Best Tuner Pedals That Offer Something Extra
Having a good tuner is important whether you play guitar on stage or simply play at home — everyone needs to tune up. Tuner pedals are the most convenient option for electric guitarists and bassists alike — but what’s the best tuner pedal to get today? There are a ton of options, and when we did some digging, we found that some tuner pedals actually give you much more than you’d expect.
What Else Could You Need From a Tuner Pedal?
If you’re searching for a high-quality and reliable tuner pedal, you may not realize you could have that and some nifty extras. From alternative tuning schemes and strobe displays to switchable buffers and even looping, you could be getting a lot more from your tuner pedal.
TC Electronic PolyTune 3 Polyphonic Tuner
Now in its 3rd generation, the TC Electronic PolyTune pedal made waves as the first polyphonic guitar tuner. With a single strum you can tune all six strings, which is considerably faster than tuning one string at a time (and also looks cool). And PolyTune makes it easy to explore alternate tunings like open G and open D thanks to preset tuning modes. Three generations of guitarists can’t all be wrong — if you’re interested in the speed and simplicity of a polyphonic tuner, the TC Electronic PolyTune 3 is worth a look.
Why Players Love the TC Electronic PolyTune 3 Polyphonic Tuner Pedal:
- Easy to see in dark spaces
- Tune up all 6 strings fast with up to 1-cent accuracy
- Great way to check tuning between songs in a band setting
BOSS TU-3 Chromatic Tuner Pedal
Saying the BOSS TU tuner is one of the most-used tuner pedals doesn’t really convey how respected it is among pro guitarists. From Eddie Van Halen to Dave Navarro to John 5 to Steve Vai… we could go on name dropping but you get the point: a lot of pro guitarists have hit stages around the world while relying on a BOSS TU tuner pedal to stay in tune. That’s what the BOSS TU-3 tuner pedal offers that others don’t — a heritage of road-worthy reliability that has stood the test of time. Complete with an outdoor mode for visibility in ultra-bright conditions, the BOSS TU-3 is definitely worth a spot on your pedalboard.
Why Players Love the BOSS TU-3 Tuner Pedal:
- Fast reaction and extreme tuning accuracy
- High-visibility display is easy to read even outdoors in direct sunlight
- Rugged BOSS case is reassuring on stage and on the road
Peterson StroboStomp Mini Strobe Tuner Pedal
You may know Peterson’s esteemed reputation as a leader in strobe tuner technology, and their ultra-accurate displays with 0.1-cent precision. What you may not know as much about are Peterson’s "Sweetened" tunings that are responsible for some amazingly sweet recordings. Sweetened tunings compensate for the guitar’s imperfect temperament and allow you to make certain chords and keys sound "sweeter." For example, if you’ve ever felt your open A chord sounded odd when supposedly in tune, Sweetened tunings can tighten it up for greater harmonic clarity and detail.
Not everyone needs to make their solo in C# sound as sweet as it possibly can be, but Peterson StroboStomp tuners are also popular among guitarists that work on their own instruments. In particular, adjusting bridge saddles for better intonation is much more accurate with a strobe tuner than a needle tuner. If maximum precision is your priority, it’s hard to beat the laser-like accuracy of the StroboStomp Mini.
Why Players Love the Peterson StroboStomp Mini Pedal:
- Cool strobe display is highly customizable
- Extremely accurate and precise, great for setting a guitar’s intonation
- Sweetened tunings enhance certain chords and keys for a "sweeter," more musical sound
Korg Pitchblack XS Tuner Pedal
Korg has long been a leader in professional tuning technology, with rackmount Korg tuners dominating gear racks in the ‘80s and ‘90s through today. Korg’s modern Pitchblack series of tuners — including the Pitchblack XS tuner pedal — have innovated with more vivid and vibrant displays that deliver amazing tuning precision (to 0.1-cent accuracy). So what’s special about the Pitchblack XS pedal among the series? In short, it’s a big target that’s easy to see and impossible to miss. Instead of a traditional footswitch less than an inch wide, the entire face of the Pitchblack XS is the switch. And with its huge, colorful display, it’s as easy to see as it is to kick on. Measuring approximately 2x3x3 inches, Pitchblack XS is an ultra-compact tuner that’s easier to read and switch than some full-sized pedals.
