Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner Pedal User Reviews

Submitted April 6, 2011 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Cost effective 'road worthy' tuner"

Overall:

Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

Overall a 9 - again, hate the adapter, but this product itself is worth every penny.

Sound

I've used this for both the bass and guitar in live settings and it's done everything I could want it to do. If you take the time to learn how to switch the modes, there are no issues at all. I love the mute/gate when it is engaged as I do some bass playing for religious services and it is a great to be able to tune/adjust quickly on the fly. The LED lights are nice and bright and visible when the stage lighting is bright. Additionally, I've found the accuracy of the tuning to be spot on.

Features

Most useful features described above. However, if you're going to use it alot, get a power adapter. This thing loves batteries. But DON'T buy the Boss one. I bought the "one spot" adapter and it has held up far better with no issues. Didn't give it a 10 due to the adaptor Boss has and the fact that it loves batteries.

Ease of Use

I read manuals unlike most people. So if you read the manual, it is SIMPLE to use. I browsed through the little manual in the box and had it up and running for both guitar and bass and can now change it on the fly.

Quality

Boss - always has rugged dependable stuff. Their adapters suck though. Get a 'One Spot'.

Value

I have a Korg rack tuner for bigger gigs, and I use this for smaller ones. Well worth the money for the smaller gigs but could be used for large ones as well it that's your preference.

Manufacturer Support

Never have needed support of any kind. Says alot about their products if you ask me.

The Wow Factor

I've always been partial to the simplicity/look of MXR boxes as the Boss boxes are a bit bigger. But I have no issues with this one at all. It has already received its share of nicks and bumps from consistant setup and tear down - that makes it "prettier" in my opinion.

Musical Background:

Active Musician

Musical Style:

Bass and guitar - power metal and christian rock

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Submitted March 28, 2017 by Morgan Shivers in Woodbury, NJ

"excelent tuner"

Overall:

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Verified Purchaser zZounds has verified that this reviewer purchased this specific product from us.

I used this tuner for a week now, I really like it. I just can not understand why I am blowing through batteries so fast. Do I have to unplug the pedal every time I am done with it? I step on it to turn it off but the next day I go to use it, the battery is dead. these batteries are almost $10 a piece. maybe I am doing something wrong. this is my first pedal. the Pedal Works like a charm it is very accurate.

Musical Background:

33 years playing experiance.

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Submitted April 24, 2011 by a customer from gmail.com

"Indispensable for staying in tune on stage."

Overall:

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Verified Purchaser zZounds has verified that this reviewer purchased this specific product from us.

Assuming it doesn't wear out or die prematurely, I would definitely replace it with the same model.

Sound

It's a tuner and isn't supposed to affect the sound.

Features

Incredibly practical to have highly visible, silent turning available while on stage.

Ease of Use

Easy to turn on and off. One of the visual tuning aid modes is very good, the other less so. I have a feeling they could come up with something a little less busy if they worked on it. It's very clear when the tuning is dead on, sometimes a little less clear as to which way to adjust it.

Quality

Seems very rugged.

Value

I haven't seen many similar tuners. It's definitely worth the extra money as compared to the Boss non-pedal tuner.

Manufacturer Support

n/a

Musical Background:

Committed amateur

Musical Style:

Blues, some rock, some standards

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Submitted October 11, 2011 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Good tuner at a good price."

Overall:

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Verified Purchaser zZounds has verified that this reviewer purchased this specific product from us.

This is my go-to tuner, for now. I don't expect that to change any time soon.

Sound

It doesn't seem to add any noise to the signal, so it's fine to leave it in the effects chain.

Features

Works great.

Ease of Use

Easy to use.

Quality

Built like a tank.

Value

It's worth it, definitely.

Manufacturer Support

I registered the product at the Roland website. It was an easy, hassle-free process.

The Wow Factor

It's not all that great to look at, but it does what it does so well, aesthetics are irrelevant.

Musical Background:

Active musicians, recording engineer.

Musical Style:

Industrial

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Submitted December 30, 2010 by a customer from verizon.net

"Best tuner on the market."

Overall:

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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

I would reccomend this over any other tuner.

Sound

Doesn't produce sound. It's a tuner.

Features

This is amazing! It allows you to tune basses, guitars, everything! In all tunings!

Ease of Use

All you do is plug on end of the cord into you amp, and the other end into the input of the pedal and press down on the pedal and it tunes for you.

Quality

100% awesome.

Musical Background:

Active Musician

Musical Style:

Rock

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Submitted January 26, 2014 by Antonio A in Longmont, CO

"It's a Boss"

Overall:

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Verified Purchaser zZounds has verified that this reviewer purchased this specific product from us.

I honestly wasn't expecting much, but when it arrived I quickly changed my mind. It was kind of funny, because when I opened it a few papers flew out of the little box it's in. It sure does it job, very very accurate if you know how to use it!

Sound

Thud! If you drop it, it makes a thud, nut this thing is built to last.

Features

I really like how of you want to tune your guitar to drop D or anything, it will show you how far you are from it. The little LED lights are spot-on with pitch accuracy.

Ease of Use

Very easy. It's so simple and so effective, best tuner out on the market. Except for maybe Gibson's Min-etune thing.

