Never ceases to amaze me that as guitar players we spend all of our time, money, and determination in search of the elusive "ultimate tone", only to ironically cut corners on our accessories.

How many times have you seen a guitar player strap up a historic Les Paul or Custom Shop Strat with a $10 strap with no strap locks! Even worse, plugging these guitars into a Soldano SLO head, again using a $10 cord! It's the same scenario with a portable tuner. How many times have you settled with tuning your guitar with an inferior tuner? Don't let this happen to you, it just doesn't make sense, and thanks to Peterson and their new "StroboStomp" pedal tuner, you won't have to. In this month's product review, we are anxious to try this new pedal, which sports the convenience of a pedal tuner, with the dependability and accuracy of strobe tuning.

The VS-S StroboStomp is designed with the needs of live players in mind. Most players want simplistic, yet accurate tuning that they can access quickly. In a live setting, rapid reference reliable tuning is protocol for a professional performance. Your guitar will go out of tune when you sometimes least expect it, so be prepared. We all know how horrible it is when you hear a guitar in a mix that's out of tune. It's like a singer singing just a bit flat, it makes you want to stand on your tippy toes!

First of all, Peterson has incorporated their industry respected "strobe tuning" technology into a rugged, all aluminum cast housing that can handle the rigors of the road. Strobe tuning technology is far superior to led or needle tuners, up to 30x more accurate in fact, and believe me you'll hear the difference. The StroboStomp also doubles as a full-fledged DI for acoustic guitars and electric and acoustic basses. This is a way cool feature complete with a balanced (XLR) signal path and ground switch. Electric guitar players can "tap" this DI signal using an XLR to 1/4" adapter, to power a second amp, or send a "dry" signal to a recording console. The "StroboStomp" is of course true bypass, meaning of course that when the tuner is in bypass mode, both the input and output are disconnected from the tuner signal path, ensuring that absolutely no coloration of the original signal will be present. In short, it won't affect your tone in the slightest.

Getting Started...
In our test of the "StroboStomp", I first use a Tacoma acoustic equipped with a Fishman Prefix Plus electronics package. After inserting the supplied 9V battery, you are good to go right out of the box with no special adjustments needed. Although the StroboStomp has an incredible list of features, never before found in a pedal tuner, getting started tuning is a breeze. Since this tuner is designed to be utilized as an in line tuner, there is no external microphone to tune up an acoustic instrument. Again this tuner is designed for performing situations so you would be more then likely in line at all times.

The StroboStomp is easy to use, with a straight forward, no nonsense design. After simply plugging in to the input of the StroboStomp, the backlit lCd screen will register a three bar strobe and an indication of the actual note that you are tuning. From the floor, both the strobe lCd and note identification are easy to read and cuts through well in dim lighting. For those of you who have used strobe technology in the past you know that a sensitive touch is required to achieve a solid accurate reading. Upon chiming a harmonic "A", the StroboStomp immediately goes to work. Since strobe tuning technology is super accurate, best results are achieved by chiming the note and utilize subtle tuning key adjustments. This guitar was in the ballpark of standard A440 pitch, which is how the StroboStomp is programmed out of the box. The key is to get the three segment bar strobes to remain perfectly still. If you are sharp the strobes drift north, if you are flat, the strobes drift south. As you get closer and closer to the desired note pitch, the velocity of the strobes will appear slower and slower, until ultimately, the three segment bar strobe will remain perfectly still. This is when the note you are tuning is in perfect tune. That's it! Bring me a beer! Obviously you repeat this process until each string is in perfect tune. And believe me, as I mentioned earlier, you will hear the difference. Since strobe tuning is 30x more accurate then lCd or needle tuners, the difference is amazing. How many times have you used a cheap tuner and it read you were in tune, but how come it doesn't sound like it? Not with the StroboStomp. When you are in tune you know you are in tune, and you hear it! Although strobe tuning can be extremely sensitive, I found the StroboStomp to be remarkably quick and reliably accurate.

The StroboStomp is totally decked out with all the tuning bells and whistles including adjustable pitch calibration that ranges from A=433Hz to A=447Hz, Peterson sweetened custom GuitarTM and BassTM, as well as 12 string tunings. Drop tuning & capo transposition tunings and a way cool temperament for tuning guitars that are equipped with the Buzz Feiten® tuning systems, even 12 string Buzz Feiten equipped guitars. I used this on my Baker BI, and it worked like a charm. All of these options are accessed through the front panel menu, and select buttons. I found the menu programs easy to understand, and storing programs for custom tunings was a breeze. The StroboStomp of course is equipped with both 9V DC input and output for external powering and chaining effects.

All In Tune...
The Peterson StroboStomp is a marvel breakthrough in pedal tuner technology. Never before has the accuracy and reliability of strobe tuning technology been available from your pedal board. The StroboStomp is easy to use, extremely accurate, and built to stand up to the rigors of the road. As a DI, the StroboStomp is clean and transparent, in true bypass mode; no degradation of tone is present. At a list price of $309 and a street price of around $190, the StroboStomp's price point is in reach of working musicians who want superior tuning. Doubling as a high quality DI and an incredibly accurate tuner, the StroboStomp in my opinion is a must have for live performers who appreciate the value of really being in tune...

Information

Peterson Electro-Musical Products Inc.
11601 S. Mayfield Avenue
Alsip, IL 60803
708-388-3311
www.petersontuners.com
www.strobostomp.com