Clip-On Tuners Versus In-Line Tuners for Electric Guitars

Since the 1990s guitarists have been using a guitar tuner in the form of effects stompboxes. This format comes with several perks. Tuner pedals are generally much more ruggedly constructed than their clip-on counterparts. Also, they are more difficult to misplace due their size and their likelihood to be fastened to a pedalboard. Additionally, many tuner pedals can act as power distributors for other pedals. Tuner pedals are usually equipped with a mute function that can act as a killswitch, which can be useful in some situations.

Pedal-based guitar tuners are quite bulky compared to other formats, though. When pedalboard space is tight, it is often a hassle to dedicate an entire compact pedal's worth of real estate to a tuner. For guitarists looking to pare down their pedal arrays, clip-on tuners are definitely worth a try. Modern piezoelectric technology allows these tuners to accurately read pitches from instruments onto which they are attached even in noisy environments.

There are downsides to clip-on guitar tuners, though. Depending on the clip system used, these tuners can be flung from the headstocks of exuberant guitarists. Also, they are dependent on battery power, which is less dependable in live situations. Clip-on tuners are very handy for use on acoustic instruments, and are more useful for musicians that need a tuner that works on a variety of instruments. This can be double-edged sword though, as a tuner that gets passed around between several instruments is more likely to be misplaced.

Clip-on tuners offer some conveniences that tuner pedals do not. However, if there is enough space on your pedalboard, a tuning pedal is still a solid choice. Tuning pedals are sometimes a more reliable option, but their limitations are causing many guitarists to switch to clip-ons. The right one for you will depend on your priorities. For acoustic guitarists and multi-instrumentalists, a clip-on is usually the practical choice. For electric guitarists that like to have all their gadgets on the pedalboard, a tuner pedal will likely be the best option. If you do choose a clip-on guitar tuner, make sure to turn it off when you are not using it and keep a spare battery handy.