There’s a handful of tuners available on the market. But they’re not all the same. To help you with your selection, we’ve reviewed the best cello tuners you can find. Read on to learn more.
Reviews of the Best Cello Tuners
1. D'Addario Cello Tuner & Bass Tuner
Do you like playing both the cello and bass? If you do, the D’Addario Tuner is the perfect choice.
One of its most impressive features is the full-color vertical display, which makes it easy to see even when placed on a stand. Better yet, it has a swivelling feature, enabling you to find an optimal viewing angle.
This cello tuner doesn’t disappoint in performance either. It provides speedy and precise chromatic tuning. But for the best outcome, the manufacturer recommends attaching it to the lower strings side on your cello.
Thankfully, the D’Addario cello tuner comes with a CR2032 battery. This means you can start using it right away.
Pros
Cons
Have you been searching for the best cello tuner for professionals? If you have, the ENO Music Tuner ticks every box for what you’d want in this unit. Affordable, check. Compact, check. Easy tuning, check.
This cello tuner tips the scales at just 37.5 grams. But its compact structure is what we find more attractive. Its dimensions are 1.26” by 1.77” by 2.52”, making it the most compact cello tuner in our review.
Despite its small size, this tuner packs a lot. For one, it has a colorful LCD display, making it easy to view the readings. We particularly like the fact that it displays both the string no. and note. This helps you to make the necessary adjustments.
It also boasts a 360-degree rotational clip-on design along with an exceptional tuning range of A0 to C8. Plus, it has a vibration sensor and battery for convenient powering.
Pros
Cons
If you’re a first-time cellist, you may find that the costs of buying extra accessories add up pretty quickly. Thankfully, the AyeVision Chromatic Tuner is one of the most affordable cello tuners available.
Apart from its affordability, another thing that drew us to this tuner is its compact size. Measuring just 3.8” by 2.4” by 0.6”, it’s a relatively small device so it doesn’t take up too much space in your favorite cello case.
Versatility is another area where the AyeVision tuner truly shines. Other than the cello, it can be used to tune a guitar, electric bass, electric cello, ukulele, violin and mandolin.
This cello tuner is fitted with a vibrant LED indicator light that significantly improves visibility in poorly-lit settings. And, it’s energy-efficient too, switching itself off automatically if it’s been idle for 3 minutes.
Pros
Cons
If you’ve been hunting for the best cello fine tuner, the MI&VI model is precisely what you need.
One of the biggest selling points is that it contains four pieces, providing excellent value for money.
Despite the fair pricing, these fine tuners boast a premium-quality design that’s compatible with ball and loop end cellos. They’re also incredibly easy to install and come in a variety of sizes to fit different cellos.
Pros
Cons
Are you picky when it comes to the design of your musical instruments and accessories? If you answered yes, then you’re sure to love this Chromatic Clip-on Tuner.
It comes in a beautiful design, with the flexibility to choose between black and white colors. We particularly like the full-color display that’s very easy to read from a distance.
Better yet, this tuner has an intuitive display. All the functions are located on the front panel for seamless accessibility. And, you have an option to rotate this screen 360 degrees until you find the perfect viewing angle.
With the Chromatic Tuner, you’ll be able to tune your cello even when you’re in a loud setting. This is thanks to the clip-on mode that uses vibration to detect tuning.
This cello tuner also has an auto shut-off feature, which helps to conserve battery.
Pros
Cons
Are you tired of buying batteries for your cello tuner? Consider getting the Rechargeable Clip-On Tuner that relies on a rechargeable battery instead.
So There has included a USB cable that allows you to recharge the device every time it runs out of juice. And once you’ve charged to full capacity, it can last for up to 5 hours! Impressive, right?
Well, its benefits don’t end there. The So There clip-on tuner offers 360 degrees of rotation, enabling you to find the ideal viewing angle.
And unlike the ordinary clips included in other tuners, this unit has padded clip grips. This ensures that the tuner doesn’t damage the finish of your instrument once installed.
The icing on the cake is the remarkable tuning performance this tuner offers. It uses vibration sensors to detect vibrations, making it perfect to use in noisy environments.
We also like that it has five tuning modes to accommodate different instruments. You should be able to tune cellos, guitars, basses, violins and ukuleles.
Pros
Cons
If you’re looking to spend the least amount of money, the Martisan clip-on tuner fits the bill, literally. It is the cheapest cello tuner in our review.
