Frequently Asked Questions

• So what exactly is N-Tune?

  N-Tune is the world's most convenient solution for fast, accurate onboard guitar tuning. It installs under your electric guitar's existing volume knob, and provides a bright, LED-based tuning ring with true-bypass circuitry for perfect tone. Using N-Tune, you just pull your volume knob to silently tune up in seconds; then push it back down to play. No lost tuners, no extra cables, no loss of tone, and ultra-quick tune-ups -- whether you're practicing, in studio, or on stage. Technically, N-tune consists of a switching potentiometer, a wiring harness, plastic display discs, a circuit board, and a battery holder.

• Will N-Tune work in my guitar?

  N-Tune is designed to fit in the majority of electric guitars, however some guitar styles or features may prevent or complicate the installation of N-Tune. In deciding whether or not N-Tune is for you, please consider the following:
  
  Active pickup systems: N-Tune is currently not supported on guitars with active systems (passive pickups with an active preamp or true active pickups). We are working hard to support this properly. Sign up for our electronic newsletter to be notified of N-Tune product developments.
  
  Hollow-bodies: N-Tune is typically installed by removing your guitar's control cavity cover or pick guard to access your guitar's electronics. However, on many hollow (and semi-hollow) bodied guitars there is no easy access to the inside of your guitar, which makes installation difficult. In these cases, N-Tune would be installed by removing the bridge pickup and working through a combination of that space and the lower F-hole. If your local guitar tech is comfortable swapping a pot in your hollow-body, he or she can likely install N-Tune as well.
  
  SGs and other thin-bodied guitars: Depending on the manufacturer (Gibson, Epiphone, etc), the specific model, and the year, many SGs will be too thin to support an N-Tune installation. We've been finding that, in particular, the Gibson branded SGs are often too thin, while Epiphone and other 3rd party SGs are usually thick enough to support N-Tune. If you have an SG or another thin guitar, you can measure the depth inside of the control cavity of your guitar. N-Tune requires 29mm (nearly 1 3/16") of depth to fit in your guitar properly without interfering with the control cavity cover (or pick guard).
  
  Les Pauls and other thick-topped guitars: Some guitars are too thick to support the current version of the N-Tune push/pull volume pot (be it because of an especially thick top or a metal "grounding plate"). The N-Tune pot's threaded bushing length is 13mm (distance from pot body to the bottom of the knurl). Once you add the N-Tune and associated hardware, 6.5mm of bushing remains for fitting through your guitar's top. While N-Tune comes with an extra nut that can be used to set the pot depth in the control cavity (to make sure your volume knob does sit up too high), there isn't anything in the box that will add more length to a pot that is too short. So, if your guitar's top is more than 6.5 mm thick, then you may have a problem with our current kit. That said, we are working hard to source longer pots, and when we do, we'll post an update here. If you'd like to be made aware of new N-Tune product developments, please Sign up for our electronic newsletter.
  
  Fender Stratocaster pickup screw: On Fender Stratocasters, N-Tune partially covers the bottom adjustment screw of the bridge pickup. The N-Tune kit ships with a flat-head screw to replace the existing screw. The hole for pickup adjustment screws is already counter-sunk in most pickguards, but if yours isn't, it is possible you will need to countersink that hole to make the screw sit down flat. An implication of this is that in order to adjust the height of your bridge pickup, you might need to remove your volume knob and the N-Tune tuning ring from your volume pot depending on what screwdrivers you have available. This takes just a few minutes though and doesn't require you to uninstall your N-Tune. On nearly every Strat-esque guitar that we've seen from other manufacturers, N-Tune does not cover the pickup adjustment screw.
  
  Fender Telecaster: N-Tune fits (albeit snugly) inside a standard Fender Telecaster. The only caveat is that the tuning ring is slightly wider than the chrome control cavity cover. This does not affect the functionality of your N-Tune in any way, but may be an aesthetic issue for some.
  
