Best Clip on tuner for 2025......

[311splawndude]

Got clips of that?

Of course he doesn't. I'm pretty sure he is just here at Rig-Talk to troll and advertise. Two things that don't go well together. He literally said the other day that TGP doesn't like him and he got banned from there as well.

That sentence you quoted is extraneous trolling by The-Kid. No one believes a clip on tuner will affect the tone or timbre of your guitar. If anything, they are superior because they rely on vibrations vs a cell phone microphone. Good luck using an app in a noisy space or with a acoustic. Tuner pedals are arguably the best but they were not really included in this thread, are more expensive, and 'can' take up valuable real-estate on a pedal board.

But I'm not going to waste time arguing with him and his long posts. Time is too short.

 

[The~Kid]

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.

Now obviously budget will play a part in your decisions and ten dollars for a tuner app may or may not be seen as steeply priced but for those who want the best for their rig Peterson is the most trusted name in guitar tuning both yesterday, today, and into the future as well.

It may very well be true that a Peterson Clip on is the best tuner in 2025 but is it better than the pedal version of the Peterson or say Boss Tuner or better yet a Turbo Tuner...... I would be hard pressed as good as they may be and as said nvm that when your tuning with one IMO your not really getting the same feel as when the tuner was clipped off.


But as said that's really up to the player, their choice at their discretion and their comfort with what they use to tune.

 

[311splawndude]

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.

Now obviously budget will play a part in your decisions and ten dollars for a tuner app may or may not be seen as steeply priced but for those who want the best for their rig Peterson is the most trusted name in guitar tuning both yesterday, today, and into the future as well.

FWIW - I have 4 Snarks and they all work decent enough for me.

I've compared their read outs to both my app and my pedal tuner and I don't see a lot of variance. But this thread is about the BEST clip on tuner and I'm sure the Peterson is highly regarded. Lastly, and I do mean lastly, I can typically tell if my guitar is out of tune just by ear, so if my Snark or my tuner app (Fender and Boss) get me close, I simply adjust from there. That and I typically tune a few cents up or down anyway on both my E standard and drop C guitars.

 

[The~Kid]

Of course he doesn't. I'm pretty sure he is just here at Rig-Talk to troll and advertise. Two things that don't go well together. He literally said the other day that TGP doesn't like him and he got banned from there as well.

That sentence you quoted is extraneous trolling by The-Kid. No one believes a clip on tuner will affect the tone or timbre of your guitar. If anything, they are superior because they rely on vibrations vs a cell phone microphone. Good luck using an app in a noisy space or with a acoustic. Tuner pedals are arguably the best but they were not really included in this thread, are more expensive, and 'can' take up valuable real-estate on a pedal board.

But I'm not going to waste time arguing with him and his long posts. Time is too short.

Honestly just shooting the shit about gear........ as said hey it's up to the player and it's their choice at their discretion what they are happy with and comfortable with in the end

 

[VonBonfire]

It may very well be true that a Peterson Clip on is the best tuner in 2025 but is it better than the pedal version of the Peterson or say Boss Tuner or better yet a Turbo Tuner...... I would be hard pressed as good as they may be and as said nvm that when your tuning with one IMO your not really getting the same feel as when the tuner was clipped off.

The only tuner that could conceivably be better than a Peterson clip on would be a Peterson floor unit. Peterson specializes in tuners going back decades. Boss does not. Then we need to talk about signal loss from cheaply made foreign pedalboard tuners that were both designed and parts sourced from outside the USA. While the Peterson clip on is manufactured in China the design team is based in the US. It's a family owned business so I question the patriotism of those who choose another brand. Are you going to tell me that you're cool with ripping a nice star spangled banner version out after having tuned with some foreign designed/built tuner? This is why Peterson tuners make the best clip on tuners in 2025.

 

[VonBonfire]

FWIW - I have 4 Snarks and they all work decent enough for me.

I went through about a half dozen of those. Some of them were faulty out of the box. They don't clip very tight either so some of them went bouncing down sixth street.

One day my bassist shows up at rehearsal with a new Peterson clip on. I asked him to try it. I was amazed at the improvement but said nothing. I went home and ordered a Peterson. I mostly spent this thread shooting for that Oblivion NPC level tuner discussion but for real, if you have a developed ear, you will notice a difference immediately. It was so much better I had no choice but to get my own. I hate pedals and only use an OD so a clip on is just one more way to avoid carrying more stuff.

 

[The~Kid]

The only tuner that could conceivably be better than a Peterson clip on would be a Peterson floor unit. Peterson specializes in tuners going back decades. Boss does not. Then we need to talk about signal loss from cheaply made foreign pedalboard tuners that were both designed and parts sourced from outside the USA. While the Peterson clip on is manufactured in China the design team is based in the US. It's a family owned business so I question the patriotism of those who choose another brand. Are you going to tell me that you're cool with ripping a nice star spangled banner version out after having tuned with some foreign designed/built tuner? This is why Peterson tuners make the best clip on tuners in 2025.