Why Players Love the Korg Pitchblack XS Pedal:
- Easy to read, fast to respond, and very accurate
- Easier to see and engage on dark stages
- Rugged construction and pedalboard-friendly design
Walrus Audio Canvas Tuner Pedal
The Walrus Canvas Tuner has a vivid color display with switchable needle and strobe tuning modes, with 0.1-cent accuracy — and that’s just the start. There’s a surprising amount of functionality in the Canvas Tuner, and there are two things specifically that earn it a place on this list. First, the tuning display can be re-oriented however you need — if your pedalboard conditions force you to place the Canvas Tuner sideways, or even upside-down, you can re-orient the display to accommodate. If you’ve simply gotten used to viewing your tuner screen sideways, you’ll definitely appreciate this quality-of-life feature.
The second reason we can recommend the Canvas Tuner is its built-in timer that you can use to track your rehearsals and stage performances. Whether you want to time your set at rehearsal to make sure it’s appropriate for your time slot, or you want to keep track of how long you’ve been on stage, the Canvas Tuner’s built-in timer is an amazing convenience to any performing musician. See it in action in this YouTube Short.
Why Players Love the Walrus Audio Canvas Tuner Pedal:
- Display can be re-oriented to accommodate any pedalboard position
- Built-in timer mode to track rehearsal and time on stage
- Switchable needle and strobe tuning displays with accuracy to 0.1-cents
Ernie Ball Volume Pedal JR Tuner Pedal
It’s easy to overlook the Ernie Ball VP JR if you’re searching for tuner pedals, because it doesn’t really look like a tuner pedal at all. The VP JR Tuner combines a tuner with Ernie Ball’s famous volume pedal design, a favorite among iconic players including John Petrucci, Alex Lifeson, and Mark Knopfler. The high-visibility tuner display sits solely in the middle of the volume pedal, and automatically activates in the heel-down position. If the idea of a volume pedal and tuner in one sounds like your ideal solution, it’s hard to beat Ernie Ball’s reputation for stage reliability and tonal integrity.
Why Players Love the Ernie Ball Volume Pedal JR Pedal:
- Precise volume sweeps and swells
- Your volume pedal and tuner don’t need to compete for first place in your signal chain
- High visibility display and accurate tuning
NUX NTU-3 MKII Flow Tune Tuner Pedal
Beyond the blue or pink retro look, the NUX NTU-3 MKII Flow Tune Tuner Pedal offers more than accurate tuning. The NTU-3 MKII also features switchable buffered or true bypass switching. If you use other true bypass pedals in your signal chain, switch the NTU-3 to buffered mode to maintain your tonal consistency as you switch your other pedals on and off. If you have other buffered pedals in your signal chain, switch the NTU-3 to true bypass mode to completely remove its circuit from your signal path when you’re not tuning. No matter what your pedalboard consists of, the NUX NTU-3 MKII Flow Tune makes it easy to optimize your signal path while keeping you in tune.
Why Players Love the NUX NTU-3 MKII Flow Tune Tuner Pedal:
- Cool retro look available in Blue or Pink
- Tuning modes for Chromatic, Guitar, and Bass
- Reference pitch can be adjusted from 430–450Hz
LEKATO Looper/Tuner Pedal
Every guitarist needs a tuner pedal, every guitarist should have a looper pedal, and the LEKATO Looper/Tuner delivers both in an ultra-affordable package. At less than $50, it’s hard to beat the value of a chromatic tuner with an onboard looper. And it’s more than basic loop functionality — you can record up to 3 loops with overdubs, and up to 18 minutes total recording time. You can also import and export loops via USB, allowing you to load backing tracks to play over through your guitar rig. If you want to tap into the power of looping to build your skills and have more fun writing songs, but don’t want to buy a dedicated looper pedal to do so, the LEKATO Looper/Tuner may be exactly what you need.
Why Players Love the LEKATO Looper/Tuner Pedal:
- Looping and tuning at an attractively low price
- Record up to 3 separate loops (6 minutes each, 18 minutes total)
- Import/export loops via USB to save your loops or play over backing tracks
- Introduction
- What Else Could You Need From a Tuner Pedal?
- TC Electronic PolyTune 3 Polyphonic Tuner
- BOSS TU-3 Chromatic Tuner Pedal
- Peterson StroboStomp Mini Strobe Tuner Pedal
- Korg Pitchblack XS Tuner Pedal
- Walrus Audio Canvas Tuner Pedal
- Ernie Ball Volume Pedal JR Tuner Pedal
- NUX NTU-3 MKII Flow Tune Tuner Pedal
- LEKATO Looper/Tuner Pedal
