The Ashdown Dr Green TuneUp is a pedal tuner for guitar and bass, sold as the "TuneUp High Visability Tuner Pedal For Guitar and Bass" by Ashdown Engineering. It sits in the Dr Green line of pedals, a range Ashdown produced in conjunction with Dr. Green that Premier Guitar described as hand-made, boutique pedals when the line launched in 201212. The TuneUp carries the two features players look for in a board tuner: true bypass switching and mute-enabled tuning, so the signal is silenced while you tune2.
Tuning range, accuracy and display
The tuning range runs from A0 at 27.5 Hz up to C8 at 4,186 Hz, which covers everything a four, five or six string bass or a standard guitar can put out2. Accuracy is given as +/- 1 cent, tight enough for stage and studio work2. Calibration is adjustable from 436 to 445 Hz in 1 Hz steps, so players who tune to a reference other than A440 can set it to match2. The pedal also supports flat tuning positions of b, bb and bbb for players who drop tune2.
The display is built around a 39-segment FND meter with a single LED, showing the note names A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G and G#2. Ashdown markets the pedal on visibility, calling it a high visibility tuner, which matters on a dark stage2.
Controls and connections
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Input | 1/4" input jack2 |
| Output | 1/4" bypass jack2 |
| Bypass | True bypass switching2 |
| Mute | Mute-enabled tuning2 |
| Calibration | 436 to 445 Hz, 1 Hz steps2 |
| Flat tuning | b, bb, bbb2 |
| Indicator | 39-segment FND and 1 LED2 |
Power and housing
The TuneUp runs on 9V power, from either a 6F22 battery or a DC adapter2. The pedal is housed in what Ashdown describes as a robust custom steel housing with heavy duty switching, built, in the maker's words, to "endure life on the road"2.
The 9V figure covers both a 6F22 battery and a DC adapter. For a pedalboard, a dedicated 9V DC supply output is the practical route, since a tuner left plugged in will drain a battery.
Where it sits in the Ashdown range
The TuneUp is Ashdown's tuner pedal in the Dr Green bass pedal family3. Ashdown describes it as "Housed in a robust custom steel housing and featuring heavy duty switching the Tune Up will endure life on the road or i"2. It takes a 1/4" input jack and offers a 1/4" bypass jack, with a 39-segment FND display and one LED as its indicator2. For other tuning options, see the site's Tuner Pedals page, and for the wider family, Bass Pedals.
Sources (3)
- Ashdown Launches New Dr. Green Bass FX Pedals, Premier Guitar, 2013-01-17
- TuneUp - Ashdown Engineering, Ashdown Engineering
- Pedal News: Ashdown Dr. Green Bass FX Pedals, Delicious Audio, 2013-01-28
