Tuning Pedal Steel Guitar For Sale (Jan 2023 Update)

I usually use the Gotoh vintage style, but they were out of stock. Decided to give these a shot and was pleased. 18:1 Ratio and very smooth. They feel like sealed tuners.UJM

I have purchased this only for the engraved Kluson Delux on the back. and noticed the quality is worse than Wilkinson which made in Korea and Goto which made in Japan and Taiwan. even the price is not good as the competitors on the market. do not buy Kluson again. it's my advice to myself51nocaster

I MUCH prefer these over the stock ping tuners that came with my classic series 60's strat…unfortunately I didn't read the fine print that said "uhhh btw, you have to buy our adapter's SEPARATELY in order to fit modern guitars"….So I just spent probably 4 hours trying to make these things work before reading that….Wasted so much time, why the h3ll didn't they just include the freaking adapters! Ugh!!!! Other than that….they're great, but I highly recommend checking your guitar, or just buying the adapters just in case.Nathan

Pros; fairly well made from a nice piece of American swamp ash, it sounds good, and plays as it should, great price. Cons; I don't like the set of the bridge posts. Worst part; made in China…slytone1

Nicely made. I did change strings as suggested by instructor. Has a nice case and everything went together well. Will be a challenge to learn…a lot to concentrate on while playing…good fun for an old man's brain..records1320

I really like this tuner. It's got a very bright display and it's very responsive. The construction and materials seem solid. I like it much better than my TC Electronics tuner that I bought for $100. Except for one thing…..the Monoprice tuner only lasted a year. At first it would occasionally make a loud "pop" through my amp when I pushed the toggle button. One time before a gig it "popped" and blew out something in my GK bass head so that it only worked through the line out jack (not through the bass cabinet). The next day the head worked fine. But gradually the tuner started to generate noise through my system so I have retired it to the junk heap. I'm back to using my TC Electronics tuner with the erratic tuning indicator. I guess you get what you pay for. $20 a year for tuning. Geeze.,,,.Ted

Build quality and initial impressions: This pedal is small and cute – smaller than a typical Boss pedal but larger than a "mini" pedal. The casing is metal, but it feels flimsy and I can hear parts rattling around. I'm not convinced that this pedal will have a long lifespan, but I guess I'll find out. (If it breaks, I'll update this review.) As other reviewers mentioned, it's branded as "Stage Right" but it's the same product so it's not a big deal. The screen was actually cracked when I got it, which saves me the trouble of having to do it, at least. Functionality: The tuner works well and locks on to pitches quickly, but it does feel a little indecisive occasionally. It handles lower frequencies fine for the most part, but had some trouble picking up the lower strings on my 8-string. One review stated that the tuner was a little off and needed to be calibrated to match up with what other tuners were saying. Luckily, mine seems to be accurate out of the box. The display is bright and although I haven't tried it outside yet, I think it would be readable even in bright sunlight. Operation: Despite being relatively small, this pedal can still run off a 9V battery, or off a 9V power supply. The switch feels extremely unsatisfying to press. It takes a little more force than I would expect, and instead of gradually giving way, it depresses all at once and makes an obnoxious "click". This doesn't affect the output signal though, so it's an inconvenience more than anything. Features: The "pitch" button allows you to set the reference frequency (436 – 445Hz, default 440), and the "flat" button allows you to transpose the displayed note up 1-3 half steps. There are two outputs: one mutes the output signal when tuning as usual, and the other allows the sound to pass through unmuted. Conclusion: If this weren't the cheapest tuner pedal on Home Essentials Direct, I'd say it's not worth it due to the questionable build quality and the awful switch. However, it's $12 at the time of this writing, which is crazy cheap, and with that in mind it's well worth the money. If you only have $12 to spend on a tuner pedal, this is your best and (probably only) option.E.N.

