So, you’re looking to buy a guitar tuner? We appreciate that spending your hard-earned cash on a tuner isn’t the most exciting thing in the world, but it is, unfortunately, a crucial part of any guitarist’s rig. Whether you’re a fresh-faced beginner or a stadium-touring professional, the best guitar tuners will always be key to sounding great.
Even though some of us have a great ear to help us tune, there’s nothing more accurate than a ‘proper’ guitar tuner – so it’s well worth investing in one if you’re serious about your playing. Also, if you’re playing live, tuning by ear isn’t always an option. The last thing an audience wants is to hear you tuning by ear through your AC30, believe us.
When we say “a proper guitar tuner”, we mean one which is accurate, has a few levels of adjustment and is easy to use in a number of musical settings. In this guide, we’ve hand-selected ten of the best guitar tuners that are currently on the market – some of which are classics, and some which feature some cool modern tech – in the hopes that you’ll be able to find something that suits your set-up, as well as your wallet. We’re looking at factors such as build quality, value for money, ease of use, extra features, and tuning modes to help us come to our conclusion.
Guitar tuners come in a few different forms, all of which we’ve done our best to include in this guide. There are pedals, clip-on tuners, and app-based tuners up for grabs from some of the biggest names in guitar tech and accessories here, so no matter what your preference, there’ll be something here to satisfy your needs.
We’ve included some expert buying advice at the end of this guide, so if you’d like to read more about the best guitar tuners and what you need to know when buying one, then click the link. If you’d rather just get straight to the products, keep scrolling.
Best guitar tuners: The quick list
It's small enough to fit on any pedalboard whilst still packing in the features and functionality of a full-size tuner pedal. It just doesn't get much better than the TC Electronic PolyTune 3 Mini.
Well renowned for being amongst the most precise tuner pedals, the Peterson StroboStomp HD packs loads of features, 'sweetened tunings', and is accurate to 0.1 cents.
If you want something small and discreet, or you've already got too many pedals on your 'board, the D'Addario NS Micro Tuner will fit seamlessly into your existing setup with zero fuss.
With its large screen, polyphonic tuning capability, and staggering accuracy, the TC Electronic PolyTune Clip has all the features of its larger cousin in a tuner you can take anywhere.
Rackmount tuners have been a staple of live shows and studios for a long time now, and our favorite is the Korg PitchBlack Pro X. We love that it can run on battery power, saving you power.
If you're looking for your first tuner or a reliable backup on a budget, the Snark ST-2 Super Tight offers reliable performance and can tune pretty much anything.
The best guitar tuners available today
Here you'll find full writeups and reviews of all the best guitar tuners available today. Many of these products have been personally tested by our writing team, so you can rely on our recommendations.
Best overall
If you’re after a tuner pedal that is small, compact, and doesn’t take up too much valuable pedalboard real estate, then the TC Electronic PolyTune 3 Mini could be just what you need. Obviously, being small isn’t all this PolyTune 3 Mini is good for.
One of PolyTune’s biggest selling points is its polyphonic functionality. Strum the strings, and you’ll see which are ringing true and which are out – and the rest is easy. The 109 LEDs installed into the miniature display offer a crisp, bright image, and make using this tuner a pain- and stress-free occasion.
The PT 3 Mini also has an ‘always on’ feature, which is brilliantly convenient for those who play slide or fretless guitars. If you’re someone who enjoys a smooth, emotive string bend mixed into their playing, you’ll also love this setting – and with both buffered and true bypass modes on offer too, you’re bound to find a spot for the PolyTune 3 Mini in your signal chain.
Best accuracy
Peterson tuner pedals are renowned for being some of the best in the business. They’re highly famed for their accuracy, as well as virtually bulletproof build quality – with some considering the StroboStomp HD to be ‘the ultimate pedal guitar tuner’.
With a set of features that far outweighs that of its rivals, you’ll find vast swathes of different tuning modes, ‘sweetened’ tunings, and presets that make tuning changes at shows much easier. Although ‘sweetened’ tunings aren’t a common occurrence when it comes to other tuners, this functionality allows for micro-adjusted reference points that are optimized for a variety of stringed instruments. The ability to save presets is another great selling point of the StroboStomp HD – helping to make this tuner pedal one of our all-time favorites.
The level of tweaking that the StroboStomp HD allows is best suited to those like us who appreciate the nerdiest, most in-depth levels of tweaking, and for that, we’re truly grateful. The StroboStomp HD is accurate to 0.1 cents too, which is plenty accurate for even the most sensitive of ears.
Best compact tuner
Headstock tuners rarely get smaller than the NS Micro Tuner by D’Addario. As the name suggests, it’s very small – but it’s a powerful little thing, nonetheless.
The NS Micro doesn’t sacrifice usability for its smaller footprint. It’s got a bright, easy-to-read and easily adjustable screen which will shine in even the most intrusive of stage lights. It’s easy to attach to either the front or back of your headstock, and is so discreet that nobody will even know it’s there. With a visual metronome onboard too, the NS Micro Tuner is a lot more than it seems.
