Does it Work with Banjo - a Roadie 3 Tuner Review

[@jerrellthieke87]

I can't wait till I strike it rich so I can afford a banjo. My father had one, and to my knowledge, he never played a note on anything except a radio. I just turned 56 this year, so I imagine it's not going to happen. I used to lay my dad's on the bed and strum it. You are great, and I love to watch the effortless way you play.

[@JimPankey]

Don’t have to be rich to own a banjo. There’s always something affordable.

[@alanwoollett7961]

Thanks for the review Jim, keep em coming 👍🏻

[@JimPankey]

Thanks, will do!

[@MasonCroneMusic]

I've never seen anything like that, would be super cool if it worked.

[@JimPankey]

You can try this one soon

[@MrJRW1]

I can’t believe that I watched this entire video! Who would’ve thought watching someone tune a banjo could be so entertaining? 😂 I have been curious about that tuner, but it’s a bit too expensive for me to justify buying it. It’s a cool idea, but clearly not as foolproof as it needs to be. Thanks for sharing.

[@JimPankey]

I wish it could have been shorter, but it was fun.

[@b.arc.5118]

This seems great for people who don’t want to use their fingers to tune their banjo.

[@JimPankey]

...and if they don't mind being out of tune. Does seem to work better on banjos with guitar style tuners.

[@WorshipGuitarist4life17]

@b.arc.5118 and it's great for people with several instruments to.. especially a 12 string acoustic, 8 string mandolin, 2 electric guitars,

[@alfsmith4936]

It's close but I can get closer by ear much faster.. The way it grips the buttons puts me off too. I imagine putting it on awkwardly and smashing the button to bits and having to buy new set of tuners, every time I want to use it on a Kluson guitar tuner, with plastic buttons.

[@ranchdog7920]

Thanks for the testing Jim. I use the snark clamp on the peg head style and it seams to be close…. Nothing can replace my wife’s ear. Too many variables… quality of tuners, tightness of the pegs, holding the device solid and all that. I’ll be waiting to see the next version.

[@JimPankey]

It’s a great concept and something I would like to be able to recommend. It does seem to work fine on instruments with guitar style tuners.

[@crawfordbanjos3532]

Hello there Jim hope you’re well. What a fantastic review, shame that little gadget didn’t work out it’s a cool idea. Seems like it’s just not calibrated 100% which is disappointing why go to all that trouble and not make sure it works. Anyway, enjoyed the review 👍 take care my friend.

[@JimPankey]

It does seem to like your banjo though. I think it’s the tuning ratio.

[@crawfordbanjos3532]

@@JimPankey I think you’re right Jim they would have a lighter ratio.

[@scarfacesteveo]

I am sorry to say this, but I received my Roadie 3 Tuner today. I am only a guitar player and many of them but this tuner has done things in perfection. seems this guy has negative attitude to anything new . The tuner really works ^^

[@JimPankey]

Except it doesn’t on a four to one ratio planetary tuner. Period. It’s not a negative attitude, it’s a reality.

[@AlbrittonTribe]

I agree with you Jim, its better to get a regular tuner instead. Its cool but, it stinks it does not work:(

[@JimPankey]

Seems to work better on guitar style tuners. I’m guessing it has something to do with the gear ratio.

[@AlbrittonTribe]

@@JimPankey 😜YEA!!!!!

[@SuperDannybobo]

Thanks Jim!

[@JimPankey]

You're Welcome!!

[@donaldfair4259]

Jim I like my Snark tuners .

[@JimPankey]

Personally not a fan of the Snark tuners… but the point of this video wasn’t to offer alternatives, it was just about reviewing this particular tuner.

[@WorshipGuitarist4life17]

0:44 yay. I have 2 electric guitars, 1 acoustic, one mandolin. I MIGHT get a banjo for my birthday. There pretty expensive though.

[@JimPankey]

Get a regular clip on. Save your $$

[@WorshipGuitarist4life17]

14:26 roadie is having a freakout for those who are curious 😂😂🤣🤣

[@JimPankey]

It does that a lot. 😂

[@donaldfair4259]

Oh my !!! You have got to be kidding me ! Another toy for our use .

[@JimPankey]

Always new stuff to try…

[@judwatkins9478]

I agree with you, Jim. The high G was flat.

[@JimPankey]

Turns out the high G was the only one that was correct. Everything else was flat.

[@bornagainremodeling]

I have the Roadie 3 and it tunes my HD-28 Martin perfectly. But I have problems with it tuning the banjo. It wants to tune the B string sharp. It is definitely a cool gadget but I’m not sure that it was $129 cool

[@JimPankey]

So far, it seems ok on anything with a guitar tuner, but the 4:1 banjo tuners are a struggle for it.

