A good acoustic guitar tuner takes the guesswork out of tuning.

An acoustic guitar tuner isn't a neccesity but it can sure take the guesswork out of tuning. An electronic tuner helps us to refine one sense-hearing-by using another of our 6 senses-sight.

All of us who don't have extremely compromised sight are used to making visual judgements. We make hundreds, maybe thousands, of decisions based on what we see every day.

Most people make far fewer decisions solely based on sound. As a result we can tune our guitar much more accurately "by eye" than we can "by ear" when we're using an electronic guitar tuner. Of course, this isn't the ideal situation. As players we need to develop our ability to make judgements based on sound. Most of us just haven't had as much practice with that as we have using our eyes.

Why bother to tune at all? It creates a common ground for players. It's easier to play with others if you're all tuned the same.

If you are a solo player it helps the guitars' strings to be at the right tension. This keeps the strings from being too tight and hurting the players' fingers. And remember, acoustic guitars are glued together. Too much string tension can be harmful to the instrument.

BEST TYPES OF TUNERS

With LED's like the Sabine STX1100 Chromatic AutoTuner, it can be a little trickier. That being said, if one type (LED vs. analog) seems more natural to use than the other, go for it.

Besides the type of display, the other big question with a guitar tuner is whether to go with standard tuning or chromatic tuning. If you're a beginner, standard tuning (E,A,D,G,B,E) is your best bet. It's simpler. If you're a player that uses open tunings or tunes down a whole or half step, a chromatic tuner would probably be best.

FEATURES TO LOOK FOR

Standard features that you should look for in an acoustic guitar tuner include an easy to read display, an internal microphone, cable input, and a way to re-calibrate the tuner. If your tuner uses a needle or has a letter display (A for the 5th string, for example) it helps if the display is backlit. The calibration feature is especially helpful when playing in a group with a hard to re-tune instrument like a piano. If you're an acoustic-electric player, having a line out so you can run into your amp or direct box is very useful.

Some acoustic guitar tuners have the option of using either a 9-volt battery or an adaptor that allows you to use an electrical plug (a wall wart). There are pluses and minuses to both. With batteries you have to worry about whether they're good or not and if not, did you remember a spare. With wall warts you sometimes get a surge or drop in current that can affect the accuracy of your tuning. Neither's perfect. It's up to you to decide which is best.

QUICK TIPS

2) If you're having a lot of trouble tuning,check the condition of your strings. Dead,old,tired strings won't tune right.

3) Make sure your strings are seated well at the bridge and the tuning machines.

4) Play a chord and see if it sounds in tune. If you know harmonized chord scales play those.

5) Keep a pitch pipe or tuning fork (A440) in your guitar case "just in case".

While an acoustic guitar tuner isn't essential for the fingerstyle guitarist, it can sure make life easier.

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