  If you are a user experiencing one of the issues above (or a new issue we haven't discovered yet), please email us, and we will do our best to take care of you.

• Can N-Tune be used in guitars other than Gibson and Fender?

  Of course it can! The main difference between the kits is the potentiometer value (500k vs 250k). Pick the one that is right for your application and install away! Our gallery has pictures of a bunch of non-Fender and non-Gibson guitars sporting N-Tune. If you've got a great N-Tune installation, email us a photo and we'll add it to the gallery.

• What's the difference between the Fender and Gibson kits of N-Tune?

  The Gibson kit contains a 500k potentiometer and black and cream discs to match the plastic on many Gibson style guitars. The Fender kit has a 250k potentiometer and white, black, parchment and cream discs to match the plastic on many Fender style guitars.

• How long does it take to install N-tune?

  Installation only takes 10 to 15 minutes. It does require the use of a soldering iron, so if you've never used a soldering iron, we recommend you take your guitar to your local guitar tech and have him or her perform the installation.

• How does the tuner work?

  When you pluck a string on your guitar, N-Tune automatically detects the note and the LEDs indicate whether that note is sharp, flat, or in tune. As you adjust the machine heads on the headstock of your guitar, the sharp/flat LEDs flash faster as you get closer to perfect tune. Once the sting is in tune, the LED stops blinking and turns solid green.

• Does N-Tune support alternate tunings and half step tunings?

  N-Tune is a fully chromatic tuner, meaning it allows you to tune any string on your guitar to any note. This is extremely valuable when the songs you're playing require alternate tunings. For example, let's imagine you want to play Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" or Foo Fighter's "Everlong", both of which require Drop D (DADGBe) tunings. N-Tune allows you to achieve this tuning easily: just pull up on the volume knob to turn N-Tune on, adjust the Low E string to a D using the LEDs to guide you, and push the knob back down to start playing. There is nothing to plug-in, un-plug, or calibrate.
  
  Additionally, N-Tune quickly allows you to achieve half-step tunings on any string. Let's say the crowd wants to hear Nirvana's "All Apologies", which requires a Drop D tuning with each string tuned down a half-step (DbAbDbGbBbEb or, as we like to call it, CCA). No problem! N-Tune's tuning ring has an extra amber-colored sharp symbol LED that will light up simultaneously along with any amber note LED as you tune that note sharp. Thus, for example, to tune a F#, you just watch for the amber "F" note LED AND the amber "sharp symbol" LED to both light up (just like in the picture above). Then, the flashing red sharp & flat LEDs (and ultimately the green LED when you get in tune) guide you in just like they would for any other note. Oh, and remember, N-Tune mutes your guitar while you're tuning, so you can switch to alternate tunings silently on stage between songs!

• Are there different types of tuners under the N-Tune Brand?

  N-Tune is currently available in a true bypass chromatic configuration. Other configurations will be available in the future.

• How do I know the tuner is turned on?

  When N-Tune is activated, it lights up to indicate its powered-on status.

• What is the range of the N-Tune tuner?

  The effective range of the tuner is from 27Hz to 3.52kHz (A0-A7).

• How accurate is N-Tune?

  It is accurate within +/- 2 cents.

• How long does it normally take to tune my guitar?

  Less than a minute.

• How long do the batteries last?

  N-Tune is powered by a standard 9 volt battery. This will power N-Tune for approximately 600 tunings.

• What happens to the output signal once you turn on N-Tune?

  When engaged, the tuner mutes the output signal.

• What happens if I accidentally leave N-Tune turned on?

  N-Tune automatically powers down after one minute of inactivity.

• I've seen your fantastic N-Tune Web tuner but I am having some trouble getting it to work. Can you help me?

  Sure thing. Check out the Web tuner instructions here!

• The N-Tune Web tuner is awesome - if only there was a way I could link to it from MY webpage...

  Easy enough my Webmaster friend. Check out the instructions here to add the Web tuner to your page in a snap!