You can even do both at the same time, which is the exciting new frontier. They can be confusing, but partial capos work in any tuning on any guitar or fretted instrument, offering a head-spinning new world of possibilities for any level of player or songwriter, plus revolutionary easy-guitar options for children, special-needs players, or beginners.
The biggest issue in selecting a capo is that steel-string guitars have a curved radiused fingerboard, and nylon-string guitars typically have a flat fingerboard. Each guitar manufacturer chooses a fingerboard radius that suits them, which can be a hidden factor making some capos work better on some guitars. Guitar necks vary widely in every dimension, so you might find that your sleek, modern guitar neck, especially at the first or second fret, is too thin for a particular capo, or too wide or too thick at higher frets.
Every capo has a range of how thin, thick, or wide a neck it can handle. Partial capos also have the issue of string spacing. Only the pioneering Third Hand discontinued and the SpiderCapo , both universal partial capos, adjust for string spacing, which also typically increases at higher frets. The type of rubber varies in different capos, affecting performance. Fingers are soft, but they work. On a string, softer capo rubber oozes down a little, stopping the octave strings on the bottom four courses better than a harder capo.
Force is a major factor in capo functionality. Elastic, spring, and screw clamping mechanisms exert varying amounts of force, which gets applied in slightly different ways to your strings. The more you tighten a capo, the more likely it is to put you slightly out of tune. The bass strings, particularly, will be stretched the most, especially with thicker strings or higher action. This is complicated, because guitar necks are not the same thickness over the whole fingerboard, and usually get thicker and wider at higher frets.
Fixed-force capos will thus generally get tighter as you go up the neck. This capo puts equal pressure on all six strings and this, in turn, means that none of the strings are too loose.
Why We Liked It - It's got a very unique, spring-free design, and is also very durable and precise. It presses down all your strings with equal pressure so that there's no buzz or dampening of the sound. This product has it all, and our team can highly recommend it. Donner is well-known for delivering superb value-for-money with its guitar accessories and effects pedals. This cap is a perfect example of why Donner has earned this stellar reputation. It's half the price of many of the capos on our list, yet this is very much a five-star product.
If you want a good-looking capo that does its job well and is also extremely affordable, then this one is a superb choice. There are five colors to choose from, which are gold, black, silver, and cinnamon.
One of the worries with cheap capos is the possibility that they will scratch or damage your guitar. Fortunately, that's not the case with this one. It's also very easy to remove it, as the release is smooth. It fits perfectly on both electric and acoustic guitars , banjos, folk guitars, ukuleles, and other stringed instruments.
There's no fret buzz when it's used. It delivers firm pressure across all six strings. It's a good pick for anyone on a shoestring who wants an effective, affordable capo that's been made by a reliable brand.
Why We Liked It - It's affordable, effective, and made by a brand you can trust. It won't scratch your beloved instrument. Nor will it require a lot of effort to move it, even in the middle of a gig. It's a safe investment for anyone on a budget, in our opinion. Capo Placement - Place your capo as close to the fret as possible for the best results. Also, make sure you're placing your capo so that it directly clamps down on the strings. You don't want any strings to be skewed one way or another.
If this happens, realign your capo. Planet Waves is another company that has made it their goal to give customers capos with unique designs so that they don't get in the way when you're playing. This one is very compact and looks good thanks to the hook shape.
You have six colors to choose from, which are black, silver, classical, lite, bronze, and metallic gray. The micrometer tension adjustment ensures that you don't get any fret buzz, regardless of where on the fretboard it is placed.
You can easily move this capo with just one hand thanks to its lightweight design. The durable, thermoplastic construction ensures that you can use this capo for years without needing to replace it.
This product is not recommended for string guitars. If you've got a 6-stringer, though, then this is a superb product that's been made by a company that's put a lot of thought into its design process. Why We Liked It - This Planet Waves product is ideal for anyone who wants durability, functionality, and good looks all in one.
It's a lightweight capo that can be placed anywhere on your fretboard with ease. It's simply a solid product that's made by a quality company. We liked it a lot! Dunlop is another brand that is well-known for superb guitar accessories. This capo comes in five colors, which are black, gold, nickel, smoked chrome, and a very attractive, maple pattern that has a distinct wooden texture.
