Tronical Min-etune
Posted: Sat May 24, 2014 8:34 am
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.
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.
