Clip-on tuner - best placement?

I have a Squier Sonic bass with the classic Fender/Squier headstock shape (you know the one, but if you don’t there’s a picture below). I also have a clip-on tuner (the d’Addario Nexxus 360, in case it matters). Is there a better/best place to clip the tuner on the headstock? Does it make a difference at the very end vs. near the nut vs. half-way, etc?

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Nope. Anywhere on the headstock is fine. Choose a place for easy readability.

Mine stays on the very top end.

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In a drawer somewhere…LOL. I hate those things.

Or like Eric states. Wherever is most convenient.

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I must admit I also don’t like them… and the only clipon I have here is precisely in a drawer… don’t deny that they can be useful… I just don’t like them.

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I don’t use them much (prefer my pedal one) but when I have I’ve found they struggle a bit to pick up the lower register strings so I try, if practicable, to clip it reasonably close to the E. So on that Squier I’d probably try and clip right over the ‘S’.

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I’ve got a really nice Korg clip on and it always tunes it a half step lower than both my Polytune pedal and the tuner built into my HX.

Oddly enough, I also have a cheap Fender clip on and it too tends to tune it about a half step lower.

I still use the clip ons in a pinch to double check the tuning when I’m just fiddling around amp-less and not playing with music or anything. There’s probably some kind of calibration I could do but that would require reading the instructions for the clip ons and that’s too much effort for me.

Not sayin’ nothin’. I’m just sayin’.

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Here’s how I place my tc electronic :wink:



I used to place it at the top end, but it’s easier for me to read in that position.

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Came for the “in the trash” posts :rofl:

I clip mine on the end of headstock, it is one fo those cheap, round Snark tuners. Don’t use it much except for when I am noddlign around away from main set up. Switched to using pedal tuner.

I will say, comparing the two, they’re close enough to get the job done. For all the clip on haters.

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Yup thats exactly where I put mine as well on my p bass…
For quick tuning on open strings a clip on tuner is good enough.
For set up and intonation I use the tuner incorporated in amplitube (free :grinning: )

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I place mine at the top. I check every time before I play.

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It can make a difference where you place your tuner, and I suspect it differs bass to bass as I get different results on different instruments. If the low note, E, drop D, or B isn’t registering on the tuner well, reposition it and you can get better results.

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that’s what works for me :

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i currently have the peterson strobe one, and had the tc one before. both were fast and accurate. they are kind of fugly, but i wonder why so many people seem to have bad experiences with them?

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Those are both very good clip on tuners. Most of the earlier just weren’t designed to handle bass frequencies.

I needed a new one for my acoustic bass and got the rechargeable Snark that had just come out. It said it could handle a B string, so I gave it a try, with the expectation I would be retuning it. It worked really well. I still use it.

All the previous ones, I wanted to smash with a ball peen hammer.

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that may be it, if people are running 5 strings. i just got one and the clip on works but is less responsive to the B string.

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It’s the “fugly” part I dislike not their accuracy or the lack thereof. I have my pedal tuner and other smaller pocket tuners I find more convenient. To each their own.

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yeah no i agree, pedal is better. but clip on is damn convenient.

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If you have to do clip on, the rechargeable snarks are the way to go

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