When it comes to enhancing your guitar playing experience, a capo is an essential tool for any guitarist. Whether you’re a beginner learning your favorite songs or an experienced musician exploring different musical possibilities, a capo can help the key to suit the singer and simplify chords. But with a wide range of capos available, how do you choose the right one for your needs?
After trying a bunch of capos and researching for hours, we created this article to delve into the world of guitar capos, exploring their features, advantages, and suitability for various guitar types.
G7th Performance 3 Capo is the best capo for your guitar overall. It allows you to control the tension and has adaptive radius technology, so you wouldn’t have buzzes and out of tune strings.
So, whether you’re a seasoned guitarist looking to expand or a beginner searching for a versatile tool to enhance your playing, join us as we explore the world of guitar capos and find the one that fits your musical journey.
Best Guitar Capos:
Here are the best guitar capos you can find today
G7th Performance 3 Capo
This capo features technology that makes it able to mechanically adapt to the radius of your guitar. It is great if you want to play with a capo on multiple types of guitars without buying multiple capos. This technology will prevent most types of guitars from buzzing.
The Performance 3 is high quality and well built, lightweight and sleek, with no handles or triggers hanging. And it’s not bulky like other capos that may come your way during your playing.
When it comes to tension, the Performance 3 capo gives you free control over how much pressure you want to put on the strings. And you do it by squeezing for attaching and squeezing for releasing, a very simple and fast process.
Although the G7th Performance 3 capo is not cheap as other capos on the list, it’s backed up with the G7th’s lifetime warranty which makes it a great deal.
Kyser Quick-Change Guitar Capo For 6-String Acoustic Guitars
The Kyser Quick-Change Guitar Capo is a one-handed capo that allows for quick and easy key changes during performances or practice sessions, so if you’re a guitarist that wants to change the capo position during a song, it’s a great pick for you.
Whether you’re a beginner or an expert guitarist, this capo offers convenience and ease of use. Furthermore, the durability is really great, and it comes with a lifetime warranty. In fact, for some people, this capo has lasted for them for dozens of years.
While the capo included here is primarily designed for acoustic guitars, Kyser offers a variety of capos tailored for different guitar types. Plus, with its affordable price, you can easily purchase multiple capos to accommodate all your guitars.
Shubb C1
The Shubb C1 has a curved design which ensures a good fit for acoustic guitars. It allows adjustable tension with a screw. Meaning you can get the right amount of pressure for your specific guitar, and you get control so you get the desired tones.
At first glance, it may look complex to set up capo with more than the usual moving parts, but, the roller mechanism and lever make it easy to put on and take off your guitar, so after you adjust the desired tension you don’t need to mess with the screw every time and you just apply the capo with slight pressure via the laver. This means that it’s great for those who want to change the capo a lot during practice and playing sessions.
The C1 comes with a sleek design and isn’t bulky like other capos, so it leaves room for your hands to play.
We were also really impressed by the tone that the guitar produces with this capo. making it an excellent choice for beginners and experts alike.
NS Artist Classical Capo By D’Addario
The NS Artist Classical Capo by D’Addario is designed specifically for classical instruments with flat, non-radiused fretboards(not for an acoustic and electric guitar).
It’s very similar to the usual trigger type capo but has an adjustable string, so you can adjust the tension of the capo so it can fit more guitars. (you want enough tension so the string rings clearly, but too much tension makes your string go out of tune).
This capo also comes with the ability to mount a specific tuner in the lower part of the capo, (you need to buy the tuner separately), so you get the capo with a tuner in one unit.
Ernie Ball Axis Dual Radius Capo
The Ernie Ball Axis Dual Radius Capo is an excellent choice both for acoustic, electric, and also classical guitar, and this is because there is one side with a curved pad while on the other side, there is a flat pad. Just switch sides, and that’s it.
You can easily operate the capo with one hand with the spring mechanism, making it easy to apply and reposition the capo anytime you need it.
This capo doesn’t come with the ability to adjust the tension, so it may be a problem for some guitars and with your strings tune.
D’Addario Guitar Pro Capo
This capo mechanism works via a screw hence this is a screw capo. On one hand, it is very good that you can adjust the tension with the screw so it can fit more guitars, but on the other hand, it takes more time to put it on your guitar compared to other types of capos.
The CP02 is high quality and will probably last for years (if you don’t toss it into the railway).
This capo is very solid, won’t slip, and is smaller than other capos, so you have room to play.
There are more models of capos from D’Addario, but this specific one is great for acoustic and electric guitars.
Donner Guitar Capo For Electric And Acoustic Guitar DC-2
The Donner DC-2 is another great budget capo. It’s a spring capo which is very easy to use.
It comes with a slight curve, so it’s perfect for most acoustic and electric guitars.
The spring mechanism makes the tension automatically, so you can’t adjust it by yourself, it’s great if it sounds good on your guitar, but it can also sound out of tune for some guitars.
We really liked the style and finish of this capo, and it’s very minimalistic, although it’s not the smallest in this list.
Overall a great capo for the price, not the highest quality tho.
Jim Dunlop Curved
This trigger capo is very easy to put on your guitar. You need to squeeze the trigger with one hand and place it on the guitar. So it’s very easy for you to position and reposition.
With this trigger capo, you can’t adjust the tension, so it may pull your string out of tune.
