and sometimes they just don't want to work.

If find like you the strings usually take a couple days to really settle in.

[david57strat]

Originally Posted by SBalderrama

I love the TC polytune clip tuner. Very easy to see and accurate. I've had issues with Snarks, the head swivel mount breaks way too easy and sometimes they just don't want to work.

If find like you the strings usually take a couple days to really settle in.

Plus 1 on the Polytune Clip. This past May, I picked up one of them, and it is nothing less than superb.



Works great on bass too!

You wouldn't regret buying this. Take it from a tuning fanatic lol.

At first glance, it looks like an ordinary clip-on tuner. I never liked these things, because (in my opinion) they've never really been all that accurate. They're inexpensive, easy to use, etc., but just not all that accurate (although it appears, they've greatly improved, in recent years). Being well-in-tune has always been super important to me, so I avoided clip-on tuners like the plague - until this tuner came out.

I already have the polytune2 noir, which is a superb little pedal tuner; but it's not battery-power-able, so not of much use, if I want a tuner I can keep in my guitar case, if I want to just play out in the park, or wherever.

The Polytune "Clip" is five times as accurate as any of my previous BOSS tuners (TU-12, TU-12H, TU-12EX). Rated for accuracy within /- 0.5 cents (in chromatic mode), or a mind-blowing 0.02 cents, in strobe mode), as opposed to =/- 1 cent, on the BOSS stuff....and it's so tiny! I don't even use the built-in tuners on my GX-700, GT-3, or GT-10. These two tuners blow those away, hands-down.

The display is super bright, and will auto-orient itself, depending on how you have it clipped to the guitar. I kind of prefer it in front of the headstock, although it looks kind of funny. You can compensate for capo use. Very cool feature set on this tuner.

The sensor (?) is very sensitive; so, the readout sustains for quite a long time, making tuning surprisingly easy, with one of these, if you're not ordinarily super speedy at it lol.

You can either use it as a needle (chromatic) tuner, or a strobe tuner. It is polyphonic, so it can automatically sense all six strings at once, and tell you, at a glance, which ones are off, and whether sharp, or flat, or you can just pluck a single string, and get the read-out that you have in the pictures above (or, of course, the more accurate strobe version).

It runs on a CR2032 flat cell. Not sure I'm crazy about that, but it'd be easy to carry a card of these cells, in a pack, or in my guitar case), so I'd never have to worry about not having a backup battery for it, or taking up a bunch of gig bag space, with extra batteries. They're also very inexpensive, and easy to find on-line, at ridiculously low prices.

I had been wanting to tune, quickly and easily, without lugging around the bulky TU12 tuner, which is still an excellent and tried and true tuner, but not as accurate as this little tiny one, or the noir.

TC Electronic also make the Unitune Clip Tuner, which has a few less features than the Polytune Cilp, but the same accuracy, and is riced twenty dollars cheaper.

[savagetofu]

Thank you. I’ll definitely pick this up. The only thing I don’t like is it doesn’t display the Hertz...

It looks like they have an iPhone app. Both of my guitars are nylon electric. Would you recommend the polytune pedal?

Thank you again.

[david57strat]

Originally Posted by savagetofu

Thank you. I’ll definitely pick this up. The only thing I don’t like is it doesn’t display the Hertz...

It looks like they have an iPhone app. Both of my guitars are nylon electric. Would you recommend the polytune pedal?

Thank you again.

Yes lol. In fact, I have the Polytune2 Noir pedal, and it is fantastic!


Awful picture. Excellent tuner.

Is there some reason you feel that the note needs to display in hertz, on a compact tuner? The pedal is calibrated to A440, and there are alternate tuning options, (capo'd tunings, drop D, etc.). Of course, the tuner will automatically sense whatever note you're playing and adjust accordingly. If you want to drop A to A Flat, for instance - no problem (I think it'll display as G#, though...either way).

The only issue I have with this pedal is that, because it's so compact, it will not accommodate a battery, so you can't really travel with it, and use it as a stand-alone tuner, without a 9-volt power supply (5mm barrel plug, center negative).

[SBalderrama]

In my electric rig I use a Korg Pitchblack, it's always served me well.

Also the Peterson Strobostomp will be super accurate but not exactly cheap The Peterson is also an active DI I think.

[sirwhale]

I'm also a huge fan of the polytune clip. I take with me when I travel as I my family's tuners just won't do.

[savagetofu]

Originally Posted by david57strat

Is there some reason you feel that the note needs to display in hertz, on a compact tuner?

It’s just a preference. I’ve been using the chromatic tuner in the ultimate guitar app. It just doesn’t pick up the trebles well. It does display the hertz though... which I’ve grown fond of. So I’ve been looking online for a better tuner. The Snark has one. So I thought I’d talk with other folks here and see what they thought. Thee ultimate guitar app tuner isn’t going to work for whenever I get around to playing live. Thank you.

What about putting on new strings before performances? How long before on a nylon? 2 days? 3days? Any other tricks?

[gigmaster]

The little Snark clip-ons are hard to beat. I love mine. They are handy, and I think I got mine on sale at Guitar Center for around $5.00 and tax. They had them in a box, loose, by the cash register. It's been super accurate, and very handy.

Your strings settle down in a few days???? You have me beat. Sometimes mine stretch and settle in for 2 or 3 weeks before behaving properly.

[Gae]

When I play live I use now the Tonedexter who has a tuner and it's very practical as it mute the guitar while you are tuning.

When I amplify the guitar with a mike I tune it with a diapason and harmonics. No tuner (they use battery who are very toxic...)

When I change strings I never change the all at the same time. In fact I change more often the 4th, 5th and 6th as I consider they loose their sound before the other strings.
Of course I never change strings just before a gig. If I am playing live every day I'd change them 1 by 1. So you can control the untuned one...