New Tunerette tuner looks like a cigarette and will help you unleash “smoking guitar solos”
Back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, riffs often came with a strong whiff of nicotine. From Jimi Hendrix puffing away onstage to Eric Clapton securing cigarettes beneath the strings on his headstock, rockstars regularly came equipped with a pack of smokes. However, in the age of smoking bans and anti-smoking campaigns, some argue smoking has lost its ‘cool’ factor.
The Tunerette is set to change that. Designed to look like a cigarette, the clip-on tuner captures that vintage rock ‘n’ roll energy without any dire health consequences. And it even comes in its own cigarette pack-style box.
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Killer Vintage Guitars owner Dave Hinson struck up the idea while driving through Oklahoma. “Inspired by the legends of rock like Clapton, Hendrix, and Van Halen, he envisioned a tuner that not only paid homage to the golden age of guitar but also addressed all the gripes he had with existing headstock tuners,” the Tunerette website explains.
Despite appearances, the Tunerette isn’t just a gimmick. Weighing just over an ounce, the USB rechargeable tuner promises to provide tuning feedback as “accurate as a Peterson”. It also boasts 6 hours of battery life, and auto-switches itself off after 60 seconds to help preserve power.
Of course, there’s the added bonus of looking incredibly cool. So, even if you forget to take it off before going onstage, at least it looks the part. “We advise removing any clip-on tuner before a performance,” the packaging advises. “But with Tunerette, if you leave it on, at least you won’t look like an idiot!”
Hinson has certainly had fun with the marketing of his new tuner. Speaking with Norman Harris of Norman’s Rare Guitars, he explains that he filled a cigarette vending machine with Tunerettes at a recent trade show – as well as hiring a gaggle of “pretty girls” to lure punters in.
This doesn’t mean that smoking is automatically ‘cool’ again. “Rest assured, Tunerette is safe for all ages and doesn’t endorse or encourage smoking,” the product page reads. “Except when it comes to those SMOKING guitar solos, because you’ll be perfectly in tune!”
Reviews are already coming in, with the average rating being a strong 5 stars. “This tuner is the best,” one customer writes. “I play nylon string guitars and hardly any tuners fit the thicker headstocks but this fits easily and works great!”
As Hinson explains his product, Norman Harris is incredibly enthusiastic. “We’re in California, and a lot of people don’t smoke anymore,” he says. “But you can look cool with this up in your headstock!”
The Tunerette is available now and costs $49.95.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
