A Cheer for Shubb

[Feadoggie]

And I've said this before but I've only had a Shubb in my hand once and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how it worked.

Yes, I've seen that look on a few faces when they ask to borrow a capo and I hand them a Shubb. It's a kind of a test.

Feadoggie

[Peter Duggan]

Can't say it's ever puzzled me!

[MTGuru]

I've only had a Shubb in my hand once and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how it worked.

There's really not much to figure out, mute. Set up is a bit like Vice-Grip pliers. You put it on and screw it down tight. Then take it off and give the screw an extra twist. Then it just snaps on and off.

I'd guess Kysers on CMT is a case of what may be common is not always best. That is, gigging musos often compromise on equipment choices and sacrifice musicality for the sake of practicality.

The popularity of acoustic-electric instruments is a good example. Piezo pickups usually sound like crap unless they're carefully pre-amped, EQ'd and processed. But compared to the hassles of dealing with tricky microphone placement and feedback night after night in unpredictable acoustic environments, the convenience of just being able to plug and play may win out, especially when your audience doesn't really care. The net result is an army of crap-sounding A-E instuments on stages everywhere.

Kysers are easy. They need no adjustment anywhere on the neck; just clamp 'em on. Stick them on the headstock when not in use, no pocket required. Never mind that you can't adust the tension, and the rubber is too hard, so the effect on intonation is often dreadful. Or that the capo is butt-ugly with its completely superfluous baroque curl, and looks like a hideous dragon on your headstock - where it will ruin the finish of your headstock if you keep doing that. Practicality, you know. It's good enough.

The ultra-soft rubber of the Shubb and its adjustable tension mean that you're much less likely to mess up your intonation. And that's a huge deal, especially for more open tunings like DADGAD. It's also very unobtrusive, which may be why you haven't noticed it as much. And with a tiny bit of practice it's just as easy to do one-handed quick changes. And if quick changes are your main concern, the QuickDraw capo is a far more elegant solution than Kyser or Shubb - again, if you're willing to compromise intonation.

[mutepointe]

The next time that I am at my Luthier's new shop, I'll ask him to show me what is going on. He's dealt with my cluelessness before. That was nice to know about the difference in rubber. I like the shape and the colors of the Kyser capos.

[MTGuru]

The Shubbs do come in colors now, too!

http://www.shubb.com/capos/lite/index.html

[JTC111]

And they make partial capos now too. I didn't know that.
http://www.shubb.com/partial/index.htm

[MTGuru]

And they make partial capos now too. I didn't know that.

Yep. The DADGAD (which I use) since 1995, the Dropped-D since 2004.

[Flexismart]

I have a bag full of Shubb capos - they're great to work with - but I never use them because I got tired of having to fish one out of my gear for a key change.

Now I use Paige capos and it stays just above the nut of my guitar until I need it - and unlike a Kyser capo - I don't have to take it off of the instrument to put it in the case.

http://www.paigecapo.com/originalpaigecapo

[MTGuru]

I have a bag full of Shubb capos - they're great to work with - but I never use them because I got tired of having to fish one out of my gear for a key change.

I never quite understand that. And not singling you out. But if you're going to be using a capo, it should be sitting in your pocket or right in front of you, not in your gear, no?

Now I use Paige capos and it stays just above the nut of my guitar until I need it - and unlike a Kyser capo - I don't have to take it off of the instrument to put it in the case.

The QuickDraw does the same - but there's no fiddling with an adjusting screw. It slides effortlessly. And you get instant capo changes. Takes less than one measure at reel speed, so you can literally change on the fly in mid-set without dropping a beat. It also pushes right over the nut, and the tension when sitting behind the nut is light enough not to throw out your open string tuning. A very well-designed device.

http://www.quickdrawcapo.com/

[JTC111]

I tried the Paige but I didn't like having it wrap around the bottom side of the neck. The Shubb and Kyser both leave that clear. That's probably an issue of having big hands.

