Where to Put a Tuner on Your Pedalboard: The Ultimate Guide

Every guitarist knows the importance of playing in tune, but where exactly should you put a tuner on your pedalboard? This question comes up frequently among both beginners and veterans alike.

It’s a simple question with a few different answers depending on your needs. Whether you’re building your first pedalboard or rethinking your current setup, knowing where to put a tuner on your pedalboard can affect your tone, convenience, and noise control.

Most guitarists place their tuner either at the beginning of their signal chain (right after the guitar), at the very end (right before the amp), or completely outside the main signal path.

Each position has its own advantages and possible downsides that are worth thinking about. But the good news is that there isn’t a single “correct” placement. The best choice depends on your specific gear, playing environment, and, of course, your personal preferences.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the three main options for tuner placement, help you understand how each might interact with the rest of your pedals, and give you some real recommendations to make the best choice for your setup.

Key Takeaways

• Placing your tuner first in the chain gives you the cleanest signal for accurate tuning.
• At the end of the chain, the tuner can be used as a master mute switch for your entire board.
• Vintage-style fuzz pedals typically don’t like buffered tuners placed before them.
• Using a tuner outside the main signal path (for example, using a volume pedal’s tuner out or splitter) can help preserve your core tone but needs additional equipment.
• There’s no universally “correct” tuner placement. The best position depends on your gear and needs.

Option 1: Tuner at the Start of the Chain

Placing your tuner pedal at the beginning of your signal chain, right after your guitar and before any other effects, is the most common approach recommended by many manufacturers and used by a lot of players.

The advantages of this are:

• Clean, Accurate Tuning
  Your tuner receives the pure, unaltered signal directly from your guitar. This means no delay echoes, modulation wobbles, or distortion that might confuse the tuner’s readings.
• Simple Setup
  You don’t need to turn off other pedals before tuning. The tuner always gets your dry guitar signal.
• Buffer Benefits
  If your tuner has a buffer (like the BOSS TU-3), placing it first can strengthen your signal for long cable runs. This can help to preserve your tone through the rest of the chain.
• Delay/Reverb Trails Continue
  When you turn on the tuner to mute your guitar, any ambient effects like delay or reverb that are already running will continue to decay naturally, allowing for smooth transitions between songs.

And the disadvantages:

• Doesn’t Mute Pedal Noise
  A tuner at the front only stops your guitar signal. So any noise, hum, or feedback from your pedals later in your chain will continue even when the tuner is engaged.
• Buffer and Fuzz Issues
  Some vintage-style fuzz pedals (like Fuzz Face circuits) don’t play well with buffers. If your tuner is buffered and comes before your fuzz, it might make your fuzz sound thin or harsh.

For most beginners and guitarists with relatively straightforward setups, I believe placing the tuner first is the most reliable, no-fuss option that makes sure you have accurate tuning without overthinking.

Option 2: Tuner at the End of the Chain

Placing your tuner pedal at the very end of your signal chain, so it’s the last thing before your signal reaches the amp, is not so common. But this setup offers some distinct advantages, especially if you’re playing live a lot.

The advantages of this are:

• Master Mute for Everything
  When turned on, a tuner at the end can act as a kill switch for your entire pedalboard. This instantly silences all sound going to your amp, including any noise, hum, or unwanted feedback from pedals earlier in the chain.
• Simple Troubleshooting
  If your rig suddenly goes silent, engaging the tuner can help diagnose where the problem is. If the tuner registers your guitar signal, the issue is likely with your amp or the cable to your amp. If not, there’s probably a problem somewhere in your pedal chain.
• Complete Silence Between Songs
  For live performances, one tap on the tuner gives you instant quiet when swapping guitars or between songs. There’s no need to worry about those onstage noises reaching the audience.
• Buffered Output
  If your tuner has a buffer, placing it last can help drive the signal through long cables to your amp without tone loss, which is especially helpful with many true-bypass pedals in your chain.

And the disadvantages:

• Effects May Interfere with Tuning
  When you put your tuner at the end of the chain, you’ll typically need to turn off any modulation, delay, or distortion pedals before tuning. Otherwise, these effects can confuse the tuner’s reading. It’s just not possible to tune while a chorus effect is wobbling and playing around with your pitch.
• Cuts Off Delay/Reverb Trails
  Unlike a tuner at the front, turning on a tuner at the end of your signal chain will immediately silence any ambient reverb tails or delay repeats rather than letting them fade naturally.

This placement is particularly popular among gigging musicians who want quick noise control on stage.

Option 3: Tuner Outside the Chain

I’ve seen a few guitarists over the years who prefer to keep their tuner pedal completely outside the main signal path. This method uses either a dedicated tuner output (like from a volume pedal) or a signal splitter to send a copy of your guitar signal to the tuner without affecting your main tone path.

The advantages of this are:

• No Tone Impact
  By removing the tuner from your primary signal chain, you eliminate any possibility of the tuner affecting your tone. There’s no additional cabling or circuitry in your main path that could potentially alter your sound.
  
