# Instruments and Equipment > Equipment >  Snark Tuner - SN1 v. SN2

## Rob Gerety

What is the difference between SN 1 and SN 2?  I saw one reference to Guitar v. Multi Instrument use but it was not explained clearly.  Also perhaps one is able to work with an internal mic as well as instrument vibration and the other not?  

Here is the web site: http://www.snarktuners.com/gbtuner1.html

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## Ted Eschliman

Guitar/bass pitches only SN1, Chormatic SN2.
These are hot. We can't keep them in the store, and even schools are buying the SN2 in mutiples for their students.

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## Rob Gerety

I'm going to buy one. One of my Intelli's bit the dust recently - I stepped on it!  Going to try one of these for sake of variety.

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## Walt Kuhlman

I couldn't agree more Ted, even my little shop can't keep these on the shelf, they are a great little tuner for the money.

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## Jill McAuley

I bought one (SN2) for a pal's b-day present and am dead jealous of it - planning to get one for meself soon!

Cheers,
Jill

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## Rob Gerety

I'm still a little confused about the difference between the two models - this fellow indicates that both models are chromatic and work on all instruments and that the SN 2 model has a mic in addition to the piezo sensor???

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## adizz

I have the SN-1 and I have to say it's the best clip on I've used. The back light is good I have noticed that I have trouble getting a defined picture at some angles, but it's fast and it's accurate. I also like that its blue I've had a couple of my black clip ons walk off this thing stands out in a crowd.

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## Patrick Market

I got an SN-2 from Elderly a few months back.  At the time, the price difference between the SN-1 and the SN-2 was inconsequential, so I went for the SN-2.  I can't speak for the SN-1, but the SN-2 works great, esp. given the cost.  Pretty bright display, even in sunlight.

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## raulb

The blue one is designed primarily for guitar but will work for mandolin and bass.  The red is fully chromatic and has a metronome (a flashing light) in it.  I hate the color but I have a red one and think it is great!  If you are OCD about being in tune, this is the baby for you!

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## esslewis

I have a new Snark too and really enjoy it. What I think I like most about it is that it seems to pick-up just fine the notes on my mando and guitars -- and I especially like the fact that I can position the display right under the underside of my headstock, looking right at me at the absolute perfect angle, and its display is compact yet bright and very easy to read. Just wish it weren't made in China....

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## TheMandoKit

The SN2 does have a microphone so you can tune without the tuner being clipped to the instrument.  The tap-tempo metronome is actually useful as well.

I like mine quite a bit.  It hears all the strings on the mandolin and on the guitar very well, and responds quickly.  I know that some have said it is not accurate, but I have not found that to be the case.

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## walt33

Help me out here. "Chromatic" means it hears all the notes? So if I had one clipped to my fiddle, I could check my intonation on the fly? If so, I want one!

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## SkitownPicker

I have the SN2 and my bandmates are jealous.....

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## Rob Gerety

I received my sn2 the other day.  I have had a lot of tuners in my day.  This is a really nice tuner.  It is the first one I have ever owned that picks up the low E on an acoustic guitar consistently.

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## Jimbeau

I recently bought the SN1 for a Chinese-made F style mando I have. The SN1 works fine: clearly & accurately shows the note and whether it's sharp or flat. The LED is very clear and the response is quick. After years of using Boss pedal tuners with electric guitars on rock band gigs, this is my first clip-on style tuner and so far so good.

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## Jimbeau

Walt, the answer is yes. "Chromatic" means it'll identify all twelve tones in a chromatic scale. So if you want to check how accurate your intonation is when you play an E flat, for example, this will do it.

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## Bob Bronow

I've got it on my wish list. Let the TAD begin!

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## Tom Haywood

Mandolin Cafe comes through again! A banjo player handed me his red Snark yesterday. It was so much more sensitive than my "good" clip on. Tuned the mandolin better than by ear. I'm sold. Didn't know there are two models, so thanks again guys and girls.

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## evanreilly

I resisted the urge to have the clip-on accessory on my mandolin.
I just borrowed someone else's at a jam.  But I tried a Red Snark and I really liked it.  Bought one, love it.  But I won't keep it on the peg-head as mandolin jewelry!!!

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## AlanN

Ditto, all the way.

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## Paul Busman

Get a red one, and you can tune anything.  I actually like the red color: it's easy to find

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## MOJOHAND40

I have a red one AND a blue one. They ARE BOTH chromatic..Both have "metronomes"
Differences:
*Red* one has a built in microphone if you don't want to clip it on (a little switch to toggle between mic and piezoelectric) Blue one doesn't.
*
Blue* one has "capo" feature. i.e. if you capo the second fret of you guitar (not mando, because capos are not allowed on mandos..jk..jk...) then you tap a 'lil button twice...now when you hit you capoed top string..instead of reading F#, it would still read E...third fret capo.hit button 3 times .instead of G it would still read E.
Kinda' useful in a small way with transposing I guesss...i don't know...

