Customer Reviews

Intellitouch Tuner

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I'm afraid the Intellitouch has lost all its stars!

My original review was titled "DEFINITELY YES...or maybe DEFINITELY NOT (NOT--see Added in edit 2)". It appears below. It started out as a (properly!) positive review when there was no real alternative clip-on tuner, but the Intelli IMT-500 changed all that. The edits described a gradual but dramatic shift from the Intellitouch to the Intelli. It's no longer gradual.

I'm blessed with an abundance of jams where I live. I attend about 2 each week from among the 5 that interest me. Given the cost of the Intellitouch, one might expect people to keep using them rather than abandon them. However, that's not what's happening. The change has occurred so quickly that it would be impossible for someone unfamiliar with the Intellitouch to tell that it ever dominated the market. I decided to document the switchover. See Customer Images.

Also, I was wrong below when I said that the Intellitouch was easier to stuff into a pocket. I've discovered that if the Intelli is folded just right, it fits quite comfortably into a small cellphone/camera case that is even easier to deal with than the Intellitouch's case.

Bottom line: Avoid the Intellitouch. Get an Intelli.

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DEFINITELY YES...or maybe DEFINITELY NOT (NOT--see Added in edit 2)

There's no middle ground with either model of the Intellitouch tuner. You'll either love it or hate it.

The main reason why people hate them is because there are so many situations where they do not work well. In particular, they have trouble with the bass notes of dreadnought sized guitars. The more overtones the instrument produces, the worse the Intellitouch behaves. If you've no other source of amusement, find someone trying to use an Intellitouch to tune the bass string of a Martin rosewood dreadnought.

Intellitouch users come up with ingenious workarounds for when the unit misbehaves. The most popular are
* to place the tuner in a different position on the instrument. Sometimes moving it just a little bit on the headstock will do the trick.
* to pluck the note very gently with the fingertip rather than a pick. This minimizes the effects of overtones and often cures the problem.
* to tune to an octave or harmonic.
* to not worry about the letter in the LCD display. (It will often display a B when tuning to low E.)
* to keep plugging away until the tuner registers properly. However, once the tuner has stopped registering, I find that plucking a string repeatedly--hard or soft--doesn't help. I quiet all the strings and pause to let the tuner "reset".
* to give up, that is, to tune the first 5 strings with the Intellitouch and tune the 6-th string in the relative way by adjusting the tuning peg until the note at the fifth fret of the 6-th string sounds the same as the open 5-th string.

This is enough to make you wonder why anyone would own one. There's a one word answer: CONVENIENCE!

* If you play in a group, you'll quickly appreciate how a clip-on tuner let's you tune even when others are playing.
* If you play outside of your home or apartment, you'll quickly appreciate how easy it is to carry with no wires to tangle.
* You might not realize how often you tune in low-light situations until you see how often the Intellitouch's backlight proves useful.

I used to be an Intellitouch basher because of the situations where it wouldn't work well. However, the more I found myself moving around at festivals and jams, the more I grew to appreciate the Intellitouch's convenience and backlight. Now that I've years of experience with it, I have to admit that it's my tuner of choice for outside the house. Now, you can be amused at *my* rationalizations of why its problems aren't really problems.

The other complaint some people have with the Intellitouch is its scale. It indicates whether a string is tuned by displaying up to 3 angle brackets on either side of the name of the note. When the string is tuned accurately, the Intellitouch displays 3 brackets on each side of the letter denoting the note being played. The brackets disappear from the left of the letter as the string goes sharp and from the right of the letter as the string goes flat. The complaint is that the scale is supposed not to be sensitive enough to do its job--that there's too much wiggle room within what the Intellitouch tuner calls "tuned". I don't see it, or rather I don't hear it. I don't have problems with its accuracy.

Some comments:

Any tuner with an input jack (typically used with a cable to tune electric guitars) can be turned into a clip on tuner by adding a clip-on tuner pickup such as a Signalflex SF30. That's what I do at home with my Korg and Seiko tuners in preference to my Intellitouch.

After letting Intellitouch own the clip-on tuner market for years, other companies such as Korg and Seiko have released their own clip-ons, but they haven't caught on, yet. I'm not sure why except, perhaps, that those who have an Intellitouch aren't eager to spend the money on another expensive tuner while those who don't already own a clip-on tuner are impressed by the sheer numbers of Intellitouches around.

Finally, regardless of what tuner you use, always tune up, never down. That is, if when the note is overshot so that the string becomes sharp, drop the tension and tune up once again until the target is achieved. When a string is loosened it sometimes continues to slip a bit until the tension equalized between the pin, saddle, nut, and tuning peg. This is less an issue when tightening a string.

Bottom line:

The Intellitouch is extremely convenient if you play with others or outside the home. Those who already own tuners with input jacks should consider getting a tuner pick up such as the Signalflex SF30.

