Top Guitar Tuners 2024 Chromatic Polyphonic, and Strobe Choices
Find the best guitar tuner for any budget with our top selections from renowned brands such as Boss, Korg, TC Electronic, and D’Addario.
A quality tuner should be at the top of every guitarist's shopping list, even if it's not the most thrilling purchase. It's the essential tool you need whenever you pick up your guitar, and it holds the prime spot on any pedalboard or recording signal chain. Unless you're among the rare 0.01% with perfect pitch, a tuner is indispensable.
At axegeniuspro, our team of writers has decades of experience in recording, gigging, and practicing, encountering countless tuner varieties along the way. We've personally reviewed many of the models listed here, rigorously testing them in various conditions to ensure they meet our high standards. A good tuner must be durable, user-friendly, and feature an ultra-clear display for visibility in any lighting.
In 2024, the market offers a plethora of tuner options. To simplify your search, we've categorized our favorites to cater to a wide range of needs. Whether you're a frustrated bassist struggling with tuners unable to detect lower notes or a guitar tech in search of the best tuner for setting intonation, there's an ideal option for you here. If you're new to tuners, be sure to check out our buying advice section, where we comprehensively answer common questions.
TC Electronic PolyTune 3 Mini
The best overall
TC Electronic's PolyTune 3 Mini could be the perfect guitar tuner for you if you prefer to reserve pedalboard space for cool, creative effects. In our testing, we were thoroughly impressed by the capabilities of the Mini, and its tuning accuracy is impeccable.
Polyphonic functionality is a key feature of the PolyTune line, and the small display with 109 LEDs does an excellent job of clearly presenting the potentially complex view of your guitar's full six-string tuning.
Do you ever play slide guitar? Fretless? Engage in long, emotive string bends? Utilize the Mini's convenient always-on function to assist with your pitch. Additionally, with both buffered and true bypass modes,
✅ Buy if you seek the future of guitar tuning: Polyphonic tuning takes the spotlight with this outstanding pedal, enabling you to monitor the tuning of all your strings simultaneously and make adjustments as needed.
❌ Avoid if you have large feet: Its compact size may not be ideal for individuals with larger feet or those who prefer wearing boots while playing.
Type: Mini pedal
Tuning range: A0-C8 (27.5Hz-4186Hz)
Calibration range: A4 = 435Hz-445Hz
Accuracy: +/- 0.02 cents (strobe mode) 0.5 cents (chromatic mode)
Modes: Polyphonic / chromatic / strobe
Spec
BEST FOR BEGINNERS
Snark ST-2 Super Tight Guitar Tuner
At this modest price, having an ST-2 handy is a smart move, even if it's just stored in a gig bag. It's undoubtedly the top choice for budget-conscious guitarists. While there are pricier and more feature-rich guitar tuners available, Snark’s ST-2 is tailored for players who prefer just the essentials.
Firstly, the attachment system is sturdy, and the screen can be easily angled—an unexpectedly vital feature since these tuners need to accommodate tuning machines on various instruments like six-string guitars, 12-strings, mandolins, basses... you get the idea!
Secondly, the ST-2 tracks quickly. When set to the vibration sensor, it performs admirably in all but the noisiest gigs. The microphone option is ideal for acoustic instruments, requiring a quiet environment at home to utilize effectively. All in all, the ST-2 deserves praise given its price point, making it perfect for beginner guitarists or those on a tight budget.
Spec
Type: Clip-on chromatic tuner
Tuning range: Not specified
Calibration range: A4 = 415Hz-466Hz
Accuracy: Not specified
Modes: Microphone/vibration chromatic mode / metronome
✅ Buy if you're looking for your first guitar tuner: Easy to use and affordable, the Snark is an ideal choice for any guitarist starting out.
❌ Avoid if you're tuning in noisy environments: Clip-on tuners, relying on vibration, may lack the accuracy of pedal tuners, potentially leading to inaccuracies in noisy settings.
BEST PEDAL TUNER
Boss TU-3 Guitar Tuner
Building upon the success of Boss’ industry-standard TU-2, the TU-3 represents an evolution in guitar tuning technology. Now equipped with drop tuning functionality, enhanced tuning accuracy, and ‘Accu-Pitch’ verification to ensure precise tuning, the TU-3 offers notable improvements. Additionally, its brighter screen makes it ideal for outdoor performances, particularly for busking.
Maintaining Boss’ renowned durability, the TU-3 continues to set the industry standard. However, while other pedals may offer more features for the price, the importance of effective and efficient tuning cannot be overstated.
It's worth noting that the TU-3 features only buffered bypass mode, which may be preferred by some players while disliked by others, with many not noticing the difference. For those requiring a true-bypass option, Boss offers the TU-3W ‘Waza Craft’ edition, albeit at a $50 premium.
Type: Pedal chromatic tuner
Tuning range: C0-C8 (16.35Hz-4,186Hz)
Calibration range: A4 = 436Hz-445Hz
Accuracy: +/- 1 cent
Modes: Chromatic / strob
✅ Buy if you need to perform live: Trusted by numerous professionals and found on countless pedalboards, the Boss TU-3 is celebrated for its durable construction and reliable performance over time.
