|
|
Joined:
November 2012
Posts: 135
Location: New Bern, NC | Three things in one post: 1) What's your favorite tuning app for both iPad/iPhone as well as tablet/android devices? I love my Korg chromatic tuner, but I don't have it with me all the time, so I'd like to have an app I can use when I don't have my Korg handy. 2) What string cleaner do you recommend, if you use one? 3) My "new" (actually used) O that arrived yesterday has a little piece of plastic missing from the end of the case, like something whacked it. The guy who sold it to me said that's how he got it when he purchased it from someone. Are the black cases for the newer models just not as good as the old brown ones? My Custom Legend has one of the old brown cases and it has taken a tremendous beating over the years. It's been everywhere! One of the latches doesn't work well anymore, but despite all that abuse there are no cracks or gashes in it. Should I try to replace this case with a better case or does it really matter that much. I will post pics of my "new" O soon. I promise. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 849
Location: Canada | I think there are already different types of the black cases (e.g. 8158). The one that came with the O I bought about 10 years ago had a small Ovation name with metallic colour embossed. The case of the LX which I received two weeks ago has a much larger logo without colouring. It feels fairly sturdy and looks like this:
http://www.ovationguitars.com/cases/product/molded_case_for_deep_co...
Edited by d'ovation 2013-03-23 11:14 PM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2012
Posts: 135
Location: New Bern, NC | The case that came with this O doesn't look like any of the cases listed on the ovationguitars.com site. Hmmm... This guitar is a Custom Elite C2078 LX with a deep contour body. The case has an hourglass shape. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | The app I use is TuneUp from Planet Waves. My old Korg is also my go to tuner and this app is just as accurate.
The tuner in my ex 05C was absolutely useless.
I tried a clip on type, Gogo, but it's useless too. I can get it in tune better with my ears.
My string cleaner of choice is called 'replace them'. Sorry I can't be more helpful there. I've still got some little samples of string cleaner in my gear bag that I've never opened. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | String Cleaner?
Maybe I don't have really oily fingers, but I don't use any.
If I think about it I will wipe the strings down...
But if the strings are that nasty it is time to change them.
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2012
Posts: 811
Location: Thredbo, NSW, Australia | I have a Korg tuner, and a couple of Android apps.
Gstrings is free, and is as accurate as the Korg tuner when I've compared them.
There is also an L&M Guitar app. The full name is Gibson's Learn and Master Guitar. Its also free.
Like Muzza, I've found the built in tuners on my Os to be unreliable.
There are also some apps that will show you chord shapes, which can be handy. Basicchords and Chord Free.
Edited by BanjoJ 2013-03-24 1:46 AM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 849
Location: Canada | What exactly is the purpose of a tuner app? I used to tune by ear, but my new O has OP-Pro with built in tuner, which I actually comes in handy with 12-string. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Like I said in my post above, the OP Pro in my '05C was so inaccurate I hardly ever used it. There were times that, if I was in a noisy room and didn't have my Korg, I'd use the crappy built in tuner to get close but finish it by ear. Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, (as it happens, i'm STILL in a land far, far away!) I used to be able to tune a 6 string to concert pitch by ear - to within a few cents, or bang on the money. I can't seem to do it now, but I still KNOW when it's even a LITTLE bit out. It drives me nuts. An example of where you may need it? We have a Tanglewood in the lunchroom at work. I don't take my Korg tuner with me everywhere, but I do take my iPhone everywhere with me. Some of my colleagues are only beginners so the iPhone gets used a lot after they've had a crack at tuning. I remember the first time someone showed me a guitar tuner on an iPhone. It was a crappy inaccurate one too, so that first experience didn't help. My first thought was "Why?", just like you. (I had my trusty Korg with me at the time) Now i wouldnt be without one. Now I've always got a tuner on me. You never know when you're going to come across a stray guitar and feel the need to strum a few. BanjoJ - 2013-03-24 4:44 PM Like Muzza, I've found the built in tuners on my Os to be unreliable. Maybe something mysterious happens to the preamp's electronics when they cross the Equator? They're not designed to work upside down... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Snark!
This thread just inspired me buy another one.
I have a Planet Waves NS Mini Headstock tuner and had it attached to the headstock of my Epiphone Ultra and when it said it was tuned it still sounded funky. (not in a good way)
So I put my Snark on there and now it sounds fine.
