Tronical Min-etune

CD's, Gigs, Gear, anything you want!

Moderator: Capt. Black

User avatar
werdna
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2712
meble-kuchenne.warszawa.pl
Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:16 am
Has liked: 590 times
Been liked: 458 times

Tronical Min-etune

Post by werdna »

I bought a second hand Tronical Min-etune off ebay. This device automatically tunes your guitar. I stuck it on my Les Paul Elegant and thought I'd give you my thoughts below.

The device is unobtrusive. It replaces your tuners. On my Les Paul, I now have pearly Kluson type tuners. It all looks the same from the front of the headstock. From the back, there is a discreet black unit sitting between the tuners that contains a slim battery and a computer. The computer controls the tuners. Each tuner is slightly deeper than normal. It contains fine gears and an electric motor. No drilling is needed because it is braced on by the same type of nuts that attach normal tuners to your headstock. The device doesn't appear to add any new weight. The battery charges in about half an hour and runs for about 100 tunings.

Once you string up, it couldn't be easier to use. You tap in whatever tuning you want from the 12 preset tunings. The tiny electric motors churn, the pegs spin, and within about 15 seconds you have a new tuning. At the press of a button it will put you in tune again, within whatever tune you are in, after each song, in case your guitar goes out of tune all the time. My Les Paul's G string has never been able to stay in one place - an accusation that I once was able to make in a happier situation involving a former girlfriend.

Our band covers a wide range of rock songs, and we change tunings all the time. Of the pre-set tunings, I use E standard, Eb standard, D standard and drop-D. I programmed in three custom tunings: Eb standard in drop Db, D standard in drop C, and open C. Now I can go to practice with one guitar, not three.

You can play in other tunings just for fun. Today I put it in DADGAD, and was learning the finger picking from The Chain by Fleetwood Mac. For years I'd wanted to learn this but couldn't face tuning up a guitar each time I wanted to chip away.

This product is really cool and I think it's going to be around for a long time. Since it's electronic, it'll get smaller, cheaper, and drop the LED display in favour of an i-device type touch screen. It'll probably also have built in clock radio and open your garage.

The recommendation comes with a caveat. Do not buy one if:

1. you only play in E-standard.

2. you have a ton of different guitars in different tunings that you use all the time.

3. You are already saying to yourself "I know how to tune by ear".

4. If you think that anything electronic on a guitar is heresy.

5. If you got angry when the Government recommended energy saving lightbulbs.
In life, don't sweat the petty stuff, and don't pet the sweaty stuff.

User avatar
AiRdAd
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 7691
Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2009 2:33 pm
Has liked: 57 times
Been liked: 696 times

Re: Tronical Min-etune

Post by AiRdAd »

Sounds cool. If the battery goes flat, can you tune by hand? Eg. Will you damage the tuners if you do it by hand, or do they lock if there is a flat battery.
Slowy wrote: To Danny, everyone is either a supplier, customer or a courier.

User avatar
willow13
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 14558
Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2004 2:36 pm
Location: If less is more then just think how much more more is
Has liked: 372 times
Been liked: 634 times

Re: Tronical Min-etune

Post by willow13 »

werdna wrote: The recommendation comes with a caveat. Do not buy one if:

1. you only play in E-standard.

2. you have a ton of different guitars in different tunings that you use all the time.

3. You are already saying to yourself "I know how to tune by ear".

4. If you think that anything electronic on a guitar is heresy.

5. If you got angry when the Government recommended energy saving lightbulbs.
shit nailed me on all 5 of those ... looks like I won't be getting new tuners then :cry:
If Less is More Then Just Think How Much More More would be

Aquila Rossa
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 4930
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:53 pm
Location: Auckland
Has liked: 163 times
Been liked: 98 times

Re: Tronical Min-etune

Post by Aquila Rossa »

i want this system for my SG. I like playing Sabbath tunes in Eb and then ACDC in E. The ability to change tunings in a flash would be great. The only thing i am wondering about is setup. Do you find you have to set the action higher to compensate for less tension on lower tuning.

