Boss TU-2 Stage Tuner

Like most tuners, this is easy to use. Turn it on and off with the foot switch and turn your tuning heads until your guitar is in tune.

It's a tuner, not an effect so there is no real sound quality. I haven't noticed any "tone suck" on my tube amp.

It's boss.

Never dealt with them.

I like that this tuner is in pedal-form and can be powered from an adapter. That way I can keep it hooked up all the time. BUT, I'm not sure how precise it is. The regular tuning mode where the LED's act like a meter seemed unreliable, like the middle LED covered too wide of a range. So I switched to the tuner to stream mode where the LED's circle around, faster when you are far out of tune and slow to a stop when you are in tune. However, that doesn't seem very precise either. Sometimes, even when this pedal says a guitar is in tune, it doesn't sound quite right and another tuner confirms it. I like the features of this tuner but I'm not sure it does a good job of the one thing it should do best.

It's pretty easy to use but then again I don't use many of its features. I just turn it on and tune. The only thing I have done otherwise is change it from "cent" to "stream." Since there are so few LED's, you almost have to use stream mode to tune accurately - there's just not enough precision otherwise.

I haven't noticed any noise when it's off. And I don't use the bypass jack so it should be silenced when it's on.

My setup is PRS Custom 22 and customized Epiphone Les Paul -> Boss TU-2 tuner -> customized DOD 250 overdrive/preamp -> Boss BF-3 flanger -> customized Vox V847 wah -> Epiphone Blues Custom 30-watt all-tube amp.

Boss seems to be well made.

Never dealt with them.

When I rate this pedal, I am comparing it to the Seiko SAT100 tuner that the Boss TU-2 replaced. I really wanted a TU-2 because, unlike the Seiko, it is in pedal-form and it can be powered with an AC adapter. I also like that the TU-2 simply shows you the nearest note including sharps and whether you are sharp or flat. The Seiko only shows you natural notes (not sharps/flats) without fooling around with the settings.

So, with all of those features, it seems like the TU-2 would be a 10, hands down. But even with all those bells and whistles, I'm not sure it's very precise. Maybe the range that it considers "in tune" is too wide. Maybe that's because the "needle" on the Seiko's display has about 50 segments as opposed to 11 big LED's on the Boss. The Seiko also tells you exactly how many hundredths a note is from being in tune.

A guitar that the Boss pedals says is perfectly in tune usually isn't quite in tune. Retuning with the Seiko will show that the Boss-tuned guitar is off a bit. I'm aware that a guitar's overall tuning can change a bit depending on things as simple as the angle that it is sitting at but notes are sometimes out of tune relative to one another, which is a bad sign. Simply put, the TU-2 is very neat and gadgety but doesn't quite do the one thing it should do best.

Very easy to use, plug in-->turn it on-->select tuning method (strobe or cent...I tend to find cent a little bit easier)--> select chromatic or one of the multiple guitar or bass tunings-->tune.
I really dont think a manual is all that nessesary for it.

It's a tuner, there isn't any noticeable tone suck at all.

I've used mine for 4 years now and haven't had a single problem with it. Its survived spilt drinks, plenty of practices, and its fair share of gigs and stomps. This pedal will probably outlast me.

I've never dealt with boss customer service, but Chris Chiandusse's service at guitar center is absolutely superb. I would never go anywhere else, and I know that if I ever run into a gear problem Chris will take care of me.

I play female fronted hard rock originals in my band Ataraxia (www.myspace.com/ataraxia1). I would recomend this pedal to anyone in a band, It is absolutely invaluble. If mine was lost or stolen I would buy another the next day.

Plug it in and step on it, it works. For any more in-depth tuning options just one read through the manual and you'll know all you need to know.

No noise when switching to or from the mute, and I can't hear any difference in tone when I'm using it.

Boss pedals are like cast-iron bricks. I wouldn't be surprised if it still worked after getting run over by a car.

No need to call them, their stuff works

I compared this to Danelectro's tuner pedal and this one beats it hands down, fast and accurate. Also it can power other pedals with a Boss style 9v adapters with the daisy chain cord. Would definitely replace it if I had to.

I find this an excellent little tuner - very easy to use, pretty stable, and built like a brick.

No noise at all that I can detect from this unit. Silent switching in an out.

