The Pedaltrain SST, short for Space Saving Tuner, is a very small tuner pedal in a slim bar format, measuring 22 x 102 x 22 mm. Pedaltrain announced it in December 2018 as a way to keep a tuner on a pedalboard without giving up the space a full-size pedal takes12. It sits alongside other compact tuners on our Tuner Pedals page.
Power and wiring
The SST has no battery compartment. gearnews.com's report on the announcement put it plainly: "the SST is way too small for batteries"1. Instead, you connect the tuner through a kind of breakout cable, which carries the power supply input and the audio connections in one lead that plugs into the tuner itself1.
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson noted that the wiring arrangement is "somewhat reminiscent of the Olinthus Cicada - in having the same wiring system - which allows you to connect outside the" main device, with the wiring fixed to the tuner2. In practice that means the pedal itself stays a clean bar on the board while the jacks live on the breakout cable.
Because the SST takes no battery, it needs a pedalboard power supply to run. Plan for the breakout cable's routing when laying out a board.
Controls and use
There is one control: a calibration button on the base of the device, used to set the reference pitch2. The tuner is always on, so as gearnews.com reported at launch, "you can check your tuning without having to engage a footswitch"1.
One caveat from Guitar Pedal X: "It has been noted that this tuner can be slow to pick up some of the lower frequency pitches"2. Players tuning low-pitched instruments or downtuned strings may notice that lag.
Videos
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Questions
Does the Pedaltrain SST take a battery?
No. The SST is too small inside to hold a battery, so it runs only from an external power supply. Power and audio connections are made through a breakout cable that plugs into the tuner, so you will need a standard pedalboard power supply to use it on a board.
How do I set the reference pitch on the Pedaltrain SST?
There is a single control: a calibration button on the base of the unit. Pressing it sets the reference pitch. Because the button sits underneath the tuner, it stays out of the way on a pedalboard and cannot be knocked accidentally while playing.
Does the Pedaltrain SST need a footswitch?
No. The SST is always on, so you can check your tuning at any time without engaging a footswitch first. That suits a tuner that lives permanently on a board and is read at a glance between songs.
How much does the Pedaltrain SST cost?
Guitar Pedal X listed the SST at $59 as of June 2025. gearnews.com reported a USD 59.99 RRP when Pedaltrain announced the tuner in December 2018.
How big is the Pedaltrain SST?
The SST measures 22 x 102 x 22 mm, a slim bar format that Guitar Pedal X describes as a space saving tuner. That small footprint is the whole point: it is meant to save room on a cramped pedalboard.
Sources (2)
- Pedaltrain SST: A tiny tuner to save space on cramped pedalboards, gearnews.com, 2018-12-07
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-06-16
