Sabine ST-1500 Tuner

Easy enough to operate.

The sound is okay for my tastes.

I've had two and both had the same problem. They couldn't pick up the 6th string E bass note. I use the harmonic to get by but even then sometimes it doesn't work. Same problem whether an electric or an acoustic guitar. My first one just stopped working at one point --- and I only used it occasionally at home and not on the road. I thought I'd take a chance with a new one again. I regret it. It was a waste of money.

They accepted that I return the tuner because of tuning problems with the 6th string E note BUT they sent it back to me with exactly the same problem. Pretty lousy.

The Sabine is not good enough for professional studio purposes. The tuner isn't as precise as the old Boss tuner I have now. Don't waste your money on one. I intend to buy a Peterson.

This tuner is about as easy as it gets. I run it off of an A/B switch (so I can cut out the amp while tuning), and it's quick and accurate.

Would be nice if it had a true bypass, but it's not essential.

This thing works for me everytime, and it's the only tuner I take to gigs. I'm a bit concerned about the fact that it's made of plastic, but I guess time will tell.

If it had a true bypass, I'd give this a "9" rating. That, coupled with the fact that it's plastic, gets this tuner an "8" on a ten-scale, given the application that I'm using it in. If I were to just use this in a studio, it would probably be "10"s across the board.

Since the mic turns on if the plug is pulled, if someone kicks the plug out during a gig then the most massive feedback you can imagine develops. A good way to fry your rig. The lights are nice.

Ive had three. Because the jacks are cheap, they can impact your sound. Also, it can insert weird noise in a failure mode. I've had three go bad. Twice it was noise problems.

Big issue. Tuners live on the floor. This think is plastic fantistic. jacks break if you step on it. Dancers kill it. It get strange noises. never again. Also - when the green light is "on" in tune, you might be 10 cents off the note. I use the tuner and then fine tune it by ear. The only reason I stuck by it so long is the lights are great in the dark, and its fast.

They have been good about trying to help - but they don't take feedback - they just deny that real players need the kind of ruggedness they are missing.

I've had it with these things. They are not made for prime time. They have insensitive input (ie a turned down guitar will not work - not off mind you, but a tele on 5.) They break, and they are not particularly accurate.

The ST-1500 is very easy to use. It's automatic & chromatic, so you just plug it in and away you go. There are no gauge's, just LED's. I found gauge's hard to work with 'cos if you look at it from the wrong angle, you often get an inaccurate reading. Kinda like sitting in the passenger seat and trying to read the speedometer!! Unlike many tuner's that use LED's, it does give you an indication of how far out you are instead of just telling you sharp or flat. It packs an awesome set of features (most of which I don't use), but what I do like is that it allows you to tune in different pitches. I often plays with strings, keys, wind and brass instruments and it is difficult at times for them to tune to me. The ST-1500 allows me to tune to them. The manual is also very easy to read. It is short and concise unlike other manuals that are comparable to 'War & Peace'!

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This unit is very reliable. You can plug it into mains power which eliminates the possibility of flat batteries mid set and you can leave it on through the whole gig. I use the power supply from my Sega! It is also very durable. There always has to be one band member who is completely blind to tners and FX units when they jump around the stage! This little tuner has been kicked around and dropped a good many times and is still going strong.

Seeking customer support sucks when you live in Australia as most companies are based in the U.S. I haven't bothere to even check out the warranty (although there is one) as it is less hassle to buy a new unit rather than ship the damaged one to the States and await it's return.

This is a worthwhile buy if you find that you are constantly retuning onstage. You can literally do this in seconds. It is also handy if you have to tune to other instruments, especially if you play with a pianist and rely on the piano being supplied by the venue (it is rare to find a well tuned piano at your corner pub!). I have owned my unit for about a year now, so unless it packs up on me in the near future, I will definitely stick to the Sabine ST-1500.