String Master automatic guitar tuner keeps your strings tight

We admit it: we have a tin ear. We also admit to having spent some time trying to play guitar and failing miserably, due in part to the aforementioned metallic sensory organ. However, we have new hope, thanks to the String Master Robotic Guitar Tuner. According to the manufacturer, the $50 device can automatically tune your guitar by turning the tuning pegs the appropriate amount as you strum the strings. The device samples the audio as you pluck, and stops turning the peg when the string is tuned. Yeah, we know this thing isn't going to turn us into Jimi Hendrix (or even Johnny Ramone), but at least we'll know that our lousy playing is in tune.

[Thanks, Les — no, not that Les]

[franco @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

if only i played guitar....

[AZ @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Peter Rojas is a rock star.

[theblunderbuss @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

The article's title is misleading.
When a guitar (or stringed instrument) is being tuned flatter, a slack develops around the string spindle. This can cause inconsistent pitch in the string.
To compensate, the string is tuned a little flatter than the note, then back up (tauter) to the note.

I thought the article would be about a tuner that is smart enough to take up the slack of tuning flatter.

[da5id @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

This is an old gadget. Been around for at least a decade.

[Viney @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Anybody serious enough about playing guitar to spend the money on this should seriously take the time to teach themselves how to tune their guitar by ear.

Not enough patience? Then you shouldn't be learning guitar in the first place.

[kjartan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Claypool?

[Jeebus @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

In response to Viney (#5), just for argument sake, not everyone plays in a quiet room where you can hear the notes you play.

I wouldn't mind getting one of these for myself.

[Snapper @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

I can't believe anyone would buy this thing! If you need to tune in a noisy place there are electronic tuners that you plug the guitar into. Much more accurate than the "String Master". Most electronic tuners also have mike's for acoustic intruments for when it's noisy.
Go to musiciansfriend.com

[edfooliu @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

so, in response to the argument that this doesnt need a quiet room... well..neither do any of those cheap $10 electronic tuners. sure, those require you to plug the guitar in and strum the strings--oh wait, so does this.

as far as i can tell, all this $50 contraption saves you is needing to watch the tuner's readout and turn the peg accordingly. which, IMO, isnt the hardest thing in the world. just tighten/loosen until the readout says you're good. heck, this device doesnt even save you the trouble of lifting your hand up to the headstock.

now if they make a similar device that say, clips onto the headstock and can tune all 6 strings, then mayhaps we can talk.

[Simon @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

There's nothing worse than an elitist guitar player. Way to discourage people from picking up the instrument.

What you're saying is equivalent to saying that we should do all math by hand, ignoring calculators, for antiquity's sake. Maybe, just maybe, we can use slide rules in the extra special cases.

It's rather ironic how guitar players can be among the most inert of people, especially considering how they like to think they've been responsible for so much change. Tabs aren't going anywhere, not everyone can afford a tube amp, and if people want to use a tuning device, let them. As our idol said, "You better start swimming or you'll sink like a stone." Well maybe you'll just spend more time tuning, but that's your loss.

[Mad Cow @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

A girl's step-dad in my 6th grade class (so about 13 years ago) helped invent a self-tuning guitar. He came in on career day and showed how they had a tone sensor on every string and servos to tighten or loosen them accordingly, all hooked up to a computer. Not only was it self tuning, but you could also program other keys into it (Drop D, open G, etc.) and it could switch at the press of a button. Cool idea, but you ended up with a 25 lbs. guitar because you had to fit the guts of a Macintosh Classic in it. Now it might actually be a viable, not very invasive modification.

[CamTarn @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

It's a reality:

http://transperformance.com/

Check out the video (if it's still there: been a while since I discovered the site) for footage of the guitar automatically changing its tuning at the press of a button. Cool stuff.

[max cascone @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

everybody knows that Jimmy Page has a few les pauls with servo-controlled tuners (like #9's post) which can re-tune the guitar to any tuning with the press of a button in like a millisecond or something. It's housed in a small device routed into the body of the guitar, like the size of a palm pilot. It's awesome, so much potential. I'm pretty sure anyone can get it if you want to pay for it. Would be great for bands like Pelican that frequently change tunings, even during songs.

