AX3000 Series Contact AutoTuner
AX3000
Now that you’re the owner of a patented Sabine AX3000
Contact AutoTuner, the most unique and innovative chromatic
tuner available, you’ll find tuning your instrument has never
been easier. The AX Tuner’s highly accurate advanced digital technology allows superior performance when tuning most
stringed instruments, particularly electric or acoustic guitars,
banjos, mandolins, violins and bass guitars.
Operating Guide
AX3000-W
OUTSTANDING FEATURES
• New MagnaPad mounts AX directly on your
instrument - sticks like a magnet and comes
off with a twist!
• InTouch™ Contact Microphone Picks Up Your
Instrument's Vibrations
• It's Cordless!
• Easy-To-Read Three-Color LED Display
• Full-Range Chromatic Scale
• Automatic Recalibration
• Automatic Power Down
• Longest Battery Life
• Digital Accuracy
• Available with Rich Wood Finish (AX3000-W)
INSTRUCTIONS FOR TUNING
CAUTION: The AX Tuner is not recommended for use on
instruments with antique or cracked finishes. See cautions
on reverse side.
1. PLACE THE TUNER DIRECTLY ON YOUR INSTRUMENT
WHEREVER IT IS MOST CONVENIENT AND EASY TO
SEE. You will want to experiment with the tuner to find
where its peak performance can be reached on your particular instrument. For example, the tuner may work best
on your guitar when placed near where the fingerboard
meets the top or on the side next to the neck's heel.
2. PRESS THE POWER BUTTON ("P") TO TURN ON YOUR
TUNER. When the power is turned on, the D# note indicator will blink once per second. Tones generated by both
acoustic and electric instruments are detected by the AX
Tuner’s InTouch™ sensitive internal contact microphone.
The AX Tuner picks up vibrations from the top of the instrument rather than the air so it is less affected by background
noise than other tuners. It is therefore not necessary to
play loudly; plucking the string lightly once per second usually gives the best results. Heavy plucks may make tuning
more difficult.
THE TUNER WILL TURN ITSELF OFF AFTER TWO MINUTES. However, if you wish to defeat the power down timer
to have the tuner stay on throughout the performance instead of automatically turning off after two minutes, turn
the tuner off; then hold down the calibrate ("C") button
and press the power ("P") key. Release the power key
first and then the calibrate button. Two LEDs will light
initially to indicate the tuner is in the non-timer mode.
3. LIGHTLY PLUCK THE STRING YOU WISH TO TUNE. Adjust the instrument’s pitch until the desired NOTE INDICATOR LED lights. For example, if you wish to tune a D string
on a guitar, pluck the string and tune it until the "D" LED
lights. Pluck the string every second or so to keep the note
"fresh" and to prevent the note from fading flat. Also, to
eliminate extraneous overtones, mute the other strings after each pluck.
4. SLOWLY ADJUST THE INSTRUMENT’S PITCH UNTIL THE
DESIRED NOTE’S LED TURNS GREEN, INDICATING THE
STRING IS IN TUNE.
Note that the LED turns yellow when the tone is flat and
turns red when the tone is sharp. The LED blinks rapidly
when the tone is far from being in tune and blinks slower
and slower as the tone approaches being in tune.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the other notes until the entire
instrument is tuned.
5. TO REMOVE THE AX, GENTLY TWIST AND LIFT THE
TUNER. Store the AX in its DomeHome™.
RECALIBRATING YOUR AX TUNER
Most other tuners allow the user to recalibrate only a few
Hertz from standard A = 440 Hz. They are almost useless if
you wish to tune to an instrument that is more than a few Hertz
out of tune. However, you can recalibrate your AX Tuner to
match the pitch of any reference instrument simply by touching the calibrate ("C") button.
Example: If you wish to tune a guitar so it will be in tune with
a certain piano, place the tuner on the piano, defeat the twominute power down timer, play an "A" (or any other note) and
wait a moment for the note to register on the tuner’s display.
Then lightly press the calibrate button on the tuner. The "A"
LED will turn green, indicating the tuner now considers the
piano to be in perfect tune. Now if you tune your instrument
to the tuner, your instrument will be in tune with the piano.
Note: To reset the tuner to standard a = 440 Hz, press the
power button to turn the tuner off and then back on. The ax
tuner always returns to a = 440 Hz when it is turned on.
CLEANING THE MAGNAPAD
Do not immerse the tuner in water or place it directly
under a faucet. This may damage the tuner and will void
the warranty. There are two ways to clean the pad.
1. Use a little isopropyl rubbing alcohol and a toothbrush
(preferably an old one!). For quick & easy cleaning, carry
around some foil pack alcohol wipes to clean the pad.
CAUTION: Make sure the alcohol has dried completely
before placing the AX Tuner on your guitar. - or -
2. Moisten a clean, lint-free cloth and use it to rub the pad
until it is clean. You can also just rinse your finger and use
it like a squeegee to clear the pad of dirt and dust. Allow
the pad to air dry for about 10 minutes. The MagnaPad™
becomes tacky again when it dries.
