Showing posts with label capo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label capo. Show all posts
1 Jun 2017
8 Oct 2016
8 Oct 2016T14:11
So what is a capo? Well it's short for 'Capo d'astro / Capotastro' and is a device used on stringed instruments to deliberately shorten the scale length of the instrument. In essence it's a clamp that can be applied to one of the fret spaces to raise the key of the instrument when played open by effectively moving the nut down a selected number of spaces. It's used to transpose a sequence of music up in key whilst allowing the player to use the same chord shapes.
Now, I personally haven't really seen the need for ukulele capos. They are popular on guitar, but then the guitar has a much wider fretboard, is harder to engage the strings and has six of the blighters. On the ukulele however, I've never found it all that complex to use natures own capo - the first finger - to barre the neck and do the same job. But the spirit of Got A Ukulele has never been to tell people that 'you can't do that', and as I say, I am seeing an increasing number of people use capos, and not just beginners either. At the end of the day, they are convenient!
For me, there are various elements to a ukulele capo that are important to take into account.
First thing is the size of the capo. I shudder when I see people saying they use a guitar capo - that would be an incredibly bulky thing to clip on the neck of such a diminutive instrument. In short, you want a capo that doesn't intrude on your left hand technique.
Coupled with that point is weight. I have an intent dislike for ukuleles that are unbalanced and heavy in the neck. If you are playing without a strap, they always feel like the neck is trying to drop to the floor and it's an uncomfortable experience. Adding weight to the neck of an instrument can only cause problems in that regard.
And finally we have to think about ease of use and price... So I've gathered together a few types here that I think represent the most common capos you will find on the market. There are others, but they are all just variations on a theme.
First up is a generic trigger style capo, often referred to as a Kyser (although, in actual fact, a Kyser capo is quite different, but it's the same general principle). This model is made by Chord but these sort of capos really are ten a penny in all sorts of brands, and all do the same thing. It's basically a clip that acts like a clothes peg, with a spring to keep it in the closed position. There are a number of positives with the trigger style capo. They are cheap (this one retails at about £5), they are light (this one is 17 grams) and they are super easy to attach and move up and down the neck. You can even clip them to the headstock when not using them and they naturally fit all depths and profiles of neck without adjustment. I like all of those features, but this sort of style is just not something I can get on with to be honest. You see, when in place and fretting in the low positions with your hand right next to it, I find it gets in the way. Those sharp edges and sticking out bits catch my hand when in use. It's damn annoying. Your mileage may vary as your hand size and technique may have something to do with it of course, but these are not for me.
Next up is an old favourite in the guitar world with a ukulele capo made by Shubb. These clip capos have been around on guitars for years, and they are incredibly popular. The simple reason is that they are tough as old boots, simple to use and unobtrusive when in use. So I was delighted to see a ukulele version, which is similarly made. The Shubb uses a clever hinge to lock it in place, but it does take some adjustment of the screw to set it for your particular depth of neck. It's clever though and very well made. That solid construction though comes at a price as they are HEAVY. In fact, this Shubb weighs a whopping 51 grams, which for me is a heck of a lot of weight to be hanging on the neck of your instrument. (EDIT - I have been informed that Shubb make a 'Lite' version of this, but it is still the heaviest of these three at about 28 grams). On the plus side though it's easy to use (though not quite as easy as the trigger style), and when in place is folded down into a small area so it really doesn't interfere with the fretting hand. You may however wince when you realise that the price of around £17... For me though it's all about that weight. A nice idea that is perfect for the guitar, but totally over-engineered for the ukulele I think.
Finally is the kind of halfway house that is more of your manual style capo. This one is from D'Addario / Planet Waves. At about £17 this is also not cheap, but it's very well made from lightweight aluminium. In fact it's the lightest of the three looked at here, weighing a meagre 14 grams. And in addition to not noticing the weight, when it is in place it takes up so little space that you don't notice it when playing either. In fact it is far smaller than the Shubb. There is a downside though. The D'Addario is attached by adjusting the rear screw to open the capo like a vice, and then tightening it when in place. It means that swift changes of position can be fiddly, and if ever there was a capo that was going to get lost on stage - this is it! It's just not as straightforward to adjust as the other two.
So as you can see, there are compromises with all three. Personally I can live with some of those downsides, but weight and the capo interfering with my playing are two that I would want to rule out absolutely. For me then, the D'Addario is the only one I would live with. Sure, it is less user friendly to move about, but when in place it's almost like it isn't there. And that has to be the most important thing I'd say.
