Originally, clip on tuners just seemed, well…cheap. Like an “as seen on TV” type of thing. Over the years though, a lot of companies have taken that idea and turned them into truly practical devices. PRS has stepped up and their new headstock tuner is worth checking out.
The rubber grips on the clamp provide a solid connection to the instrument, and it has a lot of adjustability, with plenty of swivel and pivot connections. More importantly though, they all feel super robust and positive, no slop or droop when clipping it on the headstock.
With 4 tuning modes (two strobe and two needle) it can cover acoustics, electrics, bass guitars and ukulele. There’s also a chromatic mode as well. One really great feature is the setting reference pitch mode, allowing the user to set the reference pitch, and adjust it as needed in 1Hz increments. Great if you may have to tune your instrument to track to an “unconventional” tuning reference in the studio, or just an out-of-tune piano 🙂
The main display area is large enough to read even in bright outdoor environments, and when the pitch is achieved, the display shows the PRS Bird image, a Cooper’s Hawk. We used it on acoustic, electric and bass guitars, and had no issues getting it to work, and comparing our tuning with a pedal style chromatic tuner, we were spot on every time.
One fantastic feature is that this tuner doesn’t use those little watch batteries; it’s rechargeable via the included USB cable. Charging via a computer or separate USB battery pack makes a lot of sense, and when those watch batteries die, they seem to go when the store is closed, or out of stock.
Overall, it’s a great lil rechargeable headstock tuner that’s hyper accurate, and reasonably priced. They always come in handy, and if you’re going to use one, why not one that’s made with the attention to the same detail and functionality that PRS guitars are known for?
PROS:
Accurate, rechargeable, small robust design.
CONS:
None.
STREET PRICE:
$29.99