Right on the Peterson Clip on may probably be the best clip on in 2025 but I'd argue other "floor units" or pedals are better and quality tuning isn't exclusive to Peterson.....



Nvm a pedal doesnt effect the guitars tone either in regards to feel, attack, tracing, tracking, feel the way a clip on does IMO simply being clipped on. I mean it's not wrong or better one way the other but for me and others tuner pedals are still the standard for some of the said reasons or all and others and it's all about ones choice and what they are comfortable with.

 

[VonBonfire]

Right on the Peterson Clip on may probably be the best clip on today but I'd argue other "floor units" or pedals are better and quality tuning isn't exclusive to Peterson.....

Peterson clip on vs Peterson floor unit would make for a helluva shootout. I could see some feelings here getting hurt with a thread like that.

Nvm a pedal don't affect the guitars tone either in regards to feel, attack, tracing, tracking, feel the way a clip on does simply being clipped on.

You weren't able to firmly establish that as factual and you still have at least four additional jacks plus cable wiring AND a rather long circuit for your signal to run through before you hear the tone, so it's been altered by the time it hits your amp. A clip on conspicuously avoids these issues by eliminating the need for quarter inch plugs, true bypass, or signal buffers. The purest tone is achieved using the fewest pedals and with a clip on, I just eliminated a lot of that.

 

[The~Kid]

Peterson clip on vs Peterson floor unit would make for a helluva shootout. I could see some feelings here getting hurt with a thread like that.


You weren't able to firmly establish that as factual and you still have at least four additional jacks plus cable wiring AND a rather long circuit for your signal to run through before you hear the tone, so it's been altered by the time it hits your amp. A clip on conspicuously avoids these issues by eliminating the need for quarter inch plugs, true bypass, or signal buffers. The purest tone is achieved using the fewest pedals and with a clip on, I just eliminated a lot of that.

Honestly hell there really isn't a best here in regards to method and approach or whatever the hell and if there is a best Clip on tuner I would agree the Peterson Clip on is probably the best Clip on in 2025 but I guess in general just wanted to have a conversation about tuning in general.


Maybe it's taken for granted sometimes but yeah for me using the Snarks in regards to a Cellphone or a pedal tuner it was just kind of eye opening. I mean in the end these are just things to consider when tuning and ImE especially with a Floyd Rose or something with fine tuners the margins of error make a difference and good tuning matters whatever you do, what you use, what your comfortable with and happy with and in the end as said....



There are pros and cons to both needless to say for said reasons IMO and IME.....



It's all up to the player and it's your/their choice and that's what's great about it from any standpoint or perspective or angle. It's really up to the player and their choice.

 

[VonBonfire]

Maybe it's taken for granted sometimes but yeah for me using the Snarks in regards to a Cellphone or a pedal tuner it was just kind of eye opening. I mean in the end these are just things to consider when tuning and ImE especially with a Floyd Rose or something with fine tuners the margins of error make a difference and good tuning matters whatever you do, what you use, what your comfortable with and happy with and in the end as said....

I definitely don't doubt what you are arguing here but it's like saying your Squier strat couldn't compare to a Master built instrument. A snark is gut bucket level quality, not accurate, so of course you'll be amazed at the difference much like I was in the snark vs Peterson clip on. Peterson clip on tuner=best clip on tuner of 2025. Floor units will need to be increasingly accurate and convenient to compete with them in the sales department.

Agreed on the player. Some players will be satisfied with floor units thanks to over-reliance on pedal boards while other guys will step into the future and quickly integrate high quality clip on tuning into their rigs, the beauty of which can be found in not even needing to be plugged in to put a tune on your favorite guitar or bass.

 

[DanTravis62]

Agreed on the player. Some players will be satisfied with floor units thanks to over-reliance on pedal boards while other guys will step into the future and quickly integrate high quality clip on tuning into their rigs, looking like a fucking dorkfag with headstock that has a scorching case of Genital condyloma

 

[Floyd Eye]

Well, these days I play for myself so a clip on works well enough to get me close enough to tune it up by ear. Like if I’m using strange tunings. Which I always am.

Onstage with a band I always used a pedal. Boss TU-2 In silent mode. And a Peterson strobe tuner for intonation.

I think my clip on was a snark. Whatever it is it was $15

 

[VonBonfire]

@DanTravis62 it seems like you are hyper focused on something that others aren't concerned with at the same level. *shrugs

 

[7704A]

He literally said the other day that TGP doesn't like him and he got banned from there as well.

To be fair that's not saying much.

That sentence you quoted is extraneous trolling by The-Kid.

I know, just getting my cardio in.

 

[7704A]

I love clip-on tuners, the more the better!

Right-on!

 

[311splawndude]

I know, just getting my cardio in.

Not you silly

 

[The~Kid]

I definitely don't doubt what you are arguing here but it's like saying your Squier strat couldn't compare to a Master built instrument. A snark is gut bucket level quality, not accurate, so of course you'll be amazed at the difference much like I was in the snark vs Peterson clip on. Peterson clip on tuner=best clip on tuner of 2025. Floor units will need to be increasingly accurate and convenient to compete with them in the sales department.

