ABOUT CLIP-ON TUNERS

I am like 800+ posts into the “Show Us Your Basses Part 1” with 9,000+ still to go. I see lots of folks leaving tuners clipped on the headstocks of some expensive guitars. I had done it in the past but now the tuner gets clipped onto the strap near the top button. As long as there is tension on the strap the tuner reads very well and will never leave a mark on the headstock. If you must clip onto the headstock, don’t leave it on there for days on end. That is all. Carry on.

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I usually just tune my bass before practicing or jamming and then put the tuner in my gigbag (not leaving it on the headstock). But I see most of the guitarists I jam with leave their clip-on tuner on their guitar the whole time. Does a 6-string get out of tune easier through a jam session? I am just curious why people leave the tuner clipped on the whole time. I have never had my bass get out of tune during a jam session that would lead me to want to monitor the tuning in a session, but maybe there is something I don’t know about at play here.

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Because if I take it off, I’m going to set it down somewhere and lose it. If I leave it clipped on, I know exactly where it is.

I get around this by having 1 tuner for several basses though. So it moves between them instead of just living on one.

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Well, that is a simple enough explanation to dispel the mystery. My confusion is probably more a result of my OCD as I can’t imagine doing that…LOL

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ADHD vs. OCD

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I like clip on tuners, while I’ve never tried clipping it on to the straps it does not fit all my basses as some are headless. I start bring the Peterson mini stomped with me as it solves lots of problems.

I also carry this Roadie in my bag because the guitar player likes it.

That sound very logical , good tip :+1:t3:

When I last bought a new (clip-on) tuner - the TC Electronics Unitune - I actually bought 2. One I keep in my main bass’ gig bag (or on top of my Focusrite) and that’s the one I use on a daily basis. The other sits in a drawer waiting for when I lose the first one. :slight_smile:

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Got a Peterson StroboClip HD, whihc works great of course but don’t use it too much as my Orange Crush Bass 50 practice amp has a built in chromatic tuner that is actually really good.

When I got my first bass a year and a half-ish ago, I got a D’addario clip-on tuner. It doesn’t work that great. Now I use the tuner built into my Zoom B2Four, but I’m thinking of upgrading to a Strobostomp.

I’ve been through a few tuners. The korg pitchblack mini lives on my electric pedalboard, and a boss tu3 live on my upright pedalboard. The boss has a passive mode where the tuner is always on so I can get a reference on my intonation on the fly with the upright. I much prefer the boss to the pitchblack though theu both do a fine job tuning.

I keep a clip on on my desk for practice.