So, I recently ordered an Intelli-500 (also known as the IMT 500). I received the Intelli-500 in the mail a few days ago and did a comparison with the Intellitouch. I put new batteries in both tuners and put them both on the headstock of my guitar. I also switched the positions of the two tuners on the headstock, to make sure that the area where each tuner was placed on the headstock was not a factor.

The buttons on the Intelli-500 buzzed when I played the guitar. This was a little annoying. I put some scotch tape over the buttons, which cured the buzz.

By way of comparison, the backlight on the Intelli-500 is much brighter than the Intellitouch. Also, the display is more useful. While the Intellitouch has 3 markers on each side of the display to show whether a note is sharp or flat, the Intelli-500 has more markers, making the display more precise.

Here’s the kicker. In an open G tuning (DGDGBD, also known as Taropatch tuning), I tuned the G bass (5th string) and the G string (3rd) string so that they were in tune with each other (no beating patterns). The Intelli-500 registered both notes in perfect tune. However, the Intellitouch registered the G string in tune, but showed the G bass as being flat! This inaccuracy was very discouraging.

So, after five years with an Intellitouch, it looks like I’m switching to the Intelli-500, which cost about $21 after tax and shipping, and is sold by a number of online retailers.

Composer Mike Post is the “Tiger Woods” of television music production. His resume includes Law and Order, Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue and Magnum PI just to name a few. He’s produced for the likes of Van Halen, and has two pieces of music playing somewhere in the world every second of every day. His interview on Greater Good Radio is nothing short of inspiring, and in my opinion, a must listen for musicians and music fans alike. Mike has a single-minded passion for music, and his enthusiasm is contagious. You can listen to the interview HERE.