Of course, you could also make more of your forefinger, or, if you don't like the cost of these things, revert to the old guitarists trick of placing a stubby pencil on the fret space and looping an elastic band between the two ends around the back of the neck. (Trust me - it works). But seriously, if you don't like capos, that's fine. Don't shoot those that do though - we don't want another strap / plectrum debate...
Video below to see them in action.
VIDEO REVIEW
© Barry Maz
Read More »
Ukulele Capos Roundup - REVIEW
An accessory that I haven't really talked much about on Got A Ukulele is the Ukulele Capo.
It's something I am seeing more and more of, so thought it would be good to do a roundup review of the main styles available.| Clockwise from top left - Shubb, D'Addario, Chord Trigger |
So what is a capo? Well it's short for 'Capo d'astro / Capotastro' and is a device used on stringed instruments to deliberately shorten the scale length of the instrument. In essence it's a clamp that can be applied to one of the fret spaces to raise the key of the instrument when played open by effectively moving the nut down a selected number of spaces. It's used to transpose a sequence of music up in key whilst allowing the player to use the same chord shapes.
Now, I personally haven't really seen the need for ukulele capos. They are popular on guitar, but then the guitar has a much wider fretboard, is harder to engage the strings and has six of the blighters. On the ukulele however, I've never found it all that complex to use natures own capo - the first finger - to barre the neck and do the same job. But the spirit of Got A Ukulele has never been to tell people that 'you can't do that', and as I say, I am seeing an increasing number of people use capos, and not just beginners either. At the end of the day, they are convenient!
For me, there are various elements to a ukulele capo that are important to take into account.
First thing is the size of the capo. I shudder when I see people saying they use a guitar capo - that would be an incredibly bulky thing to clip on the neck of such a diminutive instrument. In short, you want a capo that doesn't intrude on your left hand technique.
Coupled with that point is weight. I have an intent dislike for ukuleles that are unbalanced and heavy in the neck. If you are playing without a strap, they always feel like the neck is trying to drop to the floor and it's an uncomfortable experience. Adding weight to the neck of an instrument can only cause problems in that regard.
And finally we have to think about ease of use and price... So I've gathered together a few types here that I think represent the most common capos you will find on the market. There are others, but they are all just variations on a theme.
First up is a generic trigger style capo, often referred to as a Kyser (although, in actual fact, a Kyser capo is quite different, but it's the same general principle). This model is made by Chord but these sort of capos really are ten a penny in all sorts of brands, and all do the same thing. It's basically a clip that acts like a clothes peg, with a spring to keep it in the closed position. There are a number of positives with the trigger style capo. They are cheap (this one retails at about £5), they are light (this one is 17 grams) and they are super easy to attach and move up and down the neck. You can even clip them to the headstock when not using them and they naturally fit all depths and profiles of neck without adjustment. I like all of those features, but this sort of style is just not something I can get on with to be honest. You see, when in place and fretting in the low positions with your hand right next to it, I find it gets in the way. Those sharp edges and sticking out bits catch my hand when in use. It's damn annoying. Your mileage may vary as your hand size and technique may have something to do with it of course, but these are not for me.
| Trigger style ukulele capo |
Next up is an old favourite in the guitar world with a ukulele capo made by Shubb. These clip capos have been around on guitars for years, and they are incredibly popular. The simple reason is that they are tough as old boots, simple to use and unobtrusive when in use. So I was delighted to see a ukulele version, which is similarly made. The Shubb uses a clever hinge to lock it in place, but it does take some adjustment of the screw to set it for your particular depth of neck. It's clever though and very well made. That solid construction though comes at a price as they are HEAVY. In fact, this Shubb weighs a whopping 51 grams, which for me is a heck of a lot of weight to be hanging on the neck of your instrument. (EDIT - I have been informed that Shubb make a 'Lite' version of this, but it is still the heaviest of these three at about 28 grams). On the plus side though it's easy to use (though not quite as easy as the trigger style), and when in place is folded down into a small area so it really doesn't interfere with the fretting hand. You may however wince when you realise that the price of around £17... For me though it's all about that weight. A nice idea that is perfect for the guitar, but totally over-engineered for the ukulele I think.
