OK so, yea, a tuner isn't exactly the sexiest bit of gear available - it doesn't affect the sound at all (except for muting, which is useful but not fun), and even the case is about as utilitarian as you can get. But you know what's NOT sexy? Being out of tune.So, at some point, you should get a tuner. Yes, YOU. It doesn't have to be this one, but there are several reasons why it should, and only a few reasons to choose anything else. I'll mention those first:1. If you're a professional setup tech or luthier who's setting intonation on guitars all the time, then you should spring for the ultra-expensive rackmount strobe tuner. Not the "digital strobe" version, the real one. Nothing else can come close to the accuracy of a true strobe tuner, and if people are paying you to intonate their guitars, you do need it.2. If you're a touring player with a rack, then a rackmount tuner makes more sense. Again, more expensive, but if you're rocking a rack then you're already in for at least several grand, so the tuner won't be a huge bite in comparison.3. If you're an acoustic-only guitarist who doesn't have a 1/4" output on your guitar, then some kind of "contact" tuner is a better choice. Most of these clip to your headstock and sense the vibration of the guitar that way, so you don't need to plug in. BUT - If none of these describes you, then you need a proper stage tuner, and the TU-3 is the unit that all others are judged against. It has a bunch of tuning modes, +/- one cent accuracy,… read more 21-LED meter, dual outputs (more on that in a second), DC power pass-through so you can daisy-chain other pedals off of it, and that legendary Boss enclosure which is I assume is literally bulletproof. And, the price is about as "reasonable" as you could possibly ask for.

Sound
While a tuner doesn't really do much to the sound of your instrument, that's OK - it's totally not supposed to! It mutes the (main, but NOT bypass) output when it's actively tuning. It does also buffer the signal, which is great for me and most others who run long cables but might be a consideration if you prefer true-bypass.

Features
The tuning is quick, clean, and plenty accurate (although again, this is not a strobe tuner, so intonation is probably not going to be the best). But another thing I love (and actually the main reason I bought it) is the dual outputs. The "Main" out will mute when you activate the tuner function, and the "Bypass" out does not - it's active all the time. This lets you send the "Main" out to your amp, while running the "Bypass" output to a DI or recorder, so you can monitor through your live rig while recording a clean DI signal that you can re-amp later. Your recording engineer WILL thank you for having a DI signal, and this is a cheap and easy way to get it. Finally, it also allows you to daisy-chain power to other pedals if you have an AC adapter and the daisy-chain cables, which is handy if you don't have a separate power supply and cables for each (or if you just want to save space on your power strip).

Ease of Use
For a pedal with so many tuning modes, it's super-easy to use. Just plug it in, push the buttons on the top to select your tuning mode and (if desired) offset, step on the switch, and tune your instrument.

Quality
Three words: It's the Boss. If you've played guitar and/or bass for more than a few weeks, you probably already know what's up, but I'll recount the story of the day I got it anyway: I opened the box, examined it for any issues (I bought this one used), and finding none, proceeded to plug in and test it. From there I picked it up to bring it into the office with the rest of my rig, and promptly tripped over the coffee table, sending the pedal crashing into the wall. My fiancee looked HORRIFIED with the fear that I might have just damaged a pedal I'd just bought, so I couldn't help laughing as I assured her that I was totally confident that the drywall had taken the worst of the collision. And I was right. ;)

Value
Very, very worth the money. There are other pedal tuners out there, and this is the yardstick that all the others are measured against.

Manufacturer Support
Has anyone ever had to contact Boss for problems with one of their pedals? I sure haven't, and I don't know anyone who ever has. I'm not SURE they would survive a direct nuclear strike, but I'm also not sure they wouldn't.

The Wow Factor
I lived without a pedal tuner for years and years, and since getting this one, I feel like a total chode for not doing it years ago. Just buy the thing - your bandmates, housemates, audience, and production crew will all be grateful, even if they don't say it.

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