The 3 Best Ukulele Tuners

Do you ever pick up your ukulele –all excited to play– and strum a chord, only to be met with the dissonant sound of an out-of-tune instrument? Nuts. What now? Here’s the solution: the best ukulele tuners on the market in 3…2…1!

Do you pull out your phone and open a tuning app? Or do you try to do it by ear, using each string to tune the one below it? We have all been there. It works, but it takes time and effort you could be putting towards your uke playing, and there is a better way. Trust me. Electric, clip-on tuners are incredibly portable, accurate, and fast. And unlike your phone, you can always keep them with your uke, ready to go at a moment’s notice!

So what should you look for in a tuner? What are the most important features? How much should you expect to pay? Fear not, I’ve got you covered! Down below are my top 3 choices – in no particular order – for clip-on uke tuners, all conveniently available at our store, store.ukeliketheprose.com, the number one online store for all things ukulele!

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Let’s get started!

D’Addario Micro Headstock Clip-On Tuner

You might know D’Addario for their strings, but they make tuners as well!

Looks pretty cool, doesn’t it? The Micro Headstock Clip-On Tuner is very low profile and is designed to stay on your uke at all times. A lot of stage performers like this tuner because it is easy to hide on the back of the headstock where the audience can’t see it. If you don’t like the look of a tuner bobbing around on the end of your uke (hey, you do you), or are worried about it getting knocked off when moving around a lot (it happens, trust me!) then this could be the best option for you.

Highlights:

• Auto shut off feature: This is the only tuner I’ve found with an auto shut off feature. Given the number of times I have forgotten to turn off a tuner and drained the battery, I would have to say this is a real genius move on D’Addario’s part for including this.
• Solid ratchet clamp attachment style: Most clip-on tuners are more like chip clips, and I believe would be more prone to wearing out with use. To be fair, I have never had one wear out in many years of using them, but I don’t keep mine on 24/7.
• Low Profile Design: As I said above, if you don’t want a tuner hanging off the end of your uke like an antenna, or are worried about bumping into things/knocking it off, this is your tuner.
• Affordability: At $19.99, it is a pretty low price point. Plus, you can save money by buying 2 Micro Headstock Tuners at once!

Kala Klips Rechargeable Chromatic Clip-On Tuner

Here’s a brand any uke player will recognize. Kala is probably the most popular uke brand out there, and they make great products for beginners and pros. The Kala Klipz Rechargeable Chromatic Clip-On Tuner is no exception.

A little less flashy than the D’Addario Micro, this tuner will certainly stand out on your headstock. On the plus side, it comes in different colors,  you can rotate the screen a full 360, and it’s rechargeable! You can also toggle through a few different instrument settings (ukulele, guitar, bass, and violin), or set it to chromatic, which is a great feature.

Highlights:

• Rechargeable: Save time and money! The Kala Klipz features a rechargeable battery with a 5.5-hour life span. This is my favorite feature in any tuner (aside from the ability to tune of course!). You’ll never have to spend time looking for those tiny CR2023 batteries again if you go rechargeable. Just keep the USB cable (included) in your uke case and you are good to go!
• Comes in multiple colors: The Kala Klipz Tuner comes in black, white, and gray. Maybe not the flashiest options, but hey, options nonetheless!
• Chromatic tuner: Works for other instruments and other uke tunings.
• Affordability: Just like the D’Addario Micro, The Kala Klipz comes in at $19.99.

D’Addario PW-CT-26 Nexxus 360 Rechargeable Tuner

Yep, another D’Addario. What can I say, they make great tuners!

The PW-CT-26 Nexxus boasts an incredibly impressive 24-hour battery life, and while not as sleek as the Micro, is very durably built. There’s not much else to say about this one. It is a little more pricey, coming in at $29.99, but it is well worth it in my opinion. It has the flexibility of the Kala Klipz, and the durability of the D’Addario Micro.

Highlights:

• Rechargeable: Rechargeable battery with a 24 hour life, USB cable included.
• Durable: Solid construction with heavy-duty clip.

So there you have it! These are my top 3 choices for electric clip-on ukulele tuners. I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful as you search for which tuner works best for you!

For more lessons on chords, techniques, and songs, make sure to tune into our site, www.ukelikethepros.com.  We offer you a bunch of great ukulele content that comes hand-in-hand with an awesome ukulele community that will support you in this journey.