Customer Reviews

Korg Chromatic Tuner CA-30

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Unless you are doing scientific experiments, this is all the tuner any player of guitar, banjo, or fiddle will ever need. I would say other instruments, but these are all the instruments I can play.

A recent thread on the banjo-l list serve about tuners found that most of the hundreds of members of the group felt that the Ca 30 was all they ever needed. This included folks who report having used much more expensive tuners before the CA-30.

I have tried more extensive tuners, especially the Intellitouch which seemed very fashionable when I bought one a couple years ago. However, these tuners are easier to read, sturdier, and truly chromatic. They fit very handily inside even a small violin case or your breast pocket. They also have plug ins for using them with electric instruments or pickups on acoustics.

I would add that sometimes they are not as faithful if the battery is running down. I also find it can be a pain to use them because the dial is not backlit. However, that is something you just adjust to.

I have two guitars and two banjos and a fiddle. I keep two of these plus a Korg that is a version of this basic operation for guitars and basses.

This is all you will ever need and the only way to beat it for the money is to steal one!

I prefer the older model a little more as it has better, more positive buttons - I usually find myself having to press on/off twice. Other than than it is superb. I have one velcro'd to my music stand for my electric guitar -- which I feed from my Marshall practice amplifier's line-out (or the effects line out of my other amp). The other, I use for my acoustic guitar (the tuner has a built in microphone), my son's & for checking the key/chords of tunes (that is a nice benefit of the "chromatic" part of this feature -- it will correctly detect & identify any and all notes). Batteries are cheap/common AAA & usuage is very low (the LCD is not backlit, so power usage is minimal). Stability is comparable to most other tuners including those costing $100 and more.

I recently invested in a Boss TU2 foot pedal tuner. I actually prefer the Boss -- it is brighter (for stage use) and, although technically less accurate than the Korg, provides more stable readings and hence allows very quick tuning. It can also be used as a mute switch and has a strobe feature which I never use. However, this costs about 5x as much as the Korg, uses more power (either wall wart or expensive 9V battery).

In conclusion, the Korg is excellent value at well under $20.

I've never owned one of the more expensive chromatic tuners on the market, so I can't compare this Korg to one of those others. I can say, though, that I have no complaints about this piece of equipment. Having used this tuner for a year now (on the same set of batteries), I can't imagine why anyone would need or want one of the more expensive devices. If you want a cheap, effective electronic tuner, this is the one to get.

The guitar needs this. The Korg ca-30 is one of the fastest working tuners for a lower price. It goes up and down the whole chromatic scale, so you're pretty much set. It also recognizes simple chords such as A, C, E and G. I have had mine for almost a month and it is holding up great. I have no regrets and i personally think it doesn't matter that it is plain black and not one of the shine-throughs.

A lot of tuner for a buck. Probably the best out there. Compact, light, very precise, the built-in microphone is sensitive enough, maybe too sensitive, because it picks up the background noise. You can tune guitar, mandolin, ...., violin, cowbell, and use the input socket for contact mics.

I would never be able to keep my harp in tune without this compact but powerful little tuner. Well worth the price.

This tuner is just right! small size: easily fits on a music stand; small price; good function! I play the flute and am using it to improve the intonation of the more notoriously sharp and flat notes on the instrument. (If you play the flute, you know which ones I mean!) I just wish I'd bought this long ago!

I'm dealing with getting old but I was surprised to find that I could no longer tune my guitar by ear. In fact, I was thinking the problem was with my old guitars.
I decided to get a tuner. I did some research here on amazon and decided on this one.
Reasonable price and the instrument store shipped in good time.
The first time I used it I wished I had bought it sooner.
Easy to use with either the lights or the needle. The guitars sounded great.
As others have said:
It's a little difficult to use the needle in a dark setting but the red/green lights are accurate.
A simple flip out stand would be a big help. Plugging in a cord jack makes it very awkward to position. That being said the idea of putting a groove on the back of the thing so you can insert a credit, business or playing card to lean it against is both odd and better than nothing.
Will have to see how long it holds up but I am very happy with it and I will use the instrument store again.

I bought this tuner to use with my daughter's new violin. It is doing a good job. Sometimes it gives a strange note reading but trying the same string again usually gives an accurate reading. It is an inexpensive model for people like me who don't have a good ear for a pitch pipe and don't want to spend a lot of money on a tuner. I can't compare it to other tuners, because it is the only one I have tried. My daughter's teacher tried it and he said it was fine. I would recommend it for someone needing a functional, inexpensive tuner.

This tuner is great, not only for electronic instruments but for guitars and acoustics as well. You can even tune your voice with the built in microphone! Any professional musician should have one, and the price is right :)