Members DeepEnd Posted May 27, 2015 Members Share Posted May 27, 2015 I'm always on the lookout for new capo designs and I'm cheap. I found the Dadi GP004 capo on eBay for just $5.95 shipped, sold by an outfit called Deal Grinder. I figured it's cheap enough and anyway how bad could it be? It appears to be made of lightweight aluminum. It has an adjusting knob that controls how far it can close, sort of like the adjustment on a Shubb. I took it out of the package and put it on my Jay Turser beater, which has fairly high action. It worked adequately well but, as you'd expect from a cheap capo, there are some issues. First, the adjustment knob is plastic with a metal insert. I was hoping I could find a brass knob that would fit at the local hardware store but unfortunately the existing knob has metric threads. Also, you can't (or at least I can't) adjust the tension with one hand; you have to release the grip and then turn the adjusting knob. I installed a 21 cent (with tax) nylon washer between the adjusting knob and frame to minimize wear on the adjusting knob but it still doesn't turn freely. Also, because it won't close all the way, it doesn't clamp on the headstock like a Kyser. More important, though, the adjusting knob can be largely useless depending on your guitar and the strings that are on it. When I got rid of the majority of buzzes at the first fret on my Jay Turser, the knob was completely loose. Then again, the nut slots probably aren't deep enough because it's also moderately difficult to press the strings down with fingers. The capo would probably work better on a thicker neck and it did work higher up the neck of the Jay Turser but it was still an issue. Even at maximum grip, though, it doesn't throw the pitch off by much. I put it on my Ibanez acoustic with lights (12s) and adjusted it for no buzzes at the first fret, then moved it to the fifth fret. All the strings were sharp, but only from two to five cents, which isn't too bad, especially for a cheap capo. I did the same thing on my Schecter electric with 10s. The D string was sharp about a cent at the fifth fret, all the others were in tune so clearly it depends on the guitar. On the negative side, the Dadi is only a fair performer that doesn't live up to its potential. A simple change in geometry, and a more durable knob and a Delrin or nylon washer would do wonders. You could probably do both and still sell one for $10 or so. On the plus side, you could buy three of these for what you'd pay for one Shubb or half a dozen for the price of a G7. If it works for you, great. If not, you're not out much. Positives: Cheap Reasonably easy to use Maintains pitch fairly well Negatives: Cheaply made Can't adjust one handed Doesn't clamp on headstock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted May 27, 2015 Members Share Posted May 27, 2015 Definitely an exercise in getting what you pay for, but if you need a capo and have tight funds that's a capo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted May 28, 2015 Author Members Share Posted May 28, 2015 . . . if you need a capo and have tight funds that's a capo. Talk about damning with faint praise. It's actually pretty decent for a cheap product and better than pretty much any other $6 capo I've seen. Since it works well on my electric, that's where I'll be using it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FretFiend. Posted May 28, 2015 Members Share Posted May 28, 2015 You want a capo and have tight funds? Use a pencil and a rubber band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted May 28, 2015 Members Share Posted May 28, 2015 You want a capo and have tight funds? Use a pencil and a rubber band. Now that's what I'm talking about. I went first cabin once when I used a piece of brass rod sleeved with heat shrink tubing - with the rubber band. I still have one of those Jim Dunlop types and I can't say I've seen anything since that's lower profile and easy to use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted May 28, 2015 Members Share Posted May 28, 2015 http://www.jimdunlop.com/product/professional-capo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted May 29, 2015 Author Members Share Posted May 29, 2015 http://www.jimdunlop.com/product/professional-capo I bought one of those years ago but I couldn't get the strap to stay adjusted properly. It's one of the reasons I bit the bullet and bought a Shubb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted May 29, 2015 Members Share Posted May 29, 2015 I bought one of those years ago but I couldn't get the strap to stay adjusted properly. It's one of the reasons I bit the bullet and bought a Shubb. I have one and you're right. The strap just had to stretch a bit over time. I still use mine occasionally because I prefer the Shubb. I use the Shubb full and half capos a lot. Can't beat the Dunlop for unobtrusiveness, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Emory Posted May 29, 2015 Members Share Posted May 29, 2015 I've had the clothes pin style and some others, but Shubb all the way for me. It's not like they wear out or go flat. One should last for decades. I have two: I am optimistic about length of my life... One in photo looks like you have to unscrew to get it off, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FretFiend. Posted May 29, 2015 Members Share Posted May 29, 2015 The Shubb is a dandy alright, but I'm also partial to the Planet waves NS. I keep one in the case with my Yammie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 http://www.jimdunlop.com/product/professional-capo I used one of those for years, and I generally like them a lot except for the tendency of the unit to shift towards the side (and thus pull the strings sharp) when you throw the lever - you have to try to close the lever while holding the capo body in place so it doesn't shift towards the side. I don't know what happened to my Dunlop capos - I haven't used one in several years now. I switched over to Kyser capos, which are a bit better