Best tuner?

[LITTLEWING]

Any recommendations for a decent not crazy expensive tuner? I like to get intonation as spot on as I can and am still using my Boss TU-88 but fancied a strobe so I bought the headstock Peterson HDC to see what I was missing. Huge mistake, it was all over the place. Keeping the bass in a playing position sitting down if I leaned forward it went backwards and leaning back it went forwards. Then it kept telling me I was sharp so I started moving saddles back and it was an absolute nightmare. Strobe tuners DO NOT work on headstocks. Sent it back within exchange period.
I’ve heard the plug in type Polytune is rather good so see what users on here say. 

[squire5]

I use the TC Polytune clip-on and find it faultless.

[SamIAm]

I've used the Peterson Clip on for a few years with huge success, I love strobe tuners ... but only on acoustics, for my electric bass I just can't get it to work well.

I had a StroboStomp for a while and loved it, but it was destroyed in a fire.

At present I use a Korg Pitchblack mini for my 5ers and am very happy with it; not crazy expensive and so very tiny!

Sam x

Edited April 13 by SamIAm

[Acebassmusic]

I use a Korg GA-CS GA strobe tuner for my 5 string basses and it does the low B and intonation great 👍 I always plug into it (as opposed to using the built in mic) to get a better reading.

[Lozz196]

TC Polytune gets my vote. I generally use the clip version for rehearsals & gigs but use the pedal for intonation & set-ups.

[Bolo]

Boss tu-3 at the moment as it tunes great, can set it to strobe or normal and I use it as a buffered splitter. Before this was the TC polytune mini. The poly function didn't work for 5string bass but no biggie. Before that the ashdown bassometer which struggled with the low A and is huge.

[Paul S]

19 hours ago, Acebassmusic said:

I use a Korg GA-CS GA strobe tuner for my 5 string basses and it does the low B and intonation great 👍 I always plug into it (as opposed to using the built in mic) to get a better reading.

 

Lovely looking bit of kit.  

 

At the moment I am using a Trace Elliot Transit B pedal which has a built in tuner and therefore my 'one pedal solution'.  Seems to work OK.

Edited April 14 by Paul S

[ped]

I’ve just bought a really cheap tuner (Vivlex?) https://amzn.eu/d/7hUpQZp

 

It’s pretty bang on tbh, much faster and more stable than my TU2. I find that the Boss can ‘hunt’ quite a bit so I’m never sure how accurately I’m in tune. Maybe it’s too accurate? Either way the new one is steady and really fast. 
 

I think the technology has clearly moved on a lot since I bought the TU2, I’ve previously had TC Polytune Clip (though for bass you might as well get the Unitune) which is excellent but I wanted a pedal and the TC pedal was too wide. 

[StingRayBoy42]

Boss TU-2 all the way. I've got one on every board and one in every bits bag.
I find strobe tuners (and the TU-3) a bit *too* accurate.

Not mad keen on headstock tuners but the Boss TU-10 is a nice bit of kit.

[Bleat]

I have a Digitech Hardwire HT-2 which I rate as one of the best tuners. This is my 3rd one as I thought I could find better. Needless to say I couldn't, certainly not at the used prices. They come up on eBay used every so often. It's a bit bigger than heavier than a Boss and more responsive.

[tony_m]

I'm liking the NUX Flow I picked up on the BC Marketplace a while back. Has three different tuning modes (Chromatic, Guitar, Bass), three different display modes (Strobo, Arrow 1 and Arrow 2), and three different bypass modes (True Bypass, Buffered Bypass, Buffered Bypass Monitor), a large bright display which is great for my ageing eyesight, and is pink. Can't vouch as for its accuracy or whether it's the "best", but it works for me - I've had a Boss TU-2 and Ashdown Bassometer previously, and the NUX is definitely my favourite to use.

 

https://www.nuxaudio.com/flowtune.html

 

 

[rainbowreality]

1 hour ago, tony_m said:

I'm liking the NUX Flow I picked up on the BC Marketplace a while back. Has three different tuning modes (Chromatic, Guitar, Bass), three different display modes (Strobo, Arrow 1 and Arrow 2), and three different bypass modes (True Bypass, Buffered Bypass, Buffered Bypass Monitor), a large bright display which is great for my ageing eyesight, and is pink. Can't vouch as for its accuracy or whether it's the "best", but it works for me - I've had a Boss TU-2 and Ashdown Bassometer previously, and the NUX is definitely my favourite to use.

 

https://www.nuxaudio.com/flowtune.html

 

 

Another vote for the Nux from me! (I went for the blue option)

[LeftyJ]

I used to have a Korg DT-10 that was great: accurate, rugged (built like a tank) and easy to read. I sold it because of its size, and replaced it with a TC Polytune Nano in black and I haven't looked back: it's supercompact, has a great display (and several display modes) and very accurate. I also have two TC Unitune Clips that I use at home all the time. The Polytune sits on my board and only comes out for rehearsals and gigs. 

[tauzero]

On 13/04/2024 at 13:49, Acebassmusic said:

I use a Korg GA-CS GA strobe tuner for my 5 string basses and it does the low B and intonation great 👍 I always plug into it (as opposed to using the built in mic) to get a better reading.

 

I've got the same. Excellent bit of kit.

 

Added: I use it in house for doing intonation. Gigging, I use either the Zoom MS-60B tuner or the HX Stomp tuner depending on what I'm doing for effects - both of them are fine for tuning for live and studio work.

Edited April 16 by tauzero

[Jack]

Like most people on this thread it seems, I have a weekday tuner and a Sunday Best tuner.

 

In my bass drawer there's a Korg Pitchblack Custom (PB-CS) that is accurate to some unholy amount that gets used for intonation and setup. Everywhere else gets the tuner built in to the Shure GLXD wireless units. Because it came free with the wireless and I'll be damned if I'm carrying an extra pedal for no reason.

Edited April 16 by Jack