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Added in edit:

I'm a sucker for new gadgets. I recently got an Intelli IMT-500, which, unfortunately, Amazon does not yet stock (as of mid-September 2006). The Intelli beats the Intellitouch (unfortunate similarity of names, that) in every way but one. The Intelli is more sensitive. The Intelli's scale is easier to read. The Intelli's backlight is brighter.

The *only* problem the Intelli has is that it folds up into a cube that is awkward to fit in a pocket. I'd even be a bit nervous having it in a gig bag's pouch for fear of what might happen to the guitar's top if the bag/cube got whacked just the right (that is, wrong) way.

I now almost always use the Intelli, with the Intellitouch reserved for situations like jams or festivals where I'll find myself walking around and wanting a tuner in my pocket.

I am also noticing a gradual but dramatic shift. Those who've already invested their money are sticking with their Itellitouches for the moment, but all the new tuners I see showing up at jams are Intellis.

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Added in edit 2:

The more experience I gain with the Intelli, the less I use the Intellitouch. The Intelli is *much* more responsive and its meter is *much* easier to use. I knew I was accepting compromises with the Intellitouch, but until the Intelli came along I didn' appreciate how many. The ONLY advantage the Intellitouch has is that it's easier to fit into a pocket, but the Intellitouch is large, so that works only if you'll be standing most of the time.

Were there no Intelli, I'd stand by my original Intellitouch review. But there is, so I can't. Skip the Intellitouch, get an Intelli. Now, if only Amazon would carry it. No big deal, though, since they are readily available on line and are making big inroads into music stores.

I just received this tuner today and I am already in love with it! I have a 12 string accoustic/electric guitar, and though it sounds just beautiful, it is a real pain to tune! The fact that my hearing is not as good as it was in my youth does not help matters. I have a tuner I got a few years ago, but it is so difficult to use, it has spent the years in the compartment of my guitar case. I recently have researched via the internet just about every tuner made, and decided to take a chance on the Intellitouch PT1. Am I glad I did! It is SO EASY TO USE! Within minutes after taking it out of the box I had the 12ver perfectly tuned! It attaches by a built-in clamp onto the headstock, and works by 'reading' the string you pluck by vibration. No mikes or wires! You can even do it in the dark with the back-light feature! This tuner costs a bit more, but it will be a well used piece of equipment - not buried in the compartment of the guitar case! If you are in the market for a tuner, I highly recommend the PT1.

The company is now offering a lifetime warranty on any tuner purchased in 2006. If you have an older model you can send $25 and they will replace it with a lifetime warranty 2006 version. Regarding the comment of the person who bought it and couldn't get it to tune while bowing, the manufacturer has a different product (CenterPitch Universal) for bowed or wind instruments. Best tuner I've bought ever!!!!

I have used this tuner for years, loving it the whole while. Previously I've used everything from a pitch pipe, my home piano, memory, chromatics...other electric ones and pick ups. This one is the sweetest I've used thus far. Other than my own I have bought a friend one and am now buying my mother one as well. I have used this tuner often to tune guitar, violin/fiddle, mandolin, and dulcimer with no complaints. The last review stating it was overrated because it was a pain to deal with while bowing....well umm...EVERYTHING is difficult while bowing, lol. I always pluck my violin/fiddle while tuning then check it later and it's always true. This tuner is the handiest I've ever seen and I recommend it to all players...everyone of my musical friends who does not have one yearns after my own but unfortunately I can't afford to buy everyone one!

Good luck to the people with the positive reviews. I agree with those who have had problems with this tuner. It often takes forever to recognize the note, and it usually misses the low E string completely. Save your money and buy a Boss instead. You won't regret it.

I bought this to help my Banjitar stay in tune. It picks up well on all my stringed stuff. But what I like the most about it is its "Easy to Read" big display and back lit screen.Its a bit pricey for the novice but if you play a real lot its a must have.

I have owned (2) of these-they both ate batteries, and the second one had a connection problem. Neither registered the low "E" well at all. Never again.

This tuner is perfect and extreamly acurate i use it both on my oscar ukulele and ovation acoustic/electric guitar works perfect on both no problems i can see and it is simple to use.the leather case is great as well durable and protects the tuner just fine. honestly no complaints worth ever penny.

This is a great little tuner, accurate and easy to use. This is the one that DOES have a back lit screen which is AWESOME if you are trying to tune up in a dimly lit room. The same company offers a model that does NOT have the back lit screen for about half the money I think... and that one would be fine if you were SURE you didn't need the lighted one... it only takes once of not being able to tune your guitar up to make you wish you had the one with the light though.

Great price on this tuner. Local music store sells it for $60.00. I paid $39.99.