CHUG Tuner +

This is a really neat tuner by SOLAR Guitars, the CHUG Tuner +. It has a boost function on board so if you want more gain, it's there. That big knob is also a good consideration for those of us in need of a quick reach. A sturdy overall construction as well. Tempting.

Pic: SOLAR

Same

Folks... the pedal on the left is Warwick's RockBoard ST-01, the one on the right, FZone's PT-01. You can buy the Warwick at Swee Lee (List: $39). The FZone is available at Lazada for less (not gonna disclose the price here, you can do that yourself). You are looking at the same pedal, one being an OEM product of the other. Nothing new, Maxon did stuff for Ibanez not too long ago. I own the FZone (made in China), bought it last year during the 11-11 sale (it's not even $30 back then, no kidding) & it's one of the better pedal tuners among many despite its limitations. Appraisal soon.

Pics: Warwick / Lazada

Black for black

Goodbye - Korg Pitch Black. Not selling it away but laying it to rest. Had been using it since 2009; it's always on the ready, never kept away. Lately, there would be a loss in signal once the battery is about to die. It had served me well.

Hello -  FZone PT-01. A cheap Chinese tuner, it's slightly less than $30 during the online 11.11 sale. It's the first time I come across this brand name. Appraisal soon.

Single with orange

Had been with this set up since Monday:

• PRS S2 SC250: Pickups in there are Seymour Duncan's P-Rails (N)/ Pegasus (B)
• Boss: Distortion DS-1
• Korg: Pitch Black tuner
• DAW: Shredline pick 3mm

Was looking for a different neck feel so the SC250 was the reference. Have been in split mode every time the neck pickup is engaged so might be looking to make that permanent. Also, I had been playing everything through the DS-1 lately & sometimes took things for granted; this orange stomp box is definitely the standard to beat in terms of a no-frills offering. The Pitch Black- had been using this for all pedal tuning reference. One of the best in terms of accuracy & durability. Currently awaiting for new DAW picks to arrive but will not abandon this green meanie. 

Mini black

Rounding up the February- it looks like the good people of Korg had been listening to players who wished for a pedalboard-friendly version of their beloved pedal tuner so we have this Pitchblack mini to be thankful for. It's everything the PB has to offer but in a compact serving. What I really like is the fact that it can still run on battery- awesome! Promo clip here:

On that note (forgive the pun), here's wishing everyone a great March ahead. Enjoy this 29th February, make it memorable (try your best).

Power tuning

Absolutely looking forward to this- a power supply that doubles up as a tuner (Joyo JF-18). Or is that a tuner doubling as a power supply? Whatever it is, it's a practical inclusion on one's pedal board for sure. I don't own any pedal board but this might trigger something.

Intonating pinky

There are 2 reasons why re-intonation was done for my Fender Pink Paisley tele:

1. Bridge saddles were swapped out.
2. I decided to fix a set of .0095 in there as opposed to the default .009

Intonation refers to the tuning correspondence at both the 12th fret & open strumming, please do not confuse this with a regular tuning exercise. Why should this be the case? If you have any bridge saddle movements (to/fro), it would mean that the distance between the 12th fret & the saddles was disrupted, even slight changes necessitate an intonation check.

For the sake of accuracy, a plug-in tuner is preferred. As depicted above, my Korg Blackout was in use. The standard is not exactly strobe-type but it offers a wider tuning division compared to a clip-on tuner. Not all plug in tuners offer a wider degree of accuracy compared to their clip-on counterparts, we need to scrutinize what each manufacturer has to offer. In the case of Korg, its Blackout range indicates tuning changes both in division markings & colour indicators. This is the standard you should employ when dealing with small distance increments when adjusting bridge saddles. Majority of the clip-ons are unable to detect minor changes because they interpret tuning through material vibration transfer, unlike the direct signals from the strings. 

Intonation activity could take a while, depending on the bridge saddles you are dealing with. More often than than not, the one-string-per-saddle case is a more enjoyable process. The 2-strings-per-saddle cases such as the vintage/ traditional Telecaster bridges for instance, is a more painful episode. A movement to address one string intonation issue affects the other because they are both sitting on the same saddle. If a tech charges you quite a bit for intonation adjustments, you should understand the situation.

SNARK- Pedal tuner

Had been using my new SNARK pedal tuner (SN 10) a lot lately. The SNARK name simply conjures this nifty & fast response reputation to mind. But I (sincerely) thought the clip-on version was faster but this isn't a second-rated performance- of course not. The display is just very bright, this is a spill-over reputation from the clip-on counterpart; it doesn't wimp out when it comes to notes display. The on-off button is also click-free so it's a silence performance if you intend to line it up for recording purposes. However, despite it's adorable dimensions, the pedal is not a light unit; it's slightly heavier than the KORG Pitch Black pedal I own.

This is how the pedal's innards look like for interested parties. The SN10 is available at Davis GMC, listing for $45.

Snark PT

Got mine :-) Report soon.