talking capos

[totamus]

there are some things that take some time and frustration to figure out. Capos are a great invention but all of them have issue. I have quite a collection of capos: The kysers, the shubbs, the clamps,, etc. All told I believe I have about a dozen capos.

 

Whay so many> Because I couldnt find one I liked. Either they threw the guitar out of tune, or they were difficult to put on/take off, or they got in the way of your left hand when you played close to the capo.

 

I had pretty much decided that there were no good capos and so you picked the one you hated least, and used it.

 

So, not news to many, I discovered a new type of capo that I love. It doesn't get in the way, doesnt throw your guitar out of tune, and is easy to get on and off.

 

The one I found is this one:

 

It is a Dunlop Johny Cash capo and it is the best I have ever used. I have seen a similar capo, and seen it mentioned on this site. It is the Planet Waves capo

 

I have not used the planet waves capo, but it looks very similar to the Dunlop. For what its worth, Planet Waves products that I have run into in the past seemed to be built to meet a pricer point more than for quality.

 

most of us use capos and they are simply frustrating. At least, they used to be. If you havent tried one, you should. I would be surprised if you didnt like iot better than whatever you are using today.

[Hudman]

I own a Planet Waves NS capo. It is the best capo I ever used.

 

I can not recommend them enough.

 

For the record, Planet Waves is part of D'Addario. I think they make nice stuff.

[Krash]

 

I own a Planet Waves NS capo. It is the best capo I ever used. I can not recommend them enough. For the record, Planet Waves is part of D'Addario. I think they make nice stuff.

 

 

+1

 

Bought a Panet Waves NS recently, and it's very good. Small, out of the way, easy to get on/off and adjust, very well made. It does pull the tuning sharp on my Harmony, but the action is high (needs a neck reset). Once it's retuned, it stays tuned. Best capo I've used.

[dhoenisch]

I'm a shubb guy. It's pretty much what I like. I guess it's because it's what I got used to using, so it doesn't bother me at all. On the other hand, the capo that rolls and sells for $40... Worst capo I've ever used. Talk about getting in the way of your hands...

 

I'd be willing to try one of these. I need one for my 12-string. Are they wide enough? The Shubb I have is just wide enough, but I have to be careful putting it on. I know Shubb makes a 12-string capo, but I keep forgetting to order it when I order my strings.

 

Dan

[Stackabones]

I used Kyser's for years, and then one of my students showed me this and I HAD to have it. Pricey. But works really, really well.

 

 

fyi: classical version (there's a steel-string radius one, too)

[Harmonycat]

Flatpicking Guitar Magazine Reviews Capos

Review by Bryan Kimsey

 

Capos are essential for most bluegrass guitarists, although it is sometimes difficult to explain their use to jazz and swing flatpickers who label them "crutches" and "cheaters". The capo works by clamping the strings down on a fret, thus creating a new virtual nut, and enabling the picker to use different chord positions than normally associated with the key. For instance, you could slap a capo on the third fret, play a G-shaped chord, and be in the key of Bb. G-runs sound better when played from a G or C position; you could play the notes from a closed Bb position, but the effect just isn't the same. Alternatively, you can have fun playing things like "The Gold Rush", normally done in A, by putting the capo on the 5th fret and playing from an E-position. And you can partially capo the neck, creating "fake" altered tunings; for instance, capo-ing all but the low E-string at the 2nd fret will give you a false "dropped-D" tuning.

 

A good capo should be easy to put on, easy to keep track of, adjustable for various neck thickness', maintain the guitar's brightness, and not pull the strings out of tune. Those are some difficult requirements and most of the capos reviewed fall short somewhere. Capos fall into some distinct types. There are clamp-on types like the Kyers, U-shaped types with closing bars like the John Pearse, C-shaped types that slip on like the Shubb, and even the old standby elastic type like the Jim Dunlops (and the archaic, but useful in an emergency, pencil and rubber-band).

 

I used each capo reviewed for several weeks on several different guitars. Most were tested in actual jam session field conditions as well as the relatively safe and sterile environment of my home music room. I took note of how well they met my requirement list, and how well I liked them in general. I also solicited feedback from my fellow guitarists from Flatpick-L. Following conventional wisdom, I clamp the capo directly on the fret or just behind it; this minimizes re-tuning and tends to produce a brighter sound. If you clamp in the area between two frets, you may have different re-tuning experiences that I did.

