INSTRUCTIONS FOR TUNING
1. PRESS THE POWER BUTTON TO TURN ON YOUR
TUNER. Acoustic instrument tones are detected by a very
sensitive internal microphone. Do not pluck loudly to tune,
except in very noisy rooms. Plucking the string once per
second with medium loudness usually gives the best results.
Electronic instruments should be plugged into the tuner's
input jack labeled "INST" with a standard guitar cord. The
internal mic automatically disconnects so the tuner will not
pick up extraneous background noise. You may connect
your tuner's AMP jack to any amplifier's or P.A. system's
input so you can tune as you play.
2. PLUCK THE STRING YOU WISH TO TUNE. Adjust the
instrument's pitch until the desired NOTE INDICATOR light
is lit. For example, if you wish to tune your D string, pluck
the string and tune it until the D indicator light is lit. Pluck
the string every second or so to keep the note fresh and to
prevent it from fading flat. To eliminate extraneous
overtones, mute the other strings after each pluck.
3. SLOWLY ADJUST THE INSTRUMENT'S PITCH
UNTIL THE "IN TUNE" LIGHT IS LIT. Note that the
SHARP and FLAT indicators blink rapidly when the note is
far from being in tune and blink slower as the note
approaches being in tune. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the
other notes until the entire instrument is tuned.
HOW TO RECALIBRATE YOUR ZIP-1000: Use the
CALIBRATE function if you want to tune your guitar to an
instrument that tunes to pitches other than A=440, or if you
want to use alternate scales. For example, if you wish to
recalibrate the tuner from standard A=440 Hz. to A=438
Hz., press the CALIBRATE button until the note indicator
LED lights under 438. The tuner's scale is now shifted to
that pitch. To return the tuner to standard A=440 Hz., turn
the tuner off and then back on.
TUNING TIPS
Many musical instruments have peculiarities that cause
annoying tuning problems. Most of these peculiarities are
overcome by following these simple procedures:
1. Pluck one string at a time.
2. Pluck the instrument once per second to keep the note
"fresh" while you are tuning. Notes go noticeably flat a
second or two after being plucked. If tuning a higher-
pitched instrument (such as a mandolin), pluck a little
faster; for a lower-pitched instrument (such as a bass),
pluck slower.
3. Do not pluck loudly. Generally light to medium volumes
provide purer tones that are easier for tuners to analyze.
4. Pluck the strings with the flesh of the thumb. Finger-
nails and flat picks add overtones and slow the tuning
process.
5. Tune from a pitch that is flat up to the pitch you desire.
This procedure removes any slack in the gears of the
instrument’s tuning heads. If you tune from SHARP to
IN TUNE, the gears will slip as you play, and the
instrument will go flat after a few minutes of playing.
6. If you have difficulty getting a note to register on the
tuner, try touching the other strings lightly to stop their
sympathetic vibrations. This will eliminate any
extraneous overtones that may disturb the tuning.
7. Use good strings. (We recommend Sabine
NitroStasis™ Premium Strings.) Old strings lose
their uniformity and do not vibrate evenly. New strings
stretch flat as you play.
8. All sources of friction cause tuning problems. For
example, if the slot in an instrument’s nut is too tight,
the string will be pulled flat as it is played. A tight nut
(or capo) will cause the string’s pitch to change in steps
rather than evenly.
9. Avoid pressure on the instrument while tuning. Even
moderate pressure on the neck of a guitar will cause a
noticeable change in pitch. Also, press the strings
straight down to the fingerboard. Bending the strings
sideways is very common, especially on difficult chords,
but causes the strings to be pulled sharp.
