Hello everyone. I am new to the Bass or any string intrument let alone tuning a string instrument. I know how to get it in the middle to the rigjt key note but the A string wont even register on the Snark. Not near me at the moment. It is for both guitar & bass though. It tuned the E, D & G just fine. As of now I tuned it using the E string by ear. Kust qindering if this is normal? I’ve readnthere are better tuners than the Smarks and will get one soon enough (still learning with what I can find for free at the moment, temporarily disbled til September and on a budget or I would be learning via Joshs B2B). I’m just hoping I didnt bust the string some how, some way? It does not seem stretched or broken. The strings are new and are what came on the bass which are D’Addario EXL 165’s. But yes, not wvem registering a A note at all, B yes, gonlow and nothing shows on the Snark? Any and all help is greatly appreciated by this newbie. . . Oh yeagh, the bass is a Ibanez SR300EB also my profile pucture. And thanks for the time to read this rant!
Sorry for the mispelling, big fingers!
What does it register when you’ve tuned it by ear?
Try moving the snark around on the headstock, sometimes that makes a difference.
Fender / Squier style bass? Sometimes the A string needs to be seated just right on the tuning peg so the break angle is enough not to cause odd issues like this.
I forget at the moment. Be around 7pm EST til i can mess with it but will recheck. The Snark does work, I tuned it before and it registered A.
I just poated about the Snark working and I tuned it before and it registered A. Not registering now made me think the string just went bad? But i also put the snark on the side of the head too amd this time from what I’ve read and seen in videos out the Snark at the very end of the head. Like I said, at the moment, I have no real guidence except for what I find online.
I checked that. It is strung properly. The shop did it for me where I purchased the bass. Only movement to the string was from tuning it.
What makes me think the string went bad is when I placed the Snark at the very end of the head stock, it would register A only when the string was so loose it TWANGED off the fret board. I know that was wrong and way way off. I slowly retightened it and could only get a B note registering. I went lower and it wouldnt register any note at all? Maybe it is the Snark? Then again, like I said, the first time I tuned it, the Snark was on the top of the head stock (bass side, E and A side of the strings) and it registered the A note. I will try this again. It will be around 7pm tonight EST. I seriously appreciate the response from you all. Especially dealing with a newbie. I’m trying by d#mmit, LOL. I have desire to give up. I love music and I love this bass. . . . .
You know, we were all noobs and here, no one cares. Ask the question. We might go off topic but we don’t mind the questions
Now I am really puzzled? I down loaded a app called BASS GUITAR TUTOR, it has a “Tuner” included. All the strings but A were were dead on. The App said 100% and with the Snark the E, D and G did not show any flat or sharps.
Now, I used the app to tune the A string and got it registered and I got it to A 100%. I then looked at the Snark and WHALLAH, the A string registered on the Snark dead on. I have no clue what so ever why the Snark wouldnt register the A string? Is the A that sensistive? G was as close as I could get without the Snark registering a B. Are these Snarks bad or what? I’ve read where some people swear by them and others are like “Ehhhh, no.” I believe I read where someone said the hell with those Snarks and he paid the money and got a Korg TM-60 tuner. Dephinately let me know though if this all sounds weird and should I look into another electronic tuner besides the Snark? Or is the A string that touchy that the Snark didnt register it but a App tuner did? Thanks all for your time, 
The snark should register the A. If it has trouble with anything, it should be the E or B (if a 5 string). I started with a snark, but I’m in the “ehh, no” camp now. It’s good enough to get by with tho.
The Snark is new. I was just hoping nothing was wrong with my bass or at least the A string went bad. Just has me over thinking now as to why the Snark didnt pick up the A but as soon as I used a App Tuner, tuned that string right to A quick and then on the Snark, there was that big A? Has me puzzled as to why the Snark was giving me hell to tune the A string and a App, within seconds and it was tuned to A no problem?
I’d suggest investing in a better tuner, like the Boss Tu-3. Just buy a used one, they don’t go bad 
If it’s only A string it’s either the unit is defective. If not then check the nut. It may need some filing or lube.
When I have trouble with a note registering on a tuner I will try to tune with the 12th fret harmonic and it registers much easier. Definitely worth a try if you haven’t yet.
A Snark Air is a much better tuner than the regular Snark for $25-$30. I 've tested head to head against my Peterson and they show the same result
The regular snark always had a hard time with the low strings ime
I will look into the Boss Tu-3 and the Snark Air, even the Korgs. The bass stays in tune well. I do test it often to make sure it is on cue. Normally if a string goes out of tune I can tell by strumming all 4 strings that something is off and then I grab the tuner.
Why not the good old Korg TM-60?