New Capo Day

[DeepEnd]

I've had a pair of Shubb capos for a while, a nickel plated one for my electric and a brass one for my "good" acoustic, along with a Dunlop Picker's Pal for my beater. A couple of weeks ago I couldn't find the brass Shubb anywhere. I gave it a week to turn up and finally decided to bite the bullet and replace it. I found a good price on a D'Addario/Planet Waves Tri Action and decided to go ahead and buy it. Sure enough, I no sooner bought the thing than the brass Shubb turned up. But you can never have too many capos, right?

 

I can report that the D'Addario/Planet Waves is a very good capo with a well thought out design. I like it so far and the fact that it clips on the headstock is a bonus the Shubb doesn't have. Has anyone else used one of these? If so, what did you think?

 

[Grant Harding]

Nice one! That's a similar configuration to the one that dethroned my Shubbs. I love the design! On the down side I just lost it a few weeks back so I've been using the Shubb again.

 

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[DeepEnd]

Nice one! That's a similar configuration to the one that dethroned my Shubbs. I love the design! On the down side I just lost it a few weeks back so I've been using the Shubb again.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n32011149[/ATTACH]

Yeah, that's the design I wanted, the "Artist," but the price on the regular Tri Action was so good I couldn't resist.

[Grant Harding]

They look like different children from the same mother. I randomly got mine because it was the one they had in the little small town store and I needed one NOW. Very happy.

[MrHarryReems]

I am a big fan of the D'Addario/Planet Waves NS capo. That said, I recently lost one of mine and replaced it with a G7th, and that's become my go-to.

[DeepEnd]

I am a big fan of the D'Addario/Planet Waves NS capo. That said' date=' I recently lost one of mine and replaced it with a G7th, and that's become my go-to.[/quote']

Which G7 do you have? I've heard good things about the Performance but I'm cheap and I refuse to pay $25 or more for a capo. I can just about get two D'Addario/Planet Waves like mine for that price. I found a used G7 Performance on eBay a while back and I probably should have bought it but I didn't.

[MrHarryReems]

Which G7 do you have? I've heard good things about the Performance but I'm cheap and I refuse to pay $25 or more for a capo. I can just about get two D'Addario/Planet Waves like mine for that price. I found a used G7 Performance on eBay a while back and I probably should have bought it but I didn't.

 

I bought the performance 2. The only reason I did was just to give it a try because I'd heard good things. The D'Addario has slightly less pliable rubber, which holds the strings in place better, but can pull them out of tune a little more. The G7th has a lighter touch, but it's easier to move the strings underneath it, which could be disastrous at a live gig, because they don't move back without resetting the capo. It took me some getting used to, because I can be a bit heavy handed. If I use the D'Addario on an electric guitar, it'll definitely cause tuning probs, but I could go so far as to bend strings and it will hold. The G7th would be less likely to pull it out of tune, but you certainly wouldn't be bending any strings!

[Tony Burns]

I like the shubbs , its simple, works well -small

plus i already own it -i typically use the one made for a 12 string on my 6 string -some necks are a tad wider so using the 12 string model means i can use it on basically any guitar . Im more worried about all that tension marking up my neck -i feel safer with the schubbs .

[DeepEnd]

I like the shubbs , its simple, works well -small

plus i already own it -i typically use the one made for a 12 string on my 6 string -some necks are a tad wider so using the 12 string model means i can use it on basically any guitar . Im more worried about all that tension marking up my neck -i feel safer with the schubbs .

When I first started playing I used a Hamilton capo like this:

The capo was flat and the fretboard of my guitar was curved so by the time I got rid of any buzzing I had dents in the back of the guitar's neck. Compared to that, the D'Addario/Planet Waves is a safe as can be. Remember that springs have a certain amount of give.

[Tony Burns]

When I first started playing I used a Hamilton capo like this:

The capo was flat and the fretboard of my guitar was curved so by the time I got rid of any buzzing I had dents in the back of the guitar's neck. Compared to that, the D'Addario/Planet Waves is a safe as can be. Remember that springs have a certain amount of give.

 

Ive got one of those somewhere - someday when i leave this place and go to the great beyond , someone will find it in my piles of junk and have no idea what it is - i can hear the auctioneer yelling , " i have no idea what this is " -how about we start with a dollar " that's probably more than what its worth .

