Updated on June 27th, 2021
Finding the right pitch is always important while playing any instrument. You might have noticed guitarists tinkering with the tuning pegs of their guitar before starting. This process is called tuning by ear. When someone asks you to play your bass guitar out of the blue, you will have no choice but to tune it by ear. While any novice guitar player needs to learn tuning by ear, the process of tuning is made much easier with a tuner. The best bass tuners in the market can help you tune your instrument and find the perfect pitch in no time.
Tuning your instrument ensures that it plays at the correct pitch. If you are jamming with your friends or playing as a member of a band, you need to ensure that your instrument is in tune with itself and with the other instruments played by your friends or bandmates. This is why a tuner is essential if you are planning to play as a professional.
When choosing the right tuner for your bass guitar, it is better to select one that is specifically designed for tuning bass guitars. While tuners built for other instruments like guitar will work for your bass, they might not help pick up the accurate notes. A bass tuner is designed to pick up low-end tones so if you use any other tuner you run the risk of not having a precisely tuned bass.
Here are a few best bass tuners that are designed to work with bass to provide accurate bass guitar tuning.
Best Bass Tuner – Our Reviews and Comparisons
1. Korg Pitchblack Chromatic Tuner
Product Highlights
The Korg pitch black chromatic tuner is designed for bass and guitar. It is an accurate tuner with a broad detection range and precise tuning fit for low-end bass notes.
Features
This tuner features an angled metal top and is designed differently from other tuners on the market. You can easily pick the particular tuner setting you want concerning insensitivity, view, etc. It has four display modes and therefore can be used in a variety of environments. For instance, if you are in a low-lit condition or playing outdoors under the glare of the sun choosing the right display mode can give you easy visibility.
What We Like About Korg Pitchblack Chromatic Tuner
The tuner features compact size and is easy to set up.
What We Don’t Like About Korg Pitchblack Chromatic Tuner
If you want your settings to be stored you would need to use a battery.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Easy to use Great design |
Should be battery-powered if the settings are to be stored |
Product Highlights
The KLIQ MetroPitch is a pocket-sized three-in-one metronome sporting a variety of beat and rhythm patterns to improve your timing in different music styles. It can function as a metronome, a tuner, and a perfect pitch generator.
Features
This tuner supports bass, guitar, violin, and ukulele and can suit any kind of acoustic instrument. You can choose between instruments by moving the jog dial located on the metronome. The display panel indicates the mode selected and also shows the chosen tempo. There is a built-in tap tempo with a broad range of 30-250 beats per minute.
What We Like About KLIQ MetroPitch
The package accompanies a tone generator if you like to tune by ear to a reference pitch.
What We Don’t Like About KLIQ MetroPitch
This is only for novice bass players.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Can tune any instrument Functions as a tuner and a tone generator |
Only for beginners |
3. Fender Clip-On Tuner FT-004
Product Highlights
This tuner from the music accessory giant, Fender, comes with a swivel clamp allowing you to view it from any angle. The tuner is accurate even in noisy playing environments.
Best Features
The Fender Clip-On Tuner FT-004 is compact and features a user-friendly design. The needle of the device makes it easy to know when notes are out of tune. It appears white when out of tune and green when in tune. The affordability of this simple clip-on tuner for bass guitars is what made it on the list of best bass tuners.
What We Like About Fender Clip-On Tuner FT-004
The tuner can show you which string you are tuning to.
What We Don’t Like About Fender Clip-On Tuner FT-004
The compartment to the battery requires a precision Philips head driver to unscrew
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Versatile Accurate |
Unscrewing the battery compartment is tough |
Product Highlights
The Snark SN5X clip-on tuner is the perfect tuner for guitarists and bassists. This device is user-friendly and can be used by both beginners and advanced musicians as well.
Features
The most noteworthy feature of this tuner is that you can tune much faster with this device compared to other tuners. This is because the Snark SN5X is equipped with a newly designed processor which contributes to better accuracy while tuning. It features a color display unit and a 360-degree rotatable screen. Therefore you can place the tuner anywhere you want and the screen will rotate accordingly to make tuning more effortless.
What We Like About Snark SN5X Clip-On Tuner
It has a newly designed processor which is built to recognize notes faster.
What We Don’t Like About Snark SN5X Clip-On Tuner
The build quality is not good and therefore you should handle the device carefully.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| For beginners and professionals Fast tuning |
Poor build quality |
Product Highlights
The Korg GA40 is the best tuner for seven-string guitars and six-string basses. The most impressive features of this device are its accuracy and fast response time.
Features
This is a simple bass guitar tuner that is easy to use. It has a large LCD needle display with stable tuning indication. The tuner possesses a Quinta-flat tuning mode that allows dropped tunings from one to five semitones.
What We Like About Korg GA40
This tuner gives accurate readings and is affordable.
What We Don’t Like About Korg GA40
The display is not lit therefore it is hard to see the needle.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Accurate Fast response |
The display is not lit |
Final Verdict
The best bass tuner according to our review is the Snark SN5X clip-on tuner. This bass tuner is equipped with a newly designed processor which contributes to better accuracy while tuning. The tuner has a fast response time as well. It features a color display unit and a 360-degree rotatable screen and is easily visible if you are doing an onstage performance at night.
Choosing a bass tuner needs a lot of research. You would need to decide whether you need a standard tuner that can only tune four notes or a chromatic tuner that can tune all 12 notes. You should also be wise about the display options offered. Usually, there are three different display options, namely, LED, LCD, and mechanical needle display. Lastly, you need to fix your budget before choosing the best one for your bass guitar.
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