Guitar Tuners and Capos

Guitar Tuner and Guitar Capo Range

A guitar tuner and a capo are the two small tools that nearly every player ends up buying. This page lists five Tanglewood tuners and capos, with prices running from £10 to £69. They belong to the Flex accessories line, so they match the rest of our accessory range.

Keeping in Tune

A clip on guitar tuner is the usual choice for most players. It fixes to the headstock and reads the vibration of the string, so it works in a noisy room as well as a quiet one. It is handy for acoustic guitar tuners work at home and quick checks between songs on stage. The Tanglewood TCT1 costs £19 and is part of the Tanglewood Flex accessories series. Open its product page for the full detail of what it does and how it fits.

The same sort of clip tuner is useful for a classical guitar, a ukulele or a mandolin, as long as it suits the headstock. Our classical guitars, ukuleles and mandolins pages show the instruments you might be tuning.

What a Capo Does

A capo clamps across the neck and raises the pitch of all the open strings together. That lets you play familiar chord shapes in a higher key, which is a simple way to match a singer's range. It also changes the tone slightly, giving a brighter, tighter sound. Beginners and experienced players both use one, and it is a cheap way to get more from the guitar you already own.

Tuning Different Instruments

Tuning habits differ a little between instruments. A six string acoustic is tuned string by string from low to high, and a ukulele or mandolin has its own set of notes. Check the notes for your instrument, then use the tuner to match each string. If you are shopping for a mandolin tuner or classical guitar tuners, make sure the clip fits the headstock of your instrument and read the product page first. It is better to check than to find a clip that will not sit properly.

Choosing Between Them

• Buy a tuner first if you are just starting out, because a guitar that is out of tune will sound wrong whatever you play.
• Add a capo when you start accompanying singers or want new voicings.
• Keep both in your gig bag so they are always to hand.

For a place to keep them, see our gig bags, and to keep the strings fresh, browse our guitar strings. The full guitar accessories range is just a click away, and delivery in the UK is free.