Meisel COM-90 Clip-On Tuner

Having a good tuner is a must. I think we can all agree that there is nothing worse than a guitar player whose guitar is out of tune.

When I first started learning jazz guitar (still learning…) I went on this mad search for the be-all clip-on tuner to use with my jazz box. It’s not like there were a ton available on the market, but there were enough to make me do a bunch of research before buying one.

I initially ended up getting the Intellitouch PT1 tuner, but I have to be honest and tell you that I didn’t like it. It simply wouldn’t tune my guitar accurately. The one single job it was supposed to perform, and it failed. So the search began again.

And then I had a conversation with my band mate Mark of Gollihur Music, and he told me to check out the company Meisel. They were a clip-on tuner manufacturer that produced what he thought to be excellent tuners. I told him to bring one home for me, I tried it, and instantly fell in love with it.

The problem was, Meisel had stopped making that tuner so although I was able to procure two, if they broke I was going to be SOL.

So you could imagine my surprise – if you are a geek like me and get excited about tuners – when Mark told me that Meisel had come out with an updated tuner called the COM-90.

So I don’t drag this out too much longer, I’ll tell you up front that I love this tuner. First, the display is much clearer than the old tuner (and most other tuners in general). The display is very large and changes color when you are in tune, eliminating the need to focus on the needle display.

The “neck” of the tuner is longer and much more flexible, and allows you to really position the display where it’s convenient for you to see. Lastly, the rubber they use for the clamp has been replaced with silica, which is much more sensitive to vibration and therefore produces a much more accurate tuning picture.

The tuner also has presets for commonly-tuned instruments to help you tune faster and with less hassle.

Here is a video demonstrating the tuner on an upright bass:

If you are looking for a new tuner, I highly recommend the Meisel COM-90. For the price ($25.00 at the time of writing) it simply cannot be beat.