BOSS Tu-3 Chromatic Guitar Tuner Pedal

I see what all the fuss is about the TU-3 tuner pedal. I've held off buying one for ages and finally decided I needed to finish my pedal board with one.It has multiple tuning modes and display options, will easily deal with 7-string guitars and 5-string basses, and will allow drop tunings directly from the front panel using the mode control.One creative use I intend to put it to is to act as a signal splitter for effects pedals since there are two outputs, "output" and "bypass". This means I can have two FX chains behind it, in my case one vintage and one modern.It runs from standard 9v PP3 batteries or from a wall-wart power supply that is *not* provided. Fortunately for me, I always intended to power it from a power brick (in my case a TrueTone 1Spot) using the adapter cable that TrueTone provides, attached to an outlet that can provide 12v. The fact that it can pass along power to other Boss pedals is a major plus, and it will even feel older Boss pedals because I believe it steps down the power to conform to older pedals. It certainly powers my old compressor/sustainer pedal also made by Boss, using a simple daisychain cable.The display can be switched to a higher brightness so that it's visible in sunlight, but the power draw of the pedal really leaps up if you do, from 30 milliamps to 85 milliamps. If you're daisychaining other Boss pedals using the TU-3's pass-thru power you'll need to bear in mind that there will be less power available for those pedals in the daisychain. Similarly you will need to allow for this if you're using a power brick PSU and switch to high brightness now and then.The enclosure is like all Boss compact pedals - tougher than boots and with everything, especially the battery compartment, easy as anything to access. It comes with a battery installed that has been used for testing. You're recommended to keep a battery in there (it isn't being used if there's no instrument cable in the input) but since I don't play live I just removed it.How does it lock on to the notes? Phenomenally well, quick even on the low B on both 7-string guitar and 5-string bass. I have a Korg Pitchblack rack tuner that I've long considered to be the canines cojones, and this definitely is the equal of that unit, and takes the capabilities a bit further with features like the various flatting options.It's used all the time, and the option to use it on two signal paths makes some rudimentary pedal routing hacks available.

There's reason this is talked about as being one of the best in the market, and that's because it does everything it claims to.In terms of the basics, it tunes my 5 string bass (with bottom B) to a high degree of accuracy, and I love the feedback given by the LED display. I haven't tried it out in bright conditions yet, but I expect I won't have too much of an issue with visibility.I've not tried all the options yet, but having previously owned a TU-2, it seems like there's probably more than I currently need and I like that. The main ones are easy to find and use.The stomp box feels like good quality, I'm not afraid of breaking it, and the size means it fits snugly in my guitar case.Overall a good buy and I'm looking forward to not needing to buy another for years yet.

After years of using other tuners, a Boss TU-80 and a Peterson StroboClip - I'm delighted with the TU-3. This made a huge difference to my sound as my Tele is now properly tuned. The StroboClip I found too fiddly to tune with, as the scrolling strobe patterns rarely stay still. The TU-80 had trouble registering the low E string - it's still useful as a metronome.When I first used the TU-3 in it's default chromatic and cent modes, it took only a matter of seconds to tune the guitar perfectly and when I started to play, it clearly sounded better on both chords and notes. It makes my guitar sound better when I play. That’s all that matters. It had no difficulty registering and tuning the low E which in my experience is a good test of a tuner.Like another reviewer, I was tempted by the TC PolyTune 2 having used some of their other pedals. I went for the TU-3 as it's simply the “industry standard” and like all Boss pedals is built to last. The multiple string feature on the PolyTune is unnecessary, you can only tune one string at a time. It's buffered unlike the TC and if needs must you can power other pedals with the TU-3. I'm sure the Polytune is a grand tuner but I'm very happy with my choice.

Accurate and easy to read, this Tuner has been around for ever. Some subtle changes over the decades to improve it slightly but I regard these units as lifetime purchases. Buy one and it's the only one you will ever need. So easy to use. Good and bright for dark stages and it cuts your signal to enable background tuning. This also invaluable when switching guitars.The TC Polytune is the only one that ever comes close this pedal. But I still have my original Boss on my small board and now this Boss tu-3 on my main. This will serve you well for many years folks.

A great pedal, does the job, which is obviously tuning the instrument!One better than the Tu2 pedal; the main difference is that it has more LED's and a few more settings, which actually helps with more accurate tuning and the ability to see the lights better at a gig.Happy purchaser!

Great and accurate although a little sluggish. Built to withstand a nuclear explosion. WARNING Buy a mains power supply at the same time as if you leave your guitar plugged into it over night even a Duracell battery will be flat by morning. If a jack is in the input socket the battery is on. Mains supply is about £8 which is only the cost of two batteries!

Forget those inaccurate clip on tuners. They're ok for travel, but this is the essential piece of gear for all guitarists. Accurate and built like a tank. A reason pros have used it for decades.

This pedal was built for working bands: It is stage tough; accurate; easy to see when tuning: It mutes when tuning - so avoids annoying distractions: It powers 5 other pedals and so saves on other, tangled power supply kit. Great kit! well priced and packaged.