Built in bass tuner

[ped]

[quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1450777297' post='2935671']
I'm going to get one of those little monkeys to sit on the head stock & do the tuning for me , I better get it some ear defenders & i suppose I better get Jon Shuker to adjust the balance of the bass .
[/quote]

Yep, though even the animals need a reference pitch to work with

[M@23]

My old guitar tutor had a Yamaha electric guitar with a proper built in tuner and 7 segment display. Ugly as sin! Can't imagine it would be that handy on a gig either as it is on the front on the body.

[Russ]

David King used to offer custom basses with built-in tuners. No idea if he's still building basses (his website is still up, but is ancient), but here's the page with the deets: http://www.kingbass.com/features.html

[Doctor J]

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1450777892' post='2935678']
Boo, did some digging and the E-Tuner (actually a Shadow product) doesn't go low enough for bass - bottom frequency response is 66Hz according to docs. No built in cleverness for me then
[/quote]

Play the octave harmonic.

[neepheid]

[quote name='Doctor J' timestamp='1450801645' post='2936015']
Play the octave harmonic.
[/quote]

Could do that I guess, but I still don't think I'll bother unless it can tune open strings, only because it's contrary to how my pedal tuner would behave. I could see myself getting all wound up at a gig because it wasn't working before remembering to use harmonics

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='owen' timestamp='1450646920' post='2934618']
The logical thing to do would be to install one using side LED dots on a neck. Octave dots = in tune. Either side sharp or flat. It all sounds so easy.
[/quote]

Believe it or not, that was destined for my second GB bass - however, there was a number of things to consider about it which ultimately, led to the idea being canned. Was going to be strobe/sharp or flat setup as you describe.

First up, there's another switch on the bass - another thing to go wrong... and obviously, the switch would mute the main output so if the switch fudged, there goes your bass until you can get it fixed.

Second, you have to code in what you want your tuning to be... most likely B E A D G C... but when there's a drop D on a 4 string bass, how would you cleanly switch between the E and D as what you want to tune to?

Third, the interface is not so so great... if doesn't tell you the note that you are tuning... so the risk of tuning on the wrong string when in a high pressure quick tune situation is greatly increased.

We figured it would be cool to have - just like the G spot on the GBs are... but they are never really meant to replace a stage tuner... and the cost of implementing it... well, you may just go out and buy a separate tuner.

[Shaggy]

Vox were doing it back in the mid-60's; admittedly just a basic generated E tone: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vox_Bass_Guitar

[JPJ]

I remember seeing a custom bass in a magazine a few years ago (might have been an SEI) that had three led's built into the end of the neck just above the body on the player side which replicated the three lights on the (reference) TU-2. I always thought that was a pretty neat solution.