Monday, August 6, 2018

D'Addario Eclipse Head Stock Tuner Review



When I bought my latest multi-effects pedal there were things I liked and things I disliked. One of those dislikes was the built-in tuner. It didn't feel modern and I couldn't tune my guitar as fast as I would have liked. I also didn't feel the sense of accuracy that I felt with the built-in tuner on my previous multi-effects pedal. So, I decided to get a separate tuner. At first, I considered getting a typical standard size tuner. But, I later decided that it might be best to get a headstock tuner.

My first thought was to get a Snark tuner like the ones that I would see in YouTube videos. But, I changed my mind when I discovered that it wasn't constructed well. I found that it is one of the best tuners available with good electronics. But, users have often complained about the durability of these tuners. They have complained about pieces breaking off when these tuners were swiveled or moved too many times.

Image result for broken snark tuner

This is what can happen to a Snark Tuner over time.

Having decided that I would skip the Snark tuner I had a better idea of what I wanted. I wanted something that had the electronics of a Snark tuner with the bonus of having better durability. I also wanted something that had the speed and accuracy of my previous multi-effects pedal the Zoom G1.

After searching for a while I selected a tuner that I believed had these characteristics. I selected the D'Addario/Planet Waves Eclipse headstock tuner.


Characteristics

The D'Addario tuner is two inches long and about one inch wide. It comes with a button style CR2032 battery and has a full-color display. It can be calibrated from 430 to 450Hz. It can be swiveled multiple angles and can be mounted on the front or back of the headstock. It also has a feature designed to save battery life. It will turn off automatically after 10 minutes of inactivity. It comes in black, blue, green, purple, red, and yellow.


My Experience with the D'Addario/Planet Waves Tuner

When I bought this tuner I was concerned that the grip area wouldn't be rubberized enough. In photos, it looked like other brands had better guitar protection in the grip area than this tuner. But, my mind was put at ease once it arrived and I opened the package. After inspecting it I could see that it was rubberized enough and that my guitar wouldn't be damaged. It seems that the rubberized area was designed to blend in with the rest of the tuner.

Once I examined the tuner and installed the battery I was ready to clip it on to my guitar. Most people will usually clip these types of tuners in the front area of the headstock. I decided that I wanted to make mine less visible and I installed it on the back of my headstock. After that, I adjusted it to get just the right angle.

After adjusting the angle I was ready to test out this tuner. Once I pressed the power button I found that visibility was good. The display and the results were easy to see and I could have even tuned my guitar in the dark if I had to. Nothing seemed to affect visibility. I didn't notice any dimness or glare when I tested this under normal household lighting conditions.

Once I started the tuning process I realized I made a wise decision. One of my goals was to get the speed and accuracy that I had with the tuner on my Zoom G1. With this tuner, I was able to accomplish this goal. It functions just as well and is slightly better than the tuner on my Zoom G1. It has similar electronics to the Snark tuner and I feel confident that I have something with more durability. It's also an easy to understand tuner and it can tune very quickly. It didn't come with instructions like my previous tuners but I didn't feel like it was needed.


Durability

After examining it online, I chose this tuner over the Snark tuner because it seemed like it was made better. So far, this seems to be true. After examining it and seeing it in person I felt confident (as I mentioned earlier) that it will be more durable. The moving parts seem stronger and more secure than the moving parts on the Snark tuner.


Overall

This is a tuner for those who are looking for a color display and simplicity. It's accurate and will allow you to tune quickly. So far, I am glad I bought it. I would even buy it again if I needed to. It is a very valuable tool that is worth adding to your arsenal.











The rubberized area won't cause damage











Low E sharp

Low E flat

Low E in tune




































In total darkness.