Snark SN-5 Tuner for Guitar, Bass and Violin (Black)

I was impressed with this little tuner. It’s the SN-5 which is set up for a standard 440 frequency low E tuning. It clips securely to the head of my guitar and the display pivots to face me so I can easily view the bright screen while tuning the guitar. There is a single button to turn the tuner on. Pick one of the strings and the display shows a meter that is color coded with a green point at the center. There are about a dozen red increments to the left and yellow to the right. It is very responsive and continues measuring the note during sustain. During tuning you can watch the indicator which fills up the dial. When it is centered on the green marker and it’s in tune, the note is clearly displayed in text which tells you if it’s flat or sharp. You can tell at a glance by how many increments are on the dial how in or out of tune you are. Red means it’s tuned low; yellow means it’s high. This tuner makes tuning a guitar very simple, takes the guesswork out of it and allows me to get my guitar in tune very quickly. I know there are a couple of other slightly more expensive models that allow you to set other frequencies and tune a wider variety of instruments. I am still a beginner and am just learning the guitar so this is all I need. What’s more, it has battery saving features. The screen dims after a while and the SN-5 shuts off if you leave it alone for a while. I’m amazed at how well it works and how affordable it is. I also like that you can just leave it on the guitar; it’s small and light weight and doesn’t draw attention to itself but is always there when you need it. I highly recommend it.

I HATE being out of tune. I also tend to get a little heavy-handed with my playing style, and do a lot of string bending, so it's not uncommon for me to have to tweak a "G" or "B" string after a few minutes of aggressive playing. So I have no idea why I didn't put much thought into finding a convenient, efficient, and affordable tuning option for my guitars. Seriously, I own dozens of effects pedals (including two pedal tuners), but what about all of those other times when I'm not using a full pedalboard? Problem solved for less than $10: Enter the Snark SN-5. This thing is crazy fast and accurate. I guess I did not fully realize (or appreciate) that clip on tuners work by contact vibration, not ambient sound (like the way the free tuner on you iPhone might). So you can tune an unplugged electric guitar before you even turn on your amp and hear those awful resonating detuned chords! I think my favorite aspect of this tuner, however, is the speed and stability of the reading. That's a major problem with most audio-based tuners, as they tend to flutter all over the place. The SN-5 identifies and holds a reading for the note you are playing, and responds smoothly as you tighten or loosen the string. It's quicker, more effective, and more affordable than most of the alternatives. When I ordered mine, I wondered why I didn't already have one. Now, I'm wondering why I don't have one for every room I play guitar in!

I play a few gigs a month and I was looking for something small and simple to use with my Fender Bass. I kept trying to decide between the SN-5 and the SN-8. Finally, I decided to just go with the cheaper option (SN-5) because I did not need the extra features the SN-8 had. The SN-5 works fine with my acoustic guitar. It reacts pretty quickly to all strings and matches the tuning I get from an older Korg tuner. The clip does not seem to be very tight which might be why Snark markets the SN-8 as being "super-tight", whatever that actually means. When I use the SN-5 with my Fender bAss, it works well for the higher strings (G and D), not too bad for the A string, but the E string takes a long time to show up on the tuner. If your guitar has the intonation set correctly, you can use the 12th fret harmonic to tune and this seems to work a bit better on the lower strings. I actually tune the bottom E string (on the bass) by checking it at the 5th (A) and 10th (D) frets. This method works well enough for me and I am satisifed with the tuning. I clip the tuner on the right-side (the side opposite from the tuner keys) just above the nut and rotate the display behind the headstock. I used it on the last gig and it was easy to read.

The best daggone clip-on around -- especially for the money. This model is no-fuss -- no possible mis-settings. On & off -- that's it. It doesn't have a de-tuning feature (non-440hz), and no metronome -- like many other Snark models. But i have other ways to do those things, if i ever need to -- which i never do. And THIS model can't be accidentally set to non-std 440hz, or accidentally start clicking. I LOVE that! And the granularity of the display bars is better than the newer big-bar models. THIS is the clip-on tuner for me!! I position the display BEHIND my headstock. It clips unobtrusively (all black) between my 2 ready-to-use capos. It stays right where it is, even in the guitar case. It's way quicker to use than my Peterson strobe clip-on, easier to see than most any others (tho' a weakened batt will dim it), as steady and accurate as any out there (i've tried lots) -- except the Peterson (which is a pain to use). This Snark has no issues with noisy environments (no built-in mic, like some Snarks -- just the vibration sensor -- aka: MUST be clipped on -- i always do). No problem tuning the low-E string (some clip-ons struggle there). Certainly, no clip-on can match the accuracy of, say, a Boss floor tuner with real vue-meter, but my Boss is stuck to my pedalboard. I own 4 of these Snarks. One in each of 3 cases, and one in my gig bag (spare, or loaner). Why not at this price. My friends all have the brightly colored, feature packed Snarks (only a buck or 2 more) -- they never use those features -- and theirs are ugly! LOL!

