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SiX STRiNGS, oNE SToNE<br />
For the musician who wants<br />
a faster tuning system, polyphonic<br />
tuning now lets players<br />
tune all strings at once.<br />
TC Electronic’s Polytune burst<br />
onto the scene last year, giving<br />
musicians the opportunity to<br />
tweak their tunings easily by<br />
strumming all six strings at once.<br />
DigiTech’s answer to polyphonic<br />
tuning, the HardWire HT-6, was<br />
introduced at this past NAMM<br />
convention. It includes a playerintuitive<br />
display that features 90<br />
LEDs, 15 per string, so users can<br />
quickly see which strings need<br />
to be tuned.<br />
“With the introduction of a<br />
new type of tuning technology<br />
and products that let players<br />
tune all six strings at once, the<br />
market is beginning to change,”<br />
58 I MUSIC INC. I MAY 2011<br />
TREND SEGMENTS<br />
TUNERS<br />
‘When<br />
polyphonic<br />
tuners were<br />
introduced,<br />
tuner sales<br />
began to shift<br />
away from<br />
big brands.’<br />
— Scott Klimt<br />
said Scott Klimt, marketing manager<br />
for DigiTech. “For years,<br />
the tuner pedal market had been<br />
dominated by two or three different<br />
brands. When polyphonic<br />
tuners were introduced in 2010,<br />
tuner sales began to shift away<br />
from those big brands.”<br />
Klimt stressed that these polyphonic<br />
tuner pedals are ideal for<br />
gigging musicians.<br />
“Once customers realized for<br />
the same price they could get<br />
more features in a product that is<br />
easier to use without sacrificing<br />
quality, polyphonic tuners began<br />
to take market share away from<br />
the biggest established brands,”<br />
Klimt said.<br />
iREVolUTioN-PRoof<br />
With the iRevolution in full<br />
swing, free iPhone, iPod<br />
and iPad tuner apps have flooded<br />
the market. Nevertheless, many<br />
manufacturers and retailers don’t<br />
view them as a threat.<br />
“The fallout I’ve seen from<br />
tuner apps is people coming in<br />
and saying, ‘I tried that tuner app,<br />
and it sucks,’” Middle C <strong>Music</strong>’s<br />
Sislen said. “So I have not had<br />
people saying they don’t need a<br />
tuner because they can do it on<br />
their phone. They may try it on<br />
their phone for a little bit, but<br />
they come in and buy a tuner<br />
after that. [Physical] tuners are<br />
much, much easier to use and<br />
much better.”<br />
With technology continuously<br />
advancing the way business is<br />
done, tuners are a staple that<br />
continue to sell.<br />
“The first millionaire in<br />
California during the gold rush<br />
wasn’t a prospector,” DigiTech’s<br />
Klimt said. “It was the guy selling<br />
shovels.<br />
“Every miner has to have a<br />
shovel, and every guitar player<br />
has to have a tuner.” MI<br />
— Katie Kailus
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