[Flexismart]

But if you're going to be using a capo, it should be sitting in your pocket or right in front of you, not in your gear, no?

It's a great plan to be ready at all times, but, for me, playing a lot of gigs and several instruments, and usually rushing to be be ready, it's one of the consistently overlooked items, until the need is at hand. These days I try not to 'need' a capo, but use one by choice if the voicings sound better to me. I find that, now, I only use one infrequently - on less than 5% of what I play.

A few years back I was playing at a session in Doolin and Ian Lambe (Eugene Lamb's son) was trying out a new rolling capo that he'd just made. It was a little bulky but worked well for him. The QuickDraw looks reasonable - I'd like to try one. The option of only needing one hand to put it in place is appealing.

[Feadoggie]

It's a great plan to be ready at all times, but, for me, playing a lot of gigs and several instruments, and usually rushing to be be ready, it's one of the consistently overlooked items, until the need is at hand. These days I try not to 'need' a capo, but use one by choice if the voicings sound better to me. I find that, now, I only use one infrequently - on less than 5% of what I play.

That sounds like a reasonable plan to me!

After nearly five decades of playing guitar on stage there are a few things that I have learned. I have a typical equipment bag with tools of the trade. A couple pieces of gear go into my pocket before I take the guitar out of the case. The Shubb capo is one off those items. I prefer not to use a capo but it happens.

Ian Lambe (Eugene Lamb's son) was trying out a new rolling capo that he'd just made. It was a little bulky but worked well for him. The QuickDraw looks reasonable - I'd like to try one. The option of only needing one hand to put it in place is appealing.

I have not tried one but I have seen the Bennett Glider capo. Does anyone here have experience with one of those?

While I am not keen on the idea of keeping a capo wrapped around my neck they seem to operate with little effort. That leaves me wondering how effective they really are. Just curious.

Feadoggie

[MTGuru]

I tried the Paige but I didn't like having it wrap around the bottom side of the neck. The Shubb and Kyser both leave that clear. That's probably an issue of having big hands.

Then you'd probably like the QuickDraw, Jim. The covered spring that wraps under the neck is very thin, so it doesn't interfere with your hand/thumb position.

It's a great plan to be ready at all times, but ...

Different strokes, of course. Like Feadoggie, I always have a capo and picks in my pocket, almost by habit. And one of the reasons I like the Shubb is that it's small and easily pocketable - unlike the Kyser or other more bulky capos. I play mostly Dropped-D for ITM. And despite the fact that my friend Zac Leger badgers me to lose the capo, I'm too hooked on open voicings not to want to capo up when possible.

My main worry with the QuickDraw is that constant sliding might take the finish off the back of the neck. That may ultimately be true. But after ~3 years of moderate use I haven't noticed any problem. The under-piece is so slick and smooth that it may be no more damaging than your thumb itself.

I have not tried one but I have seen the Bennett Glider capo. Does anyone here have experience with one of those?

Oh yeah. Let's just say - ugh. Or double ugh. It's hard to get on and off. The tension is too high. The roller wheel is big and gets in the way. The shape and action of the rubber top bar wreaks havoc with intonation. And the damn thing will not slide stright, no matter what you do. It's hard to move, as the one-handed "thumb roll" technique goes bumpty-bump over the frets, and then it wants to slide sideways off the neck. I really wanted to like it when it first came out, but it's a horrible design, IMHO.

[Flexismart]

For the capo heads in the crowd:
Here's a vid of a bunch of capos - all of them trick capos for those players who insist on not bothering with retuning their instrument.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rms9iGei ... re=related

I particularly find the last one hilarious because is shows that the guitar harmonics and scale are clearly out of tune. Why they posted this is beyond me.

(I think the Shubb easily comes out on top of this lot).

[mutepointe]

He should have worn a while shirt.

I always have picks on me too but rather than keep them in my pocket, I buy wallets that have a zipper compartment. That's a safe place to keep the unusual coins I find too.