LP Elegant. Got pics? Chambered with big custom shop logo on headstock. Knew somebody had one in burgundy several years back. The back has been refinished and it was a really bad job.

User avatar
werdna
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2712
Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:16 am
Has liked: 590 times
Been liked: 458 times

Re: Tronical Min-etune

Post by werdna »

guitar3.jpg
You can tune by hand if the battery goes flat.

You don't have to alter the set up on your guitar. While your intonation won't always be exact, if you were to manually re-tune a guitar without doing a new set up, you would have this issue anyway.

Red Eagle, here is the elegant. It's not the older one with the custom shop logo on the headstock.
In life, don't sweat the petty stuff, and don't pet the sweaty stuff.

slash-ed
Resident Gear Whore
Posts: 10032
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2005 12:26 pm
Has liked: 97 times
Been liked: 424 times

Re: Tronical Min-etune

Post by slash-ed »

Thanks for that werdna. Good read.

How long does the tuning process take, on average? And how much do these cost?

I'd love to try one but I have lots of guitars to dedicate to the TWO tunings I use anyway :lol:
Just a small town girl living in a lonely world

Aquila Rossa
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 4930
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:53 pm
Location: Auckland
Has liked: 163 times
Been liked: 98 times

Re: Tronical Min-etune

Post by Aquila Rossa »

wow. gotta love those big lush flames. my trad has skinny flames that are supposed to be more desirable, but i dunno. just a different look. i am waiting for 2014 Gibson buyers to ditch their e-tune systems and will chuck one on.

User avatar
GrantB
ADMIN
Posts: 15843
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2003 9:04 am
Location: Where I need to be
Has liked: 1353 times
Been liked: 2087 times

Re: Tronical Min-etune

Post by GrantB »

This is a cool product. Thanks for sharing.
"Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible god and destroys a visible nature. Unaware that this nature he's destroying is this god he's worshipping." - Hubert Reeves

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40893
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7692 times
Been liked: 4159 times

Re: Tronical Min-etune

Post by jeremyb »

$299usd retail is pretty darn good, wonder if the Edwards tuner holes line up with a Gibson....
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

User avatar
Kris
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 4087
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 1:52 pm
Location: Under a bridge,somewhere in chch.
Has liked: 124 times
Been liked: 386 times

Re: Tronical Min-etune

Post by Kris »

Thats pretty damn cool.keen to try one as im the worlds most paranoid live player-which is why i have my tuner "always on".This seems like it would save a bunch of stress.

User avatar
Conway
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 9837
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:33 pm
Location: Auckland
Has liked: 242 times
Been liked: 966 times

Re: Tronical Min-etune

Post by Conway »

I thought Gibson has their own. The generation on from the "robot" ones.
GUITARS ROCK - www.guitarsrock.co.nz
TONE LOUNGE - www.tonelounge.co.nz

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40893
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7692 times
Been liked: 4159 times

Re: Tronical Min-etune

Post by jeremyb »

Conway wrote:I thought Gibson has their own. The generation on from the "robot" ones.
It's made by tronical for them :)
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

hamo
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 20673
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2005 12:08 pm
Location: Wellington, NZ
Has liked: 634 times
Been liked: 804 times

Post by hamo »

I have cloth ears. I want this for the Epi now, except I never really play it since I got the Charvel.
Aquila Rosso wrote:I don't a mind an iced tea rimjob one little bit :congrats:
Molly wrote:Trousers are no substitute for talent
druz wrote:I present to you, the whogivesafuckocaster

User avatar
willow13
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 14558
Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2004 2:36 pm
Location: If less is more then just think how much more more is
Has liked: 372 times
Been liked: 634 times

Re:

Post by willow13 »

hamo wrote:except I never really play it since I got the Charvel.
and if its anything like mine it never goes out of tune...well unless higainer touches it :rofl: :rofl:
If Less is More Then Just Think How Much More More would be

User avatar
werdna
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2712
Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:16 am
Has liked: 590 times
Been liked: 458 times

Re: Tronical Min-etune

Post by werdna »

Slash-Ed, tuning time is about 10-15 seconds.
In life, don't sweat the petty stuff, and don't pet the sweaty stuff.

Post Reply