BUT either on is chromatic, and either works great on Mandolins, Guitars, etc..(I even clipped one to the metal bars where my tuners are on my Pedal steel... worked great!)

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## MOJOHAND40

> Help me out here. "Chromatic" means it hears all the notes? So if I had one clipped to my fiddle, I could check my intonation on the fly? If so, I want one!


Exactly...that was why I clipped one to the head of my Pedal Steel...to check intonation on the fly during practice...worked fine.

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## Loretta Callahan

My red Snark is my favorite tuner~

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## John Flynn

I just bought three of the red ones, so I could have one in each case compartment for the instruments I play out with regularly. I found them to have fast note detection across a wide spectrum (mandolin/tenor banjo/bass guitar) exceptional accuracy, a bright, easy to read display and a great price, backed up with good customer service.

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## CelticDude

What confuses me is the price variance of both models.  I picked up the red one for under $15 from Elderly.  Yet the "major" online retailers like Musician's Friend and Music123, and GC, are selling them for $30.  I expect the big guys to be cheaper, and they often are.  But not with these.  

Then there's the black Snark, which I think is like the SN1 in features?  I've never seen it for under $30, anywhere.  Too bad, it would look better on the mando.  But the Snark is better than my clip-on Korg, so it's the one I reach for.

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## Gene Korte

Just received my blue SNARK from ELDERLY along w/a bunch of Sam Bush strings.

On a lark, I clipped the Snark to the stand of my NS DESIGN upright bass, and lo and behold the thing allowed me to tune _without_ having to plug into my old Korg tuner.  My little Intelli works the same way, but is wishy-washy on declaring the notes.

Ya can't beat such a handy, accurate tuner for the money!

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## Jeff Oxley

I'll throw in my 2 cents..got the red one, it's a winner: quick note recognition, and is calibrated more finely that the others I've used.  As you were...

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## stringduster

Man these are great. Bought one for my wife's guitar and stole it fifteen minutes
later for my mandolin.

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## Jim Hilburn

I just got an SN-1 and must admit I had no idea there were 2 models but it works great on a mandolin. Good thing I only spent $10.58 shipped.
 Now my lost Intellitouch PT-10 will surely show up. But if it does I might just keep using the Snark.

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## fatt-dad

My son gave me the red one for my birthday.  It works great, has nice features and complements the colors of my mandolin strap.  I'd get another and prefer the red one with the chromatic scale (alternate tunings on guitar) and the microphone for audible tuning.

f-d

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## Jim Hilburn

I'm not sure what I'm missing but if I de-tune say the G it drops down and shows F#. What's not chromatic about that? I'm not getting the difference.

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## Jim Hilburn

And I know I didn't write "chromatic" twice.

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## Jim Hilburn

I clearly should have read the whole thread before posting.

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## allenhopkins

Bumping this thread up again just remind people to *go on-line* if you're looking for Snark tuners: there are a couple places selling both the SN-1 and SN-2 for $10, while places like Musician's Friend and are trying to get $30 for them.

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## Jim Hilburn

My blue one was $5.59 on Amazon with $4.99 shipping.

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## 45ACP-GDLF5

I've had my red Snark for over a year now and I like it a lot, but I still double-check it with a tuning fork....they don't use batteries.  :Wink:

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## James P

I don't think the metronome is useful for everyday practice, but for using one in a pinch I count the beat when the Heart LED is off.  I find the LED's glow less definite than it's absence.  Again, I wouldn't want to use the metronome regularly, but it's a real bonus having one right there when you need it.

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## Pete Martin

> Help me out here. "Chromatic" means it hears all the notes? So if I had one clipped to my fiddle, I could check my intonation on the fly? If so, I want one!


I know a couple of GREAT fiddlers who use the Snark just for this purpose.

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## tr6drvr

Without question the least expensive, most accurate, most entertaining and easiest to use of all my tuners. Would be nice if it was black but I can live with the red.

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## The G

Just came home with a new Snark SN-2 (red).Based on all the favourable responses I've read on the forum.This is my first "Clip On" tuner.
Works great !!  :Mandosmiley: 
I actually intonated my mandolin using it with no trouble whatsover.
Sorry about reviving an old post ,but it came up in the search function, and I had to
add my comments .... :Coffee:

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## Fretbear

Would it be reasonable to assume that one could attach the Snark with the built-in mic to a tone-guard, etc., either via it's clip (or liberated from it's clip and attached some other way) and have an effective and accurate mostly-hidden-behind-the-instrument tuner arrangement?

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## AlanN

Funny, the more I use it, the more I like it, go figure.

And to FB, then you'd get you some Snarky Tone! (ahem...)

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## raulb

The Snark website says that the red, "all instrument" tuner has an "extended frequency range."  The blue, guitar & bass tuner "features frequency range tailored to guitar and bass."