IMHO, but still not quite perfect. I'm not sure if we'll ever see a capo that's perfect in all respects and totally free of issues and side effects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted May 29, 2015 Author Members Share Posted May 29, 2015 The Shubb is a dandy alright, but I'm also partial to the Planet waves NS. I keep one in the case with my Yammie. Agreed. That's a great design provided you don't need to move it around. I wanted something that was easy to move like a Kyser but adjustable like a Shubb. I found this one and figured it was worth a shot for 6 bucks. Someday I might try the Planet Waves NS Tri Action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members katopp Posted May 29, 2015 Members Share Posted May 29, 2015 Just helped myself to one of those Planet Waves and boy does it suck!Not tight enough and compared to the Shubb it takes ages.I would even prefer the "pull-me-sharp"-Kyser over that Planet Waves thing.But give a Shubb every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted May 29, 2015 Members Share Posted May 29, 2015 Yep. Pulls laterally. You have to put this thing on with two hands for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted May 29, 2015 Members Share Posted May 29, 2015 Just helped myself to one of those Planet Waves and boy does it suck! Not tight enough and compared to the Shubb it takes ages. I would even prefer the "pull-me-sharp"-Kyser over that Planet Waves thing. But give a Shubb every time. I bought one and gave it away. I thought it second fiddle to the Shubb for durability. Not that I'm going to go mudding with the thing, I just thought it to be overly engineered and under built. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FretFiend. Posted May 29, 2015 Members Share Posted May 29, 2015 Funny that an engineering type like yourself wouldn't have noticed that the threads on the adjustment screw are completely dry out of the package. A drop of light machine oil on the threads makes it work smooth as greased owl shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted May 29, 2015 Members Share Posted May 29, 2015 Greased owl shit. Is that like humorous fiction? Has anyone here ever seen an owl shit? Oil is the elixir of life, or in my case, Teflon marine lube. I use it on everything and have since I discovered it years ago when I sailed the ocean blue. I dig the Planet Waves G7 capo's styling and low profile but it needs some serious applied torque on that thumb screw for such a little device. Then again, I was using .013s when I had it so maybe these girly .010s would be a better match-up for it. Otherwise, the Shubb is the macho man's choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members recordingtrack1 Posted May 29, 2015 Members Share Posted May 29, 2015 Admit it....How many of you ever used one of these? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted May 29, 2015 Members Share Posted May 29, 2015 In the beginning, I wasn't even that smart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EdBega Posted May 29, 2015 Members Share Posted May 29, 2015 Never btw needs more wraps on the rubber band to work.. never used a bread clip for a pick either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FretFiend. Posted May 29, 2015 Members Share Posted May 29, 2015 Save your old credit cards and cut your picks out of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted May 31, 2015 Members Share Posted May 31, 2015 Talk about damning with faint praise. It's actually pretty decent for a cheap product and better than pretty much any other $6 capo I've seen. Since it works well on my electric, that's where I'll be using it. Wasn't trying to be a jerk, just feel like this is a false economy and your comments made it seem hard to use. I have 30 year old capos that didn't cost much more, have worked perfectly every time, and are still in perfect shape, so that's my baseline for value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted May 31, 2015 Author Members Share Posted May 31, 2015 Wasn't trying to be a jerk, just feel like this is a false economy and your comments made it seem hard to use. . . . "If you need a capo, well, that's a capo" isn't exactly a ringing endorsement, thus my "faint praise" line. It's somewhat less a matter of hard to use than "It could be easier." I can adjust my Shubb while it's clamped on the guitar, not so this. But with a little fiddling to get it dialed in it actually works reasonably well. An adjustable capo that works for under $6 shipped strikes me as a decent deal even if it's less than ideal. Given katopp's response to the Planet Waves Tri Action (anyway, I'm assuming that's the one he's referring to), which is similar and costs two and a half times what this one does, I'd say it's a decent deal. I'm not trying to defend it and granted, it's not perfect but I'm sorry if I made it sound worse than it is. I mentioned in another thread that, if I owned a music store, I'd rent nut files (with a suitable deposit). Come to think of it, it might make sense to rent capos. Potential purchasers could try them without the buy-and-return hassle. Just pay a few bucks to try one for a week or so and, if you like it, your deposit applies to the purchase of a new one. Personally, I hate returning things and I also hate spending good money on something I can't stand or won't use. $6 yes, $15-20, probably not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members katopp Posted June 1, 2015 Members Share Posted June 1, 2015 Save your old credit cards and cut your picks out of them. Works, but those picks need substantial finishing. You need to bevel/file the edges and, honestly, the CC plastic is too hard and not flexible enough. I have a pick punch and I use detergent/fabric softener bottle plastics to punch picks out of that. Less finishing work and nicer characteristics in terms of thickness/stiffness ratio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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