If you want to be sure that every note you play is perfect, a bass guitar tuning pedal will make your life a lot easier. These pedals mute your signal, so you can tune without annoying your audience or bandmates.
The Peterson StroboStomp HD is a full-sized tuner that has four meter display modes including regular, half strobe and mirror mode. It also supports custom calibrations that can be downloaded through its micro-USB port.
1. Korg Pitchblack Advance
The Korg Pitchblack Advance is a chromatic floor tuner for guitars and basses that provides high precision with advanced functionality. Its sleek design is compact enough to fit in a pedalboard and has an easy-to-read LED display that can be switched between four different modes (Regular, Strobe, Half-strobe, and Mirror). The Pitchblack also features a true bypass, so your tone stays pure all the way from the instrument to your amp and into the PA system.
This next-generation version of the popular Pitchblack series is a perfect combination of traditional and revolutionary, loved by professionals and amateurs alike. It has expanded its display size almost double that of its predecessor, with the aid of high-brightness color LEDs that offer great visibility in any light conditions. You can choose from four meter display modes (Regular, Strobe, Half-strobe, Mirror) to suit your playing style, and the ultra-high tuning accuracy is +/-0.1 cent.
Other notable features include a battery life of up to 60 hours when using alkaline nine-volts, true bypass, and a low-noise DC output that makes it possible to share power with other pedals. The Pitchblack has a unique slanted design, which offers improved visibility, making it easy to read even in dimly lit stages or outdoor settings. It’s also light in weight and incredibly durable, with the tough aluminum die cast body being able to withstand years of vigorous stomping.
The left and right LEDs on the center display illuminate to show your tuning position, and a brighter LED indicates when you are flat or sharp. When both LEDs are lit, you’re in tune. The LEDs will spread farther apart the more you are flat, and close together when you’re sharp.
The Korg Pitchblack Advance fits easily into your current pedal board system, and it includes a DC OUT jack that can supply power to other effect pedals when the optional AC adaptor is connected. It can provide up to 200 mA, which simplifies the power connections in your pedalboard system. The Pitchblack is available in a variety of colors, including sparkling blue, red, and white, so you can match it to your other pedals.
2. BigMini Tuner
If you’re the kind of bass player that goes for the best gear, you probably know a good tuner is first on the list when setting up a pedalboard. But even if you’re not one of the 0.01% with perfect pitch, you’re going to need one, and a clip-on tuner is usually a good choice.
The Peterson StroboStomp HD is one of the most precise and easy-to-use clip-on tuners around. Using a vibrating sensor, it picks up vibrations from the soundboard of your guitar or bass (or other stringed instruments) to display a brightly lit LED disk that spins until you hit the correct note. It’s incredibly accurate, to within 0.01 cent, and it comes with a range of modes for all sorts of instruments. It’s also rechargeable, which is better for your battery and the planet. You can plug it in and expect it to keep on performing for up to 20 hours – though that’s not continuously, of course.
A good tuner is a must for any bassist, and this tiny little pedal packs in plenty of features to make it worth the price tag. It’s super-compact, with a circular screen that rotates to accommodate any angle, and its colour display is clearly visible in the gloom of a dark stage. It has a wide range of modes for all sorts of guitars, basses and other stringed instruments, including drop tuning and a built-in mute function that eliminates the annoying buzz of some clip-on tuners.
Like the Pitchblack Advance, it’s a true bypass pedal, which means you get the cleanest signal possible. It can be powered by its internal batteries or an external power adapter, and the included cable is long enough to reach your pedalboard if you’re in a pinch.
It’s a bit more expensive than the Pitchblack Advance, but this diminutive chromatic tuner is packed with features. Its compact design makes it ideal for a pedalboard, and the LED display is big enough to be easily readable in dim lighting. It also has a needle mode and strobe mode, plus a flat tuning setting for the rare occasions when you’re not perfectly in tune.
3. Boss TU-3
Boss makes some of the most dependable pedals in the world, and this one is no exception. The TU-3 is considered the industry standard for bass guitar tuning pedals, and it has plenty of features to back that up. First thing you notice when you open the box is how sturdy and well made it feels. It opens up in the same way that a lot of smartphones do nowadays, and it feels like it could survive being dropped from a plane.
The TU-3 has a nice 21-segment LED display that can be set to different brightness levels for optimal visibility on any stage. This is great for dealing with harsh outdoor glare and dimly lit clubs. You can also choose between Chromatic and Guitar/Bass modes to suit your specific tuning needs. The TU-3 can even detect whether your strings are flat or sharp and alert you of it.
Besides having an amazing display, the TU-3 has some other cool features that make it a must-have for any bass player. It has dual outputs that allow you to use it with two separate pedals at once, as well as a DC power passthrough so you can daisy chain other pedals off of it. This is useful if you have a bunch of pedals in a small space and don’t want to deal with multiple power cables.
Another feature that you will find handy is the fact that it is a bit more accurate than its predecessors, with a reading of +/- one cent. This might not seem like a big deal at first, but it will make a huge difference when you are playing live and don’t have the time to wait for each LED to light up.
The TU-3 is definitely a worthy addition to your pedalboard, and it will serve you well for years to come. Whether you’re a professional touring musician or just starting out, the Boss TU-3 is a great option that will never let you down. It’s accurate, durable, and user-friendly, making it a must-have for any bassist.
4. Ernie Ball VJPR
The Ernie Ball VJPR combines the rugged construction and time-tested performance of their world-class volume pedal with an enhanced definition digital tuner and a graphic display. The bright, high-definition touchscreen automatically switches into tuner mode when the heel of your foot hits it and displays a visual representation of your current volume level. Double-tapping on the screen enables you to lock it into either Tuner, Volume or both modes and will remain in that state until manually changed.
Unlike clip-on tuners that can be affected by things like your instrument’s resonant frequency, the VPJR tunes directly with your instrument’s signal, giving you unparalleled accuracy. The pedal features a discrete buffer circuit that prevents signal loss, even when used in extensive effects chains.
Its compact, rugged design includes an aluminum chassis and a stronger, more durable PVC-coated Kevlar cord ensuring consistent tension throughout your entire foot sweep. The VPJR is powered by standard 9-18 volt adaptors, so you can plug it into your pedalboard and get to work. The tempered glass screen is designed to be robust, and Sweetwater’s tech support can help you replace it should it happen to crack or break in the future. This is a great 2-in-1 pedal that can be easily integrated into any bass guitar rig.