Lanikai CO-UT clip on tuner review

One of the extra goodies that Lanikai sent me in a care package was this clip on tuner.  Officially, it's known as the Lanikai CO-UT clip on tuner.  It's a pretty nifty little tuner with various settings for different stringed instruments including settings for ukulele, guitar, violin, bass, and chromatic.  Going rate seems to be somewhere between $20-$25.

My experience with clip on tuners is limited.  The tuners that I currently own are of the plug in or sound sensitive variety.  I've always been a bit skeptical of clip ons and their ability to accurately sense vibration.

Here's the report card....

Convenience - A+

Convenience is the main appeal of a clip on tuner.  Heck, if you weren't too worried about that little extra rattle, you could just leave it clipped to the headstock all the time.  This little Lanikai clip on is no different.  It adjusts very smoothly.  My only small complaint is that it feels a little too loose to me....like it's going to fall off if I brushed it.  Of course, this is me being very picky and as you'll notice in the grade, it didn't bother me enough to drop it an A-.

Display and Design - A+

Looks pretty slick and I appreciated the large letters on the digital display.

Functionality -B+

A little drop in grade on this feature.  There's a little learning curve involved.  It functions just like every other tuner that I've ever used...same general concept of the red color indicating the note is sharp or flat with green meaning you're good to go.  That's all fine by me.  No need to reinvent the wheel.  My main complaint is that it was sort of weird to me that the on/off button is also the same button that controls what setting you're on.  Probably would have helped if I'd actually read the manual, but I'm far too lazy for that!  The idea is that if you hold down that button for a few seconds it will turn the tuner on or off, but if you press quickly it will switch the tuning mode.  I find myself occasionally having the problem where I'm trying to switch the setting and it turns off.  Doesn't happen often, but it was often enough for me to drop this category a letter.

Accuracy - A-

Much to my surprise, it was about as accurate as my trusted Korg tuner.  Occasionally, the note was a little too sharp or flat when it read that it was perfect, but this isn't an uncommon occurrence in the world of tuners. 

Overall - A-

Overall, this clip on tuner is a winner in my book at a good price.  Make your life easier and scoop one of these up!