A reliable pedal tuner Boss TU-3?

builttospill

I have a troublesome korg pitchblack which is behaving erratically on my board. Am I better off with a TU-3? I'm not really interested in the turbo tuners or TC Polytune's... 

ICBM

Boss gear is very reliable in general. I have seen only one dead TU-3 ever, and given the state of it I can't be sure I blame the pedal…

It hasn't been out that long, and I have also seen I think two or three dead TU-2s, but they sold an absolute shedload of them - it wouldn't surprise me if it's the single most common pedal sold in the last 20 years.

EricTheWeary

I've had my TU2 quite a long time, maybe 15 years, dunno. I haven't done hundreds of gigs but at least dozens plus rehearsals,etc. Certainly the only pedal I've had for all that time. 

Teetonetal

Got both a TU 2 and a TU 3. Gets me in tune. Easy to use. Cheap. What's not to like?

polotska

I can’t imagine that there’s a more reliable pedal tuner than a TU-2 or TU-3, so if that’s a major consideration, go with Boss.

Personally, I still prefer my old Korg DT-10 to any other pedal tuner—there’s something about the wide display and the way that the LEDs fade in and out that I find really easy to use—but I accept that it isn’t as well made or as reliable as a Boss.

MattBanshee

I have a TU2 that I have probably owned for more than half my life. The thing just won't break, unfortunately, as it is clunky and inaccurate. The Korg DT10 would be my tuner pedal of choice any day.

simonk

May I ask, what's wrong with a Polytune?

joeyowen

If reliability is key, boss is the only choice imo 

builttospill

simonk said:

May I ask, what's wrong with a Polytune?

Hi there, nothing against the Polytune, I've currently got a TC polytune clip which is great for home use and bizzarely seems more accurate than my pitchblack even in a noisy environment.
Sounds a little silly this but I'm looking for something that is simple, no frills, non-strobe. The boss battery option is a bonus if I decide to separate from my pedalboard, and being able to power other pedals from it too like the PB.

ICBM

simonk said:

May I ask, what's wrong with a Polytune?

Like all other TC pedals the switches are crap and break, sometimes other things go wrong, and they're very hard or impossible to repair economically. I've already seen more dead Polytunes than TU-2s, and they've been around for a fraction of the time.

I like the Polytune functionality - and I have the iPhone app, which is great - but I don't like the pedal version at all.

professorben

TU-2 owned it 12 years and counting, and I got it S/H.......

builttospill

professorben said:

TU-2 owned it 12 years and counting, and I got it S/H.......

Bloody Hell! That's pretty good going... shame my pitchblack is playing up... really rated it!

In terms of the Boss powering other pedals would it be able to power something like a crowther hotcake or Rat 2?

simonk

ICBM said:

simonk said:

May I ask, what's wrong with a Polytune?

Like all other TC pedals the switches are crap and break, sometimes other things go wrong, and they're very hard or impossible to repair economically. I've already seen more dead Polytunes than TU-2s, and they've been around for a fraction of the time.

I like the Polytune functionality - and I have the iPhone app, which is great - but I don't like the pedal version at all.

I must have been extremely lucky with mine then

I will concede there does seem to be some inherent flimsiness to some TC stuff - the bass amps and Helicon gear in particular.

not_the_dj

builttospill said:

professorben said:

TU-2 owned it 12 years and counting, and I got it S/H.......

Bloody Hell! That's pretty good going... shame my pitchblack is playing up... really rated it!

In terms of the Boss powering other pedals would it be able to power something like a crowther hotcake or Rat 2?

It can't "power" other pedals, all it has is an output so it can be a link in a daisy chain. what ever PSU is feeding the Boss needs to have the mA rating to power whatever else you run in the chain.

Ben8010

Can't go wrong with the Boss, evidenced by the sheer amount of pro, and not-pro for that matter, guitarists that use them

therose789

I have had a TU-2 for a very long time, probably around 15 years and never had a problem with it! Built like a tank! 

ICBM

simonk said:

I must have been extremely lucky with mine then

Not having a go at you in particular, but it does frustrate me slightly that this is always the stock reply to any reports of unreliability.

Yes, I'm sure you've never had one break. Probably the majority of owners haven't either - the failure rate is much less than 50% on any unreliable gear. But it's the difference between the rates that matters and you only tend to see that over a long time period or if you repair gear.

Suppose you have one brand that has a 1% failure rate and another that has a 10% failure rate. The 10% brand is *terrible* for reliability, but still 90% of owners "have been lucky".

I think I've already seen more unrepairable TC pedals than I have Boss ones, and Boss pedals have been around for forty years.

professorben

ICBM said:

simonk said:

I must have been extremely lucky with mine then

Not having a go at you in particular, but it does frustrate me slightly that this is always the stock reply to any reports of unreliability.

Yes, I'm sure you've never had one break. Probably the majority of owners haven't either - the failure rate is much less than 50% on any unreliable gear. But it's the difference between the rates that matters and you only tend to see that over a long time period or if you repair gear.

Suppose you have one brand that has a 1% failure rate and another that has a 10% failure rate. The 10% brand is *terrible* for reliability, but still 90% of owners "have been lucky".

I think I've already seen more unrepairable TC pedals than I have Boss ones, and Boss pedals have been around for forty years.

This is true, you have to allow for observational bias, for example ICBM repairs a great deal more Marshall amps than Mesa, so Marshall are less reliable???

now factor on the number of Marshall amps in circulation in the uk compared to Mesa, now add the human element, of the likelihood of a £5-600 amp getting flung in the back of a Transit against a £12-1300 amp getting carried around on a velvet cushion.

Its not so cut and dried.

Some manufacturers have known issues with certain areas of their product, TC Switches, Gibson Neck joints, Telecasters in general etc. 

I know there are variables and exceptions, but it's like the folk law about pristine PRS vs road worn Fenders. 

simonk

ICBM said:

simonk said:

I must have been extremely lucky with mine then

Not having a go at you in particular, but it does frustrate me slightly that this is always the stock reply to any reports of unreliability.

Yes, I'm sure you've never had one break. Probably the majority of owners haven't either - the failure rate is much less than 50% on any unreliable gear. But it's the difference between the rates that matters and you only tend to see that over a long time period or if you repair gear.

Suppose you have one brand that has a 1% failure rate and another that has a 10% failure rate. The 10% brand is *terrible* for reliability, but still 90% of owners "have been lucky".

I think I've already seen more unrepairable TC pedals than I have Boss ones, and Boss pedals have been around for forty years.

I was counting myself lucky more than anything, not doubting the stats, or your findings. 

Bridgehouse

professorben said:

 Telecasters in general etc. 

 

professorben

Bridgehouse said:

professorben said:

 Telecasters in general etc. 

 

Wondered if anyone would notice that......