I have a confession to make. I made an adverse review on this tuner years ago that was due to user error. This is the third one of these pedals that I have purchased. I gave one to a beginner guitarist as a MUST HAVE. I keep one where I leave my equipment for rehearsal, and the one I'm purchasing now will stay in the storage compartment of my guitar case to take wherever I go. This is the best value tuner I have found. I use it on the bench as well when dialing in the intonation.Glenn

Bought the Polytune 3 to replace the Polytune 2 on my board because I wanted the buffer without having to use a separate buffer pedal. First thing I noticed out of the box was that the Polytune 3's screen is only 60-70% as bright as the Polytune 2. Returned it and got a replacement; same thing. I spoke to TC Electronic and they confirmed that this is indeed a design change in the Polytune 3 because some people were complaining that the 2 was too bright (wow, I guess a lot of complaining people don't do outdoor gigs). Go figure. At all levels of the built in light sensor, the 3 is dimmer than the 2, including outside full brightness. Boo. This is a deal breaker for me as the Polytune 2's screen & brightness were perfect. The new one is too dim and hard to see from eye level, and other LED's on my board are actually brighter than the Polytune 3's display, which is distracting. So so disappointing as this could have been perfect. Such a puzzling decision on the part of TC Electronic. A much better solution would have been to make the brightness switchable between two modes if that really was an issue. I mean really: who wants a dimmer, harder to see screen? Especially outside in sunlight. They took one of the industry standard tuners and upgraded it with a switchable buffer, but downgraded it because the screen is dim. Going back to my Polytune 2 with separate buffer pedal.Tommy

Don't know how well it works yet. This is not ready to use out of the box unless you happen to already have a 9v DC power supply. Not sure if it will take a 9v battery because a specific hex wrench is necessary to open the unit. It would be helpful to have this information on a retailer's website to alert potential buyers.Steve

Does everything it says it does. I only have two complaints and two suggestion: 1) Tuning in poly mode seems to have you tune everything slightly sharp. I tuned all strings in poly first and then when switching to a single string to fine tune, ever single was string was just a hair sharp. I don't know if poly mode is accurate and single string mode is flat or vice versa, but that's a minor gripe. You can use poly mode to get close and single string mode to get every string perfect. 2) There is no way to "lock" the pedal in one mode or the other. You strum all strings for poly mode or one string for the other mode and the pedal automatically switches between modes. The problem is that you have to be sure ALL of the other strings are muted/completely silent to keep the pedal in single string mode. If you even accidentally bump another string while trying to tune a single string, the pedal will switch back to poly mode. It would be nice if there was a way to keep the pedal in one mode or the other to avoid inadvertently switching back and forth. Second suggestion, I wish there was a way to dim the display. When they say this pedal has an ultra-bright LED display, they mean it has an ULTRA-bright LED display. You could probably tune your guitar in low earth orbit with this pedal. That's fine in bright lighting or daylight, but at night or on a darkened stage, something that bright tends to affect my vision for a few minutes. Other than that, I found the pedal intuitive and easy to use. The only thing I had to refer to the manual for was to find out how to switch between alternate tunings. There is a TINY little button near the input jack and I missed it when just holding the pedal and giving it a quick once over. The pedal does not affect your tone in any noticeable way, even when you have your volume way up. The footswitch is smooth and there's no audible pop (either on the pedal or through your amp) when switching the tuner on and off.Heavyarms

Bought the Polytune 3 to replace the Polytune 2 on my board because I wanted the buffer without having to use a separate buffer pedal. First thing I noticed out of the box was that the Polytune 3's screen is only 60-70% as bright as the Polytune 2. Returned it and got a replacement; same thing. I spoke to TC Electronic and they confirmed that this is indeed a design change in the Polytune 3 because some people were complaining that the 2 was too bright (wow, I guess a lot of complaining people don't do outdoor gigs). Go figure. At all levels of the built in light sensor, the 3 is dimmer than the 2, including outside full brightness. Boo. This is a deal breaker for me as the Polytune 2's screen & brightness were perfect. The new one is too dim and hard to see from eye level, and other LED's on my board are actually brighter than the Polytune 3's display, which is distracting. So so disappointing as this could have been perfect. Such a puzzling decision on the part of TC Electronic. A much better solution would have been to make the brightness switchable between two modes if that really was an issue. I mean really: who wants a dimmer, harder to see screen? Especially outside in sunlight. They took one of the industry standard tuners and upgraded it with a switchable buffer, but downgraded it because the screen is dim. Going back to my Polytune 2 with separate buffer pedal.Tommy

