What is the best guitar tuner for Acoustic Guitar?

In my youth I had the attitude that “real musicians” didn’t need a guitar tuner. We could tune by ear without any device. Now I couldn’t imagine traveling and playing guitar without having several guitar tuners in my arsenal. They make it quick and easy to get my guitar perfectly in tune so I can get down to making beautiful music.

For guitar learners it’s one of the best ways to learn how to tune the guitar. An electronic guitar tuner helps train your ears by giving you feedback. Without the tuner you’d never know when you’re actually in tune. For that reason, I encourage guitar students to get a tuner right from the very beginning.

Tuners are not all created equal. Of course personal preference comes into play, but I’ve found some tuners that are easier to use and work better than others. In this article, I’ve selected five guitar tuners that, up to this point, are the best that I’ve tried. I’ll discuss the pros and cons and let you decide for yourself which one is best for you.

What To Look For In A Guitar Tuner

 The criteria that I used to evaluate tuners are:

• Easy of use (not too complicated)

• Visibility (ease of identifying that I’m in pitch)

• Accuracy

• Travelability – (how portable they are)

• Durability (how well they hold up)

• Affordability ($)

Some of the other things I consider is how long of a battery life they have and how unobtrusive they are when they are on my guitar in a performing situation.

Guitar Tuners In The Demo

Korg PC1 Pitchclip Clip-on Chromatic Tuner $20

Planet Waves NS Mini Headstock Tuner PW-CT-12 $22

iPhone – Guitar ToolKit App $10

 Give me some feedback. What tuner are you using? Let me know what tuner you like and what you like about it.