Stagg CTU-C5 BK Chromatic Clip Tuner, Black

Tuning is one of those wonderfully unforgiving parts of playing music. You can have the expensive guitar, the heroic solo and the facial expression of someone channelling Hendrix himself, but if the strings are out, everybody knows. The Stagg CTU-C5 BK Chromatic Clip-On Tuner is a small, affordable way of keeping that particular disaster under control.

Designed for guitar, bass, violin and ukulele, the CTU-C5 clips directly onto your instrument and uses a built-in vibration sensor to detect pitch. That's especially useful in noisy rehearsal rooms and backstage environments, because the tuner is listening to vibrations through the instrument rather than relying on a microphone to figure out which note belongs to you and which belongs to the bassist warming up six feet away.

The chromatic tuning system covers a broad B0–B7 range, with an A4 reference of 440Hz and accuracy rated at ±1 cent. Alongside standard tuning, Stagg provides normal, sharp and flat tuning options, giving you useful flexibility for different setups and altered tunings.

Keeping an eye on your pitch is straightforward thanks to the two-colour backlit LCD display. As you approach the correct note, the display provides clear visual feedback, turning green when you're in tune. That's particularly handy on dark stages, in rehearsal rooms or anywhere squinting at a tiny unlit screen isn't especially appealing.

Stagg has also included an automatic power-off function, helping preserve the CR2032 battery when the tuner inevitably gets left switched on after you've finished tuning. Better still, a 3V battery is included, so you can clip it on and get straight to work.

Small enough to disappear into a gig bag but useful enough that you'll wonder why you didn't have one in there already, the CTU-C5 BK is exactly the sort of accessory worth keeping close. Clip it on, get the green light and get back to playing.

Features

• Normal, sharp & flat tuning

• 2-colour backlight

• Auto power-off

• Built-in vibration sensor

• 3V battery included