Don't know how well it works yet. This is not ready to use out of the box unless you happen to already have a 9v DC power supply. Not sure if it will take a 9v battery because a specific hex wrench is necessary to open the unit. It would be helpful to have this information on a retailer's website to alert potential buyers.Steve

Does everything it says it does. I only have two complaints and two suggestion: 1) Tuning in poly mode seems to have you tune everything slightly sharp. I tuned all strings in poly first and then when switching to a single string to fine tune, ever single was string was just a hair sharp. I don't know if poly mode is accurate and single string mode is flat or vice versa, but that's a minor gripe. You can use poly mode to get close and single string mode to get every string perfect. 2) There is no way to "lock" the pedal in one mode or the other. You strum all strings for poly mode or one string for the other mode and the pedal automatically switches between modes. The problem is that you have to be sure ALL of the other strings are muted/completely silent to keep the pedal in single string mode. If you even accidentally bump another string while trying to tune a single string, the pedal will switch back to poly mode. It would be nice if there was a way to keep the pedal in one mode or the other to avoid inadvertently switching back and forth. Second suggestion, I wish there was a way to dim the display. When they say this pedal has an ultra-bright LED display, they mean it has an ULTRA-bright LED display. You could probably tune your guitar in low earth orbit with this pedal. That's fine in bright lighting or daylight, but at night or on a darkened stage, something that bright tends to affect my vision for a few minutes. Other than that, I found the pedal intuitive and easy to use. The only thing I had to refer to the manual for was to find out how to switch between alternate tunings. There is a TINY little button near the input jack and I missed it when just holding the pedal and giving it a quick once over. The pedal does not affect your tone in any noticeable way, even when you have your volume way up. The footswitch is smooth and there's no audible pop (either on the pedal or through your amp) when switching the tuner on and off.Heavyarms

I've owned one of these before, but it got lost or stolen. Had to buy another even after buying different tuners. This one is still the best. Be sure to get the chromatic tuner if you plan on using dropped or alternate tunings. dgcfad \m/ c#f#beg#c#Zodd

This is a great tuner for the price. I have 4 of these…one for 4 different instrument cases. Very easy to read, easy to use, accurate, and convenient. As a beginning violin student, I love that this tuner shows me exactly how far off I am with my intonation on any given note. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!ralpiggy

Arrived quickly. Cute designs. Small, even though sizes given in pics, was still a surprise how little they are. Not really squishes, more squashies (stretchy plastic) as theres instant bounce back unlike memory foam squishies. Stretchy & still fun to play with. Dd loves them.louisa0969

Preface, I use this with an acoustic violin fitted with a BTS pickup (dual piezos/string), OR with a Greek steel stringed laouto to immediately change from standard tuning to a 5th lower (Cretan, Southern Aegean tuning). Pros – This is a mentality saver. You can be a fantastic musician, able to transpose well, yet regardless of the instrument you are using, and still get a little tripped up when you need to switch course and play in some oddball key. Voila! Drop! I learned about this pedal from a class A1 violin player from Greece (composer, lyricist and recording artist who has recorded with just about every big name- this person is no joke, message me for his name if interested). This person can transpose to any weird key you throw at him, why use it? His response? "Because when I'm on stage and I need to switch quickly to an odd key, I can simply hit the button and not have to think about it". So I gave it a try, and have been using it for 2 years now… it's a life saver. I'm just a fiddler, but this saves me from stressing out and I can play free and it sounds GREAT. It tracks so well I can't tell if there is any latency at all. Cons- With my current setup, I find that I need to either play in front of a monitor or near a speaker or use IEM's, as when playing through the pedal with an acoustic instrument, obviously you are going to hear the natural AND the modified sounds and you ARE going to think it sounds like garbage, then attempt to junk it. DONT DO IT! Unless your pedal is defective, your sound from the speakers is clean. This pedal is meant to be used with mainly electric instruments. During sound check, as loud as you can be, you'll still hear the acoustic sound of your instrument, yet once you are playing with the full band (depending on what your band consists of), it will eventually drown out the sound, and you'll be able to focus on your modified tone, but this is not consistent. Just be aware. If you can, I suggest using some sort of IEM system, wired or wireless, or a monitor. My next step is getting an electric violin body to use this tool even more effectively, but moreso in order to truly utilize my pickup. In a nutshell: Do it!pazarinyc

