Guitar Tuners and Tuning Devices – Types, Pros and Cons

A good guitar tuner is essential for every guitarist – electric, acoustic or classical. Playing out of tune instantly ruins your sound, no matter how good your technique is. In this lesson we look at the most common types of guitar tuners, how they work and which model is best for your situation and budget.

There are many kinds of guitar tuners: clip-on tuners, pedal tuners, rack tuners, handheld tuners, tuner apps for smartphone or tablet, tuning forks and integrated tuners built into some acoustic guitars. One of the first things to check is whether a tuner is chromatic or non-chromatic.

Non-chromatic tuners recognise only the six standard guitar string names and are perfect for beginners in standard tuning.
Chromatic tuners detect all notes and are ideal for dropped tunings (Drop D, Drop C, open tunings, etc.).

Tuners vary hugely in price – from about €10 to €250. While you don’t need an expensive model to get started, cheap tuners are often less accurate and less durable. In other words: don’t completely skimp on your guitar tuner.

Clip-on tuners

Clip-on tuners attach to the headstock of the guitar and stay there while you play. They work by detecting the vibrations of the wood and strings, so they are usable on classical, acoustic and electric guitars. Because they do not need a cable, clip-on tuners are quick and practical for lessons and rehearsals.

The downside is that ambient noise and stage vibration can confuse the sensor. When you play together with a loud drummer or other guitarists, it can be difficult or even impossible to get a stable reading.

Pedal and rack tuners

Pedal and rack tuners are designed for guitars with a jack output. You plug your guitar cable straight into the tuner, which makes them much less sensitive to room noise. Pedal tuners can be mounted on a pedalboard and switched on or off with your foot; rack tuners are built into a 19″ rack and are usually found in professional live or studio setups.

Because the signal goes directly from the guitar to the tuner, accuracy is usually higher than with clip-on or handheld tuners. Many models also mute your signal when tuning, which is ideal on stage. The disadvantage is the higher price and the fact that you always need a cable and power supply.

Handheld tuners

Handheld tuners are small devices that you hold in your hand. They usually have two modes:

a built-in microphone for acoustic instruments
a jack input for electric guitar and bass.

They are generally quite accurate, but not meant to be permanently built into a pedalboard or rack. When you use the microphone mode you must be careful with background noise, just like with clip-on tuners.

Tuner Apps

Tuner apps for smartphone or tablet are attractive because they are cheap or even free and you always have them with you. They use the microphone of your device to detect pitch. Unfortunately that same microphone also picks up all surrounding sounds, vibrations and noise, which makes the tuning much less stable and accurate.

For an emergency – for example when you forgot your normal tuner – a tuner app is fine. For regular practice and rehearsals, a dedicated guitar tuner is the better choice.

Tuning forks

A tuning fork is an old-school but very precise reference tone, usually tuned to A = 440 Hz. You strike the fork, place its base on the guitar body and tune the reference string by ear. From there you tune the other strings relative to that one.

Tuning forks are great ear-training tools, but they require well-developed hearing and are not as fast or convenient as a modern tuner. For most guitarists a tuning fork is a useful backup, not a primary tuning device.

Integrated tuners

Some acoustic-electric guitars with a built-in preamp have an integrated tuner in the side of the body. These tuners are extremely convenient: you always have a tuner available, no extra cables or devices needed.

Accuracy is usually acceptable for rehearsals and gigs, but not always as precise as a high-quality pedal or rack tuner. Many players therefore double-check their tuning with an external tuner in the studio or before important recordings.

Which Guitar Tuner Should You Choose?

Beginners in standard tuning: a simple, reliable clip-on tuner or basic handheld tuner is more than enough.
Gigging electric guitarists: a pedal tuner is the most practical and accurate solution for stage use.
Acoustic players who travel a lot: an integrated tuner plus a small clip-on backup works very well.
Studio and pro use: a high-quality pedal or rack tuner gives the best accuracy and visibility.

Whichever model you choose, get used to tuning before every practice session and every song. Great tone always starts with great tuning.

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