I was on the fence about whether to choose this unit or the comparable Boss TU-3 unit. They're both the same price, and both get good reviews. I finally decided to go with this unit because it's a newer design and offered both conventional and "strobe" style tuning. The latter appealed to me because I have been using a Peterson Strobo-Clip tuner for some years, and really like the strobe tuning method. I decided I wanted a stomp-box tuner so that I could mute the sound and do quick tune-ups more conveniently than the clip-on tuner permits.
I play electric bass. I found that the conventional tuning mode on this Polytune 3 pedal was just fine for my needs, and I have not yet even tried the strobe version. It also revealed that I need to touch up the intonation on my jazz bass -- playing various notes up and down the fretboard showed some deviation from the correct tuning. All the more reason not to need the micro-precise tuning of the "strobe" style display.
When I say "conventional" tuning display, I mean a display that shows a needle that is positioned to the left of center if the tuning is flat, or to the riht of center if the tuning is sharp, and dead center when the tuning is correct. Some tuners have arrowheads on either side of center that light up when you are not quite at the correct tune. With this unit, the needle itself changes color, displaying as red when the note is sharp or flat, and green when it is correct. It is very quick to go through the four strings of my bass and tweak it for the needle to be green.
This is a chromatic tuner, meaning it listens for the incoming note and displays what it thinks the note is. That works fine for me. It is only necessary to know that the standard 4-string bass tuning is E A D G. There are handheld (not stompbox) tuners, like the Boss TU-12, that have fixed presets for tuning a guitar or bass, but that is not generally available on a stompbox.
The Polytune 3 has a "soft" pushbutton that puts it in and out of tuning mode. By "soft" I mean that there is no mechanical ka-chunk as the sawtich is operated. When the unit is tuning, the output is muted. When tuning is finished (by pressing the switch a second time), the output is connected again.
There are three modes available, which are selected by internal DIP switches. The first mode provides "true bypass" switching when the tuner is turned on and off, which means that when it is not tuning, there is a direct connection from the input jack to the output jack. The second mode provides "buffered bypass," which means that the incoming signal passes through a "buffer" amplifier when not tuning. (This can be advantageous in a number of situation, especially if long cables are being used.) In both of these first two modes, the tuning display lights up only when the tuner is active and the output is muted. In other words, you can immediately tell whether you are muted or not by looking to see whteher the tuning display is lit up. The third mode is also buffered, but the tuning display remains active all the time. Thus, in theory, you can watch your tuning as you play. I have only used this unit in the second mode (buffered bypass, display on only when tuning) because that best suits my needs.
There are many features which I may never use. For example, while the factory setting is A=440 Hz, it is possible to adjust this reference. Also, the unit is advertised as allowing the user to play all the notes on the instrument at once, whereupon it claims to be able to sort out which of the notes are off. I don't see any particular benefit to this for the bass, and I have read that users do not believe the tuning accuracy is quite as good in this "polyphonic" mode. Frankly, it doesn't take very long to tune 4 strings individually, and that's what I do. Since my bass keeps tune pretty well, it only requires minor tweaking to deal with room temperature change, etc. This takes no more than a minute at most.
All in all, I'm very happy with my choice of the Polytune 3. It's very easy to use, has quite a readable display, and makes keeping in tune during a show very simple. I suspect the competitive units out there (like the Boss TU-3 or the Korg Pitchblack) are also fine, which may make the choice more difficult in this category. All I can say is that I think people would be happy with this well-made unit, so hopefully that will help with the decision.