This is a highly versatile product that can be used for both 6-string and string guitars. It is made from quality aluminum. It's got a strong spring that clamps it in place effectively. You will not have to worry about this capo ever coming loose. This product features an ergonomic design that makes re-positioning it very easy indeed. Even if you're midway through a gig, you can move it with one hand in a matter of seconds.
The handle is padded, which makes it comfortable when you are squeezing it. It's certainly softer than the hard aluminum. It's also important to mention just how cheap this capo is. It's one of the most affordable on the market, which makes it a top choice for anyone looking for value-for-money.
The quality certainly far outweighs the price tag. Why We Liked It - This product has been on the market for well over two decades now and remains one of the most popular amongst guitarists of all levels. It looks great and does a fantastic job of keeping the strings tight and pressed against the frets both with 6-string and string guitars. If you are looking for a bargain, then this is a great choice! KLIQ has excelled itself with this lovely capo that features a unique design.
It doesn't have any hard edges, like most other capos, and instead has rounded edges. It is very comfortable to hold thanks to the roundness of the design. You can also quickly move it without causing any pain to your hands. It comes in three colors, which are black chrome, brushed bronze, and satin silver. This capo is designed to be fast and convenient when quickly switching between frets. You do not have to worry about fiddling with this capo on stage. The spring integrated into this capo is calibrated to give the optimal amount of pressure along the fretboard.
This product is designed for acoustic and electric guitars. It comes with a metal carrying case to ensure that you keep it safe during travels. Also, being able to store it in a case when it's not in use makes it far less likely that you'll lose it. After all, this is a small piece of kit, and it can be easily lost.
Why We Liked It - It has a very unique and attractive design, which aids its effectiveness. It comes with a handy metal carrying case to keep it safe. Overall, it's a flawless product that's well worth the money. It looks great too! It quickly became a bestseller and you'll often find it on Amazon's ten most popular capos list.
It's easy to see why it sells so well. The design is modern and understated, with the matte finish adding to the visual appeal. Simplicity is the key reason why it is so popular. It's designed to function properly without any unnecessary frills.
There's no need to worry about it breaking, as it is highly durable, in our opinion. It comes with a lifetime warranty, so if you do have any issues, then you will be sent a replacement by the manufacturer. It comes in a range of colors, including black, gold, silver, and metallic blue. It is easy to move thanks to a smooth release. It fits on electric, acoustic, and bass guitars, as well as ukuleles and banjos. If you play more than one string instrument, this capo will get a lot of use.
The silicone pad will protect the neck of your guitar from any scratches. It's a little more expensive than a budget model but you get the lifetime warranty with it, so it's worth the extra bucks, in our opinion. You probably won't need to buy another capo again, as long as you don't lose it. This is one of the cheapest capos around.
For less than five bucks, you can buy this solid product that's been made by Liroyal. It's a great choice for anyone who is buying their very first capo and doesn't yet know if this accessory is for them. It comes in seven colors, which are green, blue, gold, red, white, black, and silver. There are two styles to choose from too. One is a bog-standard capo, while the other features a more unique, modern design that reminds us of an archer's bow.
This capo is compatible with acoustic and electric guitars. And it won't hurt your hand when you try to remove it, as the release is smooth. It's a very efficient and durable capo that is praised by many for its build quality. The whole idea behind the design is to control tension evenly across the fret and eliminate string buzz.
This is especially vital when you have the challenge of 12 of them to keep in line! By pulling from the centre instead of the side with precision adjustment, the idea is to create even tension across all the strings. Rubber tubing on all the contact points also protects your guitar when you need to move positions fast and this Clik design offers a quick release mechanism for removal. I'm the Guitars Editor for MusicRadar, handling news, reviews, features, tuition, advice for the strings side of the site and everything in between.
Before that I worked on guitar magazines for 15 years, including Editor of Total Guitar. MusicRadar The No. Included in this guide: 1.
G7th Performance 3 ART guitar capo. Materials: Stainless steel, silicone rubber. Reasons to avoid - Not the lightest out there. Shubb Original C1 Steel String guitar capo. Materials: Nickel-plated brass, rubber. Reasons to avoid - Tension needs to be set correctly. Ernie Ball Axis capo.
Materials: Aluminium, rubber. Reasons to avoid - No player-adjustable tension. G7th UltraLight Classical guitar capo.
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