Where Can I Get A CFAD Pitch Pipe?

Please do not try to talk me out of "F" tuning for my new pocket uke! I have tried all the alternate tunings suggested and have considered all the good reasons for using them. However, my little Tom sopranino "sings" at CFAD, so I want to keep it that way.

The problem is, I like to carry an old-fashioned pitch pipe and I can't find one with high C and F-A-D. Does anybody know where I can get one of these?

PS: I can't even find an ONLINE tuner to give me these notes in the right octave.

Would one of these get the job done for you?
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/becker-chromatic-pitch-pipe?rNtt=pitch pipe&index=1
or
http://elderly.com/accessories/items/PP1.htm

I've got an old chromatic I keep in my hard case, similar to river_driver's except without that plastic thingy.

probably this same as this one, although I don't remember this being so expensive 25 years ago:
http://www.amazon.com/Kratt-MK2-Master-Chromatic-Pitch/dp/B0002F53LE

You could also get away with using an 'A' tuning fork and getting the strings relative to that one string.

For 4usd you should just get one of those reverb.com tuners just to have around. Having an accurate tuner is great for doing fine tuning and maintenance on your uke.

Papa Tom said:

PS: I can't even find an ONLINE tuner to give me these notes in the right octave.

Click to expand...

Try this http://www.get-tuned.com/online_ukulele_tuner.php
C5-F4-A4-D5

I love my pocket ukes and sopraninos...such cuties and so fun to play. And they all have their own "sweet spot" so I've got mine all tuned differently. A couple are in gcea, one a half step up, one adfb. I'm not playing in a group or singing so having them in certain keys/tunings isn't important...I just like them to sound good while also having the right string tension for me.

I use one of my harmonicas, when I don't have a tuner handy. A C one will work with CFAD. ld:

Thanks. Some good ideas here.

If I can avoid it, I'd rather not have a chromatic tuner, or any one with more than the four notes I need. My goal is to keep it "light" and grab a cheap plastic pipe like the $4 I have from Hering.

I've already got a Korg electronic tuner, but I'd like to free myself of batteries, and I also find it doesn't work well in a noisy airport or in other situations where there's a bunch of loud kids or drunk adults who want to have a sing-along NOW.

Wildfire: Thanks for showing me how that get-tuned site works. I guess I lost patience with it before I realized I could change the notes on that chart. Still, I don't want to have to depend on having Internet access in order to do something as simple as tuning my uke!

I hadn't really thought about using one of my C harmonicas for tuning. I've played one since I was a kid and I have two or three riffs that make me sound like I really know what I'm doing, but I actually have no idea what notes I'm blowing! I guess I could figure it out pretty easily.

Right now, as bnolsen suggested, I'm using the "A" from my standard "GCEA" pitch pipe and then tuning around that, but I often find, once I start playing, that my pitch isn't as dead-on as it used to be.

So, is there a CFAD pitch pipe, or what? You guys aren't going to let me down, are you?

A C or F Harp will work, and they stay in tune really well unless they're full of gunk or mistreated. You can find the notes if you work at it--use some ingenuity, and, if you already have one, it'll be free.

It'll be better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick! ld:

I have a Chromatic Pitch Pipe App on my Android smart phone that was free. You can get the same app for tablets. If you can find one, a bouzouki pitch pipe would meet that tuning standard. Ric

This would work for you

http://www.amazon.com/Kratt-MK3-Mas...d=1423772756&sr=8-2&keywords=kratt+master+key

Pitchwise, a pitch pipe is at best an approximation, meaning that the four pipe pitches you play might not be exactly in tune with each other, so neither will your uke be. You'd probably do better getting a starting pitch from the pipe, then fret the uke to tune the remaining strings more consistently. A tuning fork will give you an A, and in purer form. Strike the fork, then stand the unforked end on your soundboard. When you match the pitch, listen for the speed of the "beats", slowing them to the point they disappear.

Thanks for all the recommendations, everyone. I've got to bring this thread back to my original request, though, which was for a quick, simple tuning method that doesn't involve batteries or my cell phone. I am aware that there are bazillions of chromatic pitch pipes out there, but I want one with just CFAD for a number of reasons, one being that I like to show my grandchildren what I'm doing when I tune up. Having just the four notes makes it easier for them to "help" me. Even the harmonica, which was a good idea I hadn't really considered, involves too many notes and other variables. And I like the pitch fork idea, but it'd be too difficult to work with in a noisy room.

So, that said, I suppose there are no pitch pipes tuned to CFAD? Even the famous Mandolin Brothers in Staten Island (where George Harrison used to shop for ukes) doesn't have one. My last resort might be a guy who rents part of his factory building to my brother for band rehearsals. The factory has produced those metal and white plastic pitch pipes for about fifty years. Perhaps he can get the guy to make me a custom one!

A chromatic pitch pipe, as suggested by ralph, seems to be the closest choice to your original request. Use nail polish to mark the 4 holes you need. I've seen the CFAD tuning on other instruments, such as the bouzouki. I have not seen a pitch pipe for them.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Becker-Chromatic-Pitch-Pipe-106549371-i2670034.gc

I've just started looking into bouzouki pitch pipes. Seems those don't exist, either.

please check on http://www.einfraproject.com