Fender FCT-2 Professional Clip-On Tuner

I’ve been using the Fender FCT-2 Professional Clip-On Tuner for a while now, and I can confidently say it’s one of the best little gadgets I’ve added to my music gear. This thing is a total game-changer for keeping my guitar in tune, whether I’m practicing at home or playing on a dimly lit stage. It’s compact, reliable, and just feels like a quality piece of equipment from a brand I trust. Here’s why I’m giving it a solid five stars, along with a couple of minor gripes.Pros:• Super Easy to Use: Clips right onto the headstock, powers on with one button, and you’re tuning in seconds. The color LCD screen is bright and clear, with a needle that moves to the center when you’re in tune—couldn’t be simpler!• Versatile Tuning Modes: It’s got settings for guitar, bass, ukulele, violin, and chromatic, so it’s perfect for anyone who plays multiple instruments. I’ve used it on my acoustic guitar and electric bass, and it nails it every time.• Accurate and Responsive: The built-in vibration sensor picks up the string’s pitch flawlessly, even in noisy environments. No more struggling to tune when there’s chatter or background sound around.• Great Design: The dual-hinge clip lets me attach it to either side of the headstock, and it’s small enough to leave on without feeling obtrusive. Plus, it looks sleek in black—Fender’s got that style down.• Affordable Quality: For the price, you’re getting a tuner that feels sturdy and performs like a champ. It even comes with a CR2032 battery included, so you’re good to go out of the box.Cons:• Screen Angle Could Be Better: While the hinge is handy, it doesn’t always swivel enough to get a perfect viewing angle, especially on some guitars with thicker headstocks. I’ve had to tilt my guitar a bit to see it clearly.• Mode Switching Takes Attention: The single-button design is simple, but if you’re not careful, you might accidentally switch from chromatic to guitar mode (or another setting). It’s not a huge deal, just something to watch for in a hurry.All in all, the Fender FCT-2 is a fantastic tuner that’s become a staple in my gig bag. It’s accurate, user-friendly, and packs a lot of value for the money. The pros far outweigh the tiny cons, and I’d recommend it to any musician looking for a reliable clip-on tuner. Five stars all the way!

Just received this Fender FCT-2 tuner today (Imagine that: delivery on Easter Sunday!). This is a great little tuner and far exceeds my expectations. It replaces my ancient Fender X-1000 tuner which has always been difficult to use. This is easy to use and very accurate.If you're considering this tuner, here are a couple things that might help you. First, you'll have to install the CR2032 battery. To do that, you'll need to remove the small phillips screw at the top of the tuner using a #0 phillips head screwdriver (photo 1). As you turn the screw counterclockwise, it will lift the top of the tuner up from the body revealing the battery compartment, a small circular pocket (photo 2). Pull the top out and insert the battery with the + side facing you (photo 3). Now, re-insert the battery compartment into the tuner, engage the screw, and tighten it until the top is seated against the body of the tuner (photo 4). Press the power button on the front of the tuner. In my case, the first tuning mode to appear was G (for guitar), but you can continue to press the power button for other modes.

I've avoided getting one of these for many years since I can tune my guitars by ear, but sometimes the strings go out of tune ever so slightly, which I can hear while playing along with a song, but then when trying to fix those microtunings I have to spend more time than I like on it. This tuner saves me a lot of time. And I love the fact that it works on the guitar even if it's an electric guitar and not plugged in. More specifically, I use it for my bass, since I primarily play the bass guitar. I put it on, turn it on, and within a minute or two my bass guitar is perfectly in tune. And then a few days or a week later it might be very slightly detuned, and I just put this tuner back on and it's done.

For context, I have limited experience playing the guitar. I dabbled a bit in college (15 years ago), but am no musician. We got my son a Loog Pro guitar for christmas (small 3-string acoustic guitar for kids) and I ordered this tuner to go with it. I assumed you would set it to Guitar mode (G) for a guitar and tried to tune it. It absolutely would not work. I was so frustrated. As I adjusted the tuning pegs in attempt to tune the guitar, the tuner consistently registered the same note, even as the pitch of the string fluctuated significantly. I only kept trying for so long because I was assumed I was doing something wrong. Eventually, I came back to Amazon and read through reviews hoping someone else had experienced this issue and written about it. (After all, how could it have such high reviews if it didn't work?!) Thanks to another reviewer, I learned that apparently it needs to be set to Chromatic (C) for an acoustic guitar. I changed the mode and the tuner instantly worked and I was easily able to tune the guitar. All of this frustration could have been prevented if there had been instructions to put it in chromatic mode for an acoustic guitar on the box or on the small piece of paper inside the box. Not everyone who purchases a tuner is already experienced enough to know something like that. So it works great, but knocking off a star for a frustrating experience that could have been prevented with some instructions.