Quality

It's built like a tank. It's made of metal and pretty darn durable. I dropped it one time, and there wasn't even a scratch!!!

Value

Well worth the $100. Could be $85, nut I'm kinda cheap. Well worth the money for sure. I entered in everything as 5-stars, but it wouldn't keep them for some reason.

Manufacturer Support

No, but I'm sure they're pretty Boss-y

The Wow Factor

WOW! Its an essential, and I was pretty picky about pedal tuners, since I can't really hear myself on stage or practice. This little thing is really helpful as well as convenient.

Musical Background:

I play guitar, Mndolin, Keynoards, Harmonica, acoustic guitar

Musical Style:

Blues-rock, soul, blues, classic rock, 50's style rock, folk, psychedelic rock

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Submitted January 22, 2016 by Steve S in El Paso, TX

"Great Solid Tuner"

Overall:

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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

Great tuner. Well built. Great buffer. Consistent tone. Will last a long time.

Sound

Works as it should. The buffer in it is very good. Gives you consistent tone when ran 1st before all your other pedals, but after a fuzz.

Features

The different modes for tuning are super useful, and high brightness mode is helpful for bright environments.

Ease of Use

Dirt simple to use

blues, jazz, dixie, ragtime.

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Submitted July 28, 2023 by a customer from gmail.com

"The "industry standard" for a reason"

Overall:

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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

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, 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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Submitted July 23, 2014 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Perfect"

Overall:

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Verified Purchaser zZounds has verified that this reviewer purchased this specific product from us.

Works as advertised. Necessity for ANY pedal board.

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Submitted March 19, 2011 by a customer from hotmail.com

"The last tuner you'll ever need."

Overall:

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Verified Purchaser zZounds has verified that this reviewer purchased this specific product from us.

Doubt I'll ever need to purchase another tuner unless I get tired of carting this one back and forth.

Sound

Love the tuner so couldn't bring myself to rate it poorly even though it doen't produce sound.

Features

Love the Sweep function and the off standard memorization settings. Our Church piano is tuned at 438(!) instead of 440. My other tuner, though capable of setting to 438, it reverts back to standard on power up.

Ease of Use

Lots of features, so it does take some time to get comfortable with the operation.

Quality

Still have a Tu-2 (?). Not even sure how old it is, but it still works fine. Also have several other foot pedals from the company and all still work.

Value

Great price from Zzounds and this tuner will last forever.

Manufacturer Support

Though I haven't had to use them. Again can't give them a rating hit because their product performs so well for so long....

The Wow Factor

Have a couple tuners, but HAD to have this one for all the features, reliability and ease of use

Musical Background:

Active musician

Musical Style:

Rock, Country, Praise/Worship

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Submitted October 30, 2012 by Jake B in Monticello, IN

"DEPENDABLE"

Overall:

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Verified Purchaser zZounds has verified that this reviewer purchased this specific product from us.

By far the best tuner for the money hands down. This pedal is durable, reliable, and always dependable. I have seen way more expensive rack tuners that can't touch this tuner!

Musical Background:

Bass player for over 30 years.

Musical Style:

Hard Rock/Metal/Classic Hairband Rock

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Submitted March 9, 2021 by a customer from mac.com

"Alright but not great"

Overall:

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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

Tuner has many functions that is why it is good. I prefer the Peterson strobe tuner it is more accurate

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Submitted May 21, 2012 by Kevin B in Asotin, WA

"'s OK"

Overall:

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Verified Purchaser zZounds has verified that this reviewer purchased this specific product from us.

Why in the world would you only have a "sharp" indicator, when almost everyone tunes to "flat"? Sure, you know that d sharp is the same as e flat, but especially when quickly dropping your low string on a e flat guitar to d flat, who wants to even waste that much attention if you only have a few seconds between songs? My son plays onstage with four guitars in four different tunings, some to standard and some flat, so using just the "flat mode" is not an option. Lots of options on this pedal, but I think that's where the problem lies: it's trying to be all things to all players. Overall, it tries to do too much at once and wind up doing it's job less well as a result. Bypass is dead silent, so that's nice. Power supply would be handy if I didn't already have one. Overall, underwhelming. I expected more from Boss.

Musical Background:

Playing for twenty+ years. Bought this for my son.

Musical Style:

Hard Rock, Heavy metal.

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Submitted March 9, 2021 by a customer from mac.com

"Alright but not great"

Overall:

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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

Tuner has many functions that is why it is good. I prefer the Peterson strobe tuner it is more accurate

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Submitted December 1, 2010

"Blind willie will see!!!"

Overall:

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will never own another tuner. still have boss gear from twenty years ago.

Sound

No draw on tone that I hear. I believe it is true bypass.

Features

Use it on anything you'd like.

Ease of Use

Little weird at first but it is a good solid tuner.

Quality

This company (roland/boss/edirol) will be around for a long time.

Value

It was a a gift. Priceless as they say.

Manufacturer Support

Web site is pretty good and has all manuals etc.

The Wow Factor

Never used a tuner. I can tune on the fly. I like the pedal for its approach to visual tuning. Very cool. So I do use it before playing a set.

Musical Background:

20 yrs bands

Musical Style:

funky ol soul and metal

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