Tuning a guitar the old school way is something that most people just don’t do anymore. It is very difficult and it also takes way too long. For this reason, most people are going to use guitar tuners. They make life a lot faster and easier, and they’re very accurate too.
Generally speaking, there is no reason to not use a clip on guitar tuner. That said, there are hundreds of clip on guitar tuners to choose from.
This can of course make it hard to choose the right one for you. Luckily for you, this is exactly what we are here to help you with today. Let’s get to it and take a look at the five best clip on guitar tuners on the market.
Best Clip On Guitar Tuners: Reviews
KLIQ Clip on UberTuner
If you need a simple clip on guitar tuner that comes in at a reasonable price, this is a great one to consider. It’s durable, it’s compact, it’s easy to use, and affordable too.
Product Highlights
This is a very simple to use clip on guitar tuner. It comes complete with a clip that you can operate with a single hand. The clip features a spring. The spring is strong enough to keep tuner on your guitar while in use. Yet, it is also flexible enough so you can operate it using just two fingers.
Moreover, it also comes complete with silicone rubber that lines the clip jaw. This helps to ensure safety for your instrument. It should help prevent your guitar from getting scratched.
You might also like the fact how this unit is quite versatile in terms of positioning. The head or main part of this tuner can turn 360 degrees on two different axis. Moreover, it can also tilt by 125 degrees. This means that you should be able to easily position it in any way that works best for you.
What’s also nice is that the display of this unit is very bright and large. This makes it very easy to read no matter what angle you have it adjusted to.
What is also worth mentioning is that this unit is designed to be fairly durable. It is made with fairly high quality components. It even comes complete with a three year manufacturer guarantee.
In terms of overall functionality, this particular clip on guitar tuner is very accurate and fast. It comes complete with a super sensitive piezo sensor combined with a microprocessor.
This allows for extremely fast and accurate functionality. Simply set the unit to the note you want your string tuned to, and then get to it. It will tell you if you are flat, sharp, or right on. Due to its sensitivity, it also has the ability to recognize ambient noise and to ignore that ambient noise.
What’s to Like About the KLIQ Clip on UberTuner
Generally speaking, we like more or less everything about this guitar tuner. The clip is very stable and reliable, the screen is bright and easy to read, and it’s fully adjustable for position too. There is also the fact that it is of course very accurate, and all for a reasonable price.
What’s Not to Like About the KLIQ Clip on UberTuner
It has been noted that with prolonged use, the screen tends to lose its brightness. Moreover, another issue here is that the battery does not seem to last very long. Other than that, there is really nothing to complain about.
Pros
- Durable design
- Very accurate
- Fast
- User friendly
- Protective padding to protect your guitar
- Holds in place securely
- Great price
- Adjustable position
Cons
- Screen loses brightness with prolonged use
- Limited battery life
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TC Electronic Guitar Tools Clip On Guitar Tuner
Here we have a very technologically advanced and high end clip on guitar tuner. It’s definitely not the cheapest unit in the world, but it also works really well, it looks nice, and is durable too.
Product Highlights
Right off the bat, this is indeed an extremely accurate guitar tuner. It features a chromatic tuning mode that is accurate to within 0.5 cent. It also comes complete with a very accurate strobe tuning mode that is accurate to within 0.2 cent.
The sensors that it comes complete with are indeed extremely accurate. This unit should be able to tune all of the strings on your guitar with perfect accuracy.
Perhaps one of the coolest features here is the poly tune technology. Simply put, this means that you can tune all strings on your guitar at once.
It has the ability to automatically recognize the string that you are playing, as well as how well tuned that string is. This clip on guitar tuner will then inform you if you are flat, sharp, or dead on. It’s definitely a user friendly model.
You may also appreciate the fact how this particular clip on guitar tuner comes complete with a very large and easy to read display. The display is extremely bright and colorful, which means that you can easily read it from any angle.
Speaking of the angle, keep in mind that this adjustable guitar tuner is designed to be placed on the head of your guitar. It can be rotated and tilted to ensure that you can easily see it no matter what.
Speaking of attaching it to your guitar head, it also comes complete with a durable stainless steel clip that keeps it securely in place.
What’s to Like About the TC Electronic Guitar Tools Clip On Guitar Tuner
Perhaps the best feature that this guitar tuner comes with it’s the poly tune feature. Being able to tune all six strings at the same time is of course very beneficial. There is also the fact that this particular tuner is extremely accurate.
What’s Not to Like About the TC Electronic Guitar Tools Clip On Guitar Tuner
One thing that doesn’t impress us about this tuner is the fact that it is quite expensive. It is going to be one of the most expensive units on the list today. Moreover, although the screen is high quality, it tends to scratch relatively easily.