❌ Avoid if you prefer true bypass: Keep in mind that this pedal utilizes a buffered bypass, potentially altering your guitar signal as it passes through the pedal.
Spec
BEST CLIP-ON TUNER
D'Addario NS Micro Universal
There's an abundance of excellent clip-on tuners on the market right now, but for us, the D’Addario NS Micro Universal stands out as one of the finest options available. Its combination of versatile fitting, lightweight construction, and sleek design makes it our top choice in the realm of clip-on guitar tuners.
The ratchet clip, paired with a 360-degree swivel head, offers unparalleled flexibility, allowing it to adapt to a wide range of guitar headstock designs. Its slim profile ensures it doesn't interfere with your playing, and its featherlight build makes it feel virtually weightless on your headstock.
Featuring a remarkably bright display with four viewing angles, you'll have no trouble keeping track of it even on dimly lit stages. However, due to its compact size, individuals who struggle with reading small text from a distance may encounter some difficulty. Overall, we struggled to find any shortcomings with this compact clip-on guitar tuner.
Spec
Type: Clip on
Tuning range: N/A
Calibration range: A4 = 410-480Hz
Accuracy: +/- 2 cents
Modes: N/A
✅ Buy if you prefer a discreet clip-on tuner: Its compact size and lightweight design ensure minimal interference during your playing.
❌ Avoid if you have difficulty with small text: The small screen may pose readability challenges for individuals who struggle with small text from a distance.
BEST FOR BASS
Korg Pitchblack X
The Pitchblack X Pedal Tuner represents Korg's latest generation stompbox tuner, boasting a plethora of new features while maintaining user-friendliness. Not that its predecessor required a MENSA membership!
Korg takes pride in introducing its newly developed Ultra Buffer technology in the Pitchblack X, alongside true bypass functionality. True bypass remains the choice for preserving your tone in setups with short cable runs and minimal I/O points. However, if you're using passive pickups with longer cable lengths or multiple pedals, switching to Ultra Buffer is recommended to slightly boost your signal and prevent tone loss even when the Pitchblack X is inactive.
To enhance visibility on brightly lit stages, additional LEDs have been incorporated, and Korg introduces the 'just-right tuning' feature, indicating correct tuning when both arrows blink. With an impressive accuracy of +/- 0.1 cents, you'll be thoroughly testing those blinking arrows.
The tuner offers four meter display modes. The regular mode displays a stationary LED along with a moving LED that aligns when the string is perfectly tuned. 'Strobe' and 'half strobe' modes indicate pitch changes by LED movement speed and direction, with tuning achieved when they come to a halt. Lastly, 'mirror' mode employs moving LEDs on either side of the center, converging as the string approaches perfect tuning.
The Korg Pitchblack X Pedal Tuner operates on either a 9V battery or external power supply. If the form factor isn't to your liking, Korg offers three other Pitchblack models to choose from: the 1U rackmount Pitchblack X Pro, the compact Pitchblack XS, and the miniature Pitchblack X mini.
Spec
Type: Pedal
Tuning range: E0 – C8 , 20.60Hz – 4,186Hz
Calibration range: A4 = 436Hz to 445Hz
Accuracy: +/- 0.1 cent
Modes: Regular, Strobe, Half-strobe, Mirror
✅ Buy if you need to tune bass or extended-range guitars: The Pitchblack X performs admirably with all instruments, but its performance in the lower registers is particularly noteworthy.
❌ Avoid if you desire polyphonic tuning: Despite its array of features, it lacks a polyphonic mode, which may deter some guitarists.
BEST FOR INTONATION
Peterson StroboStomp HD
Renowned for their precision, Peterson strobe tuners have long been the preferred choice of professionals seeking top-tier gear. In 2019, Peterson introduced what they deem to be 'the ultimate pedal guitar tuner': the StroboStomp HD.
With a feature set surpassing many competitors, the StroboStomp HD offers both true and buffered bypass modes, along with 135 'sweetened' tunings—micro-adjusted reference pitch points optimized for various instrument types and alternate tunings. If you've noticed that some of your chords sound slightly off at different positions on the fretboard, even after checking intonation, these sweetened tunings can help you achieve the best possible sound from your instrument.
One standout feature is the ability to save custom presets, streamlining tuning adjustments during performances. This level of meticulous customization is only possible with the most
Spec
✅ Buy if you prioritize accuracy: Ideal for guitar setups, the Strobostomp offers unparalleled precision, making it perfect for fine-tuning intonation and achieving optimal sound quality.
❌ Avoid if you're budget-conscious: With its extensive technology and features, the Strobostomp comes at a premium price point, which might not be suitable for guitarists on a tight budget.
Type: Pedal
Tuning range: C0-A#8 (16.35Hz-7302Hz)
Calibration range: A4 = 390Hz-490Hz
Accuracy: +/- 0.1 cent
Modes: One screen mode / 135 tuning presets