This is by far my favorite tuner out there, and the best part is, it's super cheap. You don't have to worry about surrounding noise affecting the reading on the tuner - you just clip it to the head of the guitar and it will read the vibrations of the guitar. Perfect for loud areas! I'm constantly switching from standard to different open tunings, so having this tuner clipped to the head of my guitar has become my new best friend. The screen is super easy to read and bright enough that you'll be able to read it from any distance (in case you like to hang your guitar low). The neck of the tuner rotates nicely so you can adjust it depending on where you place it on your guitar. I even like this tuner better than a lot of built-in tuners for Acoustic and Acoustic-Electric guitars. A lot of the times, you'll find an acoustic guitar with a built-in tuner, but the interface is very cheaply made. I would much rather have this Snark tuner at my disposal than any built-in tuner. ***Pros :) -Clip on, reads vibrations. Loud, outside noises aren't a problem while you're tuning your guitar -Bright screen, easy to follow -If you like to switch between different tunings, this is your best friend. -Very inexpensive! ***Cons :( -If someone has any cons, let me know...I haven't found any. I pretty much leave this tuner on my guitar the majority of the time.

A friend of mine had one of these Snark tuners and he was really impressed with it and said that it worked really well. So, I decided to get one myself for my guitar. I've had it a few weeks now. It works great and is very easy to use. I really like that it works from vibration and automatically selects the note you are tuning. I read the reviews about it having a flimsy plastic neck and the reports that the clasps that hold it in place break easily. I could see how this might happen. Mine showed up new in the box, nothing broken. I've twisted the tuner head around in all various directions while using it and no problems at all. Like most plastic things, I'd suspect that pushing somewhat hard beyond it's movement range would break the plastic clasps. I took a close look at it when I took it out of the box, moved it slowly at first to make sure I understood how it is suppose to move. The best part is the price. I couldn't believe this thing was only around $13. I'm just a casual guitar player, so it seems to tune spot on to me. If you're thinking of getting one then I say definitely go for it.

I have purchased several Snark tuners, including the black SN-5 for tuning an electric bass guitar and a dobro. The SN-5 is a decent tuner, it's not as fast to register as the Intelli IMT-500, but it's very accurate. Another plus is the easy to read display. My main problem with the entire Snark product line is the reliability of the swivel joint that couples the arm to the clip and the display. Almost all of my Snark tuners, SN-1 (blue), SN-2 (red), and the SN-5 (black) have broken within the first few months of ownership. Out of 4 purchases, I've got one SN-5 that is still alive. They all break at the same location, the 3 prong clip that grabs the ball on the armature. One of those tabs will eventually break. I've had them break during the first week or last a couple of months. I'm still searching for a great clip on tuner that will work well with both acoustic guitars and electric bass. While the Intel IMT-500 has a great clip, it doesn't register well on the low E string of my Martin guitars or at all with my Fender Jazz bass. It also does a lot of hunting when trying to tune banjo. The Snark SN-5 registers well on bass and dobro, but it's too fragile to be reliable for gigging. Attached is a photo of my last SN-1 that broke. The SN-1,2, & 5 share a common mechanical design with differing color and electronics.

Just received my Snark, and WOW, what a fantastic product! Just to put my comments in context, I am a performing acoustic folk artist. This tuner makes life so much easier. I just clip it on the end of the headstock of my guitar (no worries about damage, as it clips with very little pressure and the seats of the clip are soft foam or something similar. This tuner is very easy to use. It knows what note you are aiming for, and the graphics are clear and precise. It is accurate, because I have tested it against a tuning fork and a Roland electronic tuner that I've been using for years. I love and highly recommend this tuner. Go ahead and get it - you won't be disappointed! At this price range and the product's quality and efficiency, buying it is a no- brainier. Don't even hesitate, you will have no regrets. It's the perfect tuner for a performing stage guitarist. And, my word, how incredibly accurate (I tested it with another tuner and tuning fork). The read-out is clear and easy to understand. I love this thing! Buy it!