 

Shubb

 

The Shubb is a very popular capo, and the one I personally used for many years. It is a clean looking unit that comes in either silver or brass. It adjusts for various neck thickness' with a screw and fastens to the guitar via a lever action that is extremely simple and reliable. The pad is soft rubber and is easily replaceable, although mine has lasted for well over 8 years. The biggest complaints with the Shubb are that some guitarists find it hard to keep track of. It doesn't clamp behind the nut or onto the headstock very well (two favorite capo-storage places). Shubb does make a metal strap attachment to hold the capo, but I didn't test one. I just get in the habit of placing the Shubb in my left pocket or sitting on it when not in use, and still have my original Shubb. The Shubb was not as bright as some of the other capos, but it also tended to not pull the strings out of tune, both due to the soft rubber pad. A few guitarists said the Shubb pulled their strings to one side, but I didn't experience this- as with other capos, I used the least pressure required and that may have helped. Street prices on Shubbs run about $15.

 

Victor

 

The Victor is a less common capo than the Shubb. It is a "C-shaped" unit that comes in brass. It easily and quickly adjusts via a knurled brass screw. Both neck and fret pads are rubber, but are firmer than the Shubb's. I had no complaints about the Victor and found it simple and quick to use. It can be stored behind the nut or on the headstock. It produced a solid bright tone and held the strings firmly in place. It's a light, unobtrusive capo that does its job perfectly. Street price on the Victor is about $14.

 

Kyser LOQO

 

The Kyser is another popular capo, easily recognizable when clamped to a fretboard due to its distinctive overhanging profile. It is a clamp-on capo that uses a spring for tension. As such, it is non-adjustable. The pad is firm rubber, and the capo clamps easily to the headstock, although clamping it behind the nut will pull the strings out of tune. I found the clamp to require a lot of pressure to open, and it was very difficult to get it on the fat neck of my Martin '1935 Reissue' D-28. I also didn't like the bulky profile and weight of the capo. In spite of my preferences, the Kyser is a very popular capo with a loyal following of users. The Kyser costs about $14.

 

Bird of Paradise

 

The Bird of Paradise (BOP) is a newer entry to the capo field and uses a unique cam to produce pressure. The cam is almost infinitely adjustable, although the capo itself doesn't open very wide and I barely got it on the neck of the Martin mentioned above, and could not get it on past the 5th fret. In addition, the capo didn't curve enough to match the radius of my '73 D-28's fretboard, leaving either the high E or low E without enough pressure to withstand buzzing under attack. It fit fine of the flatter fretboard of my Collings, though, where it produced a clear, crisp sound. My fellow flatpicker Del Duncan uses one on his guitars, however, and is quite happy with it. He likes the bright tone of the BOP and doesn't mind the large look of the capo. The BOP costs $15.

 

John Pearse Ol' Reliable

 

The John Pearse is a U-shaped capo. This type of capo fits behind the neck and has a "gate" which closes over the strings. They slide easily over the nut and most guitarist leave them on the neck while playing (it's a good idea to remove any capo when the guitar is stored to both remove excess weight from the neck, thereby helping to prevent broken necks, and to keep the strings from getting dents from the frets). The Ol' Reliable is made from brass and has a sturdy feel, without being too massive. The fret pad is hard, clear plastic tubing while the neck pad is leather. The capo is easily adjustable and fit like a charm on the big Martin neck (which is also 1 *" wide). It produced a great tone and maintained the clarity of the guitar. At $16, the John Pearse is a good buy.

 

McKinney

 

The McKinney is a sleek, slender, stainless-steel cousin to the John Pearse. It is a masterpiece of design and manufacturing. It can be custom-made, but the one I tried fit every guitar I tried it on. The pad is hard clear plastic tubing. As you might expect from a capo of this quality, the tone was excellent and the workmanship flawless. The McKinney is the Mercedes of capos and at $70, has a price to match.

 

Kyser Paige

 

The Paige is another U-shaped capo in the Ol' Reliable and McKinney mode. It's thinner than the Ol' Reliable, almost as thin as the McKinney. The fretboard pad is hard rubber and the capo itself is made of stainless steel. It worked as well as the McKinney, although the tightening screw wasn't quite as smooth, and the overall look isn't even close. I've heard reports of the screws stripping out on older steel models, but the capo was recently redesigned for stainless steel, and the stripped screws may be a thing of the past. It didn't fit very well behind the nut of the guitars with 1 3/4" necks and barely fit on the '73 D-28 with its 1 11/16" neck. It's also narrower in width than the Ol' Reliable and barely fits over the 7th fret. Also, the rubber was slick and the capo slipped around a bit when tightening. The Paige costs about $19.

 

Dunlop Adjust O Strap

 

This is the old fashioned straight bar and elastic strap capo, and it can actually work pretty well. The capo fits easily on any width neck. Sound-wise, it wasn't as bright as some of the other capos and didn't hold the strings down as securely. Still, they might be worth throwing in your case as a backup. Cost is about $2-3.