The first thing you’ll notice is its massive LCD display. At 1.8 inches in size, this display is big enough that you’ll be able to view readings from afar. Better yet, this screen can also be rotated 360 degrees to help you achieve an optimal viewing angle.
The internal micro-sensor is another feature that sets this tuner from the crowd. This allows it to use vibrations for pitch detection. This, in turn, means that you can tune your cello perfectly even in a noisy setting.
This clip-on tuner is also pretty versatile. It can be used to tune a handful of musical instruments, including guitars, violins and ukuleles.
Pros
Cons
How to Choose the Right Cello Tuner
Here are some of the points you should consider when choosing a cello tuner: Whether buying for yourself, or as a gift for a fellow cello player, the following should help you make the right decision.
Tuning Range
A standard size cello contains just four strings, which are meant to be tuned in fifths. When tuned properly, they should be arranged in ascending order as follows: C-D-G-A. The string A has the highest pitch whereas C has the lowest pitch.
That said, it’s crucial to consider the tuning range of a given cello tuner. This gives you the frequency range over which you’ll be able to make adjustments.
Reference Pitch
This is what guides you to tune your instrument to a specific tone. It’s usually estimated in terms of Hz.
Generally, the wider the range of the reference pitch, the more the musical instruments you’ll be able to tune with it. This mainly includes other string instruments such as violins, violas and guitars.
The Crescendo ZenTuner is a good case in point. It’s a very flexible tuner, allowing you to tune a variety of instruments.
Accuracy
Another aspect you should think about is the level of precision that the cello tuner offers. Precision here refers to how sensitive it is to the pitch of the sound generated by cello strings.
Average cello tuners have a relatively good sensitivity. They can easily pick onto pitches when you play your cello in a silent space.
That said, these average tuners aren’t very effective in noisy settings. They’re not as precise because of interference from external sources of noise.
If you’re looking for the best cello tuner, consider models that come with vibration sensors. With such complex tech, the tuners are able to pick onto the strings’ vibrations.
Metronome
Another handy feature that’s incorporated in modern-day cello tuners is a metronome.
Put simply; this is a gadget that produces a clicking sound intermittently. This comes in handy when you’re looking to practice a particular rhythm.
The intervals are estimated using beats per minute (BPM). This, in turn, gives you a very clear indication of the time and tempo.
Modes
You should this aspect into account if you’re planning to use the tuner for other instruments.
Some tuners only have settings designed for cello tuning. But others have different modes that allow you to tune other instruments like a guitar, ukulele, violin among others.
Standard vs Clip-on
Another decision you’ll have to make is choosing between clip-on and standard tuners. Here’s a brief look at each type:
Clip-on
Clip-on cello tuners are revered for their ergonomic and portable designs, which is one of the reasons why they’re so popular.
As their name suggests, these are simply clipped or attached to the headstock. The tuners’ sensors will then start picking up vibrations when you play every single string.
Most clip-on tuners provide a decent level of accuracy. However, some low-quality models lack precision, especially when you’re playing your cello in a noisy environment.
Standard
Standard cello tuners are further classified into built-in pre-amp, and tabletop.
With built-in varieties, the tuner is integrated into the instrument for ease of use. A number of these tuners also have a provision for silent tuning.
Tabletop cello tuners are meant to be placed on a table or other flat surface. Due to this, they aren’t as compact as their clip-on counterparts.
Size and Weight
You’ll also want to account for the size and weight of the cello tuner. A smaller and more compact tuner means it’s a lot easier to carry around.
Conversely, a heavy tuner can add a significant amount of weight to your instrument. This can cause problems if you’re carrying a ton of other cello accessories.
Power Source
Most, if not all, cello tuners are powered using batteries. The most commonly used one are 2xAAA cells or one CR2032 battery. The good news is that most tuners use very little power so these batteries will last a long time.
Still, you may want to look for cello tuners that come fitted with battery level indicators. This way, you can tell when the tuner is running out of juice; hence, replace the batteries in time.
Another handy feature that’s included in some tuners is an automatic shut-off. So if the tuner remains idle for a while - usually 3 to 5 minutes - it automatically switches itself off so as to conserve battery.
Conclusion
If you’ve been searching for the best cello tuners, we recommend the D'Addario Cello Tuner. It’s a clip-on tuner with a colorful display, resulting in excellent visibility during use. It even has swiveling capabilities, so you can switch up its position to find a proper viewing angle.
It comes fitted with a battery, so you can start using it immediately. Plus, it has an automatic shut-off that helps to conserve battery.
