

Now, some people say the SN-8 is a little inaccurate. And, if you think you need a polyphonic tuner, then you should probably get a handheld or pedal tuner anyway. Sure, it’s not as fancy as some other clip-on tuners out there. It simply clips on to the headstock of your guitar, so all you need to do is turn it on, play a string and start tuning. It’s affordable, easy to use and relatively reliable. The Snark SN-8 is a popular tuner these days, and for good reason. The Boss is still worth considering as it does what it was designed to do quite well. I think the PolyTune is the clear winner in the pedal tuner category, but it’s nice to know there are options. And, again, while not a deal breaker, it’s not a polyphonic tuner. The buffered bypass can be a take it or leave it depending on your preferences. If you’re looking for a more accurate tuner, they’re not hard to find. It’s definitely a solid improvement on the TU-2, but not much more. But the TU-3 is not a quantum leap ahead. When the TU-2 was originally released, I think Boss essentially became the industry standard in the realm of pedal tuners. The display is nice and large and easy to read, and you can use it for drop tuning as well. It has a rock-solid construction, which is always a benefit. So that’s a good thing when you’re constantly unplugging and plugging in different guitars. I have a good amount of experience with it at open mics and such. Consider the fact that Boss pedals are probably among the most modified pedals out there.

The popularity of Boss sometimes defies explanation (they don’t have the best effects pedals, though they certainly don’t have the worst pedals either). There is one more pedal tuner worth mentioning – and that’s the Boss TU-3.
