The Boss TU-3 takes many of the features of the TU-2 and improves upon them. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the light display that indicates where your guitar is tuned.

BOSS tuners are beloved by musicians around the world for their reliability, accuracy, and user friendliness. Since 1983, the TU-12 has been an industry standard. Today’s family of BOSS tuners melds the essence of the TU-12 with modern technology in a wide variety of models. Boss’s chromatic tuner TU-2 is a true classic from a trusted, well-renown company. The features still hold up today, even after we’ve gotten an upgraded version. Let’s take a look at the specifications that set the Boss TU-2 apart. Activating either of these tuners when they’re attached to your pedal board couldn’t be easier. Simply stomp once to activate the tuner, this will mute output allowing you to tune in silence. When you’re done, stomp again to reactivate the output. Functions Customers had asked for a tuner in compact pedal format for a long time when Boss finally decided to make one, 1998. To Boss’s surprise the new TU-2 was an instant hit. It doesn’t have the accuracy of the TU-12 but the 7-segment LED display and the 11 point LED scale gives perfect tuning information no matter how dark a stage is. There’s 7 tuning modes: Chromatic, Guitar Regular, Guitar Flat, Guitar Double Flat, Bass Regular, Bass Flat, and Bass Double Flat. You can choose to select whether to listen to the sound or mute when tuning and when connected to an AC adaptor, the TU-2 can also distribute power to other effects units. Specifications

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That isn’t the case with a mute/bypass pedal like this. You can easily change the sound of your signal without hearing any audible indicator that it’s happening, even when you hit the pedal. Powerhouse The TU-2 has a tuning accuracy of +/- 3 cents, which can be detectable if you have a good ear for it. The TU-3 improved on this with its tuning accuracy of +/- 1 cent, which is imperceptible to the human ear. Power Supply There are several modes within both the TU-2 and the TU-3 which allow them to tune to other guitar sounds (guitar, guitar flat, bass, and bass flat). The TU-3 has 10 different modes available, where the TU has 7 different modes. Control Buttons The high brightness mode on the TU-3 allows you to see the display panel easier. Since the low brightness on the TU-2 sometimes required you to bend down to read it, the TU-3 includes this mode to make it easier to see from a distance. Mute/Bypass

The TU-2 is a powerful chromatic tuning pedal with a huge 8-octave tuning range and great tuning accuracy as well. When it comes to tuning your sound, nothing makes it hit quite like a Boss TU-2. The display shows you exactly where your notes fall, and the visual representation helps a great deal when it comes to tuning. A wider tuning range (in the case of both pedals, C0 to C8) means that you can tune your guitar notes in any direction you like. Since both pedals are chromatic tuners, it’s a given that these higher ranges will be available. Sometimes, you want a specific sound with your music. Using a tuning pedal with different modes allows you to find a different sound without switching to a different instrument. As far as tuning modes go, both the older TU2 and TU3 feature chromatic, chromatic flat, standard guitar, flat guitar, standard bass, and flat bass tuning options, all accessible by cycling through the mode button. With this variety of settings, both options will effectively allow a player to tune to any pitch they want to play in. Though it may take a moment to catch up to you, the TU-2 can do a great deal to change your sound. With 7 modes (including bass and standard guitar options), everything comes together much smoother.

Which buttons on the pedal can help you tune your notes and change sound? While both the TU-2 and the TU-3 have ‘Mode’ and ‘Stream/Cent’ buttons, only the TU-3 has a footswitch thrown into the mix. This means you have more control, and you can do much more than just activate the pedal with the footswitch. Reference Pitch

The Boss TU-3 retains most of the features of the TU-2, while also working to correct some design mistakes and add additional functionality. This updated version is much more versatile. The TU-3’s every feature works to streamline the classic functionality of the Boss TU-2. While some pedal manufacturers automatically assume your pedal will be in a board, and thus leave the base with a bare plastic finish, both the Boss TU2 and TU3 have a rubber bottom pad, which will go a long way toward prevent the pedal from slipping around onstage should you choose to keep it separate from a pedal board. Display One of the most noticeable updates on the TU3 was the display. Boss increased the number of LED indicators on the tuning scale to 21 from the original TU2’s 11. This change makes it much easier to see when a note is approaching pitch.The weight can also give you some indication of how portable the pedal is. The Boss TU-2 is a bit heavier at 15oz, while the Boss TU-3 is 14oz. The difference is small but may matter to you. Expected Battery Life point LED indicators and new "stream" meter display tuning discrepancy via speed and direction of LEDs (speed of LED movement gets slower as pitch becomes more accurate) Seven easy tuning modes include Chromatic, Guitar Regular, Guitar Flat, Guitar Double Flat, Bass Regular, Bass Flat, Bass Double Flat

Part of the reason the Boss TU-2 (and its successor the TU-3) appear on nearly every pedalboard you'll see is that it is reliable, accurate and has just enough capability without overcomplicating things. The LEDs oscillate at a rate indicating how close you are to the note, while a clear green light in the center tells you when your job is done for that string. The TU-2 has an eight octave range and seven modes, for standard guitar and bass frequencies and de-tuned setups down to a whole step below standard. There is even an option to set a difference reference pitch above or below A 440 (438 - 445 Hz). Beyond this, anything else is just unnecessary in a tuning pedal. Anything less than this leaves you somewhat confined in the way tune your guitar. More Than Just A TunerWhat pitch does the pedal use as an internal reference for your notes? Both the TU-2 and TU-3 use the same internal reference: A4, or 438 to 445 Hz. The standard guitar is tuned to 440 Hz and the fact that this reference is within a normal range can help you get the results you want when you tune up or down. Connectors While the TU-2 and the TU-3 look to be essentially the same, they have some key differences that set them apart. Let’s take a look at what these differences are and what they mean for you.