It goes without saying that Peterson knows a thing or two about tuners. Using the word “pioneering” to describe the company would hardly be an overstatement. And sure, you can find a clip-on tuner for 10 bucks or even a serviceable smart-phone tuner for free—and they will help you tune your guitar, to a degree—but that’s not an apples-to-apples comparison with Peterson’s StroboClip HD. This tuner is whole-’nother-level stuff.
First, the StroboClip HD is made of plastic, like most in its class, but this tuner is solid. The clamp jaw, padding, 3-point swivel mechanism, buttons, and screen feel as precise as the 0.1 cents tuning accuracy it delivers. Speaking of the high-def screen, it’s wide, crystal clear, and void of blinking lights or multiple colors—just clean and intuitive. So for anyone who has steered clear of strobe tuners in the past because they seemed confusing, no need to stress here.
Inside, the StroboClip HD boasts over 50 proprietary “Sweetened” tunings, which are, in a nutshell, presets and options specific to the type of instrument you’re tuning. For instance, I moved from tuning a 6-string parlor guitar in DADGAD to an electric bass and then to a uke as quickly as I changed instruments—all of which had their own Sweetened setting. The StroboClip HD also even has settings for drop tuning by up to six steps, plus five steps of capo-up tuning. It’s a versatile, precision machine that’s well made and easy to use, and its price definitely reflects that. The question is: What price do you put on being in tune?
Test gear: Larrivée P-01, Dell’Arte Dark Eyes, Les Stansell tenor uke, Fender Precision
Ratings
Pros:Wide, no-nonsense display, precise tuning, extremely versatile Sweeteners, firmware updates available via USB port.
Cons:
It costs more than other tuners in its class. And Porsches cost more than Fords, grasshopper.
Street:
$59
Peterson StroboClip HD
petersontuners.com
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