To keep the pad tacky longer between cleanings: Keep the
guitar surface clean, avoid touching the MagnaPad™ pad,
and keep your AX Tuner in its DomeHome™ when not in use.
Take the AX Tuner off your guitar and store it in its
DomeHome™ when not in use.
DO NOT LEAVE IT ON THE INSTRUMENT
The AX Tuner is not recommended for use on
instruments with antique or cracked finishes.
Instrument finishes have the potential to become loose.
Sabine will not be responsible for instruments where
CAUTION
the finish has lost integrity. The Sabine AX Tuner will
not harm a normal finish.
CHANGING THE AX'S BATTERY
CR2430 Lithium
coin-cell battery
(3-volt)
The AX Tuner's battery should last for approximately 1,500
tunings, or one year. When you find it necessary to change
the battery, locate the battery door (exposed on the bottom of
the AX Tuner). Place the bottom end lip of the DomeHome™
in the door's slot and turn the door counterclockwise until it
opens. Slide CR2430 Lithium coin-cell battery with negative
side down into place on top of negative terminal strap (long)
and under positive terminal strap (short) as shown in drawing
above.
KEY POINT: Batteries must have negative terminals face
down, and must be sandwiched between the long negative
terminal and short positive terminal.
Slide battery under
positive terminal tab
and replace battery
door.
TUNING TIPS
Many musical instruments have peculiarities that cause
annoying tuning problems. Most of these peculiarities are
overcome by following these simple procedures:
1. Pluck one string at a time.
2. Pluck the instrument once per second to keep the note
"fresh" while you are tuning. Notes go noticeably flat a
second or two after being plucked. If tuning a higher-pitched
instrument (such as a mandolin), pluck a little faster; for a
lower-pitched instrument (such as a bass), pluck slower.
3. Do not pluck loudly. Your AX Tuner’s sensitive contact mi-
crophone can pick up light to medium volumes, and heavy
plucking may overpower the microphone or pull the note
sharp.
4. Pluck the strings with the flesh of the thumb. Fingernails
and flat picks add overtones and slow the tuning process.
5. Tune from a pitch that is flat up to the pitch you desire.
This procedure removes any slack in the gears of the
instrument’s tuning heads. If you tune from SHARP to IN
TUNE, the gears will slip as you play, and the instrument
will go flat after a few minutes of playing.
6. If you have difficulty getting a note to register on the tuner,
try touching the other strings lightly to stop their sympathetic vibrations. This will eliminate any extraneous overtones that may disturb the tuning.
7. Use good strings. Old strings lose their uniformity and do
not vibrate evenly. New strings stretch flat as you play.
8. All sources of friction cause tuning problems. For example, if the slot in an instrument’s nut is too tight, the
string will be pulled flat as it is played. A tight nut (or capo)
will cause the string’s pitch to change in steps rather than
evenly.
9. Avoid pressure on the instrument while tuning. Even
moderate pressure on the neck of a guitar will cause a
noticeable change in pitch. Also, press the strings straight
down to the fingerboard. Bending the strings sideways
is very common, especially on difficult chords, but causes
the strings to be pulled sharp.
10. A note for advanced fretted instrumentalists: Almost all
fretted instruments, and most other instruments, are constructed to play an "even-tempered scale." Sabine tuners
are also calibrated to this scale. The even-tempered scale
places equal tonal spacing between all notes in the scale
so that the musician will not have to retune to change keys.
A disadvantage, however, is that the third note of the scale
sounds a little sharp (14 cents, to be exact). For example,
when playing in the key of G, the B note will sound sharp. If
you tune the B string so that it sounds correct in an open G
chord, other chords using the B string will sound out of
tune. The musician may choose to optimize the tuning of a
particular key or to use the even-tempered scale. Much
depends on the musician’s style, but generally it is best to
tune exactly as your Sabine tuner indicates.
SPECIFICATIONS
Models: AX3000, AX3000-W Series
Dimensions: 3.3 x 1.8 x 0.4 in. (8.4 x 4.6 x 1.0 cm)
Weight: 1.25 oz. (36 g), with battery
Scale: Even-tempered, 12 notes per octave
Accuracy: + one cent (uses quartz crystal)
Battery: One CR2430 Lithium coin-cell, 3 Volts (included)
Tuning Range: 5 Octaves (A1 to A6)
LIMITED 2-YEAR WARRANTY
If your AX Tuner fails because of a manufacturing defect
within two years from the date of the original purchase, please
return it to your dealer. If you need to return the tuner to Sabine,
call for a Return Authorization number.
Then send it, postage
prepaid, to Sabine for replacement with a new or reconditioned product. You must include your full name, address, proof of purchase
and the nature of the defect.
This warranty does not cover dam-
age caused by accident, misuse or defective batteries.
Sabine, Inc.
13301 Highway 441 • Alachua, FL 32615-8544 USA
Phone: (386) 418-2000 • Fax: (386) 418-2001
Covered by U.S. Patent Numbers 5,388,496 & 5,396,827
www.Sabine.com
AX3000-OpGd-060209.pmd - rr
© 2006 Sabine, Inc.
Designed in USA
Made in China
Loading...