Sound: Unbelievable how well this pedal track's notes and cords with no noticable latency, IMO it sounds better than tuning down. Features: It's a tank ! Sturdy , Solid , Heavy for it's size , no instructions needed , plug and play Ease of Use: This is simple , Standard tuned guitar , twist the knob to earth shaking low's. Quality: As mentioned , it's a tank , solid construction. Value: I hesitated on this purchase because of the price for a one trick pedal , Worth every penny ! Manufacturer Support: I have several DigiTech products , I still have the old RP-1 and it function's like new , I have no doubt this pedal will give me many year's of service. The Wow Factor: I prefer to play my guitars in standard tune , it's always been a hassle to get the right string tension when drop tuning , this pedal just ended that problem for me Overall: Just unboxed this pedal, been playing it for 2hrs , bar none the best pedal I've ever played ! Keeping the guitar in standard tune and dropping it to two whole steps , the notes and cords track perfectly ! No more floppy strings and no more switching guitars, the pedal is a must have for anyone who plays multiple drop tunings. This pedal is a tank solid heavy construction.Dennis

This is an amazing tuner that does what it's supposed to with no issues. I would recommend this over a standard guitar/bass tuner since it can detect pitches that fall outside the range of standard tuning since it is chromatic, and that means it suits alternate tunings. The flip out stand on the back is also a great feature. I have the tuner propped up on top of my amp and it looks as great as it functions. Having an input/output makes it even more versatile since you can leave it plugged in to the amp all the time and not worry since it has bypass which means sound passes through even when the tuner is off. And if you have an acoustic guitar? No problem, this tuner also has a built-in microphone. The only downside is that is has no illuminated screen. Unfortunately is seems Korg does not offer an illuminated version of this model, but you really can't complain as this is one of the best tuners you can get at this price point. Features: Chromatic, good for alternate tunings. True bypass Simple operation Microphone Buit-in stand Small, unobtrusive. Cons: No metronome No illuminated screen. Sometimes has trouble detecting really low notes, otherwise pretty accurate.alan

This is a good tuner for 6 string guitars, 7 string guitars, and basses, provided that they are in standard tuning. However, if you use alternate tuning, it may confuse one for the other. When I tuned my 6 string electric down to C#, the tuner kept trying to find the 7 string low 'b', making it useless. Although it has a 'flat' control, a simple manual select switch would solve everything.Jeff

This tuner is fine for guitars not bass. It will not pick up the low D string . also has no calibration there are better tuners out there shame Korg makes great tuners but not this time for the price not bad .cruise1208

I use my Korg Pitchblack Mini Tuner to tune both electric and acoustic-electric guitars. So… this is my 1st pedal tuner. I don't have anything to compare it to, but my SNARK and the tuning app on my smart phone. Anyhow, it gets the job done fairly effectively. I also like how it cuts off the signal from my amp when I use it. As for the cons, it uses three 3 volt batteries, which doesn't seem to make it function at 100%. Luckily, it works perfectly w/ a DC9V. Also, in my experience, it's not as easy to tune the low E string in comparison to the other 5 strings. Aside from those 2 things, I'm satisfied with my purchase.Jaime The Tenor

I love the size of this tuner. Fits perfectly in with my basses and offers great display options (Half Strobe being my favorite). The colors chosen are great and the note display large and bold. My only complaint is that this uses (2) CR2032 batteries and the battery cover door was fun to open (it doesn't come off which is good, but you need to know that). Adding a couple spare batteries doesn't take up much room either. Love the little details (feet that turn out to stabilize, external 9v jack, modes).Kevin L.

