Guitar stage tuner?

[Milkit]

I currently use a Korg pitch black stage tuner, but it's too chunky & taking up valuable space on my board. Does anyone know of small & simple stage tuner layout (I'm guessing it'll have to be pcb) that just uses LEDs or a small digital display or whatever & that will mute my signal on activation please?

Many thanks,

Matt

[Jon Rep]

I don't play on stage, but I just updated my tuner to a "SNARK"  .  It attaches to your guitar Head and goes off the Vibration in the Neck & Head of the Guitar to get the correct String Tuning.  I am very impressed by them and just use that now. Here's a YouTube Link.  They are cheap too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG5IzjLLRQU

[Jon Rep]

Here's a better Clip of the "SNARK"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_4OaW7GMBA

[Milkit]

Wowsers they are cheap & that display is sweet!  Top idea Jon, thanks buddy!  How do you find it's tracking during live situations etc etc?  Cheers matey

[Beaker]

I've never come across a DIY tuner design before, so can't help there.

I use a Pitch Black for guitar, and a Fender Rack mount unit in my bass rig.

The best small tuner I know of is the TC Electronic Mini Polytune, housed in a 1590A (I think - although it could be smaller than that). One disadvantage of these is that they only run off an external power supply.

Any of these cheap headstock tuners work suprisingly well, in fact amazingly well and I always have one to hand as a back up.

Here's a story to prove how well they work live:

A few years ago I was working with a youth music project, and we had to tune up about a dozen acoustic guitars in the loading bay (right behind the stage) of our local venue, while an insanely loud metal band were playing. The volume and amount of bass vibrations made your bones hurt! It was so loud even yelling at each other did no good and we had to communicate by hand signals. Me and another guy used a couple of these cheap headstock tuners to do the job, then sent the kids on with every finger and toe crossed.

When they started playing, ALL of them were perfectly in tune!

[Dave]

I tend to think pedal tuners are more reliable in a live setting than any others. The ones that use a mic or go from vibrations can and will be effected by extraneous noise which is something I have experienced whilst jamming with mates.
Thanks
Dave

[Milkit]

Thanks guys, all much appreciated.

[Madferret]

I got one of these recently after I lost my headstock tuner and I have to say I've been pretty impressed with it for the money. It's 1590b size so it's not exactly huge but not tiny either. I can vouch for those clamp onto the headstock piezo style tuners too, I had mine for about 4 years before I lost it and it's worked great every time.

[Jon Rep]

Matt, Don't know yet. I have only been using it privately, but because it is a fairly new product I thought I'd tell you about it.  I have the Red One that has a Mic & Vibration Switch Option. The display as you said is good.  

[Surgeon]

I use the Snark clip-ons at home or for acoustic sets. However, in band settings, I use their tuner pedal. It's not "better" than any other out there IMO but it's dirt cheap (40$ US) and has a good display.

However, in the OP's case, it won't be of much use since it's not much smaller than anything else either.

[Chris!]

I can vouch for the TC Polytune, be it the regular one or the mini.
Have had no problems with this Thing, even when Tuning to a low G on my 7 String.

[Jon Rep]

Yep. Just watching IGuitar Issue 13 Part 3 Interview with Guthrie Govan and noticed he uses a TC Polytune.

The thing I liked about his demo is when you are on stage you can strum the guitar and it will pick up the string that is out of tune.

Here is a link to TC Polytune:- http://www.tcelectronic.com/polytune/

[Geiri]

I've got one of these: GFS Tuner

About the size of a 1590B, very bright and big screen, $44.95 and has two outputs: one that mutes when it's on and one that lets the signal through. I like it!

[Jon Rep]

Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 14  Ritchie Kotzen on his TeleCaster uses a N-Tune Guitar Tuner  that is attached to one of the Pots/Knobs that you pull out to use.  Looks really Cool. Here's a Link about it. Cheap Too.

http://www.performing-musician.com/pm/apr08/articles/ntune.htm

[popov56]

I just noodle around at home, one of my ways of relaxing. I use one of these;

http://www.korg.com/ga1

.......... simple, cheap and very reliable. I even bought one so my daughter could pop it into the music pocket of her acoustic gig-bag when she was taking lessons, her tutor was impressed enough to buy a couple for himself.

It'd be nice to have a mute so I could tune up without too many clonky notes being Celestionised, but little in this world is perfect.

Popov

[Milkit]

Thanks for all of your help guys!  After much deliberating & fannying around, I decided to go for Rick's choice of the Dr. tone  & I have to say for what I paid, I'm impressed absolute.  Thanks, Rick and again thanks to everyone that took the time to help me out, much appreciated indeed!