Sabine ZIP-1000 User Manual

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

•Dimensions: 4.1 x 2.8 x 1.1 in.

(10.4 x 7.1 x 2.8 cm).

•Weight: 0.2 lbs. (91.2 g), with battery.

•Range: 12 Note Full Range Chromatic

•Accuracy: +/- one cent (uses quartz crystal).

•Battery : 9 Volt standard or alkaline.

LIMITED TWO-YEAR WARRANTY

If your ZIP-1000 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

damage caused by accident, misuse or defective
batteries.

SABINE, INC.

13301 Highway 441 • Alachua, FL 32615-8544 USA
Phone: [phone] • FAX: [phone]
Fax-Back Product Info: [phone]

www.sabineinc.com

ZIP-1K-OpGd-www

990413-hto

ZIP-1000 CHROMATIC AUTOTUNER

Operating Guide

Your Sabine ZIP-1000 Chromatic AutoT uner provides
an easy-to-use tuning display and advanced tuning
algorithm. It automatically senses and displays the pitch of
the string you are tuning, providing hands-free operation.
The ZIP-1000 tunes all open string instruments and can be
used to tune most musical instruments and voice.

ZIP-1000 FEATURES

• Chromatic - For instrument and voice. Perfect for

standard & alternate tunings, and tuning with a capo.

• Easy-to-read LED display. Your ZIP T uner replaces the

delicate meter and needle display found on many tuners
with a rugged solid-state LED array. The LED display
provides the same continuous indication of tuning error by
varying the LED blink rate. LEDs are much easier to read
than meters, especially in the dark and from a distance.

• Grabs note fast, holds it longer. Y our ZIP T uner

automatically senses the note you are playing and
indicates which note you are closest to.

• Calibrate to other pitches. This feature is useful for

tuning your guitar or bass to instruments that tune to
pitches other than A=440, and for tuning to alternate
scales.

• Use the built-in mic or the 1/4" jacks.

• 9-volt battery included.

• Two-year warranty .

Copyright 1999 Sabine, Inc.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR TUNING

1. PRESS THE POWER BUTTON TO TURN ON YOUR
TUNER. Acoustic instrument tones are detected by a very

sensitive internal microphone. Do not pluck loudly to tune,
except in very noisy rooms. Plucking the string once per
second with medium loudness usually gives the best results.

Electronic instruments should be plugged into the tuner's
input jack labeled "INST" with a standard guitar cord. The
internal mic automatically disconnects so the tuner will not
pick up extraneous background noise. Y ou may connect
your tuner's AMP jack to any amplifier's or P .A. system's
input so you can tune as you play .

2. PLUCK THE STRING YOU WISH TO TUNE. Adjust the
instrument's pitch until the desired NOTE INDICAT OR light
is lit. For example, if you wish to tune your D string, pluck
the string and tune it until the D indicator light is lit. Pluck
the string every second or so to keep the note fresh and to
prevent it from fading flat. T o eliminate extraneous
overtones, mute the other strings after each pluck.

3. SLOWL Y ADJUST THE INSTRUMENT'S PITCH
UNTIL THE "IN TUNE" LIGHT IS LIT . Note that the

SHARP and FLAT indicators blink rapidly when the note is
far from being in tune and blink slower as the note
approaches being in tune. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the
other notes until the entire instrument is tuned.

HOW TO RECALIBRA TE YOUR ZIP-1000: Use the
CALIBRATE function if you want to tune your guitar to an
instrument that tunes to pitches other than A=440, or if you
want to use alternate scales. For example, if you wish to
recalibrate the tuner from standard A=440 Hz. to A=438
Hz., press the CALIBRATE button until the note indicator
LED lights under 438. The tuner's scale is now shifted to
that pitch. T o return the tuner to standard A=440 Hz., turn
the tuner off and then back on.

Many musical instruments have peculiarities that cause

TUNING TIPS

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 higher­pitched 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. Generally light to medium volumes
provide purer tones that are easier for tuners to analyze.

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. (We recommend Sabine
NitroStasis™ Premium 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.