The KORG Pitchblack PB01 pedal tuner is the greatest thing since sliced bread. This is much easier to use than the flimsy clip-on type tuners. You don't have to use it on the floor; just place the tuner on a table and plug in your guitar. It is easy to tune up this way. I really think this tuner is great…I also ordered the newer version as well. Again, stop fumbling with the clip-on type tuners. This is the way to go: KORG Pitchblack pedal tuners. I'm a happy customer. You should be too.greg k.

This is an amazing tuner that does what it's supposed to with no issues. I would recommend this over a standard guitar/bass tuner since it can detect pitches that fall outside the range of standard tuning since it is chromatic, and that means it suits alternate tunings. The flip out stand on the back is also a great feature. I have the tuner propped up on top of my amp and it looks as great as it functions. Having an input/output makes it even more versatile since you can leave it plugged in to the amp all the time and not worry since it has bypass which means sound passes through even when the tuner is off. And if you have an acoustic guitar? No problem, this tuner also has a built-in microphone. The only downside is that is has no illuminated screen. Unfortunately is seems Korg does not offer an illuminated version of this model, but you really can't complain as this is one of the best tuners you can get at this price point. Features: Chromatic, good for alternate tunings. True bypass Simple operation Microphone Buit-in stand Small, unobtrusive. Cons: No metronome No illuminated screen. Sometimes has trouble detecting really low notes, otherwise pretty accurate.alan

This is a good tuner for 6 string guitars, 7 string guitars, and basses, provided that they are in standard tuning. However, if you use alternate tuning, it may confuse one for the other. When I tuned my 6 string electric down to C#, the tuner kept trying to find the 7 string low 'b', making it useless. Although it has a 'flat' control, a simple manual select switch would solve everything.Jeff

This tuner is fine for guitars not bass. It will not pick up the low D string . also has no calibration there are better tuners out there shame Korg makes great tuners but not this time for the price not bad .cruise1208

Bought the Polytune 3 to replace the Polytune 2 on my board because I wanted the buffer without having to use a separate buffer pedal. First thing I noticed out of the box was that the Polytune 3's screen is only 60-70% as bright as the Polytune 2. Returned it and got a replacement; same thing. I spoke to TC Electronic and they confirmed that this is indeed a design change in the Polytune 3 because some people were complaining that the 2 was too bright (wow, I guess a lot of complaining people don't do outdoor gigs). Go figure. At all levels of the built in light sensor, the 3 is dimmer than the 2, including outside full brightness. Boo. This is a deal breaker for me as the Polytune 2's screen & brightness were perfect. The new one is too dim and hard to see from eye level, and other LED's on my board are actually brighter than the Polytune 3's display, which is distracting. So so disappointing as this could have been perfect. Such a puzzling decision on the part of TC Electronic. A much better solution would have been to make the brightness switchable between two modes if that really was an issue. I mean really: who wants a dimmer, harder to see screen? Especially outside in sunlight. They took one of the industry standard tuners and upgraded it with a switchable buffer, but downgraded it because the screen is dim. Going back to my Polytune 2 with separate buffer pedal.Tommy

Don't know how well it works yet. This is not ready to use out of the box unless you happen to already have a 9v DC power supply. Not sure if it will take a 9v battery because a specific hex wrench is necessary to open the unit. It would be helpful to have this information on a retailer's website to alert potential buyers.Steve

