The Best Stomp Box Guitar Tuner in 2022 Makes Music Easy
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Zoom MS50G MultiStomp Box Guitar Tuner -
TC Electronic Polyphonic Stomp Box Guitar Tuner -
Boss TU-3 Chromatic Stomp Box Guitar Tuner -
Korg Pitchblack Polyphonic Stomp Box Guitar Tuner -
Korg PB02 Pitchblack + Chromatic Pedal Tuner -
Buyer's Guide
Keeping your guitar in tune is obviously essential to a great performance, but there’s nothing that can suck the life out of the pace of a show than when you have to stop and disconnect your guitar from your rig and then plug it into your tuner, and then have to undo that process to reconnect back into your effects rig. Look, even reading that description was cumbersome. Enter the guitar stomp box guitar tuner, a pedal that puts your tuner right at your feet. No disconnecting and reconnecting is necessary, allowing you to quickly, easily, and discretely keep your ax sounding good in a way that’s seamless to an audience’s perspective. We've analyzed a plethora of different stomp box tuners on the market and have picked out what we think are the top five out there. With each one here capable of accommodating standard tuning as well as some alternate tunings, they give you the ability to mute the signal so that no one will hear you tune, and all of them can be powered by either an adapter or batteries that can be easily found at any convenience store. Read on to see which ones might suit you best and if you don't know, no worries! We've also included a buying guide to help you pick out the right ones for you!
Breakdowns of the Top Five Stomp Box Guitar Tuners
Zoom MS50G MultiStomp Box Guitar Tuner - Best Stomp Box Guitar Tuner Overall
If you were to be stranded on a desert island and could only bring one pedal, you might do well to bring the Zoom MS-50G along with you simply for its sheer range of what it can bring to the table. Yes, it offers an onboard chromatic tuner, which supports a selection of standard tunings as well as drop tunings. But it also features a surplus of guitar effects and amp models, including compressors, overdrive/distortion settings, eight amp models, 13 modulation/special effects, and delay/reverb settings as well. It’s almost unfair to classify this as a tuning pedal, but the fact of the matter is that it performs all tasks so well that it defies any true categorization. Best of all, it’s tiny, meaning it won’t take up a large footprint in your rig.
TC Electronic Polyphonic Stomp Box Guitar Tuner - Runner Up
There doesn’t seem to be many ways in which guitar tuners can improve in the minds of most consumers, but somehow TC Electronic has found a way with their Polytune guitar tuner pedal. Small and durable, this stompbox features an unprecedented feature which allows you to strum all of your strings at once as the pedal will immediately tell you which ones need tuning. This is a real time saver, as any guitarist can attest to. The pedal offers a clear and vibrant looking LED display, but what’s really cool is that this feature is adaptive; based on the ambient light level of the room that you’re in, the pedal will adjust its brightness, which not only makes it easier to read but can also conserve energy if you’re running off of a battery. Speaking of power, this pedal can also be used to power other pedals via its 9V DC output.
Boss TU-3 Chromatic Stomp Box Guitar Tuner - Honorable Mention
The BOSS TU-3 gives guitarists an easy and reliable way to keep their instrument in tune during a performance, and have no issue in doing so. The 21-segment LED meter is extremely easy to use, and offers a brightness control so that you can make adjustments based on the environment. You can tune chromatically as well as standard and drop-tunings. The pedal features support for everything from 7-string guitars to 6-string basses, so there are few instruments out there that won’t be covered by this device. The Accu-Pitch sign function gives a very clear visual sign when the tuning of a string is complete, so you’ll never be left wondering whether or not you’ve landed where you’re trying to get to. Best of all, the tuner automatically mutes the signal when you’re using it, so audiences will never know when you’re actually tuning in between songs.
Korg Pitchblack Polyphonic Stomp Box Guitar Tuner - Consider
An innovator in the world of music and electronics, Korg continues to push the bar higher with their Pitchblack Poly polyphonic guitar tuner stompbox. This pedal easily reads the signal when you strum all of the strings on your guitar, and will let you know which ones are in need of tuning. This tuner can work with both bass and guitar, and also supports Drop-D tunings, capo, flattened tunings, and more. Its die-cast aluminum body makes it very durable. It can be powered by either a single 9V battery or by its 9V DC input.
Korg PB02 Pitchblack + Chromatic Pedal Tuner - Best Stomp Box Guitar Tuner
Korg’s PB02 Pitchblack+ chromatic pedal tuner is a stompbox that immediately looks different than some of the other products that exist in the market with it today, and that’s with good reason. This pedal is able to do things that its peers cannot, including saving tuning settings as presets, which is great for guitarists who frequently use alternate tunings outside of the standard set. A flat tuning mode can accommodate as many as seven semitones below standard, and it can also tune to open D, open E, open G, open A, and DADGAD. It’s a true bypass pedal, so you won’t have to worry about it sucking your tone, and it automatically mutes when it’s in use. It can also supply up to 200 mA of power to other pedals in your effects rig, making this helpful in more ways than its title might indicate.