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From the manufacturer
POLYTUNE 3
Ultra-Compact Polyphonic Tuner with Multiple Tuning Modes and Built-In BONAFIDE BUFFER
- Ultra-compact polyphonic tuner gives you fast, accurate tuning and a high-quality tone tool in a single unit
- Quickly get in tune with polyphonic, chromatic and strobe tuning modes
- Built-in all-analog BONAFIDE BUFFER circuitry preserves your tone through long cable runs and convoluted pedal boards
- Polyphonic tuning lets you tune all your strings at once
- Lightning-fast chromatic tuner offers 0.5 cent accuracy
- Ultra-precise strobe tuner gives you ±0.02 cent accuracy for ultimate tuning performance
- Switchable true bypass / buffer modes let you optimize signal integrity for any setup
- "Always on" tuning mode keeps tuner on and detecting even when not muted
POLYTUNE 3
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POLYTUNE 3When it was introduced in 2010, the original POLYTUNE forever revolutionized the way musicians tune their instruments. Praised by professional and amateur players, guitar tuning instantly became as simple as Strum - Tune - Rock! So how do you make the best-selling polyphonic tuner even better? You take it to the next level by: providing multiple tuning modes, including polyphonic, chromatic, strobe and a variety of altered tunings; adding an onboard BONAFIDE BUFFER to preserve your tone over long cable runs and pedal board signal paths; and upgrading the LED display for even higher tuning accuracy. Say hello to your next tuner – POLYTUNE 3. |
POLYTUNE FastWhether you're a mega-super rock star, a seasoned pro or a passionate bedroom shredder, POLYTUNE 3 gets you in tune quickly and accurately. Depending on your needs, you can choose polyphonic for tuning all strings at the same time for your live gig, chromatic for more precision during a songwriting session, and strobe for the ultimate in precision when you're laying down tracks. |
Get Buffed!POLYTUNE 3 includes the iconic BONAFIDE BUFFER, our renowned guitar buffer that ensures zero signal degradation – no matter how long a cable you need to run! Think of it as a tuner on steroids that constantly protects your precious tone. |
Made for All Lighting ScenariosWhether you’re performing on a truck bed in full sunlight, a dimly-lit tavern, or a stage with a massive light show, POLYTUNE 3’s super-bright 109-LED display features an ambient light detector that automatically adjusts the intensity to provide the perfect readout. |
Strum – Tune – Rock
POLYTUNE 3 provides high-precision tuning with just a quick strum, and the BONAFIDE BUFFER keeps you signal transparent and strong – no matter how many stomps you use, or how long your cable runs. Plus, you'll have the most-versatile polyphonic tuner on the market right at your toes.
Check out the amazing POLYTUNE 3 at your local TC ELECTRONIC dealer today, or get yours online and find out why top players all over the world have made it their #1 choice!
Compare with similar items
This Item  TC Electronic POLYTUNE 3 Ultra-Compact Polyphonic Tuner with Multiple Tuning Modes and Built-In BONAFIDE BUFFER |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $99.00 | $99.00 | $49.99 | $99.00 | $99.60 | $29.99 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jun 19 | Get it Jun 17 - 20 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Jun 18 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jun 19 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Jun 18 | Get it Jun 18 - 21 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Accuracy | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Easy to read | ||||||
| Easy to use | ||||||
| Sold By | GearNuts | GearNuts | JoyoPedals | Amazon.com | Last Samurai | KLIQ Music Gear |
| hardware interface | 1 4 inch audio | — | — | 1 4 inch audio | usb | — |
| power source | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric,Battery Powered | — | Corded Electric | Corded Electric |
| amperage | 0.04 milliamps | 0.1 milliamps | 160 microamps | 0.04 amps | 85 milliamps | 50 milliamps |
| signal format | Analog | Analog | Analog | Analog | Analog | Analog |
| controls type | — | — | Knob | Knob | Knob | Knob |
| voltage | — | 9 volts | 9 volts of direct current | 9 volts | 9 volts | 9 volts |
| style | Compact | Buffer,Mini | Buffer,Tuner | POLYTUNE 3 NOIR | Standard | Compact |
Customer reviews
4.8 out of 5
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964 global ratings
Reviews with images
Great for a 5 string bass
I've been using the Polytune tuners for several years now. I own a few different ones including a Polytune 2 noir mini, and a full size Polytune 2. Some tuners have trouble on the low "B" and even "E" strings on bass, but the Polytune easily tracks the lower notes. The display is bright enough to see in sunlight, but not too bright that it causes a distraction on a dark stage. It's easy and intuitive to use, and features a pass through for the 9 volt power. It's built like a tank with its metal enclosure, and can run off of battery or pedal board power. Highly recommended.
