Headstock Tuners – Yes or No? 10 Common Guitar Tuner Myths—Busted! Guitar shops, forums, and campfires are full of stories and myths about guitar tuners that just won’t die. Let’s set the record straight with some facts that every player should know: “Clip-on tuners kill your tone” Reality: The vibrating part is the headstock, not the tuner itself. A 20-gram tuner adds negligible mass and damping compared to the strings. Blind tests and spectrum analyses show zero audible difference once the tuner is removed. “Strobe tuners are always more accurate than needle/chromatic tuners” Reality: Modern chromatic tuners (Peterson StroboClip, TC PolyTune, Boss TU-3, and even phone apps) offer accuracy within ±0.5 cents or better—far beyond what human ears can detect in real playing conditions. Classic mechanical strobes look cool and feel “pro,” but the precision difference is negligible on stage or in the studio. “You should only tune ‘...
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