Peterson Strobostomp 2 Tuner review

Designed for floor or pedalboard use, Strobostomp 2 appears admirably rugged with numerous stage-friendly features - DI output, 9V DC output to power other pedals, both battery or adapted mains powering - and a clutter free face with just a single footswitch and two visible buttons sunk into the casing, below the display.

It can run in three modes (including 100 per cent true bypass) but it's the scale of this guitar tuner's features that makes the asking price more than credible.

Wide calibration (between A=390Hz and A=490Hz in 0.5Hz increments); drop (down to four half steps) or capo'd (up between the first and seventh frets) tunings and 17 Peterson 'Sweeteners' - less 'angry' alternatives to equal temperament tuning - including electric and acoustic, bass, 12 string, Buzz Feiten tunings, pedal steels, dobro and electric violin. You can even input another four sweetened tunings of your own design.

In use

Technically more accurate than a conventional electronic tuner, the virtual strobe display is both clear, easy-to-use and very accurate. It's ideal, for example, to properly intonate your guitar or bass.

But it's the sweetened tunings that really work and - save for the Buzz Feiten Tuning System - we wouldn't use anything else.

As well as being a fully featured tuner the Strobostomp 2 functions as both a DI and pedal power supply. It also goes along way towards curing the compromise of equal temperament without having to get either the Buzz Feiten or Earvana system fitted to your guitar.

Certainly, once you've experienced the extra musicality here, it's hard to go back to a basic stage tuner.