Fender FT-1 Pro Clip-On Tuner

The best clip-on tuner I’ve ever used

I am very impressed with this Fender tuner. It’s much easier to use than any of the other tuners I’ve owned in the past and much more accurate. I love how it pegs the note and lights up green when it’s correct. Now if I can keep my dog from chewing it up (he has eaten 3 Snarks so far) it will be a useful tool keeping my babys in tune for years to come.

Want to Tune Your Guitar? Buy a Screwdriver.

To turn on the tuner, you first have to insert the included battery. But to insert it, you have to remove a screw, which requires a Phillips-head screwdriver—and that is not included. For some reason, the manufacturer assumes everyone already owns one. So, just to use this tuner, I now have to buy a screwdriver set and wait for it to be delivered. Absolutely ridiculous.

You're going to need a lil "bit" of help with this one. . .

Oh Fender. Someone tinked around with your tuner design and they shouldn't have.

I switched to Fender tuners from Snark because when the Snarks get old, the softer plastic degrades in a horribly tacky way and I can't stand to touch them. Fender has a harder plastic and that seems to age better.

But, this last tuner came with a design change: there is now a tiny screw that you have to loosen to access the battery compartment. Not that the batteries ever seemed to come loose or fall out, they just decided throwing a screw in there was a good idea.

Be prepared to search around for just the right size Phillips bit for this, I found that a teeny jeweler's screwdriver didn't have enough torq, and many others were not the right size and I was afraid I might strip the tiny screw.

I finally did find the correct size bit, I don't know exactly how to identify the size, but am including a photo so you might be able to guess it. (I have very small hands for size reference).

Other than that, tuner works fine as these tuners go, not a Strobe but "close enough for rock & roll".

And Fender, you might want to reconsider hiring ambitious engineers that don't leave well enough alone.

Have a screwdriver before purchasing!

You will need a tiny screwdriver to install the battery, which was a little inconvenience but nun the less great simple and effective product.

Schrodinger's Clip on. It's Both Good and Bad at the Same Time.

This unit tuning matches exactly when attached to a guitar headstock and an inline electronic tuner. A couple of problems with it though. The battery compartment needs a small Philips head screw driver, that is obviously machine set at the factory. It's really tough to initially loosen and install the provided 2032 battery. Also, the spring tightness on the unit sent to me is so high that I need channel lock pliers to open it up enough to use. It measures about 10 pounds to squeeze it. I fear it may indent the guitar finish if left too long on the instrument. The D'Addario Eclipse clip on that I also just bought, is easy to install the battery and squeeze to install on a guitar. But, it's inaccurate compared to the inline tuner. So, I'm temped to return both.

0:29

Tiny Powerhouse

Easy to read, easy to use. Even though I use the Fender tuner app on my phone often enough (and the Ovation has a tuner built in) this has earned a place in the bag and on the headstock. Well built, with a clamp that stays clamped, a swivel that's snug, and a battery compartment that stays shut. Tells you what note it's hearing, and the needle indicates the drift.

Polite little unit even shuts itself off if you forget.

0:12

If you don't have a teeny tiny screwdriver that's in good shape. You're out of luck..

It's a very nice tuner, but......

i'm a professional musician and I am out of town and I don't have my clip on guitar tuner with me so I sent away for this and I get ready to go to the gig because it's got its own battery. Then I find out in order to open the battery cavity to insert the battery. You need a very, very, very tiny small screwdriver. So I wouldn't recommend it unless you have one because a little teeny tiny screwdriver that you need is not something you can buy at the grocery store or you might be able to go to a hardware store which may take you quite a while, depending on where you live and so forth. So I'm giving it one star because it's a pain. Also the screwdriver has to be sharp because the screw is very tight in there. Aside from that I really like it a lot. It's simple to see and bright and seems to tune well. Since I've only had it for 10 minutes, I would give it a four star. I might even give it a five star if it keeps working but for a previous explanation, I give it a one star.