Strobopick Review:

[Peter Snowberg]

After seeing the Strobopick on this forum, I just had to have one. Too cool.

Well, I got it today and was so excited that I just had to say something. I've barely used it yet and already it's just wonderful.

I bought it on e-bay direct from Apocrypha Group Ltd. for $37.95 including shipping. It took 10 days to arrive via regular US mail (including a 3-day weekend) and was packaged in a laser cut (!) cardboard holder that appears to be made from recycled material :mrgreen:, which was then inside a padded mailing envelope. Contents arrived in perfect shape.

I looks very DIY, with a home-etched board and only 12 parts, including the two batteries. The magic of this humble package is all tucked inside the PIC that runs the show.

This unit includes a little speaker to match the target note which is a very nice feature. Rather than use a piezo transducer, a little electromagnetic speaker is used so your pickups get it too!

I love this thing!

You can tune by eye or ear and they're both more accurate than meter based tuners.

I give it 5 Bootsies!

http://www.strobotron.com/

Normally this post would belong in the Lounge, but I really want people to see what a little digital help can bring to DIY music products. This is a really cool item!!!

Simple PIC subsystems can be built in a TINY space while the functionality they offer can be HUGE.

See the ASMOP article over at GEO for an example of a perfect integration of digital and analog. ....something about the sum being greater than all the parts together.

[Peter Snowberg]

Oh yea.... you can also use it while playing. Put some thick distortion in the effects chain and start hammering notes with one hand while waving the strobopick past the pickups.

I was just having fun with it and a Midiverb II into a Valvestate set for OD.

[petemoore]

Cool strobe tuner...Slick design.
 Turns out you don't need the wheel and the frequency light after all !!!

[puretube]

Kewl!

[marduk]

That's really cool. But is this useless if your guitar is tuned in D?

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

That's really cool. But is this useless if your guitar is tuned in D?

I'm not a guitarist.. but I imagine, if your guitar is tuned in D, there is a fret where you can make a C on any string, adjust, & try again..

[troubledtom]

i tried to buy one months ago, from the guy and he didn't even return my
emails. i hate evilbay , i been burned toooooo many times.
    i'm sure the tuner is cool, that's why i wanted one :x
                        - tom

[lovekraft0]

But is this useless if your guitar is tuned in D?

When I contacted them this past Spring, they had  one for D tuning in stock. My only problem was that I'd have to have 3, since I play in a jazz/lounge thing in standard, a blues band in Eb, and a classic rock unit in D, and I don't see how you can hold the pick next to the string, fret a note and adjust the machine head all at once without a third hand. Too bad they don't make a model that's adjustable.

[Alex C]

I don't see how you can hold the pick next to the string, fret a note and adjust the machine head all at once without a third hand..

Capo?  
This thing looks pretty neat, I'll have to look into it.

[Mike Burgundy]

The site mentions that you can contact them about alternate tunings and they can do custom work.
What a very cool idea!

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Not sure if a capo would work, does the string stretch evenly under tuning adjustment even with the capo tight??

[SonicVI]

That looks a great tuner for acoustics without pickups.