Pros
- High quality screen
- Adjustable position
- Easy to read
- Very accurate sensors
- User friendly
- Polytune technology
Cons
- Expensive
- Screen isn’t overly scratch resistant
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Snark SN5X Clip-On Tuner for Guitar, Bass & Violin
What we have here is a clip on guitar tuner that comes with a whole lot of functionality. It can be used for guitars, bass guitars, and violins as well. It’s also very user friendly, durable, and accurate as well.
Product Highlights
Here we have what looks like a very simple guitar tuner. In all reality, it is a very simple clip on guitar tuner. It’s definitely very user friendly. For one, it does come complete with a full color display. The display is quite large and easy to read. This is the case even in bright sunlight and with plenty of glare.
It has a black background with bright coloration. Moreover, it tells you if the string you are playing is flat, sharp, or right on tune. It’s designed to be very easy to tell what the tuner is displaying, thus making it user-friendly.
Furthermore, this clip on tuner also comes with a 360 degree rotating feature. For one, you can attach it to the front and the rear of the headstock. You can then adjust its position so you can see it easily from any angle. The clip also comes complete with soft padding. This padding helps to ensure that this tuner does not cause any damage to your guitar.
In terms of overall functionality, this particular guitar tuner is indeed very accurate. It features a frequency range that works well for guitar, bass, and even violins. The sensors it feature are extremely accurate and will allow you to tune all strings with perfect precision.
Another cool feature that you might appreciate is that this clip on guitar tuner also comes complete with a tempo metronome. This is not something that all tuners come with. You might also like the fact that it is very lightweight, so it won’t weigh you down as you try to tune your guitar.
What’s to Like About the Snark SN5X Clip-On Tuner
We like how this is just a very affordable, effective, accurate, and high quality guitar tuner. It comes with everything you need to tune a guitar, bass, and a violin. You don’t have to spend an arm on a leg on a high quality product.
What’s Not to Like About the Snark SN5X Clip-On Tuner
What needs to be said is that the instructions for this unit clearly state that it should not be used on Gibson guitars. There seems to be some kind of issue with the clip not attaching properly to the head of Gibson guitars.
Moreover, you do need to be somewhat careful when adjusting this unit for position, as the connector points seem to be somewhat weak.
Pros
- High quality display
- Very easy to operate
- Easy to read
- Has a built in metronome
- Great accuracy
- Long battery life
Cons
- Must exercise caution when adjusting for position
- Cannot be used with Gibson guitars
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D’Addario Accessories Guitar Tuner
Here we have another easy guitar tuner that comes with everything you need to tune all strings with perfect precision.
Something that you might like here is that it comes complete in six different colors for you to choose from. It may not have anything to do with functionality, but it’s certainly a good choice to have anyway.
Product Highlights
One thing that you may appreciate about this unit is that it comes complete with a very easy to read screen. For one, the screen here is designed to be very durable and scratch resistant.
Moreover, it is also designed to cut out glare. It has a black background, a large display, and very bright and colorful characters. It’s very easy to read from all angles and in all circumstances.
What is also nice is that this unit comes complete with a dual swivel function. You can easily mount this unit on the head of your guitar, and then adjust it for position.
It swivels by 360 degrees in two different ways. You can easily adjust it for easy viewing from any angle. It’s also a good option to go with for both right handed and left handed guitar players.
This particular clip on guitar tuner also comes complete with a very strong clamp. You never have to worry about it slipping out of place while tuning your guitar. At the same time, this clamp also comes complete with padding to help protect your guitar. It definitely won’t result in a scratched guitar.
Moreover, this guitar tuner is of course also very accurate, which is obviously very important. It comes complete with a very wide calibration range, and yes, it can in fact be calibrated.
This is of course important in terms of versatility. This unit allows for extremely accurate chromatic tuning. It’s actually one of the most accurate units on the list today, especially at this low price point.
What’s to Like About the D’Addario Accessories Guitar Tuner
The fact that this particular tuner is so easy to calibrate is one big bonus. Moreover, it’s just an affordable unit with an easy to read display, and adjustable angle, and great accuracy too.
What’s Not to Like About the D’Addario Accessories Guitar Tuner
One of the downsides that this clip on guitar tuner has is that the battery life is terrible. There does also seem to be a technical issue where the tuner sometimes provides an error message.
Pros
- Durable design
- Adjustable position
- Ideal for left and right handed players
- Large, bright, and easy to read screen
- Very accurate chromatic tuning
- Strong clamp with good padding
- Affordable price
Cons
- Poor battery life
- Tendency to display error messages
Joyo Clip On Digital Guitar Tuner
Here we have what is by far the most affordable clip on guitar tuner on the list today. It comes in at about half the price of the next expensive one.
All in all, this unit will cost you just $10. That said, just because it is affordable does not mean that it doesn’t function. Let’s take a closer look.