[Mikeo]

I've had a pair of Shubb capos for a while' date=' a nickel plated one for my electric and a brass one for my "good" acoustic, along with a Dunlop Picker's Pal for my beater. A couple of weeks ago I couldn't find the brass Shubb anywhere. I gave it a week to turn up and finally decided to bite the bullet and replace it. I found a good price on a D'Addario/Planet Waves Tri Action and decided to go ahead and buy it. Sure enough, I no sooner bought the thing than the brass Shubb turned up. [b'] But you can never have too many capos, right?[/b]

 

I can report that the D'Addario/Planet Waves is a very good capo with a well thought out design. I like it so far and the fact that it clips on the headstock is a bonus the Shubb doesn't have. Has anyone else used one of these? If so, what did you think?

 

 

Absolutely right.

 

I have 2 Shubbs capos. 2 Kyser capos for the guitar, 2 for my mandolin and was recently given a G7 by a friend that didn't like. I found he G7 very bulky.

 

 

The Kysers are handy and quick, but I have had the spring break, on stage. My Shubbs capos are old and I have never had an issue with one. Kyser also wants more money to replace the spring than they cost new.

 

I like Shubbs for electrics, Kysers for the acoustics, but would not play out without a back up.

 

Anything with a spring will eventually break, but who knows when. Might be 20 years, but then again you never know.

 

 

[Phil O'Keefe]

 

I can report that the D'Addario/Planet Waves is a very good capo with a well thought out design. I like it so far and the fact that it clips on the headstock is a bonus the Shubb doesn't have. Has anyone else used one of these? If so, what did you think?

 

 

I've got one - it's not bad at all, although I find myself using one of my Kysers more often than not.

[MrHarryReems]

 

I've got one - it's not bad at all, although I find myself using one of my Kysers more often than not.

 

 

Kysers are murder on your frets, and seriously pull the guitar out of tune.

[Phil O'Keefe]

Kysers are murder on your frets, and seriously pull the guitar out of tune.

 

I think most capos will pull the guitar out of tune if they're either too tight or (especially) if you don't put them on carefully and evenly... which is easier to do with some models than others.

 

As far as the frets, I've never had a problem with wear, but then again, I only use capos occasionally - usually for the sake of getting different voicings and chord inversions when recording.

[Phil O'Keefe]

When I first started playing I used a Hamilton capo like this:

The capo was flat and the fretboard of my guitar was curved so by the time I got rid of any buzzing I had dents in the back of the guitar's neck. Compared to that, the D'Addario/Planet Waves is a safe as can be. Remember that springs have a certain amount of give.

 

 

I tried one, but I never cared for those.

 

My first capo was one of the bungee / elastic style ones.

 

Yuck.

 

 

 

Then for a long time, I used the Dunlop "Lever Action" capos...

 

 

 

 

...which work okay (and are available in both curved and flat varieties) but can be tricky to put on without pulling the strings sideways across the fingerboard and knocking everything out of tune.

[Phil O'Keefe]

I am a big fan of the D'Addario/Planet Waves NS capo. That said' date=' I recently lost one of mine and replaced it with a G7th, and that's become my go-to.[/quote']

 

How are they different, and what do you like about one over the other that's made it become your new go-to?

[MrHarryReems]

 

How are they different, and what do you like about one over the other that's made it become your new go-to?

 

 

The biggest difference is in the pad. The NS has a stiffer pad, so the strings move less (great if you need to bend strings), but puts more pressure on the strings and affects the tuning a bit more. The G7th has a softer pad, and a lighter touch, resulting in less affect on tuning. However, if you bend a string, it'll move under the pad.

[Phil O'Keefe]

 

 

The biggest difference is in the pad. The NS has a stiffer pad, so the strings move less (great if you need to bend strings), but puts more pressure on the strings and affects the tuning a bit more. The G7th has a softer pad, and a lighter touch, resulting in less affect on tuning. However, if you bend a string, it'll move under the pad.

 

Cool - thanks for the clear explanation of the differences!

[DeepEnd]

. . . Then for a long time, I used the Dunlop "Lever Action" capos...

