Luthiery Laboratories

Doing Things Wrong

September 25, 2020

Snark Tuner

September 25, 2020

You can't beat the convenience of a clip-on tuner. This is a very good one, sensitive, with a very fine readout, good enough even to set intonation. However, it has one very bad feature. It devours batteries. A device like this with no mechanical on/off switch is always on, waiting to sense you press the button. It seems like every few weeks this thing wants another 2032, regardless of whether it was even used. The solution to that is to pull the battery whenever you are not using it, but I forget, and the next time I pick it up, it wants a new one.

I think my old Korg tuner is still running on the AAA batteries it came with.

Reviews, 09/25/20

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Batteries

I only use clip-less battery boxes for two reasons. First, those 9-volt battery clips may be tolerable for a smoke detector, but if you plan to use it a lot, it is a pain in the ass, and then it breaks. And second, 9-volt batteries ( all batteries, really, but especially 9-volts ) are guaranteed to leak, and should never be left inside a device unless absolutely necessary. I only put a battery in a guitar ( or anything else ) when I want to use it, and then take it out afterward and keep it in a little dish. That's much easier if it just slips in and out and you don't have to mess with one of those stupid clips. And if when it leaks, I just throw it away and wash out the dish.

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