I've owned a few Boss pedals over the years, and this one is built with typical Boss (high) quality. Use it constatntly for live shows.

Never had to deal with Boss for customer support, so I can't comment on the service.

I play in the pit band for a lot of local broadway shows as well as occasionally in a pickup band. I love this little unit. Not only can I do a quick check on the tuning, but it serves as an excellent muting switch between songs during a show. I'm flipping it off and on dozens of times during a performance, and has never blinked. I like the tuner section very much - it seems more stable than most, very accurate, and easy to see while standing, etc. - all the info you need and nothing more.

It's hillariously easy to use. One read through the manual and you'll know everything there is to know about it.

This is a great tuner. It's pretty much the industry standard short of a Korg rack mounted tuner.

It's made by Boss. It will never break.

...ever

I've never had to deal with them and I doubt I ever will.

This thing is flawless. I run it through a Ernie Ball VPJR Volume so it's always on. It's absolutely super.

Its not hard even though it has many options for tuning. If you can't figure it out I don't know how you're even reading this review.

What is this crap about tone sucking? Quit whining. It's just a tuner. If you don't like the way your guitar sounds through it run some sort of a bypass (like an ab switch or the tuner out on a volume pedal) and quit your whining.

It's boss for crying out loud.

I love this tuner. Its one of the most accurate tuners I've ever used. It always leaves my guitars sounding great. Plus you can set it for guitar, bass or chromatic. If you don't think the cent method of tuning is accurate enough then try the strobe method. If you still can't get your guitar in tune buy a better guitar. This is a great pedal.

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I have a solution for those of you who think the TU-2 sucks your tone and can live without using the pedal as a mute-switch... the input buffer on the pedal has a very high impedance (about 1 meg-ohm in fact!) so all you need to do is eliminate going through the internal circuitry that alters the tone. By definition, BOSS uses the input buffer to present a high-impedance load to the guitar - but then they convert the signal to a low-impedance with a buffer follower that MAY present problems with some pedals that expect to see a high impedance signal source (typical of older "vintage" pedals like fuzzface).

If you can live without the mute function, clip the yellow wire that goes to the BYPASS jack at the board and wire it directly to the lug on the input jack (I think it has a green or brown wire). Be careful to leave a little stub of yellow wire on the board at the original location should you ever choose to reverse this mod.

Now, just plug into the tuner as normal and use the BYPASS jack to send the signals to the rest of your chain. The pedal operates just as before... but now presents no load to your signal and no active circuitry is involved to muck up your tone. Any following pedals will still see a high-impedance signal source just as if you plugged your guitar straight in. If you still want to use the pedal as a MUTE pedal for tuning.. then you have to use the standard output jack and go through the active buffer circuits in the pedal.

I just use the pedal to turn the tuner on when I need it and run my signal through the BYPASS jack (now in parallel with the INPUT jack).

Very easy to use!

I didn't notice the "tone sucking" as much as others, so that's not an issue, although, it may take a little high end off.
I have NEVER posted a negative review, but, this is necessary!
The one I have does not tune properly!
It tunes E,A,D well, but G, B, and high E are sharp!
I have an extremely beat up 22 year old Arion Stage Tuner that is 10X better than this Boss!
The only other tuner I would buy is that Digital Strobe tuner, I forget who makes it, but a friend of mine paid $179 for one and loves it!!

I would not buy another one, or recommend it to anyone!!

Are you kidding me? Plug in, tune up, and play! Whats hard about that?

Hasnt changed my sound at all! Im Running a Gibson SG Standard Through Tu2->DOD delay->EHX Small CLone ->Vox V847 wah -> Vox Ac 15 Classic, and it kicks ass!

its really dependable. it could drain batteries if you are stupid and leave it plugged in, but i have a godlyke power all and it works amazing with that power supply! ive used it in every gig ive played since i got it and it hasnt busted yet. its a boss what else is there to say

havent needed it

i am palying a bluesy rock and ska style (i know its a weird combo) and have been playing for 6 years now. ive only had the pedal for one and it has proven itslef to me. dont buy the fender pos plastic one. the tuner sucks on it and you are never completely in tune. i read some reviews from some tools on this page that say the boss doesnt put you completely in tune. well for 80 bucks its not gonna be perfect but i find that i am almost always in tune. it might be that you have a crappy guitar that just palin sucks and its not the pedal!