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## mandopete

Okay, how do you order one?

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## AlanN

http://www.amazon.com/Snark-Instrume...7467343&sr=8-1

$12 + change, free shipping.

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## Eddie Sheehy

I just got a Red one for $12 and a Blue one for $5  (shipping was FREE and $$5 res.)

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## mandopete

> http://www.amazon.com/Snark-Instrume...7467343&sr=8-1
> 
> $12 + change, free shipping.


Wow, at that price how can you say no.  
Will they throw in some fries with that too?

 :Smile:

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## mandopete

All righty then - got a red one in the mail yesterday.  I love it, it works great.  I like the "adjustability" of the display.  I hook it to the backside of the headstock and can clearly see the display with a big distraction on the front.  Should be great for a jam session at night (in the dark)

(upside down)

(drinking beer)

(playing bluegrass)

end.

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## Ed Goist

Does anyone use the slightly higher-end Snark (the SN5)?
For the few extra bucks it seems silly to go with the SN2 if the SN5 is superior in any way.

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## Malcolm G.

I have all three - the 2 and more-so the 5 have extended ranges and might be useful on double bass, horns, flutes etc. On my banjos, mandos, ukes and guitars, I find no difference.
I think there is a little snob appeal with the color. "Oh, you only have the blue....".

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## allenhopkins

Just to bump this thread, with another warning about the SN2 ("the red one"): there's a little switch on the side that selects contact or microphone mode.  If you inadvertently leave it on "microphone," the tuner won't turn off automatically after two minutes without being used.  The ambient noise around it will be enough to keep it registering, and your battery will get used up.  I've done this -- twice! -- and since the batteries are $5 each at Radio Shack, it's not a trivial issue.

So check to make sure you've put the switch on "contact," or turned the tuner off manually, or both.

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## Treblemaker

I have several red ones.
It is remarkably better than other clip ones IMHO and especially for upright bass.
I have found that most clip-on tuners are not sensitive enough to handle the low E string on an upright bass.

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## Fretbear

There are two black models; one that looks exactly like the blue one (SN-1) and is the same, with the same specs. (no external mic., etc.) Info at Snark said these black ones were released soon after the initial release and were not put on the website, and were initially only for Guitar Center, but are now available elsewhere (UK, etc.) This other black one, the SN-5 for violin and bass, and with the longer thinner neck, also lacks the external mic and is not a chromatic tuner. The full-featured tuner, the red SN-2 (external mic, fully chromatic) is the one they should make available in black; as right now it is the only one that is not....

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## Ed Goist

Fretbear; thanks much for the clarification. So, technically, the SN-2 (red) is the 'top of the line' clip-on Snark?

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## Rob Gerety

> Just to bump this thread, with another warning about the SN2 ("the red one"): there's a little switch on the side that selects contact or microphone mode.  If you inadvertently leave it on "microphone," the tuner won't turn off automatically after two minutes without being used.  The ambient noise around it will be enough to keep it registering, and your battery will get used up.  I've done this -- twice! -- and since the batteries are $5 each at Radio Shack, it's not a trivial issue.
> 
> So check to make sure you've put the switch on "contact," or turned the tuner off manually, or both.



Ahhh - that explains why I drained my battery.  I did discover recently that the switch was inadvertently left on mic.  Great tuner.  But I need a new battery!

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## Bigtuna

I love mine, I've got the red one, SN2? I think. Everyone who uses it is impressed, it has sold itself a number of times among my friends. The price is right, it works, it doesn't eat batteries like my old tuners.

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## DerTiefster

I, amateur that I am, was amazed that I liked the SN-2 so much. I bought one for myself. I bought one for my daughter. I bought two more for myself. I bought one for the church worship band leader. I bought one to replace that. Pricing has been averaging $11 each net through shipping. You can find $7 pricing, but it comes with $5 shipping. I tested that vendor by configuring an order for 3. I found no S/H break for multiple small items -- total price $36. Or you can find $11 pricing with free shipping. Your choice. I ordered a Janet Davis Ultimate Mando songbook plus SN-2.  That padded the order to above that vendor's free S/H threshold, so the SN-2 incremental cost was only ~$7.

Allen's observation about the mic switch should help reduce the dead battery "body count."  Thanks, Allen.

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## Tom Haywood

I have found one problem with the red tuner - really a good problem to have. Was getting ready to go onstage at an outdoor event, sitting maybe 50 feet from the PA speakers while the band ahead of me played an acoustic set, trying to tune my HD28. The tuner kept registering notes when I wasn't playing any. I thought it was in speaker mode, but it wasn't. Turned out the guitar top was vibrating sympathetically with the music, and the tuner was so sensitive it was reporting their notes. I had to tune between their songs. This was probably caused by the PA mains being so loud, since it has not happened on stage in front of monitors.

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