The electronic tuner is one of those things that can be a lightning rod for the different generations of players. There is the school of thought that it was the beginning of the end for “real” musicians. And others think that it makes musical instruments more accessible I can see the pros and cons of both intentions.
Personally, I’ve always had an electronic tuner. And while I can tune a guitar by ear to be in tune with itself, I’d still need a tuner to provide a baseline of where to begin. I have, and still use, the staples of the tuner industry, such as the Boss TU-12 and the Korg DT-1 Pro.
And then I came across a guitar with the Buzz Feiten Tuning System. Not on purpose, mind you, but the guitar had it. This requires special attention to both regular tuning and to intonation. And that can be done with a regular tuner, if you know the offsets. There are also specialty tuners for that need. I found that Peterson has the iStrobosoft app, available with add-ons for sweetened tuning alternatives that include the Buzz Feiten Tuning System.
Peterson has been a force in tuning since the 1960s, becoming the world standard. There are different tuner apps out there to choose from and I’ve tried a few. With or without the Peterson name, I’ve not found another that delivers the accuracy or the confidence as the iStrobosoft app.
Not only does it display a strobe, but it provides the cent value down to the tenths. For me, the translates to far more accurate setups than simply getting the pitch between two glowing arrows. It means I can be hyper accurate with intonations, and that translates to the best-playing and best-sounding setups I’ve ever managed.
There are additional features and options that include calibration, noise filter, input boost and capo mode.
You do need to get the signal into the device, so an optional adaptor cable is available for your 1/4″ cable. There is also a mini capsule mic to be used for acoustic instruments.
Darth Phineas is a long time music industry insider who provides his readers with unbiased reviews on musical instrument and guitar gear. You can read more of his reviews and check out industry news on his Facebook community Darth Phineas