Maybe the battery in the NS was getting low, or maybe to was not placed in an optimal place.
As to the app... I just try to keep a tuner in my case.
(In the old daze I could just hum a middle C and go from there)
Anyway... Those Snark thingies seem pretty accurate, and they are pretty cheap.
Edited by Old Man Arthur 2013-03-24 5:13 AM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 2985
Location: Sydney, Australia | I use Cleartune on my iPhone - I'm happy with it and prefer it to the built in tuner on the VIP. I don't clean my strings - if they get dirty they need replacing. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4049
Location: Utah | String Cleaner: I don't like anything other than water going on the strings because it will build up and make them sound bad. I always wash my hands even if they feel clean before playing, and then wipe the strings and guitar down with a dry soft cloth (old flannel bed sheet cut into rags). It seems to work pretty well. If corrosion is a problem you could use a coated string like the Elixirs. They sounded ok on my O 2007 Collectors Edition. On my electrics I am running flatwounds (on the Hamer semi-hollow) and pure nickel "burnished" which are slightly polished on the solid body O's. They don't seem to have a problem with corrosion or build up.
I remember though when I lived in humid places having much more of an issue with corrosion, especially the plain strings. Anyhow, my suggestion is to try to avoid needing a string cleaning chemical. At one time I used Finger Ease to kill the squeekies. I worried about what the chemical might do to the wood or other surfaces of the guitar so I stopped using it (but I'm weird about hating chemicals so don't let me sway your decision, I'm just admitting why I stopped using it).
Cases: I find the older cases seem a tad brittle. I think the plastic ages and loses some flexibility. Older cases seem more sturdily built than new ones, maybe they used thicker plastic back then, idk, but I think a new case today should be stronger than a 35 yr old case is today. But that is mostly academic because if your case has to take a fatal amount of abuse to it, you need to fire your roadie! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2012
Posts: 135
Location: New Bern, NC | Perfect example of needing a tuner app on a phone: I was at my local drug store not long ago when a friend of mine walked in saying she had her dad's old 12-string in her car. She had offered to sell it to me but hadn't shown it to me yet. So, I walked out to her car got the guitar, walked back in the drug store, and sat in one of the waiting chairs to await my prescriptions. While I sat there waiting I wanted to play the guitar a little. Yeah, I'm not shy. It was badly out of tune and I didn't have my Korg with me. So, I quickly browsed some tuners from the andriod app store and found Gstrings that BanjoJ mentioned above. I tuned up the guitar and played around with it. It had some problems so I took it immediately to the local music store where I know the guys very well. I dropped it off to have it looked at to see if the problems could be remedied. Turns out it needed more work that I realized, a lot more than it was worth.
I liked the Gstrings app, but have not found a comparable app for my iPad yet. I have three electronic chromatic tuners, two of which are Korgs. I keep one at home, one at the school where I teach elementary music, and one at the studio where I teach private guitar lessons. I also use a contact mic which makes tuning even more accurate:
http://www.amazon.com/Korg-CM-100L-Contact-Microphone-Tuners/dp/B00...
You never know when you're going to need a tuner though! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 849
Location: Canada | I don't know too much about iPhones and modern gadgets, but I assume the way it works is you hold it in front of the guitar and play the note and then the tuner app would show how accurate the note is right? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | D'ovation, Yes. Which is why I said I was sometimes forced to use the built in tuner in noisy environments. Meredith, I've installed the TuneUp (Planet Waves) app on my ipad, even tho it's an iPhone app. I just hit the 2X button to make it fill the screen. Many other iPad music apps like GarageBand and Amplitube have VERY accurate tuners built in to the UI, which can also prove handy.
Edited by muzza 2013-03-24 5:24 PM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6994
Location: Jet City | Guitar Toolkit is my absolute favorite and most used music app on my iPhone/ipad
It has various uses including scales, chords, etc, and can be set for everything from 6/7 string guitars, 4-6 string basses, mando, uke, banjo, etc.
Oh yeah, the tuner works awesome. Way more accurate than the onboard ones (they're horrible), and does a much better job unplugged than any of my stand alone tuners. PLUS it's always with me. I haven't used another tuner (besides the one on my pedal board) for ages.