| Shubb ukulele capo |
Finally is the kind of halfway house that is more of your manual style capo. This one is from D'Addario / Planet Waves. At about £17 this is also not cheap, but it's very well made from lightweight aluminium. In fact it's the lightest of the three looked at here, weighing a meagre 14 grams. And in addition to not noticing the weight, when it is in place it takes up so little space that you don't notice it when playing either. In fact it is far smaller than the Shubb. There is a downside though. The D'Addario is attached by adjusting the rear screw to open the capo like a vice, and then tightening it when in place. It means that swift changes of position can be fiddly, and if ever there was a capo that was going to get lost on stage - this is it! It's just not as straightforward to adjust as the other two.
| D'Addario ukulele capo |
So as you can see, there are compromises with all three. Personally I can live with some of those downsides, but weight and the capo interfering with my playing are two that I would want to rule out absolutely. For me then, the D'Addario is the only one I would live with. Sure, it is less user friendly to move about, but when in place it's almost like it isn't there. And that has to be the most important thing I'd say.
Of course, you could also make more of your forefinger, or, if you don't like the cost of these things, revert to the old guitarists trick of placing a stubby pencil on the fret space and looping an elastic band between the two ends around the back of the neck. (Trust me - it works). But seriously, if you don't like capos, that's fine. Don't shoot those that do though - we don't want another strap / plectrum debate...
Video below to see them in action.
VIDEO REVIEW
© Barry Maz
2 Mar 2011
2 Mar 2011T19:09
All I need is you to tell me a very silly (clean!) joke via the blog - simple, and open worldwide!
You can find details of the competition on the link below. Good luck everyone - closes on 6 March.
VOLCAPO competition page - WIN a ukulele capo!
Full review of the capo on the link below
VOLCAPO Ukulele capo review
Read More »
4 days to go - Win a Volcapo Ukulele capo!
Final reminder people - only 4 days to go in the free to enter competition to win a Volcapo ukulele capo, courtesy of Sutherland Trading.
All I need is you to tell me a very silly (clean!) joke via the blog - simple, and open worldwide!
You can find details of the competition on the link below. Good luck everyone - closes on 6 March.
VOLCAPO competition page - WIN a ukulele capo!
Full review of the capo on the link below
VOLCAPO Ukulele capo review
9 Feb 2011
9 Feb 2011T11:00
All you need to do is tell me your favourite joke (keep it clean!), even better if ukulele related. My favourite wins the Volcapo capo which I reviewed here - VOLCAPO uke capo review
Competition is free to enter, and the page is linked below
VOLCAPO Competition - free to enter!
Good luck!
Read More »
Ukulele capo competition - 3 weeks to go
3 weeks to go people in the free to enter competition to win a ukulele capo!
All you need to do is tell me your favourite joke (keep it clean!), even better if ukulele related. My favourite wins the Volcapo capo which I reviewed here - VOLCAPO uke capo review
Competition is free to enter, and the page is linked below
VOLCAPO Competition - free to enter!
Good luck!
2 Feb 2011
2 Feb 2011T10:39
I have the Soprano/Concert version of the Volcapo up for grabs. It's a neat little device that has only just been released and I think it suits the uke very well. These are handmade in California.
CLOSING DATE - 5.00PM GMT on 5th March 2011.
Good luck everyone!
RULES (IMPORTANT)!
Read More »
COMPETITION! - WIN A VOLCAPO UKULELE CAPO
UKULELE COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED - KEEP CHECKING THIS SITE FOR MORE COMPETITIONS SOON!
Hi folks, as promised in my review of the Volcapo ukulele capo, I promised that I would run a free to enter competition in which you can win one.
I have the Soprano/Concert version of the Volcapo up for grabs. It's a neat little device that has only just been released and I think it suits the uke very well. These are handmade in California.
To enter, follow this blog (on the right, so I can contact you if you are the winner) and post a comment below telling me a silly short joke! Jokes must be clean and inoffensive, and the one that makes me laugh the most will win the competition! A joke that incorporates the ukulele will certainly be welcomed!!
To follow the blog, scroll down the right hand side and click the follow button in the box called "my ukulele followers". You just need to register with google.
To follow the blog, scroll down the right hand side and click the follow button in the box called "my ukulele followers". You just need to register with google.
If you struggle to follow the blog (some folks did in the last comp) you need to ensure I can contact you for your prize. If I can't contact the winner, a second place will be drawn (see the rules below)
Thanks to the guys at Sutherland Trading for providing the prize.
1. Competition starts on 2 February 2011 10.00am GMT and ends at 5.00pm GMT on 5 March 2011
2. To be eligible for the prize draw, you must be a follower of this blog and have posted a your favourite joke in the comments section of this blog post
3. I reserve the right to reject jokes that I deem in any way offensive ( I have some younger readers!) My decision on this is final.
