Figure  1 – The Fender PT-100 chromatic guitar tuner

I think i’ve found one of the most useful pieces of equipment any guitarist can own! Such statements shouldn’t be made lightly, but in this case I stand by it. If you need a new tuner you really should consider this one. In the PT-100, Fender have a solid, durable and, most importantly, easy to use tuner that works for guitar and bass. It does the job, and it does it well.

So what’s so special? Surely a tuner is a tuner? Well, yes and no. The first thing you notice about the PT-100 is its weight; this is a rugged, heavy-duty stage tuner. Its die-cast metal casing isn’t going to break, and the hinged battery cover is screwed down – this will survive a good gigging for sure. But the weight has another advantage for simple home-tuning. When you plug in to tune it stays where it is. How annoying is it to have a lightweight tuner that can’t bear the weight of the cable that plugs into it, and ends up on the floor, usually in two pieces with the battery hanging out?

Of course the floor is where this tuner is designed to be. The LEDs that tell you whether you are flat, sharp, or just right, are very bright indeed. You’ll be able to tune from standing in any lighting conditions…. and seeing as this is a chromatic tuner there are no switches to flip. Just lights to tell you which way to go!

 The PT-100 has two outputs, the second for muted tuning. Silent adjustments can be made mid-set, purely by stepping on the pedal. And when the input jack is removed no more power is drawn from the battery. Never again will you unpack for rehearsal to find a flat battery from when you left it on last time! And when it is time, the battery can be accessed by loosening the screw on the underside. Here again Fender have thought of everything; this simple large slot-head isn’t going to fall out, yet can be opened with a small coin or stiff plectrum.

 This is a great piece of equipment, and although more expensive than some lighter tuners, it really is worth every cent.

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• See also Fender AG-6 guitar tuner

Figure 1 - Drop D tuning is popular among many music types- such as grunge. Nirvana’s “Heart Shaped Box” used Drop D Tuning.

The only requirement necessary before starting is to tune the guitar in standard tuning. Once standard tuning is in check, we can get startd on going to Drop D. The easy part about Drop D tuning is that we are only modifying one string- the sixth to be exact (the thickest gauge string). The fourth string in standard tune is a D string, so it can be used as a reference. Simply pluck the fourth string, while plucking the sixth string. In standard tuning, this will make two distinct notes. Adjust the sixth string until these notes are virtually the same.

This can be done more quickly with a tuner, but when one isn’t handy this is a great solution. With this type of tuning, power chords are incredibly simple. Try holding down and strumming the bottom three strings- simple isn’t it? This position can be moved all the way up and down the fret board and still sound great. Normally, this would sound horrible in standard tuning- not to mention there is less strain on the hand- making Drop D tuning ideal for fast players.

Figure 2 - The lowered octave on the 6th string makes a perfect chord when strumming the three bottom strings in-line!

Reverting back to standard tuning is almost as simple. This usually requires ear training, or the help of a guitar tuner. Tuning to Drop D was simpler, because we could easily pluck the fourth string as a reference. Aside from the need of a little experience in tuning or the presence of a tuner, going back to standard tuning is just as simple- only one string needs to be modified.

Songs that are dependent upon power chords will most likely require Drop D tuning. A lot of rhythm guitarists in bands have this tuning, as it makes chord progression incredibly easy and less prone to error. The best part is, switching between Drop D and standard tuning is as easy as modifying one simple string. To test Drop D tuning out for the first time, it is recommended that you play “Spoonman” by Soundgarden with standard tuning, and then again in Drop D- to see just how easier it really is, and how great it sounds.