I have used a few Peterson products over the years. I started with an AutoStrobe 490 some 20 years ago. That tuner was like night and day with any other electronic tuner - there was simply no comparison, which sold me on the Peterson name. Unfortunately, the 490 is also massive, fragile and requires a plug-in power source, so you weren't exactly tossing it in the car for a quick tune when you went to jam with some buddies. Ultimately, I sold the 490 and tried the VS-II Virtual Strobe tuner. That tuner isn't bad for a guitar (although it didn't work well for my wife's violin). It can run on batteries and is more durable than the 490. Unfortunately, however, it lacks the beauty that the 490 has, so mine fell into disuse, as did most of my musical hobby.

Just recently, I purchased a harp and wanted a tuner that would be able to handle its entire range (34 notes, from C1 to A6). I tried the StroboClip HD, but it didn't work well above C6. I tried the VS-II with a couple of piezo pickups (including Peterson's own TP-3), only to be disappointed in the range. At first, I blamed the tuner itself, and I purchased the StroboPLUS HD.

With the same piezo pickups, the StroboPLUS HD was also largely a disappointment. A support rep suggested I try the microphone on the StroboPLUS HD, and suddenly the StroboPLUS HD shone! What I had assumed was a faulty tuner is what appears to be a limitation in piezo pickups - they seem incapable of registering notes above C6. With the microphone, the StroboPLUS HD tunes my harp beautifully and - to my surprise - there is even a harp Sweetener setting (four, actually).

I have become very pleased with the StroboPLUS HD. The tuning has been spot on, as I felt about the 490 20 years ago, and it possesses a certain beauty that the VS-II just couldn't match with its industrial look and feel. This isn't an issue nowadays (not exactly jamming with buddies on the harp), but the StroboPLUS also solves the fragility issue of the 490. One happy, yet unexpected, perk is the rechargeable battery in the StroboPLUS HD. I appreciate that I won't have to throw more junk into a landfill as a result of tuning a harp. I have no trouble recommending the StroboPLUS HD. It is a solid tuner that works well. Although I did have some bobbles with the StroboPLUS HD at the beginning, I've since learned its idiosyncrasies and now truly appreciate the tuner. I expect this tuner to be a trusty companion for many years.