Headstock Tuner shootout

Guitars are not precision instruments. It is impossible to perfectly tune a guitar. But in practicality, you don't need to perfectly tune your guitar -- you just need it perfect enough for the human ear.

So to help you choose the right headstock tuner, I've compiled information on some of the more popular ones, gathered from customers and personal experiences.

Snark

SN-1

Pros: functionally reliable, barebones tuner for cheap ($12.45)

Cons: Cons: plastic can break and display is hard to read at certain angles; can rattle around if left on the headstock while playing, especially on acoustic guitars with a Piezo element

ST-2

Pros: classic vibration sensor is combined with an internal mic, allowing for better live functionality considering noise pollution; works well with ukuleles, banjos, and other stringed instruments; tight grip; more flat/sharp indicator pins than the ST-8, but just as accurate; fastest processing rate for clip-on tuners; easy to read to display

Cons: rubber pads on the clip can come undone; tuning sensitivity may be too fine for some players; indicator may not show up immediately

ST-8

Pros: same as the SN-1X but slightly finer tuning; tighter fit to reduce rattle; bold and bright display; affordable ($15.04)

Cons: better accuracy with fewer flat/sharp bars is counterintuitive; not recommended for more delicate finishes

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ST-5

Pros: my personal favorite, combining all the best features of the former models and add a strobe-like tuning needle instead of progressively illuminated bars, giving you a better reference point between flat, sharp, and in-tune; very affordable ($10.23)

Cons: with many headstock tuners, it still has trouble registering lower bass tunings as well as guitar tunings more than one step down

SN-1X

Pros: heavier duty, easier to read, and cheaper than the SN-1 ($11.78); constant pitch display; sleek metallic look; small size; works on various brass instruments and lower tunings

Cons: the silver 'on' button can collapse in; susceptible to picking up non-guitar vibration; display can seem crowded

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The rest

KLIQ UberTuner

Pros: accurate to ±1 cent; works on woodwind and brass; sturdy; very bright display; small and light

Cons: not as precise or sensitive as Snark products despite similar cent sensitivity; has trouble with lower tunings; not great in live settings

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D'addario NS

Very similar to the Ubertuner, but there are complaints about it buzzing and rattling if left on while playing. Also, the buttons are not very intuitive.

TC Electronics Polytune

Pros: the most accurate headstock tuner out there (±.05 cents); has chromatic strobe function (±.02 cents); very bright; sturdy stainless steel; polyphonic function allows you to see flat or sharp strings when striking all strings simultaneously

Cons: considering the hefty price ($48.00), it's not any more useful to the gigging musician than any Snark product; the sensitivity is superfluous; not all functions are compatible with other instruments besides guitar and bass

Korg PC1 Pitchclip

By far, the worst headstock tuner. It doesn't feature a 360° swivel feature, making the display extremely awkward to read. It drains batteries pretty quickly and the display lighting is weak. The display adjusts itself to its orientation (upside-down or right side-up) depending on what the tuner thinks is correct, which is often wrong. The rubber grip on the clip is also very flimsy.

So of course there are dozens of other headstock tuners out there. For every one, there's two to three variations with little differences like color and material to display brightness and size. but these are the ones I see the most often and have the most experience with as a repairman. Obviously, Snark comes out on top and I think it's because their primary product focus is on tuners. They make great products and I stand by them 100%. Their interests aren't spread thin like some of the competition.

​Personally, I use the Snark SN-5 for gross tunings for acoustics, but when it comes to intonation, it's absolutely necessary to use a proper stationary strobe tuner. There is no substitution.

Winner: Snark ST-2
​Loser: Korg PC1 Pitchclick