 

A rubber band and pencil There you are at the gig, and you open up your case to find....ahh!...no capo! And the first tune's in Bb, too! So what do you do? Simple. Get a stout rubber band and a pencil or pen from the gig-meister. Put the pen through the rubber band, lay the pen over your fretboard, wrap the rubber band around the guitar neck (doubling it if necessary), and hook the free end of the band over the exposed end of the pencil/pen. Presto, instant old-time capo. How's it work? Good to poor, depending upon the strength of the rubber band and the flexibility of the pencil/pen. The former should be stout and latter should flex a little to follow your fretboard curvature. Still, it's better than nothing and knowing how to make a rubber band capo is essential for your bag of tricks.

 

And the winner is.... Whichever one you like! I've outlined the pros and cons and features of each capo, and maybe you'll see one you'd like to try. Personally, after testing all these capos, I reach for the John Pearse Ol' Reliable or Victor the most. You can't beat the price of the Ol' Reliable, plus it's built like a tank and fit all my guitars. FGM Editor Dan Miller has also adopted the Victor as his capo of choice. Even though I didn't care for the Kyser LOQO, many pros and parking lot pickers swear by it, primarily because they like to clamp it on their headstock. The people I know who own McKinneys claim they're worth every cent and it would probably be my favorite capo if I could afford one. My co-tester and idea bouncer Del Duncan likes the Bird of Paradise capo best. Finally, even though the Shubb produced a softer sound, I used one for years and they can be easily brightened by replacing the soft rubber with a strip of clear plastic tubing from any good hardware store.

 

 

 

Just incase some of you have never seen this.

 

 

Glenn

[Harmonycat]

Tricks with your Capo

 

1) As mentioned above, many capos can be brightened up by replacing a softer rubber with leather, hard plastic tubing, or even bone. 2) To minimize tuning problems, put the capo directly on, or just behind, the fret. Press it down to the fret BEFORE tightening the screw- don't allow the screw to pull the strings down. Use only enough pressure to keep the strings pressed against the fret. 3) Remove your capo when not in use, especially if you like to clamp it to the headstock. That extra weight on the headstock will just encourage breakage if your guitar should suffer an impact. Plus, many rubbers and leathers will damage your instrument's finish if left in continuous contact. 4) If you're playing with another guitarist, try using your capo to produce a different voicing. For instance, if the song is in C and the other guy/gal is playing it open, try capo-ing up to the 5th fret and playing from a G-position. This gives the two guitars different voicing and makes each stand out a little better. Norman and Nancy Blake use this trick frequently.

 

I thought it might help.

 

Glenn

[babablowfish]

Thanks. That was a good read.

Although I keep hearing about how great the Planet Waves is (and now the Cash), I have bought so many Shubbs - that I think my finanical investment will keep me from finding out that I might like something else better.

[d28andm1911a1]

I'm old.

 

I used the Bill Russel 12string double band for years.

 

Changed to the Dunlop straplock in the late 70's

 

about 2 yrs ago changed to the Dunlop Victor (same as the Cash) I think it was just the Victor company when Cash was using it.

 

Still keep the straplock I find it just as good but not as easy to use.

[Whalebot]

 

 

I couldn't resist. I use a Keyser when playing out but I own a G7 (above) a Planet Waves, A good old elastic capo and a rolling capo that is springy and rolls up and down the neck. I love capos.

[S~R~O]

Harmonycat....You forgot one.......the Thirdhand capo which can do lots of tunings...and variances of cappabilities.....

 

I have most of the Capos listed, and for me I think the test of a great capo not only keeping a guitar in tune when capoed. It is being able to play a B7

cleanly and with out obstruction from the capo.

 

just my .02 worth

[whit townsend]

One of these days, I will own a McKinny.

But for now, I make do with Shubbs or Paiges.

[Stackabones]

 

:D

[Samilyn]

Capo. I don't like 'em. Period. But have to use one, so I suck it up and deal with it.

[Tralfaz]

I used Kyser's for years, and then one of my students showed me this and I HAD to have it. Pricey. But works really, really well.

 

I have one of those... Worked great until I dropped it one time too many. Now it buzzes on the low E.

[brahmz118]

 

Thanks. That was a good read. Although I keep hearing about how great the Planet Waves is (and now the Cash), I have bought so many Shubbs - that I think my finanical investment will keep me from finding out that I might like something else better.

 

 

Planet Waves NS is the best I've ever used, but Shubb has one advantage -- it can stay in its position when you unclamp it (as long as you don't knock it around too much).

 

So if you're playing at a funeral and can't test strings for capo buzz between songs, go with the Shubb -- set it in advance and then snap it on at the perfect tension when needed. Alternatively you could use deathgrip tensions to avoid the possibility of buzz, but then you make all your strings sharp.