TechGearLab

TC Electronic is well known for their innovative, feature-laden effects pedals, so we weren't surprised to find that its take on the pedal tuner is awesome, effective, and easy to use. First and foremost is the feature that gives TC Electronic Polytune 3 its name. The Polytune feature allows the player to strum all the open strings on their electric guitar at once and quickly identify which strings are out of tune through an intuitive display. Then the display automatically switches to display whatever string you're trying to tune. This feature is incredibly useful for the working guitar player. With this tuner pedal, you can quickly cut the signal to your amp and make sure your guitar is perfectly in tune. As with most of the pedals in TC Electronic's line-up, the Polytune is awash in useful features. This pedal can be set to tune a guitar or bass, or just as a chromatic tuner. You can also change the display setting from simple arrow indicators to a dynamic strobe display. This pedal is durable enough for the rowdiest gigs, easy to read all the way down on the floor, and has true bypass, so it won't affect your signal when it's turned off. Alternatively, you can change it to a buffered setting that splits the signal from your guitar so you can reference the tuner while still hearing your guitar through the amplifier. For better or worse, the buffer will slightly change the signal from your guitar, and how it sounds with the buffer is completely subjective.
Other than the price, there isn't much to complain about when it comes to the Polytune 3. The model we received includes a setting for DADGAD tuning, one of the more popular alternative tunings, and we'd love to be able to add settings for different open tunings. The micro USB port on the side of the pedal for firmware updates leads us to believe that other customizable settings are a possibility, much like the toneprint features in TC Electonic's other popular effects pedals. Whether you play in a worship band, at weddings, or in front of thousands, the Polytune is a great way to keep your electric guitar in tune while you keep the tunes coming.

TC Electronic is well known for their innovative, feature-laden effects pedals, so we weren't surprised to find that its take on the pedal tuner is awesome, effective, and easy to use. First and foremost is the feature that gives TC Electronics PolyTune 3 its name. The PolyTune feature allows the player to strum all the open strings on their electric guitar at once and quickly identify which strings are out of tune through an intuitive display. Then the display automatically switches to display whatever string you're trying to tune. This feature is incredibly useful for the working guitar player. With this tuner pedal, you can quickly cut the signal to your amp and make sure your guitar is perfectly in tune. As with most of the pedals in TC Electronic's line-up, the PolyTune is awash in useful features. This pedal can be set to tune a guitar or bass, or just as a chromatic tuner. You can also change the display setting from simple arrow indicators to a dynamic strobe display. This pedal is durable enough for the rowdiest gigs, easy to read all the way down on the floor, and has true bypass, so it won't affect your signal when it's turned off. Alternatively, you can change it to a buffered setting that splits the signal from your guitar so you can reference the tuner while still hearing your guitar through the amplifier. For better or worse, the buffer will slightly change the signal from your guitar, and how it sounds with the buffer is completely subjective.
Other than the price, there isn't much to complain about when it comes to the PolyTune 3. The model we received includes a setting for DADGAD tuning, one of the more popular alternative tunings, and we'd love to be able to add settings for different open tunings. The micro USB port on the side of the pedal for firmware updates leads us to believe that other customizable settings are a possibility, much like the toneprint features in TC Electonic's other popular effects pedals. Whether you play in a worship band, at weddings, or in front of thousands, the PolyTune is a great way to keep your electric guitar in tune while you keep the tunes coming.

Guitar Tuner Comparison