Fellow guitarists, we’ve all had that moment. You’re right about to lay into a song, but you can’t quite get your guitar in tune. It’s frustrating, and with a tough crowd, it can suck the air right out of a performance. But what if you never had to deal with an out of tune guitar again? That’s the promise from TronicalTune, a robotic device that automatically tunes your guitar in seconds.
The TronicalTune works by attaching to the back of your guitar’s headstock like some sort of futuristic cybernetic enhancement, employing tiny motors to spin the tuning pegs to the desired setting from its perch. Watching the unit in action is admittedly a little eerie. After all, most of us have seen enough sci-fi movies to know that the cyborg age is coming, but we never figured the first stop would be our guitars.
That being said, the TronicalTune’s brilliant design allows for some enticing applications. Anyone who’s sat in on a few studio sessions has experienced those wasted moments of precious time in which a musician, professional or amateur, just can’t seem to get that old Telecaster or Gibson J-45 to tune. It’s even worse if you’re the one on the spot. And when you’re paying by the hour at a good facility, lost time can get very expensive, very quickly.
But beyond that, the TronicalTune offers other intuitive features, such as 12 factory presets, and 6 user presets that allow you to bounce back and forth between alternate tunings, even in the middle of a song, just by tapping a button. A calamitous attempt to go into Led Zeppelin’s “Bron Y aur Stomp” at an open mic comes to mind here. The device also allows for reference tuning, so if you’ve got a good jam going with a buddy who’s a bit out, the TronicalTune will make the adjustment for you, allowing you to seamlessly stay in harmony.
The device is custom crafted for a wide array of guitar models, from Les Pauls to Taylors, and comes with a quick installation kit and a video tutorial to attach the unit underneath the tuning pegs of your axe. Just follow the instructions, pop in the tuning pegs and strings, and you’re done. Of course, the magic of never having to tune again comes with a fairly steep price tag of around $330. Still, for the working musician, or amateur player who is simply tired of the hassle of turning those pegs, it could be a worthwhile investment.
Check out the video below to watch the TronicalTune in action, and see for yourself if your guitar is ready for some robo-enhancement. After all, resistance is futile.
