Tanglewood TCT1 Silver Clip-On Guitar and Bass Tuner with Traffic Light Display

Red means out, green means in tune

The Tanglewood TCT1 is a clip on guitar tuner that tells you where you stand at a glance. It covers guitar, bass and chromatic tuning, so one small unit can look after most of the stringed instruments in your house or gig bag.

A display you can read quickly

The TCT1 uses a traffic light system. A bright red light tells you the note is off, and green confirms you have hit the pitch. You do not need to decode a busy screen or squint at tiny needles. That helps most on a dim stage or during a late practice session.

Tuning modes

• Guitar mode for standard six string tuning
• Bass mode for low strings
• Chromatic mode for everything else

Clip it on and leave it there

The tuner grips the headstock firmly and does not get in the way of your playing. The screen is adjustable, so you can angle it to suit a left or right handed player and check it from the position you actually sit or stand in. The silver casing looks neat against most headstocks, and the unit is small enough to stay clipped on between songs or drop into a gig bag pocket.

Because it works for both guitar and bass, it is handy in a band where you share one tuner between players. Just clip it on, check the colour, and carry on. There is nothing to configure between instruments beyond choosing the mode.

Who should buy it

It is a sensible first tuner for someone learning chords, and just as handy for a gigging player who wants a quick check before a set. If you play several instruments, the chromatic mode saves buying a second device. For a different look, compare it with the black TFT clip-on tuner at £10, which also handles ukulele and violin. Both come from the Flex accessories series.