With the release of the original Boss TU-2,
guitarists began to think of the pedal tuner not
just as a tool for achieving reliable, consistent
on-stage tuning, but also as a Swiss Army knife
of sorts for splitting the signal, killing it entirely,
or buffering long cable runs. It is this last
capability that is probably the most important,
with many players keeping a pedal tuner in
their rig as much for buffering purposes as
anything else. Denmark’s T-Rex has focused its
efforts on this particular feature with its new
Tune Master chromatic tuner, which combines
a bright, easy-to-use, no-nonsense chromatic
tuner with a really excellent on-board buffer. It
can be operated in true bypass mode as well,
but the sweet, clean buffering is the star of the
show. It’s superb for driving long signal runs
and reinforcing one’s tone with an extra bit of
heft, liveliness, and upper harmonic shine. The
best part is that the Tune Master also offers a
gain control for its buffered output, a tiny knob
labeled “beef,” that can be used to goose the
guitar signal with a clear, gorgeous, uncolored
clean boost. By focusing on this aspect of the
pedal tuner, T-Rex has really brought something
fresh and new to the game, making the Tune
Master one of the most interesting and useful
stompbox tuners to come along in years.
ToneReport.com
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