Electronic tuner
When the musician plays a single note, the tuner senses the pitch. The tuner then displays the pitch in relation to the desired pitch, and indicates whether the input pitch is lower, higher, or equal to the desired pitch. The humble guitar tuner is one of the most essential pieces of gear that any guitarist can own. Though its function may be simple, the importance is incredibly high; and ensuring your guitar is in tune is paramount. Decades ago you would've had to use tuning forks, pitch pipes or have perfect pitch.
Electronic Tuner Media
Some rock and pop guitarists and bassists use "stompbox" format electronic tuners that route the electric signal for the instrument through the unit via a 1⁄4-inch patch cable. These pedal-style tuners usually have an output so that the signal can be plugged into an amplifier.
Peterson Tuners Model 400, 1967
Peterson VirtualStrobe application on iPod Touch
Tuning of Sébastien Érard harp using Korg OT-120 Wide 8 Octave Orchestral Digital Tuner