Product Highlights
Here we have a clip on guitar tuner that comes complete with a very strong clip. This clip is designed in such a way that it can easily hold onto the head of your guitar. It’s definitely not going to slip off while you are trying to tune your guitar.
That said, it also comes complete with padding. This padding is designed so that this clip on guitar tuner does not damage the head of your guitar.
What you may also like is that this clip on guitar tuner allows you to swivel the display by 360 degrees. This means that you could easily read it from any angle. On that same note, this also makes it ideal for both left handed and right handed guitar players.
It can also tilt backwards and forwards to make reading it easier. Furthermore, the display is also extremely bright. It features a green background combined with large white characters. This means that you can easily read it even if there is a lot of sunlight shining on the display.
Moreover, all of the instructions and readouts are very easy to read, even for beginners. It tells you if your string is flat, sharp, or dead on. It also tells you exactly how far you need to tune your string to get it in tune. On that note, this unit does also come complete with extremely precise sensors.
It does also come complete with an adjustable frequency range. This means that you can easily use it for a variety of stringed instruments such as guitar, bass guitar, violin, and ukulele ease.
Although the battery life on this unit is not fantastic, it does feature an automatic shut down. This does help to preserve some battery life when the unit is not being used.
Yet another standout feature here is that the main material used here is environmentally friendly ABS plastic. Not only is this type of plastic very environmentally friendly, but also quite durable. It’s definitely something that can handle being dropped on the ground once or twice without fear of breaking.
What’s to Like About the Joyo Clip On Digital Guitar Tuner
We just really like the fact out here you get an affordable guitar tuner. It may not be the number one best unit out there, but it definitely works well enough. Considering the rock bottom price that it comes in at, there is really nothing to complain about.
What’s Not to Like About the Joyo Clip On Digital Guitar Tuner
One downside here, which seems to be common among most models, is that the battery life just isn’t that great. Furthermore, although this unit can be calibrated, there are no instructions included on how to do so.
Pros
- Very good price
- Durable design
- Bright and easy to read screen
- Swivels and tilts
- Quite accurate
- Battery saving function
Cons
- Relatively poor battery life
- Calibrating this unit is quite difficult
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Buyers Guide
Before you buy a clip on guitar tuner, there are some important considerations for you to keep in mind.
Type of Tuner
One thing to look out for here is the type of guitar tuner that you want to get. Of course, today we are talking about clip on guitar tuners. However, there are also other types of guitar tuners to consider. These include pedal tuners, tabletop tuners, rock tuners, and built in preamp tuners. You then also have application tuners that you can use from your smartphone.
Overall Accuracy
You do of course want to pay attention to how accurate the model in question is. Generally speaking, a basic chromatic tuner will be more than accurate enough to tune your guitar with precision.
The Display
You then also want to pay attention to what kind of display the unit in question comes with. A bright LED display or a nice LCD display will work just fine. What you are looking for here is a large display with bright colors that is very easy to read. Those bright colors will also make it easy to differentiate between flat, bang on, and sharp notes.
The Clip
The clip on guitar tuner should have a high quality clip. This means that it should have a fairly strong spring that allows it to stay in place without moving around. That said, the clip should also come complete with padding. This padding is designed to help prevent your guitar from being scratched by the tuner.
Adjustability
You do also want to go for a clip on guitar clear that is adjustable. The vast majority of units out there allow you to swivel them 360 degrees. The majority also allowed you to tilt them. This allows you to adjust the angle for easy viewing no matter what.
Battery Life
Yes, a lot of the units we reviewed today have relatively poor battery life. This seems to be quite common among these clip on guitar tuners. That said, if you can find one with good battery life, or one with a battery saver feature, then you are on the right track.
Pitch Detection
Having a unit that comes complete with automatic pitch detection is definitely a bonus. This will prevent you from having to set the desired pitch for each string that you go to tune.
FAQ
How does a clip on guitar tuner work?
These tuners work by attaching to the headstock of your guitar. It then picks up the pitch of the string that you are playing. Using special sensors, it can then determine whether it is in tune or not.
How do I use a clip on tuner?
All you have to do is attach it to the head of your guitar, turn it on, and start playing the strings. If the unit in question has automatic pitch detection, it will then automatically tell you if your string is flat, sharp, or in tune.
How good are clip on guitar tuners?
As far as functionality and accuracy are concerned, there is really no problem with clip on guitar tuners. That said, if we’re talking about electric guitars and strings lower than low E, they may have some problems.
Conclusion
When it comes to the best clip on guitar tuner out there, the TC Electronic Guitar Tools Clip On Guitar Tuner is the winner. I]It may not be cheap, but it also has the most features and the best features. It’s accurate, durable, and very easy to use. That said, all five of the clip on guitar tuners we reviewed today are perfectly fine to use.