Agreed on the player. Some players will be satisfied with floor units thanks to over-reliance on pedal boards while other guys will step into the future and quickly integrate high quality clip on tuning into their rigs, the beauty of which can be found in not even needing to be plugged in to put a tune on your favorite guitar or bass.

Wouldnt really call a Clip on "stepping into the future"....... even a Peterson as good as it may be.

I actually let some dudes borrow a Turbo Tuner for example and all they used were clip ons, yeah not a Peterson but just for reference.

Needless to say they liked it better than the Clip ons because it was actually easier to use once you understood how it worked and it allowed to tune to different keys and tunings on the fly which I don't even do and they really found a ton of use from it in that perspective......My simple no music theory ass just uses it to tune to standard, E flat or D but even the clip on dudes found the benefit of a pedal over a clip on.


Maybe I need to try a Peterson Clip on out tough and take your word for it....... I'd still take it off the headstock after using it though

 

[VonBonfire]

Wouldnt really call a Clip on "stepping into the future"....... even a Peterson as good as it may be.

I would def call it stepping into the future. Clip-ons are the latest method of tuning save for cell phones and I think I've demonstrated the issues with cell phones pretty well here. Bad mics, case interference, etc. And you talk about tracking and tracing.

Needless to say they liked it better than the Clip ons because it was actually easier to use once you understood how it worked and it allowed to tune to different keys and tunings on the fly which I don't even do and they really found a ton of use from it in that perspective......My simple no music theory ass just uses it to tune to standard, E flat or D but even the clip on dudes found the benefit of a pedal over a clip on.

Does the turbo tuner have sweetened tunings? That's a big selling point on the Peterson stuff. It's like having a seasoned pro tune your axe. The turbo tuner looks like a pretty substantial box to not have those sweetened tunings inside. Peterson leads the way. I bet your friends would rather have a Peterson for Christmas than a turbo, just a guess. Makes a helluva stocking stuffer. You could always get them the istrobosoft.

Maybe I need to try a Peterson Clip on out tough and take your word for it....... I'd still take it off the headstock after using it though

Not sure why guys are so self conscious they care about a tuner. I'd be more concerned with removing a tone soak in my signal chain after tuning but that is more hassle than just unclipping a tuner from the headstock since there are 1/4" plugs to removed. I'd lean towards a cell phone tuner but would def hang up the phone when I was done tuning cause those are way to massive to leave on the headstock=NECK DIVE.

 

[The~Kid]

I would def call it stepping into the future. Clip-ons are the latest method of tuning save for cell phones and I think I've demonstrated the issues with cell phones pretty well here. Bad mics, case interference, etc. And you talk about tracking and tracing.


Does the turbo tuner have sweetened tunings? That's a big selling point on the Peterson stuff. It's like having a seasoned pro tune your axe. The turbo tuner looks like a pretty substantial box to not have those sweetened tunings inside. Peterson leads the way. I bet your friends would rather have a Peterson for Christmas than a turbo, just a guess. Makes a helluva stocking stuffer. You could always get them the istrobosoft.


Not sure why guys are so self conscious they care about a tuner. I'd be more concerned with removing a tone soak in my signal chain after tuning but that is more hassle than just unclipping a tuner from the headstock since there are 1/4" plugs to removed. I'd lean towards a cell phone tuner but would def hang up the phone when I was done tuning cause those are way to massive to leave on the headstock=NECK DIVE.

Yeah not conscious of how a clip on looks just as said don't like the way the guitar plays, feels, reacts to tracking, tracing, attack etc with one on.

Even with the Snarks I would take them off the headstock after tuning not too look cool but for comfort and the sound and what I mentioned in the previous sentence.


I have no doubt a Peterson is great but pretty comfortable with my Turbo Tuner but may keep an open mind if I have to look at another one or may consider one given what you said about these other things like sweet tunings and such. Sounds pretty cool but otherwise for now pretty happy with the Turbo Tuner ^_^

 

[The~Kid]

Well, these days I play for myself so a clip on works well enough to get me close enough to tune it up by ear. Like if I’m using strange tunings. Which I always am.

Onstage with a band I always used a pedal. Boss TU-2 In silent mode. And a Peterson strobe tuner for intonation.

I think my clip on was a snark. Whatever it is it was $15

Good stuff and yeah they have a place but it just depends on what your comfortable with and setting and players discretion/choice.


If your just practicing the Snark isn't bad but if your going to record or play live the pedals make more sense offer arguably better tuning and using different baselines like a Boss and Peterson you get much much better tuning and intonation than you would just using one IME.



For me I use natural harmonics to gauge tuning/intonation too using both a Turbo Tuner and the Cellphone tuner as baselines. Technically just tuning up itself is fine but if you go deeper to check out harmonics it gives a better idea of just how well tuned you are and the guitar is intunated as well especially on a guitar with fine tuners and such or a higher ratio of tuning peg.