Although a more personal reason to love the NS Micro, we also found the color separation on the LED screen to be bold and bright – and as someone with red/green colorblindness, this was a huge selling point. When green means you’re in tune, and red means you’re out, it’s nice to know that you can rely on the visual guide as much as the aural one.
Best clip-on tuner
We'll make no bones about it - we're big fans of the TC Electronic PolyTune Clip. The pedal version of the PolyTune is a staple choice on just about every top ten list on the internet, so a clip-on version? Well - we're all ears.
While most clip-on tuners present a slightly looser approach to tuning accuracy, the PolyTune Clip proves that this doesn't always have to be the case. Boasting a staggering tuning accuracy of +/- 0.02 cents in strobe mode and 0.5 cents in chromatic mode, we can't help but want to buy one ourselves.
As the name suggests, it's a polyphonic tuner first and foremost - but with chromatic and strobe modes onboard as well, it's suitable for just about anybody. In one-note 'needle' mode, it'll even tune a bass guitar - as well as nearly every other string instrument.
It's not a completely perfect tuner though, if we're honest. It's big - much bigger than other clip-on tuners - and sometimes polyphonic mode can be a little buggy in loud environments. For home or solo playing, however? It's pretty spot on.
Best rack mount tuner
If you’ve been looking for a rack mount tuner for your home studio or live set up then look no further than the Korg Pitchblack X Pro. Like most Korg products it’s incredibly sturdy, well-made, and, most importantly, incredibly accurate. When in strobe mode, the Pitchblack X Pro is accurate to 0.1 cents, ideal if you’re about to lay down a track.
Strobe mode can be quite divisive, so if it’s not your thing, there are also regular, mirror, and half-strobe modes. More than any other tuner on our list, the Pitchblack X Pro’s display is massive and the current version has more LEDs than the previous generation. Korg has designed this tuner with multiple situations in mind as there are two levels of brightness, whether you're on a dimly lit stage, in a studio, or performing at an outdoor gig you’ll see your tuning with no issue.
Although not the most portable on our list, the Pitchblack X Pro is battery-powered, so if your gigging rig is professional enough to feature rack-mounted effects, you can slot this in without taking up a plug space.
Best budget option
A spare clip-on tuner is, in our opinion, a must-have for every traveling guitarist. Even if it never leaves your gig bag, an inexpensive tuner can provide you with some extra peace of mind, and this clip-on tuner – the Snark ST-2 Super Tight – is perhaps the perfect backup option.
The ST-2 Super Tight has, surprisingly, a super-tight grip that fits onto the headstock of virtually any stringed instrument. Using the vibration sensor or the microphone, it can pick up pretty much any signal you desire and help you tune quickly. While the vibration sensor can act in some pretty loud settings, the mic mode does require some peace and quiet for tuning acoustic instruments.
All in all, the ST-2 is a great all-rounder – and for the money? We can't complain at all.
More options...
Boss' TU-2 quickly became an industry standard after its release in 1998, and its successor – the TU-3 – is carrying that torch with ease. Boss consistently makes some of the best pedals around in terms of value for money and build quality, and this one is no different.
Not only is the TU-3 well built, but now with drop tuning functionality up to six semitones and improved tuning accuracy, we'd say that it's one of the best options for anyone who wants a bombproof pedal tuner at a reasonable price. While it isn't as completely feature-packed as some of the competition, we'd argue that the most important thing for a tuner is that it helps you accurately tune your guitar – and the TU-3 fulfills that brief.
For those obsessed with the 'perfect' tone, it's worth noting that the TU-3 only offers a buffered bypass. For those who want true bypass, you'll need to stretch the budget a bit further and grab a Waza Craft TU-3W.
First things first, the Ernie Ball VPJR is a sturdy pedal, it’s constructed from aircraft-grade aluminum after all. This thing will survive even the most rugged of tour schedules and if you happen to be a little heavy-footed, this pedal won’t flinch.
This is a two-in-one volume and tuner pedal. The enhanced-definition touchscreen display will allow you to toggle between three modes; tuner, volume or volume and tuner. When you need to tune up, press the heel of the pedal all the way down and it will cut your output and allow silent tuning. When the pedal is decompressed, the screen will switch to a graphic volume readout. Pretty clever right?
This pedal isn’t just a gimmick, with an accuracy of 0.1 cents it will get your tuning bang on. It also has an effects loop for your modulation or time-based effects. Available in four different finishes, this is a must-have if you use a volume and tuning pedal; if you don’t, the fear of limited pedalboard space is no longer a deterrent.
Fender's first-ever tuner app delivers an intuitive, simple, and easy-to-use tuner into the phones and hands of guitarists all over the world. It's available for both iOS and Android and makes it easier than ever before for newcomers to get their instruments in tune. It even covers topics such as strumming, setting up guitar amps and basic tone tips.