  Learn more about how long cable runs can affect your tone in our article High vs Low Impedance.
• Always-On Monitoring
  Your tuner can continuously display your guitar’s pitch without interrupting your signal to the amp. This allows you to check your tuning at a glance during a performance.
• Silent Tuning
  When using a volume pedal with a tuner output, you can pull your volume pedal back to zero to mute your main output while still sending a signal to the tuner. This provides completely silent tuning without affecting your signal path.
• Clean Signal for Tuning
  The tuner receives your direct guitar signal, unaffected by any pedals, ensuring accurate readings even if you have effects engaged in your main chain.

And the disadvantages:

• Requires Additional Hardware
  This setup typically needs either a volume pedal with a tuner output, an A/B/Y switch, or a dedicated splitter box, adding cost and taking up more of that precious pedalboard space.
• Potential “Tone Suck”
  Some passive splitters or volume pedals (especially passive ones) can load down your pickups when splitting the signal, potentially causing high-end loss. This is less of an issue with active (buffered) splitters.
• More Complex Setup
  The additional connections and routing make for a slightly more complicated pedalboard setup than simply placing the tuner in line.

This method is preferred by a lot of tone purists who want the cleanest possible signal path and players who like to monitor their tuning continuously without interrupting their playing.

Special Considerations to Think About

Fuzz Pedals and Buffers

Certain pedals, especially vintage-style fuzz effects, need special consideration when planning where to put your tuner.

Classic fuzz pedals like the Fuzz Face and similar Germanium-based fuzzes were designed to interact directly with your guitar’s pickups. When a buffered tuner (or any buffer) comes before these pedals, it changes the impedance the fuzz “sees,” often resulting in a thinner, harsher sound and reduced cleanup when rolling back your guitar’s volume knob.

If you use these types of fuzz pedals, you have a few options:

• Place the fuzz before your tuner in the chain
• Use a true bypass tuner instead of a buffered one
• Put the tuner in a bypass loop or outside the main signal path

Buffered and True Bypass Tuners

The type of bypass your tuner uses affects how it interacts with the rest of your pedals:

Buffered Tuners

Buffered Tuners (such as the Boss TU-3 [1] or TC Electronic PolyTune in buffer mode) are always active in your signal chain even when not engaged for tuning. They strengthen your signal and can prevent high-end loss over long cables or through multiple true bypass pedals. They work great at the start of your chain if you don’t use fuzz pedals or at the end of your chain to drive the signal to your amp.

True Bypass Tuners

True Bypass Tuners effectively disappear from your signal path when not engaged. This preserves your pure guitar tone but doesn’t provide the signal-strengthening benefits of a buffer. If you use vintage fuzzes, a true bypass tuner won’t interfere with their tone.

Switchable Tuners

Some modern tuners (like the TC PolyTune 3) offer the option to switch between buffered and true bypass operation, giving you the flexibility to adapt to different pedalboard configurations.

Understanding these interactions can help you avoid tone surprises and make the most of your tuner’s capabilities within your specific setup.

My Recommendations

For Beginners

Here’s my advice if you’re just starting to build your pedalboard and want a simple, reliable setup:

• Start with the tuner first in your chain. This straightforward approach ensures your tuner gets an accurate reading and is the easiest configuration to understand and maintain.
• If you own a buffered tuner (like a BOSS TU-3), it can help strengthen your signal, especially if you use long cables. If you don’t have any vintage fuzz pedals, this is a worry-free setup.
• If you have a true bypass tuner, it will work well in any position without affecting your tone when not in use.

For Gigging Musicians

If you perform live regularly, here are some things you should think about:

• Try the tuner at the end of your chain if you need quick silence between songs or deal with a noisy pedalboard. One stomp will mute everything, giving you peace of mind during tuning breaks.
• Develop the habit of bypassing modulation and delay effects before engaging your tuner if it’s at the end of your chain. This ensures you get accurate readings without interference.
• Position your tuner physically where it’s easy to access on your pedalboard. This is usually at one of the corners closest to you. Oh, and make sure you can clearly see its display from your playing position.

For Fuzz Lovers

If you use vintage-style fuzz pedals that are sensitive to buffers:

• Place your fuzz before your tuner if your tuner is buffered.
• Consider a true bypass tuner or one with switchable buffer options.
• Explore parallel tuner options using a volume pedal with the tuner out or a dedicated splitter to keep the tuner completely separate from your fuzz.

For Tone Perfectionists

If preserving your pure guitar tone is your highest priority:

• Use a tuner outside the main signal path via a high-quality (preferably buffered) splitter or volume pedal with the tuner out.
• Consider a mini true bypass tuner if board space is tight and you want minimal impact on your signal.

Finding Your Perfect Tuner Placement

So, when it comes to tuner pedal placement, there’s no single correct answer that works for everyone. Each option we’ve discussed in this article offers its own set of advantages and potential trade-offs. The best choice depends on your specific gear, playing style, and practical needs.

The good news is that tuner placement isn’t permanent. It’s easy to experiment with different positions to see what works best for you. Pay attention to how your pedals interact, particularly if you use vintage-style fuzz or other buffer-sensitive effects, and don’t be afraid to change your setup as your needs change.

At the end of the day, none of this really matters. The most important thing is that you can tune quickly and accurately when you need to. So whether your tuner ends up first, last, or somewhere else entirely, just make sure it’s functioning correctly.

FAQs

• (n.d.). TU-3 Chromatic Tuner. Boss. https://www.boss.info/global/products/tu-3/