Kemper tuner to set intonation?

  • I'm wondering if the Kemper's tuner is on par with (or better than) some of the higher-end tuners people use to set intonation. I use the Kemper day-to-day to tune strings, but now that I'm getting better at setting up my own guitars, I'm thinking of investing in a tuner in the US$250 range for intonation adjustment. If the Kemper is equal to or better than tuners in this price range, there's no point, obviously. What's the general consensus on this? Thanks!

  • Thanks. Have you noticed subpar results with other-than-standard tuning? I have an SG that's tuned down one-and-a half steps across the board for Sabbath tunes so I need something that can give me good results with this beast as well.

  • The Kemper tuner is very accurate. I set my intonation with it and have no problems at all on standard tuned guitars. I only wish it could do offsets for Buzz Feiten tuning.


    Ok sorry, I misread your post. I should be good with the droptuned rig as well.


    Cool tracks by the way!

  • http://www.bestguitareffects.c…review-best-guitar-tuner/


    Almost all of Tom Anderson guitars owners use this ST 200 tuner from Sonic Research , because of amazing accuracy and presets management. (TAG's have a BF tuning system ) .
    Probably "the best " tuner I ever had, and for sure the best "accessory " for guitars ever.
    (and it is not $250 but $139 !!!! http://www.amazon.com/Turbo-Tu…trobe-Stomp/dp/B003RPK4BK )
    When local shop here in SA ordered first 8 TAGs, they sold about 20 of ST 200 on the top of 8 ones ,bought by TAG buyers.


    Unfortunately KPA tuner doesn't match my ST 200 .
    All of my guitars get out of tune so much that it is funny when using KPA tuner. :D
    So I am using KPA tuner for LCD blinking, it looks cool in the dark !

    1988 Branko Radulovic Hand Made Strat in Macedonia (SFRJ)

    2006 Steve Vai vwh moded with SS frets and Sustainac 2006 (Japan)

    2008 Fender YJM , moded (USA)

    2010 Tom Andersons Drop Top 2010 (made in California)

    2017 Charvel GG sig Caramelised Ash (USA)

    2022 Gibson ES 335 2011 Custom Shop Cherry of course ( Memphis)

  • Ok sorry, I misread your post. I should be good with the droptuned rig as well.


    Cool tracks by the way!


    Thanks for the kind words!


    Yeah, guitar tuning is an art of compromise based on playing style and instrument. The Kemper's tuner is very accurate for single unfretted notes where there are no other variables. Once those variables are introduced the art of tuning comes into effect and this doesn't reflect as a deficiency in the Kemper's ability to tune but lack of options to compromise.

  • Thanks for the replies.


    Did some reading on the Sonic Research tuner and everyone seems to love this thing! Looks like that's the way to go. Great tip, really appreciate it!

  • Pleasure :D

    1988 Branko Radulovic Hand Made Strat in Macedonia (SFRJ)

    2006 Steve Vai vwh moded with SS frets and Sustainac 2006 (Japan)

    2008 Fender YJM , moded (USA)

    2010 Tom Andersons Drop Top 2010 (made in California)

    2017 Charvel GG sig Caramelised Ash (USA)

    2022 Gibson ES 335 2011 Custom Shop Cherry of course ( Memphis)

  • nothing beats stobe like tuners for intonation. kpa one is ok but not for surgical precision intonation. it can be done though, with fairly good results, but not at the level of strobe tuners.


    I have the peterson as well, both software and clip one. even the clip strobe tuner is better than kpa one for intonation. but I mean intonation which is something for luthiers. for all other means kpa is just fine.


    wouldn't it be good to have kemper tuner in strobe mode? ;)

    "...why being satisfied with an amp, as great as it can be, while you can have them all?" michael mellner


    "Rock in Ecclesia" - new album on iTunes or Google music

  • Any compelling reason to get the non-stompbox Sonic Research tuner ($169) over the stompbox ($129)? I'll just be using it for electric guitars and my Kemper is permanently parked next to my computer at home (no bands, just a serious hobbyist here).

  • This. I believe the feq detection is good in the Profiler, but the cent. metering is inaccurate: too high a tolerance in the visualization and (human) interpretation of the results for my tastes.


    :)

  • Have to agree with Michael on this one. To be truly accurate in setting your intonation you need a strobe type tuner because it shows tempered octive bands


    yeah......on the other hand we are talking about intonation, let's not forget. something many guitar players don't do. so in this case the kpa or else is just fine. but as mentioned, if willing to have the guitar intonated as it should be, strobe are unbeatable. It would be increadible to have strobe like things on the kpa. I once had the digitech dhp 55 harmonizer, a cheap alternative to the eventide, if I dare to say. it worked very good but relied to a perfect tuning and thus provided a strobe like internal tuner. same thing goes for the kpa. with a strobe like tuner gosh it would be fantastic, but I think it will never be done since the actual tuner is a sort of signature to the kpa and guess the team will stick to it. just my guess......

    "...why being satisfied with an amp, as great as it can be, while you can have them all?" michael mellner


    "Rock in Ecclesia" - new album on iTunes or Google music

  • The Kemper tuner is very basic. I prefer to rely on my own ears when setting intonation, rather than a visual. You just need to remember the logic of when to push the string block backward or forward, depending on whether the pitch of the 12 fret note is higher or lower.


    Haven't had much experience with the really high end tuners though. I think the manual part of the tuning process is very time consuming, since setting of the string block has to be very precise and involves minute adjustments.

  • hi nightlight....are you talking about intonation or tuning? they differ a lot.


    intonation to me is when we test our fretted note at 12th fret to be exactly as the free sounding string (one octave lower though). tuning is cheching that the strings are in tune.


    in the intonation phase there was no way to check with surgical precision if the 12th fret note was precisely as it should have been. I have a superb ear (not absolute one) and I always test the intonation by playing the harmonic at the 12th fret and immediately after the fretted note at the same fret. well, you can hear differences if any but when the intonation is getting closer, I found no way to tell if there was a difference. instead, checking on the strobe tuner there was a difference even minimal which tended to get worst as I fretted notes towards the 24th fret. so I guess for intonation there is no room for approximation.


    but that is just me....


    michael

    "...why being satisfied with an amp, as great as it can be, while you can have them all?" michael mellner


    "Rock in Ecclesia" - new album on iTunes or Google music