Yeah I get and I never did either but once you really get into the intonation game when setting up something with a Floyd for example or something floating especially when your setting up, the differences really become apparent. I was pretty surprised to be honest so much so afterwards I just stopped using Clip Ons in general.
Same goes for LP users but for opposite reasons and the damn G string......
whos using a clip on for intonation!? i think most people know better than that, but who knows.
Do you use your cellphone for for email too? Would you survive a day without a cellphone if it got left at home ? Cuz you know, fuck cellphones in general hahahaha.
My Norlin LPC never goes out of tune…ever. It’s prob the most solid guitar I have in that respect. And I have a Tele ( it never goes out either tbh).
True but aside from that just bringing up the differences in results in overall performance for such purpose and overall tuning and arguably "better" tuning from a cellphone relative to most clip ons on average today......
A cell phone cannot be more accurate than a Peterson. Even your cell phone case could be affecting vibrational transmission whereas the clip on tuner has a direct link to the headstock of the guitar where the tuners are located=precision tuning.
Let's just but it this way, using different Snarks from the standard to tight version on average after using them to tune or intonate the margins were way off when using a free Cellphone tuner nvm an actual tuner like a Turbo Tuner for feedback and a separate point of reference and baseline......
Read your thread title big dawg, "best clip on tuners 2025". Peterson is the best and your cell phone is playing second fiddle to a good Peterson tuner. Peterson is legend in the industry so if you expect your cell phone to compete I would say you need to download the Peterson app for your phone. It's called iStrobosoft and it's 10 bucks if you got that kind of sweet moolah. Until you get a Peterson you're just whistling dixie my man.
Yeah I imagine they may be better than a cellphone but in either case I just wouldn't use one vs an actual tuner in a pedal format as an actual pedal is arguably better too in regards to intonation, set up and overall tuning in general.
Every quarter inch plug you add to your chain causes tone loss, negatively affecting not only your base tone, but accuracy in tuning whereas a clip on makes DIRECT CONTACT to the headstock area providing the utmost in accuracy.
You were not able to pick the clip on tuner portions out in a blind test. Therefore tracking tracing attack sound and tone are not affected substantially enough. Meanwhile your floor unit is literally leaking tone out of those cheap jacks, switch, and additional wiring. It's critical to have DIRECT CONTACT without wires, cabling, and other electronic components. The only way I can visualize a cell phone tuner being superior is if it's fully mounted in a headstock rout with the protective cover removed.
Got clips of that?
As previously mentioned, this is about 2025's best clip on, and the Snark isn't the best clip on, the Peterson is, so I'm not sure why you bring up the Snark when they are roundly though of as a cheap, low buck, budget tuner. It's imperative that your tests be conducted with the highest quality cabling, and you'll still find signal loss and tone choke with your floor unit, and will only be complicating your rig with unnecessary wiring. Simple is clean and clean is accurate and a Peterson is as simple and clean and accurate as you can get. If you were using the istrobosoft you may have some added merit to your cell phone claims but as I've mentioned before, cell phones are for making phone calls first, not tuning guitars whereas a Peterson unit is specifically designed to give you your best tone today.