The absolute BEST guitar utility app in my mind. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | The other apps I use regularly apart from TuneUp is TapTempo, Amazing Slow Downer and OnSong. There are a few chord finders and scale apps, but I hardly ever use them. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 1889
Location: Central Massachusetts | PolyTune is a great iPhone tuner app... Tune all 6 strings at once. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | If I was just testing out a guitar and it didn't have to be tuned EXACTLY to E, I can certainly tune it by ear....without even using the harmonics or the 5th fret. After all this time of playing, I know what the 6 (or 12) strings are supposed to sound like in relation to each other. I can even tune to alternate tunings by ear.
Edited by BobG 2013-03-25 5:53 AM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 849
Location: Canada | muzza - 2013-03-24 4:02 AM
Like I said in my post above, the OP Pro in my '05C was so inaccurate I hardly ever used it.
When you say "inaccurate" do you mean that in the sense that it does not tune true with respect to an absolute reference frequency, or that individual strings are not correct to each other?
I think if it's the first case you can easily calibrate with respect to any other reference, and it's also possible that you unintentionally calibrated it. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2010
Posts: 823
Location: sitting at my computer | Meredith, can't help ya with apps, I'm still using an old ancient dumb phone, but for the strings, I bought a ghs String Cleaning Cloth. It does clean crud out. I only use it occasionally though because after each playing I wipe the guitar off throughly with a clean, soft, cotton cloth. That seems to help the strings last awhile longer, but ultimately as muzza posted, "replace them" is what works best. imho ymmv So how come these on-board tunas are such flounders? Just poor quality units, or poor quality control?? Is there a way for us (or a tech) to properly check/adjust/calibrate them???
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | merlin666 - 2013-03-26 1:18 AM muzza - 2013-03-24 4:02 AM Like I said in my post above, the OP Pro in my '05C was so inaccurate I hardly ever used it. When you say "inaccurate" do you mean that in the sense that it does not tune true with respect to an absolute reference frequency, or that individual strings are not correct to each other? I think if it's the first case you can easily calibrate with respect to any other reference, and it's also possible that you unintentionally calibrated it. Innaccurate means innaccurate. When the tuner says the string is on pitch, but your ear tells you otherwise, and a known-to-be-accurate tuner confirms it - it's innaccurate. Some strings would tune properly, some wouldn't, so it sounded like sh1t to my ears. TAFKAR would confirm that I've got a pretty good ear for a crap guitarist. The on board tuners seem to be either hit or miss, or accurate enough for the masses. I didn't know you could calibrate an OP Pro tuner, but calibration wasn't the issue - they're just crap tuners on great guitars. Anyway, I no longer own an A/E Ovation so it's no longer a problem. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2008
Posts: 1453
Location: Texas | Speaking of apps; I just got the May issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine. It has an article on "35 Great Apps for Acoustic Guitarists." PLUS, the cover story is about Kaki King, and the cover photo is a great shot of Kaki with her signature Adamas. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2011
Posts: 741
Location: Fort Worth, TX | My favorite tuner came in an app for my iPod I paid ten dollars for (for the app) called Guitar Toolkit. It's the most thorough guitar app I've found with the capability of clicking an arrow to see the same scale in any key as it moves up the neck. It would have been a great thing to have along with Stan Nowlin's scale approach I posted about in another thread. You could also find any chord on a guitar in a number of different locations up the neck. It had the added capability of sound when you struck a note on the fingerboard and excellent instruction on arpeggios. I lost the iPod on a recent trip but have remotely programmed it to play an annoying sound when turned on along with my phone number to return it to me. I was also able to erase it and lock it so it can't be reprogrammed by whoever finds it. If it doesn't show up soon I will have to replace it with a new one. Thanks to iTunes I will be able to restore my music library and all my apps when I connect a new one to the PC. Is this a great age we live in or what? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 849
Location: Canada | I am using Guitar Pro as a learning tool on my laptop which has a tuner function. There are also some mobile versions including iPhone, but I'm not sure if they have a tuner as well ... maybe someone can report how useful this is:
http://www.guitar-pro.com/en/index.php?pg=product-iphone-ipad#/inte... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6994
Location: Jet City | I have Guitar Pro on my iphone and iPad and desktop and use it for TAB mostly when learning a new song. I have tuners in a few other apps too, but the tuner in Guitar Toolkit is the one I prefer |
|
| |
fav tuning app, string cleaner, etc.
