When you need accurate tuning in any situation, pedal tuners are the way to go. They can be used in both quiet and loud environments, and will still be able to tune your guitar with great precision.
While pedal tuners are generally more expensive than say clip-on tuners, they are well worth the price since you can silently tune your guitar in loud environments without any interference from other people that may also be tuning their instruments at the same time.
And since pedal tuners are made to keep hooked up on your pedalboard, they are also very convenient to use at a moment’s notice. Just “stomp” on the pedal like you would with any other pedal on your board and tune away.
In this article, we go over the top pedal tuners on today’s market and listed the pros, cons, and features of each one so that you can make the smartest buying decision possible when picking out a new pedal tuner.
Table of Contents
Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner
- Guitar Bass Tuner Pedal with High-Brightness Mode f Outdo Visibility
- 21-segment LED Meter
- Drop Tuning Suppt
- Guitar/Bass Mode
Last update on 2025-01-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Pros
- High Brightness mode makes the display easy to see in any situation.
- Can also be used to tune 6 and 7 string bass guitars.
- Very durable (like most Boss pedals)
Cons
- Drains batteries rather quickly
- AC adapter is sold separately
TC Electronic PolyTune 3 Polyphonic Tuner
- Ultra-compact polyphonic tuner gives you fast, accurate tuning and a high-quality tone tool in a single unit
- Quickly get in tune with polyphonic, chromatic and strobe tuning modes
- Built-in all-analog BONAFIDE BUFFER circuitry preserves your tone through long cable runs and convoluted pedal boards
- Polyphonic tuning lets you tune all your strings at once
- Lightning-fast chromatic tuner offers 0.5 cent accuracy
Last update on 2025-01-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Pros
- Polyphonic, chromatic, and strobe tuning modes
- Will tune your guitar insanely fast
- Switchable bypass
- 109 LED Display (super bright)
- Simple to use
Cons
- No Cons!!!!!
Donner Dt-1 Chromatic Tuner
- [Wide Range Tuner] Tuning range is A0(27.5 Hz) ~ C8(4186 Hz). New fast precise strobe mode with +/- 1 cent accuracy
- [2 Modes Tuner Pedal] At tuning mode you can cut off all signal output and adjust your guitar. At bypass mode the sound of your guitar will revert back to the amplifier with no loss of tune. No annoying "pop" and "hum" noises
- [Easy to See] The color and brightness of the specially adjusted LED beads match the mini LCD screen, which can be used on the large stage and outdoor performance venues without any problems
- [Fast & Accurate Tuner] DT-1 tuner pedal gives you fast and accurate tuning
- [Notice] There is not power adapter included, you need to buy one. Not come with a battery compartment
Last update on 2025-01-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Pros
- Slim design allows it fit on even the most crowded pedalboards.
- Easy to read display
- Very affordable!
- It’s metal construction makes this pedal extremely durable.
- Lets you know if you’re sharp or flat and by how much
Cons
- No AC adapter included and it doesn’t use batteries.
- Tuning speed isn’t as fast as the more expensive pedal tuners.
- Red and Green LEDs might be a little too bright if you have sensitive eyes.
- Can make a little noise when turned on so it’s not for stage use.
KLIQ TinyTune Tuner Pedal
- Fast & Accurate: Experience speedy tuning with A1 precision. Housed in a mini pedal that's designed to fit on any pedalboard, the TinyTune lets you to spend less time tuning and more time playing.
- Easy-To-Read Display: The color display is large, clear, and has excellent visibility under any lighting. So whether you are playing at home, on a dark stage, or outdoors, this pedal has you covered!
- Zero Noise: The TinyTune completely mutes the input signal when you're tuning, and directly routes the signal to the output when you're not. No tone coloring, or annoying "pop" and "hum" noises here.
- Easy To Use: This pedal was designed with simplicity in mind. No confusing modes, hidden buttons on the side, or features that don't belong in a pedal tuner. Simply plug in, tune up, and play some music!
- Built To Last: With rugged aluminum on the outside and quality components on the inside, this pedal will perform night after night, stomp after stomp. So that you can sound your best every single time.
Last update on 2025-01-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Pros
- Precise tuning within .05 cent
- Small and lightweight
- Easy to use
- Affordable
Cons
- Doesn’t use a battery, only an adapter.
- Not a true bypass pedal
- Some people have reported issues with it’s note accuracy.
Rock Stock Nano Pedal Chromatic Tuner
- THE SMALLEST PEDAL TUNER EVER MADE: Experience unparalleled space-saving innovation with the Rock Stock Nano Tuner. Its groundbreaking design merges screen and foot switch, offering an ultra-compact profile that's 50% smaller than most compact pedals and a quarter of the size of standard electric guitar tuner pedals.
- LIGHTNING-FAST PRECISION: This pedal tuner Instantaneous 10 ms tuning response holds an exceptional accuracy of 0.5 cents. Whether you're strumming an acoustic, electric, bass guitar, or even an electric mandolin, achieve perfect tuning while optimizing precious pedalboard space.
- INNOVATIVE DESIGN: our chromatic tuner pedal integrates the screen with the footswitch, creating a palm-sized powerhouse. Crafted for the road with robust materials and enhanced by vivid LED strobes, tuning becomes effortless in any lighting scenario.
- DISCREET MUTE TO TUNE: seamlessly mute and unmute your signal by turning your tuner on or off. No disruptive “pop” sounds or tone loss, only clean and precise tuning.
- STANDARD 9VDC COMPATIBILITY: use any standard 9V center negative power supply (not included) for seamless power integration.
Last update on 2025-01-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Pros
- Super small so fits on any pedalboard.
- Super accurate within .5 cent
- Bright LED makes it perfect for use outdoors in the sunlight.
Cons
- Basic with no special features
- Doesn’t use batteries
- A bit on the expensive side for how basic it is.
Snark SN-10S Pedal Tuner
- Blazingly Fast tuning
- Can be powered by a 9V adapter or 9V battery
- Big bright display. Blazingly fast.
- Fully chromatic. Die cast metal case.
Last update on 2025-01-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Pros
- Notes show up nice and big
- Beautiful silver casing makes it pleasing to look at on your pedalboard.
- Extremely durable
- Chromatic tuner
- Uses batteries or an adapter
Cons
- Only shows sharps, not flats
- Batteries do not last long in this pedal.
- Not as accurate as higher priced pedals.
Korg Pitchblack Chromatic Tuner
- Reliable die cast aluminum housing with black-out finish provides improved contrast & visibility
- Easy-to-read display features four modes: Meter, Full Strobe, Half Strobe, and Mirror
- 100 % True Bypass preserves tonal clarity; Battery or optional AC Operation
- Similar size & shape as many pedal effects; 9 volt/200 mA cascade output for pedal board convenience
- Wide E0 - C8 detection range; Calibration range from 436 Hz - 445 Hz
Last update on 2025-01-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Pros
- True Bypass feature
- Big display
- Has 4 unique tuning modes
- Great battery life
Cons
- A bit spendy for a tuner pedal
- Display a little hard to read in bright sunlight
- Can sometimes make a loud popping noise when turning off or on.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully this post helped you come a little closer to making an informed decision when it comes to obtaining a new pedal tuner to add to your pedalboard.
I recommend the TC Electronic Polytune 3 Polyphonic Tuner. It has the most features and it is extremely fast and reliable at tuning your guitar or any other electrical instrument for that matter. It also has the highest rated views across all the various marketplaces so you know that pretty much everyone who has tried this pedal, absolutely loves it.
