Meisel COM-80 Digital Tuner
• Tuning range: A0 - A3
• Calibration: 410 Hz - 450 Hz
• Calibrated tuning modes for guitar, bass, ukulele, and violin, plus a chromatic tuning mode
• Bright and easy to read display
• Great accuracy
Structurally, the COM-80 was a solid little tuner. The clip leading up to its large, Tamagotchi-style LCD screen had a strong and tight bond against both headstocks, aided by the clip’s silica gel padding. The device came equipped with calibrated chromatic tuning modes for guitar, bass, violin, and ukulele. It also has an adjustable pitch mode that gave me the option of moving the range between 410 Hz and 450 Hz.
The accuracy of the COM-80 against the PolyTune was quite impressive when I corrected the purposefully-out-of-whack tuning of the Telecaster, with a bright and easy to read display to boot. If the pitch fell flat or rose sharp, the screen quickly changed its color from green (in tune) to orange. Thankfully, the COM-80 didn’t exhibit any sort of pitch “warble,” which is a common problem with tuners of the clip-on variety. The tuning was even more precise on the Martin, which was likely due to the acoustic resonance of the guitar.
The only major drawback I experienced with this tuner was the inability to rotate the screen from side to side. I was able to twist it around freely on its little plastic tree, but could only tilt it up or down from there. Because I had the tuner clipped on the tip of the Tele’s headstock—so it wouldn’t touch the tuning pegs—I could only read the LCD display sideways. The COM-80 is a great tuner, but it could use a little more flexibility on the mounting of the LCD display.
Street: $23.95
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