Buyer's Guide
A stomp box guitar tuner is essential if you regularly play at gigs and often need to tune your guitar. It is a piece of compact equipment that works as a pedal, allowing you to conveniently tune your guitar without having to disconnect it. Our team has prepared this guide to help you choose a high-quality stomp box guitar tuner from the wide range of options available in the market.
What Is a Stomp Box Guitar Tuner?
A stomp box guitar tuner is a pedal that can tune a wide range of instruments like electric guitars, ukuleles, basses, and acoustic guitars. A quarter-inch jack input is usually used to operate these tuners. When connecting instruments, the stomp box guitar tuner should usually go first in the chain. They allow you to tune your guitar conveniently wherever you are, even if you are performing live. They mute the guitar when it is being tuned so they do not disturb the performance. Some tuners have buffers that can cause disturbance when the tuner is not in use, so some individuals like to keep it off until it is needed.
What Are the Different Types of Guitar Tuners?
Broadly, guitar tuners are divided into three main types. There are a few differences in the features of each type, but at the end of the day, your choice will depend entirely on your preference.
Chromatic
The chromatic type has a scale of 12 notes, and the input signal from the guitar is compared to these specific notes by the tuner. Only one note is tuned at one time, and the notes are limited to the 12 present on the scale. If you do not have an issue with this, a chromatic tuner will be ideal for you.
Polyphonic
The ‘poly’ in polyphonic means that the tuner can process more than one note at a time, unlike the chromatic type. This type is particularly useful when you want to tune your guitar during a live performance because it will tune all the notes at once. However, if you want to customize the tuning process, a polyphonic tuner may not be for you.
Strobe
The final type is the strobe. This type allows maximum customization because you can alter frequencies and temperaments. You can experiment with different frequencies and pitches and play music outside of the typical scales that chromatic tuners have. Naturally, these types of tuners are more expensive than the other two. If you're a beginner, you should stick to a chromatic or polyphonic tuner; experience is needed to get the hang of a strobe tuner.
How to Pick a Quality Stomp Box Guitar Tuner
If you are looking for a good quality stomp box guitar that will last a long time, there are a few things you can keep a lookout for when browsing. Once you have decided what type of tuner you need, make sure you look at different websites and consider different brands. Following are a few things you can look at to judge the quality of a guitar tuner.
Reviews
The reviews of customers will help you get a rough idea of the quality of a stomp box guitar tuner. These reviews are submitted by people who have purchased the product and used it. They give their honest opinion about the product. Therefore, buy those products that overall have a positive response from customers, and avoid buying negatively reviewed products.
Brand
When deciding between brands, make sure you prefer those companies that provide good customer service. You want to be able to contact the brand in case you face any issues after you have purchased the product. A brand that provides a guarantee or has easy return or exchange policies should also be preferred.
Value
Do not buy a product unless you think it will really provide value for the price you pay. If you can find alternatives with similar features at low prices, avoid buying the expensive ones because you may get ripped off. Remember, being expensive does not always mean good quality. When you compare the features and prices of different brands, you will get an idea of whether you will get value for the price you pay.
Our Final Thoughts On Stomp Box Guitar Tuners
If you have read this far, you have more information than an average musician. Most guitarists do not spend a lot of time on research about guitar tuners even though there are so many varieties and types of tuners available in the market. Once you are aware of the types available, you can make a better decision. If you like customization, you can invest in a strobe tuner. If you want the tuner to do most of the work for you, you should choose a chromatic or a polyphonic tuner.
People Also Ask
Are guitar tuner apps accurate?
Most people have turned to guitar tuner apps due to easy accessibility and convenience. These apps may work but they are certainly not as accurate as others like a stomp box guitar tuner. The microphone on a smart device is designed for speech, not music. Background noise can interfere with the music signal and prevent your guitar from tuning accurately.
Are stomp box guitar tuners worth it?
Definitely. Even though these are a bit more expensive than other options, they are worth the price due to the convenience they provide. You can use them to tune your guitar even in between live performances.
What type of guitar tuner is the best for beginners?
Beginners who are just starting out with an acoustic guitar can use a smartphone app to tune their guitars. If they are using a stomp box tuner, a chromatic will probably be the best choice. Strobe and polyphonic can be difficult to get used to and should only be used by experienced guitarists.