Using your phone's microphone, the Fender Guitar Tuner app can pick up signals from any stringed instrument you play into it – although it works best for electric guitars and acoustic guitars, as well as ukuleles.
The app offers auto-tune, chromatic and manual tune modes, including the ability to create custom tunings and alternate tuning options.
Best guitar tuners: Buying advice
What style of guitar tuners are there?
Guitar tuners are split into three main types. Many companies will claim that different tuner types enable greater accuracy or easier usability, but really it all comes down to personal preference.
Chromatic tuners are probably the most common type of tuner. These tuners collect your input signal and compare it to one of the 12 notes in the chromatic scale. They'll then find the note it's closest to, and guide you up or down to match the pitch. Chromatic tuners are, by nature, limited to only those 12 notes (in a number of octaves nonetheless) but if you're working within the common 'Western' scales, this shouldn't be a problem.
Polyphonic tuners are also quite common, and their popularity is rising with the likes of the TC Electronic PolyTune series. Polyphonic tuners are equipped with the capability to process multiple notes at the same time, which can make tuning much quicker. The downside to polyphonic tuning is that it's harder to show the user exactly which strings are out of tune – especially if they're mid-set or using a pedal tuner.
Strobe tuners are less popular than the other types of tuners, but what they lack in popularity, they make up for in usability. Strobe tuners can be set to custom frequencies and temperaments, making exploring new tunings much easier – and for those who play music which is outside of the common 'Western' scales, strobe tuners are almost a necessity. If you're interested in using 432Hz as your base instead of the usual 440Hz, then a strobe tuner could be just what you need. They're a bit tough to decipher at first, but once you get the hang of them, they're very useful pieces of gear.
If you've got no overriding preference after reading that, then a chromatic tuner will likely see you right. They're the most popular option for a reason, after all.
Is a tuner pedal better than a clip on?
The arguments for and against pedal, headstock and app tuners continue to rage on, and while some people have very strong views regarding one or the other, all three styles of tuner have a place in the guitar playing world.
Pedal tuners
Pedal tuners are by far the most popular choice when it comes down to it. They're widely regarded as the most accurate type of tuner, as they take a signal directly from your pickups and process it without any airborne interference. A pedal tuner will sit on your pedalboard at the start of your signal chain (after your guitar, of course) and will give you accurate reading after accurate reading – if you've bought a good one, that is.
Clip-on tuners are another popular choice and are famed for their simplicity, portability and versatility regarding tuning acoustic instruments. They're also perfect for someone who's never used a tuner before, as they are hands-on, without too many confusing features. Clip-on tuners are generally the cheapest type of tuner you can get, and a good one doesn't need to set you back more than $25 or $30. There are some proper high-end options available nowadays though, for the headstock tuner enthusiast among us. Especially if you don't use pedals, they're incredibly useful.
Tuning apps are something of a newcomer, although by now they've definitely earned their place. For bedroom or rehearsal room jam sessions, a decent tuner app isn't a bad choice. It's arguably the most convenient option around, as you'll always have your phone on you too. If you're gigging, however, we'd recommend against using an app to tune up. It's not the most professional-looking thing in the world.
Is true bypass better than buffered?
You may have noticed that the guitar tuners on our list will either have true bypass or be buffered, but what does this actually mean? Is one better than the other?
True bypass means that the tuner pedal won’t color your signal at all. It won’t affect your guitar’s signal or influence the tone in any way. When the pedal is off, your signal will pass from the input to the output jack directly, without interference. If you are a tone purist, then a true bypass tuner is the best choice for you. However, if you run long, or have lots of cables, you should consider a buffered pedal.
If you run long cables or lots of cables within your pedalboard set-up you may encounter cable capacitance issues. The main issues that can occur are a loss of high-end frequencies and a weaker signal chain. A buffered pedal will present a consistent output impedance, in layman's terms it will alter your signal to a consistent strength and level.
A buffered pedal is always on, meaning it will still alter your signal even when your tuner pedal isn’t on. This is why tone purists often avoid buffered pedals as they prefer the truest signal possible. Although it doesn’t always happen, at worst, a buffered bypass pedal can change the timbre of your clean signal whilst performing its duties.
How we choose the best guitar tuners
At Guitar Player, our team of seasoned writers comprises devoted musicians deeply entrenched in the wide world of music. With years of playing and rigorous product testing, we bring a wealth of practical knowledge derived from real-world experiences with musical equipment. Our dedication spans every chapter of life as a msucian, from early rehearsals to full-on tours, forming the foundation for our discerningly curated recommendations across various categories.
When it comes to pinpointing the best guitar tuners, our approach is thorough. We integrate practical experience, insights garnered from user reviews, and in-depth discussions within our editorial team. This meticulous process ensures a nuanced evaluation, providing a reliable guide tailored for those seeking precision tuning solutions.
As passionate guitarists ourselves, our primary mission is to guide fellow players in discovering gear that perfectly aligns with their needs. We meticulously consider factors such as accuracy, ease of use, and durability to compile a list that authentically represents the best guitar tuners in today's musical landscape.
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