 

 

 

 

...which work okay (and are available in both curved and flat varieties) but can be tricky to put on without pulling the strings sideways across the fingerboard and knocking everything out of tune.

I used those for a long time back in the 70's and 80's but the original version didn't have the ''buckle'' for fine adjustment and tended to pull the strings out of tune. I have a Dunlop ''Picker's Pal'' that I use on my Jay Turser beater:

 

 

It works well but the lever tends to get in the way. Several years ago when I bought my ''good'' Ibanez acoustic from a local mom and pop I decided to go for a new strap and capo. The sales guy showed me a Shubb and a Paige. He recommended the Paige but I went with the Shubb. I've been a fan ever since but the D'Addario/Planet Waves is pretty good.

[Idunno]

I've seen and tried pretty much every capo out there and can't say there's anything better than a Shubb. It's the simplest and most capable device out there with the perfect mechanism for obtaining an in-tune pitch change. Throwing any tension that makes it stay put is not the way to use one. Adjusting the tension to hold tune is. The capacity to effect that isn't universal, evidently.

[DeepEnd]

I've seen and tried pretty much every capo out there and can't say there's anything better than a Shubb. It's the simplest and most capable device out there with the perfect mechanism for obtaining an in-tune pitch change. Throwing any tension that makes it stay put is not the way to use one. Adjusting the tension to hold tune is. The capacity to effect that isn't universal' date=' evidently.[/quote']

Not quite sure what you mean. Tension, as in enough to create friction, is what keeps the capo in place. That applies to any capo.

The idea is to press strings straight down with a certain amount of pressure. As long as the pressure is correct (i.e., enough to fret the string but not enough to pull it sharp), it doesn't matter whether the mechanism is a lever (Shubb), a screw (Paige), a spring (Kyser), a rubber band (generic), or a finger. One thing I don't like about my D'Addario/Planet Waves is that the curve of the rubber pad doesn't quite match the radius of my fretboard, which means I have to tighten it to avoid buzzes and rattles on the D and G strings, which pulls the two E strings down harder than necessary. But that's a potential issue with any capo unless the radius is a perfect match or the rubber is extra soft. And it's nice to be able to clamp it on the headstock instead of putting it in my pocket. In the end, all capos are the result of compromises and it's a matter of which compromises you find acceptable. Of course, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know.

[MrHarryReems]

Not quite sure what you mean. Tension, as in enough to create friction, is what keeps the capo in place. That applies to any capo.

The idea is to press strings straight down with a certain amount of pressure. As long as the pressure is correct (i.e., enough to fret the string but not enough to pull it sharp), it doesn't matter whether the mechanism is a lever (Shubb), a screw (Paige), a spring (Kyser), a rubber band (generic), or a finger. One thing I don't like about my D'Addario/Planet Waves is that the curve of the rubber pad doesn't quite match the radius of my fretboard, which means I have to tighten it to avoid buzzes and rattles on the D and G strings, which pulls the two E strings down harder than necessary. But that's a potential issue with any capo unless the radius is a perfect match or the rubber is extra soft. And it's nice to be able to clamp it on the headstock instead of putting it in my pocket. In the end, all capos are the result of compromises and it's a matter of which compromises you find acceptable. Of course, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know.

 

 

I find the same thing with my planet waves. The G7th has extra soft rubber, so less effect on tuning.

[DeepEnd]

I find the same thing with my planet waves. The G7th has extra soft rubber' date=' so less effect on tuning.[/quote']

My guess is that the radius is a compromise to ''sorta'' fit different guitars. One thing I like about the Picker's Pal is that the rubber has four different sides to accommodate curved and flat fretboards and thin or thick necks. I'm sure the G7 is an excellent capo but call me cheap. I'm not willing to pay three times what I did for my D'Addario/Planet Waves or twice what I'd pay for another Shubb.

[garthman]

I've seen and tried pretty much every capo out there and can't say there's anything better than a Shubb. It's the simplest and most capable device out there . . . . .

 

I completely agree.

[Grant Harding]

I lost my latest NS Artist capo a few weeks back, just like I always do, so I'm back to using my 2 Shubbs that I've had for at least a decade. I'm going to stick with these.

 

The small footprint is great, because they fit easily in a pocket (hence they never get lost) and are less in the way when playing.