Does everything it says it does. I only have two complaints and two suggestion: 1) Tuning in poly mode seems to have you tune everything slightly sharp. I tuned all strings in poly first and then when switching to a single string to fine tune, ever single was string was just a hair sharp. I don't know if poly mode is accurate and single string mode is flat or vice versa, but that's a minor gripe. You can use poly mode to get close and single string mode to get every string perfect. 2) There is no way to "lock" the pedal in one mode or the other. You strum all strings for poly mode or one string for the other mode and the pedal automatically switches between modes. The problem is that you have to be sure ALL of the other strings are muted/completely silent to keep the pedal in single string mode. If you even accidentally bump another string while trying to tune a single string, the pedal will switch back to poly mode. It would be nice if there was a way to keep the pedal in one mode or the other to avoid inadvertently switching back and forth. Second suggestion, I wish there was a way to dim the display. When they say this pedal has an ultra-bright LED display, they mean it has an ULTRA-bright LED display. You could probably tune your guitar in low earth orbit with this pedal. That's fine in bright lighting or daylight, but at night or on a darkened stage, something that bright tends to affect my vision for a few minutes. Other than that, I found the pedal intuitive and easy to use. The only thing I had to refer to the manual for was to find out how to switch between alternate tunings. There is a TINY little button near the input jack and I missed it when just holding the pedal and giving it a quick once over. The pedal does not affect your tone in any noticeable way, even when you have your volume way up. The footswitch is smooth and there's no audible pop (either on the pedal or through your amp) when switching the tuner on and off.Heavyarms

I bought this as a Stupid Deal of the Day. I wasn't expecting great quality — just a serviceable instrument. Alas, even there I was disappointed. There were minor annoyances like absolutely no documentation — no manual in the box; no manual on-line; nothing. I still don't know what the little allen wrench that came with it is for. When I picked up one of the legs it fell apart. There is a press-to-fit collar that holds the screw which allows adjusting the length of the leg. It wasn't actually pressed onto the shaft it was supposed to be attached to. A little brute force (before I attached the leg) solved that one. The real problem, however, came when I managed to assemble it anyway in spite of these minor glitches. Within moments of me setting it up on it's legs, one of the legs fell off. Actually the metal plate into which the leg screwed fell off. Luckily I still had all the packing material because I hadn't actually managed to completely unpack it. I called Musicians Friend. They were very helpful and immediately sent a RMA and a return label. Back it went.Bill, W.

Excellent product, I found it to hold tune and appears fairly sturdy. Strings are adequate for practice will experiment with others later, but not bad. I ran this through my Fender Deluxe reverb and found very little hum. Practically none and this surprised me as it is a single coil pickup. My only grip is the legs, I could not even get them to screw in, but then I didn't plan to use them in the first place, this instrument is best in your lap. The legs will come in handy if there is a noisy cat in the alley, or I need something to sink a boat (they are fairly heavy and seem decent, except, they are impossible to screw into the dang guitar!) Overall I would highly recommend as a first lap steel for sure.Mike

I've played electric/acoustic/bass for over 25 years, but got curious to try a lap steel because I've always loved the sound; I know what a quality instrument should feel like, and this definitely met or exceeded my expectations. I tuned up to C6 easily, and the single-coil pickup gives a nice bright tone that is consistent in volume from string-to-string. I haven't noticed any hum from the pickup at normal practice volume, and no grounding problems. I expect I'll change the strings soon, but that's a personal preference. A few people mentioned tuning problems; the tuners aren't the best, but I'd suggest pulling on each string when you first get it, to get any extra slack out of them. After that, mine holds tune perfectly fine. It packs up really neatly in the included gig bag, which does hold the detachable legs as well. The gig bag doesn't have much padding, but should be perfectly fine for storing the guitar when not in use. If you need to gig with the instrument professionally, I'd suggest getting something more solid, but this is a fantastic option for someone looking to learn on, or for studio use where you're looking for some different tones.Sam A

I love this because it is easy to see while standing and has a very fast response to the pitch. This gives enough time for string adjustments between tunes after the crowd starts dancing or on the outdoor gigs during the changing sun and shade. Stops over or under tuning.Dave

I was adding a 2nd tuner to my gear. This is a good tuner, but it defaults back to 440 Hz with every power down. I tune to 415, half step down and leave it there. My D'Addario tuner maintains whatever Hz adjustment was made prior to power down. I made the bad assumption that others of a quality brand would support this too. Plan to return to get this feature with another productDR