A thing to note is that there are two pads on the back of the capo, and they may fall off, so keep that in mind so that you won’t end up with metal touching your guitar and scratching.
Again this capo is a bit curved, so it’s a great fit for acoustic and electric guitars with a radius(There is also a flat model).
GUITARX X3 Capo For Acoustic Guitar
Another normal spring capo, you can’t adjust the tension, so it may not be the best for your specific guitar.
It’s easy to position and reposition, and the trigger is very intuitive. And you don’t need to think much about it, just squeeze and position, and the spring should do the job.
Overall a pretty high-quality capo with a modern design, and it also comes with 5 years of warranty so you can stay calm, but again you can’t adjust the tension.
Fender Smart Capo ,Standart
A one-handed easy seal and release mechanism which is quite easy to put and remove from your guitar, although it can be a bit tricky and take longer time than other capos on the list. With a slight curve, it is good for acoustic and electric guitars.
With its sleek and small design, it doesn’t get in the way when you place it on the guitar so that you can play freely. You also can choose the amount of ideal tension by the pressure you put.
In terms of durability, the Fender smart capo is made out of plastic, so we don’t really know how much time it will last compared to the metal capos on this list. If you usually drop things, it may not be your best choice.
Overall this capo does what it is supposed to do, and it’s pretty inexpensive.
Buying Guide
Why do you need a guitar capo?
With the capo, you clamp the strings to make the guitar pitch higher.
There are several reasons that you should use a capo. The first one is that you can know fewer chords to play more songs.
As a beginner, you know how to play simple chords. And with the capo, you can play more advanced chords like barre chords as the basic chords you already know.
For example, if you want to play the F chord but it’s still hard for you. use a capo on the fifth fret, and playing C will make the same sound, or if you play G with a capo on the fourth fret, it’s a B.
Another reason you may use a capo, even if you are a more advanced guitar player, is to change the song’s key. Changing the key of the song is good if you sing or are in a band with a singer where the original key of the song doesn’t suit you or him
Don’t fall for the myth that capo is cheating.
Sure, you could use a capo to “cheat” harder chords as a beginner. But changing a key of a song is definitely not only for beginners. In fact, many advanced guitar players use a capo to get a key to suit their voice.
If you are a beginner and always use a capo, it can hinder your progress. So keep that in mind, you can use it but with common sense and in a way that aligns with your goals.
What you should consider before buying a capo
Will it fit my guitar
The first thing you should consider before buying your next capo is the instrument that you use,
Is it electric, acoustic, classic, or 12-strings? Although many capos will work on any of those instruments, some will work better.
For example, because the 12-string guitar has a wider neck, some capos won’t be able to cover all of it.
Also, since classical guitars have a flat fretboard most of the time, the capo should be flat.
But if you play on acoustic or electric guitar, the fretboard has a slight radius which means a curved capo is better. This way, you may prevent buzz from some strings and your guitar from stretching out of tune.
Some guitar necks are thicker than others, and the capo should open up enough to have a good grip and fit them.
How much tension it makes
Another factor you should consider before buying a capo is how much tension it distributes to the string.
With little pressure, the string will buzz and lose tone, too much will make your guitar go out of tune.
For some capos, the tension is automatic with a spring or something similar, while for others, you choose the pressure with a screw.
Are you an explorer
With music there, you should always strive to break norms, yes you could just put the capo and forget about it for the entire song, but some guitarists love to make things more interesting. They will change the capo location in the middle of the song or even throw it away.
Here you can watch an example of Tommy Emmanuel implementing the technique:
What are the types of capos
There is a lot of variety when it comes to capos. Those are the most popular types.
Trigger Capos
With the trigger capos, you press the clamp and put it on the desired frets. Those are very popular capos.
They are easy to use, and you don’t need to think about the tension since they are fastened automatically after you release the clamp. Since you can’t adjust the tension the quality is very important.
Overall this type of capo is really good for beginners and those who need to move the capo a lot and fast, however, some trigger capos can cause tuning problems.
Spring Capos
They are very similar to the trigger capos but the pressure mechanism of those capos is with a spring, they are easy to use but can cause tuning problems, same as the trigger capos.
Screw Capos
With the screw capos, the pressure mechanism is by a screw. You can tighten down the screw and apply the desired pressure.
Those are very durable and precise capos but harder to deal with in front of trigger capos.
Every time you’d want to change the position of this capo, you need to loosen the screw, and it just takes more time than clipping the capo.
This type of capo is recommended if you play and practice in your home and have time to adjust the capo.
More types
If you go down the rabbit hole, you can find unique capos which are pretty cool, like the partial capo, which is a capo that usually covers 3 strings on purpose.
Spider Capo lets you control each string as an individual.
Roller Capo, which can roll on your fretboard, and many more cool ones.
At the end of the day, the average player is most likely to enjoy the more popular ones mentioned above.
Conclusion
After reviewing the article on guitar capos, it is clear that various options are available to suit different needs and preferences. Each capo mentioned has its own unique features and advantages.
The G7th Performance 3 Capo stands out for its adaptive technology that accommodates different guitar radiuses, preventing buzzing and offering a sleek design. While it may be a bit more expensive, the lifetime warranty adds value to this high-quality capo.
When choosing a guitar capo, it is important to consider factors such as instrument compatibility, tension control, ease of use, and individual preferences. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced guitarist, there is a capo on this list that can meet your needs and enhance your playing experience.
