Intelli IMT-500 vs 'Other' tuners.

[Ron McMillan]

I own three different types of clip-on tuner, and while the Snark is good, it's not stand-out good compared to the Intelli or the Planet Waves NS Mini. The Planet Waves gets my vote for convenience and subtlety once in place behind the headstock between the nut and the first G tuner. Far less intrusive on the eye than either the Intelli or the Snark, though not really much better in terms of performance, except in ease of reading. I should wear reading glasses, but seldom do unless actually reading a book, and the big fat letter display on the Planet Waves is easiest on the fading eyes.

ron

[Ivan Kelsall]

I was having my usual 'noodle around' yesterday,downstairs in my living room where it was nice & warm.I always keep my tuner handy because as the mandolin gets warm,it goes slightly flat - which it did. I stuck the Snark on the headstock to tune up & the darned thing simply didn't register anything,not a blink !. I fiddled around with it on the headstock & it began to work ok. Now,for all it's faults,that's never happened with the Intelli IMT500. I'm begining to wonder if the vibration sensor is a tad position dependant or if it's a bit 'iffy' re.being properly seated on the headstock. I'll check it out the next time i use it. I like the Snark,but i have to admit that the swivel head design,compared to the Intelli is lousy. Also, the bottom part of the clamp tilts up & down, whereas the Intelli is fixed. That might be why the Snark needs more care when clamping it to the headstock - mmmmm !!,
Ivan

[allenhopkins]

My preference for the red Snark is that it has the built-in microphone, which means I can easily use it to tune an Autoharp, or to check the pitch on a concertina.

Other than that, I've found that Intellitouch, Meisel, etc. tuners are quite comparable in terms of "response time" and accuracy. The "cons" of the Snark include a somewhat detachable rubber pad on one arm of its clamp -- corrected with a drop of Duco cement -- and a tendency to go through batteries quite quickly. The latter exacerbated if one carelessly leaves it in "mic" mode, 'cause then it doesn't automatically shut off after not registering a sound for two minutes. Ambient noise will override the "dead man" switch.

Oh, and the red Snark was cheap. Dirt cheap ($12 or so from some store in Utah, located through an Amazon search). Hard to beat at that price.

[O'Riabh]

I had a problem tuning the 'A' strings on an old bowlback, the Red Snark is the more accurate of the two tuners.

[Ivan Kelsall]

It's exactly one year to the day since i opened this thread. Since then,my Red Snark has behaved impeccably & it's definitely the best tuner for tuning up after re-stringing. My Intelli's don't recognise 'ultra-low' tones from the slack strings - the Snark snags 'em fine. Neither have i needed to replace the battery yet.The only downside to the Snark is the possibility of breakage if not handled
carefully,but mine's still ok,
Ivan

[mandogoshen]

I thought I was the last mandolin player in the world to change to the NS mini headstock tuner. I don't use my IMT-500 any more. Having the tuner clamp on right behind the nut makes lock up real fast and stable, and the visibility is great.

Mine has to be put at the top of the headstock because there is some extra wood 'scalloping' just after the last fret @ the nut. It creates a stronger neck/headstock joint, but as it's not flat my Mini wont fit there. No worries, though as it's clearly readable turned the right direction where it rests.

My guitar works perfectly w/t tuner fitting right above the nut as the whole headstock is flat. The only problem w/the location is if I want to hang the guitar up on a wall mount I have to remove the tuner. So, I keep it in a stand.

These tuners are so convenient I'll never use anything else. When playing acoustically w/o a system I can still do quick checks between songs w/o a stomp box or anything. And ambient noise from other players, etc. doesn't seem to effect them so far. But, the best thing is that they use the same type of batteries that are used in our dogs' 'invisible fence' shock collars. When we got the system installed included is a lifetime supply of the batteries.

[mandobassman]

How is the NS Mini's visibility outside? That was one of my biggest issues with the Snark Red, aside from battery consumption. First time I used it outside I could not see the display at all. Fortunately, I still had my IMT-500 with me, which I could see fine.

[greg_tsam]

I recently bought the PW Mini b/c I loved the size. When it's on my headstock you can't tell it's there. The problem is it doesn't fit behind the nut and has to be placed at the top. No matter where it sits, it can't tune my mando to save it's pathetic, cutesy little diminutive life. I've given up on it and went back to my Snark (black w white ltrs) that can tune in a noisy place at the end of my headstock.

Guess it wasn't meant to be.

[mandroid]

Haven't broken my first Intellitouch yet. it still works, the Korg CA 100 was ok for 20 years ,
on/off switch went DNF.

I need to find another with a 1/4" input for the banjo bridge clip tuner pickup.

[mandogoshen]

How is the NS Mini's visibility outside? That was one of my biggest issues with the Snark Red, aside from battery consumption. First time I used it outside I could not see the display at all. Fortunately, I still had my IMT-500 with me, which I could see fine.

I'm sure in direct sunlight the display may be problematic. My answer is going to be draping a dark cloth over the tuner/display. That ought to work. Or I'll just use my old stomp tuner if it's too bright outside. One of the reasons my wife and I got a 10'x20' enclosable, collapsible tent was for playing gigs out side either to block the sun or rain. One can block off three sides and still be able to play out front. It can be completely enclosed for set-up and things like that, but mainly we got it for outdoor gigs here in TN. They can be BRUTAL w/o some sort of shade.

[Ivan Kelsall]

The rather poorly lit display is the only downside to the Snark tuner.It's fine used indoors,but i could see a problem in using it in sunlight - not that we get much in the UK !. My Intelli's on the other hand are fine for everyday use & have a very bright display,but a rather less than 'bright' sensitivity to the notes,but good enough,
Ivan

[Cal]

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