[@landenkamer431]

Hey Jim! Was wondering if you can do a video how to do on Purgatory by Tyler Childers. I can’t figure it out. Thanks

[@sylviamiley4435]

thank you

[@JimPankey]

Thanks for watching

[@jbmows]

Things like this are usually too good to be true!😂

[@JimPankey]

It seems to work fine on instruments with guitar style tuners.

[@alfsmith4936]

I don't think it can ever work first time because the skin on a banjo moves enough to change the pitch a point of cent or two, while the string is vibrating and also, if it gets one string in tune, the next string will pull the skin tighter, pulling the other strings out of tune again.

[@JimPankey]

Excellent observation!

[@doyletranbarger3988]

Thanks for the review! Won't be adding that to my gear anytime soon. Have you tried the Snark ones that clip onto the head tension hangers? I have one but seems to leave me wondering what it is sure of as well.

[@guntherwheeler_]

there is some scientific reason why the Snark is difficult at times on the banjo, but that’s all i can tell you.

[@JimPankey]

Yes I have, but also not a fan. I got one of the newer Snark Air tuners. Might look at it at some point...

[@billyaitken7461]

I first had a basic snark for my ukuleles a few years ago but I felt that it was inaccurate 40% of the time (not by much, but you want stuff 100%). I bought a moderate D’Darrio and never used the snark again.

[@wesleywalker1682]

The Snark works ok, for the money. The adapter clip that holds it onto the banjo brackets is really cool idea, but mine broke. I now use a Uni Tuner.

[@dennisatkins9837]

Tuning a Banjo? I think your raising the bar way to high!😊

[@JimPankey]

🤣

[@sawggy2063]

Hey man, I just want to say thank you for the super clear tutorials! I’m 17 and have recently inherited a banjo from my uncle and have been wanting to learn it for a while. Im not good at all but we all start somewhere!

[@JimPankey]

Thanks for letting me help you learn

[@angelpaez2016]

Hi Jim thanks for the review!! I am blind and have been looking at these for some time. I don't much see myself needing it but was thinking that it could be useful in a live setting where tuning by ear may not always be in my favor because of the environment or etc. is there a setting that would allow you to set the frequency at which you tune? I.E 440 hurtz for standard? that may be worth looking at and might help compensate for strings being sharp.

[@JimPankey]

It does have a setting where you can change it from 440 to whatever. But, when some notes are sharp, and other aren't it's a puzzle that changing the tuning standard won't fix. It does seem to work better on instruments with guitar style tuners.

[@AlbrittonTribe]

Like the content though!

[@billyaitken7461]

😯 I was betting it was going to be a drum head resonance thing & that it’d be 100% accurate on the standard guitar….

[@JimPankey]

It’s interesting for sure

[@hannawilczynska4955]

Hi, do you have any tutorials on how to play on a 12 - string guitar? Greetings from Poland 🇵🇱

[@JimPankey]

I don’t.

[@gabunnie1]

Did you calibrate the tuner to YOUR banjo? There is a calibrate to your intrument in the menu, so it can learn YOUR instrument. Should probably do that before trying to tune it.😂 Also, you do realize that as we Age, our hearing can be a bit off, and changes? Im an older person too, just so you understand, Im not being critical of you in any way. You must Name each individual instrument separately, and you need to make sure to calibrate each individual instrument so the Tuner can learn Your instrument because sometimes the tuning pegs are different on each instrument. Its keeps track of EACH individual instrument's idiosyncrasies. I hope THIS helps you. Btw, it also can help some musicians to tune to different types of tuning for different songs.

[@JimPankey]

Yes… I went thru the calibration process multiple times with multiple banjos. It doesn’t work, and continues to tune certain strings sharp. No, it’s not my ears. No, it’s not a lack of experience with the product. It’s a gimmicky product and will forever remain on my shelf of useless gadgets.

[@davidwalters8847]

I wonder if it is like most 'electronics' and it needs to be 3rd generation before all the bugs are worked out? 😁

[@JimPankey]

Well... this is version 3. Hence the name: Roadie 3. There was also a recent firmware update too. I will say it does handle guitar tuners much better.

[@davidwalters8847]

@@JimPankey aww. I should have thought of that. 😆

[@stevechaplin5987]

What a horrible thing, good review though you tried hard to make it work

[@JimPankey]

It does seem to work fine on instruments with guitar style tuners.