Gear

Best Clip-On Tuners and Tuner Pedals

Our picks for a clip-on or pedal tuner, and when our free online tuner is all you need.

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The Picks in Detail

Top Pick

TC Electronic PolyTune Clip

A clip-on that shows all six strings at once, with a strobe mode for fine tuning.

Who It's For
Guitarists and bassists who want speed on stage and precision at home.
Skip It If
You play an orchestral or wind instrument; a dedicated strobe tuner suits you better.

Pros

  • Polyphonic mode: strum every string and see which ones are out.
  • Strobe mode for fine tuning (±0.02 cents); ±0.5 cents in chromatic mode.
  • A bright LED display that flips for left-handers or rear mounting.

Cons

  • MusicRadar found its polyphonic mode sometimes disagreed with its chromatic mode.
  • Bigger than slim clip-ons.
  • Runs on a coin cell, for up to about 18 hours.
Type
Clip-on
Modes
Polyphonic, chromatic, strobe
Accuracy
±0.5 cents (strobe ±0.02)
Power
CR2032 coin cell
Typical Price
$45–60 / £40–55 (approx.)
View on Amazon
Budget Pick

D'Addario Eclipse

A cheap, bright color-screen clip-on that does the basics well.

Who It's For
Beginners, acoustic players, and anyone who wants a spare tuner in every case.
Skip It If
You set intonation or tune on loud stages; a strobe or pedal is more precise.

Pros

  • Low price.
  • A full-color display you can turn to almost any angle.
  • Calibration from 430 to 450 Hz, and a rechargeable version is available.

Cons

  • D'Addario doesn't publish an accuracy figure in cents.
  • Like all clip-ons, it reads vibration, which is less precise than a strobe.
  • This version uses a coin cell.
Type
Clip-on
Modes
Chromatic
Accuracy
Not published
Power
CR2032 coin cell
Typical Price
$15–25 / £12–20 (approx.)
View on Amazon
Best Pedal

BOSS TU-3

The stage-standard tuner pedal. It mutes your signal while you tune and has a high-brightness mode for outdoor stages.

Who It's For
Electric guitarists and bassists with a pedalboard.
Skip It If
You play acoustic without a pickup: a pedal needs a cable signal.

Pros

  • Accurate to ±1 cent, with a 21-segment LED meter and a high-brightness mode for outdoor stages.
  • Mutes your signal while you tune, and can power other pedals with an optional adapter.
  • Guitar and bass modes with down-tuning support, and a five-year BOSS warranty.

Cons

  • ±1 cent is less precise than a strobe mode.
  • Needs a 9 V battery or a power supply.
  • Costs more than a clip-on.
Type
Pedal
Modes
Chromatic, guitar, bass
Accuracy
±1 cent
Power
9 V battery or adapter
Typical Price
$95–110 / £80–99 (approx.)
View on Amazon

Compare the Picks

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

PickTypeModesAccuracyPowerTypical Price (approx.)
TC Electronic PolyTune ClipTop PickClip-onPolyphonic, chromatic, strobe±0.5 cents (strobe ±0.02)CR2032 coin cell$45–60
£40–55
D'Addario EclipseBudget PickClip-onChromaticNot publishedCR2032 coin cell$15–25
£12–20
BOSS TU-3Best PedalPedalChromatic, guitar, bass±1 cent9 V battery or adapter$95–110
£80–99

Compare all 10 clip-on tuners side by side

Clip-On, Pedal, and Strobe Tuners

When a Free Online Tuner Is Enough

For tuning at home, our free online tuner uses your phone or computer microphone and has pages for guitar, bass, ukulele, and many other instruments. A microphone also hears the room, so in a noisy rehearsal or on stage a clip-on or pedal is more reliable.

Free Tools That Help

More gear guides

Questions

Is a clip-on tuner better than a tuner app?+

In a quiet room, a good app is just as useful. A clip-on reads vibration rather than sound, so it keeps working when other people are playing, which makes it better for rehearsals and gigs.

What does ±1 cent mean?+

A cent is one hundredth of a semitone. Few people can hear a difference under about 5 cents, so a tuner accurate to ±1 cent is plenty for everyday tuning. Strobe tuners go further, which helps when setting intonation.

Do clip-on tuners work on ukulele, violin, or bass?+

Most chromatic clip-ons work on any instrument with a headstock or scroll to clip onto. Some, like the D'Addario Eclipse, also come in versions shaped for cello and double bass.

What is a polyphonic tuner?+

A tuner that listens to all the strings at once. You strum, and it shows which strings are sharp or flat, then you fine-tune them one at a time.