[Targ8ter @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

This seems a bit for a guitar, where you only have 6 strings anyhow, and unless you're jumping in between different tunings it should be easy to manage by hand. However, this thing could be a huge timesaver for folks who play celtic and orchestral harp. With a harp you've got almost 50 strings, and they're finicky instruments that need to be kept in tune at all times. If this thing covers more than six octaves, it would brilliant for harpists.

[Brian Shih @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

While I absolutely agree that you shouldn't be an elitest guitar player, there is something to be said in learning how to tune your instrument for yourself.

The analogy to math and calculators applies - they make you do math by hand when you learn it so that you understand what's supposed to happen and what the process is. You should learn to tune your guitar be ear because it teaches you to hear tones better and improves you as a musician overall. Once you've learned how to, by all means, use robots to make your life easier. Robots are cool.

[furtim @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Brian has it. Tuning by ear isn't about being "elitist", it's about learning the instrument. The assistance of a regular guitar tuner can help you to train your ear to hear the notes better. A device that automagically tunes things without requiring any input from you won't help you're playing at all.

Plus, as mentioned already, it's not that much more helpful than a generic $20 guitar tuner in the first place.

[Nate Douglas @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Being a guitar player and instructor, I'm looking at this device and I'm thinking that this is another gadget aimed at distracting musicians.

Music stores make a lot of money from selling gadgets and this one tops just about everything I have seen. Gadgets like this will starve a guitarist. If you don't beleive me, just walk into a guitar shop and you'll see they have just about everything imaginable to distract a guitarist from the effort of hard work: practice.

Real guiratists don't buy gadgets because of the simple fact that it adds up over time. The money spent on this stuff can easily pay for a reliabe guitar within a year or too.

[kent @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Don't forget that Jimi was famous for not playing in tune, as are plenty of other "great" guitarists...

[andy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

"We admit it: we have a tin ear."

...if your other ear was made of copper you could use your brain as a battery...

[Chench @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

It's all about the gadget factor people! I play. I tune with and without a tuner. But, I just gotta get me one of these!

I'll let my bass player use it too. He NEEDS one.
Ken

[matt @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

If you start out by using an electronic tuner, what happens when the battery dies or you don't have it with you?

Everyone who plays guitar should be able to tune their instrument. This gadget is fine if you're lazy, I guess. I just can't see ever having a use for it, or wanting to lug it around.

[David @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

I'm waiting til they make on that plucks the strings for you. Maybe it could even be programmed to play a song :)

[mr simple machine @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

How can this be efficient? You arm isn't exactly a static fixture. Any movement in your arm/hand would increase the amount of time it takes to get a proper tuning, especially once your arm gets tired of being in that position. Also, unless you have a 'tuner output' jack on your amp you would have to plug your cord into the tuner each time you used it.

[Viney @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

#7 Jeebus
For arguements sake, if your goal is to play any type of live show, you're not gonna have the time to bust this thing out mid-show so you'd better be able to tune by ear.

And to everyone that considered my comment "elitest", you couldn't be more wrong. I'm not even that good at guitar. There's nothing "elitest" about recognizing that knowing how to tune your own guitar is important if you want to be a good guitar player. Sure artists like Hendrix played out of tune, but that doesn't mean they didn't know how to tune. Hendrix played out of tune because of all the bending he did with the strings, which makes it extremely hard to stay in tune when you take it to the extremes that he did.

[peptidefarmer @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

"elitist guitar player"

There's a redundancy if ever I've heard one.

[chris @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

this is stupid.

get a Boss Chromatic Tuner pedal instead.

anyone who can't appropriately tune a guitar with one of those shouldn't bother with instrument at all.

[Al Compoly @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

I purchased a String Master sometime ago. I know how to tune a guitar manually and by other guitar tuners as well. I play for my own enjoyment and I am only an average guitar player. I think this (gadget) is great as it takes the guess work out of tuning your guitar. I can understand you professionals think it's only a gadget and probably have many years of experience tuning guitars and can do it by ear at the drop of a hat, but for guys like me who are not professionals and probably never will be, I think it's great !!!!!

[dhoover @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Read these comments, laughed, then bought one. Been playing for 35 years. Can get close with ear, but not perfect. Have tuners in my many pedal board and mult efx boards. So why this? Because I can!!! Ha! I have neough money in my account to not sweat over $50, so the rest of the critics can jump in th e lake.