I bought a Snark tuner YEARS ago. I thought this one must be better (it's been years). Frankly it isn't (it's been years). It's OK. I don't mind it. I prefer my old one. That said, I bought two of these and will use use them all the time. When you're told that a product has been improved and the supposed improvements are are not only not perceptible but the product seems to be inferior then … what? YAY gold button! The gold button makes me SOOOO happy! I lurves me some gold button! Meh. Who needs a gold button?Rory

This tuner appears to be a decent quality item. The most important thin, of course is it works! Follow the colour indicator to the correct colour and your guitar is in tune. A neat touch is because of the ball joints, the tuner can be mounted on the back side of the headstock, out of view of an audience but still fully visible to the user. The other point is. It's simple. Turn it on, tune up, turn it off. Great little unit. Slightly more expensive but in my opinion, worth it.alsanjak

This is book is a great value, a complete treatise of the history and theory behind this totally US American instrument. It deals with the developers, the musical theory as well as the mechanics of the device. It is WELL worth the cost for the new player or any wishing to study the history and evolution of the instrument.1beeper1

This book answers alot of questions fast, It gets right down understanding the steel guitar and having you play it. And it also teaches chord theory. Very good book.trpsurplus

This was known as "The Book" back in its day. Lots of pros got started with this book. I had one back in the 70's when I dabbled in pedal steel. Took up the instrument again and just had to have this again. It now comes with a CD intead of the flimsy vinyl record it used to have that was always warped and almost impossible to play.Really glad to have this again. It will be indespensable I am sure.willsmusik

I am a new pedal steel player (E9). My new to me PSG was in need of a string change. No experience deciding what is a good string or a not so good string. Decided to try a set of Ernie Ball strings. They installed like any other string. Hold tuning well. I am abusing the instrument about 2 hours a day c/w lots of up and down bending. So far no broken strings. They sound good, hold pitch, seem durable and are priced right. Not much more to say.Alvin

I'm also a dobro player. Had issues with getting the dobro loud enough for church praise band without feedback so I bought the Asher lap steel. Same scale length and string spacing as dobro and came with strings suitable for dobro tuning, Perfect fit. The tone is great with the neck pickup and neck/bridge pickups on but to my ears the bridge pickup alone is very thin and tinny sounding. Quality control issues: First thing I noticed right out of the box was that two of the tuner buttons rattled when I played it. Should be an easy fix by tightening the screws on the tuner buttons but these don't have any at all. Not sure how the buttons actually stay on. Anyway I used a little super glue on the two rattlers and that fixed the problem. I'll probably upgrade the tuners at some point but for $900+ after taxes I shouldn't have to. Also the plate around the output jack was loose and I had to tighten that up. No big deal but still…. Re stringing is a puzzler with the wrap around bridge. On the lower strings the ball end of the string wedges up against the plastic ring around the pickup making them difficult to change. There suggestion is to take the provided allen wrench and rais the bridge to make the strings easier to remove. Really? Raise and lower the bridge everytime you re string? Why not move the bridge pickup 1/8 up away from the bridge? It certainly isn't going to hurt the bridge pickup tone any…. Anyway, it is a good instrument that I plan on keeping forever, just keep in mind that it won't be perfect. Oh, the gig bag is very nice. Sturdy and nicely padded.cb56

Honestly… This instrument is very nice for someone learning to play lap steel. Drop the conservative amount now and as time prevails upgrades can be made to make this guitar road worthy. The tuners are cheap and are not going to withstand someone who is gigging. And of course… The pickups aren't going to give you that HOT sound most desire. These are an easy fix and you will be left with a great steel that will withstand many great performances. I would highly recommend the Junior to anyone that is still developing technique and style. Hope this helps…TOE

good solid feel. Decent tuners well worth. the price paid. I wish it shipped with the hard case…even if it added to the price. Being a dobroplayer, bluegrass style, the feel is very close to the same. this works out well with a gospel group im now helping out. where behind the barn dobro sound just don't fit. my guitar is teamed up with a Fender mustang 3…. man what a pair! 🙂 I am sure this guitar will handle the road just fine! 🙂Jerry Douglas want to be....