4. On draw day, I will choose my favourite response from those posted. Only those comments that I have published will be eligible for the competition. My decision on the winner is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
5. The winner will be announced within 7 days of the draw day, and will be contacted via the Google follow system on this blog (check your emails)
6. Winner will need to provide valid postal address for the item to be posted
7. In the event the winner does not respond to the request for address within 14 days, I will pick my second favourite and award the prize to that person.
8. No responsibility is held for failure with the postal service, and no replacement will be offered. This prize has no alternative cash value.
9. Item will be posted standard post within 14 days of confirmation of winners address, depending on where you are you may need to sign for it.
10. No purchase necessary
11. posting a comment is not proof that I have received your entry. No responsibility can be accepted for entries that are lost or delayed, or which are not received for any reason
12. The prize in not transferable to another person
29 Jan 2011
29 Jan 2011T13:57
For my beginner readers, a Capo is a device that effectively moves the nut of the instrument to a different fret. It attaches around the neck of the ukulele at a fret position of your choosing and tightens (in the case of the guitar styled capos, usually with a spring or ratchet) a padded strip across the strings at that point. This raises the pitch of all the strings equally, and you can then play at the next fret down as your 'new' first fret. Why would you do this? Well several reasons, but for beginners, it's usually for those occasions where you find the song and chords you have learned are too deep for your voice. The capo allows you to play exactly the same chord shapes, but the notes will all be uniformly higher.
As I said in the introduction, I don't like the idea of bolting a large sprung metal device to my ukulele, so the Volcapo has really caught my attention, as it is made of wood, leather, string and a something that looks like a tuning peg!
The Volcapo was developed by Chris Baird, the guitar technician for American band Korn, as a guitar capo. Chris made them privately and sold them to various 'stars' whilst on the road, but only as a sideline or hobby. The product came to the attention of Sutherland Trading in the UK via Dean Markley strings, and they made contact with Chris to enquire whether he could fashion the same product for the ukulele. The Volcapo Uke Capo was born.
They are completely handmade in Long Beach California from wood, leather, nylon and that tuning peg, and are rather ingenious in the way they work. You have a carved piece of wood, that in profile looks to me like the shape of those low looking Hawaiian volcanos (presume that's where the name comes from) with a padded piece of leather glued to the flat base. The leather extends from the wooden block as this will provide the neck padding, and a nylon thread runs through it attached to a plastic peg shaped like a ukulele tuner.
The wooden part of the Volcapo is placed across the strings in normal capo fashion, with its padded leather side down onto the strings. You then pass the leather strip around the neck of the instrument. The string is guided into a notch on the side of the wooden block and the peg inserted into the hole on the top.. By turning the peg and thus winding the string around it, the Volcapo tightens. I'm a sucker for simple things that just work, and this just works!
For me, it is the style of the product and the handmade origin of it that suits the ukulele perfectly, That use of wood goes perfectly with the uke, and the product will CERTAINLY cause people to ask questions (I certainly haven't seen anything like it before). It certainly stands out when fitted to your instrument.
So, how does it work? - quite simply, very well. The main positive with this capo, that sets it apart from other metal sprung capos, is the weight – this thing weighs very, very little. The ukulele is a very light instrument that, in most cases, is held without a strap and cradled by the arm. The bane of many cheap ukes are those that have cheap, heavy geared tuners fitted which weigh the head down and make it tricky to hold. I would imagine fitting a heavy metal capo would do the same thing, and the Volcapo causes no problems in that regard – you really cannot feel it is there.
The friction peg works just fine, and you can actually finely adjust the tension quite well. Moving the capo from fret to fret is just a case of slackening the peg a little, relocating the wooden block and re-tightening the peg. I found no issue with uneven pressure or strings being muffled, and found it hugely entertaining to play some of my favourite chord progressions at ridiculously high places on the ukulele neck. It must be said that it isn't as quick to move as a sprung trigger capo, but it really isn't that much hassle.
The only slight gripe I have is that the tuning peg can get in the way a little with certain chords. It isn't a huge problem, but I did find myself bumping my knuckles on a couple of chords, most commonly E7, or those that use a lot of fingering at the first fret. Perhaps a smaller block or peg would solve this, but to be honest on a small instrument such as the uke, I suspect any capo may have this issue. It didn't trouble this ukulele player and found it quite easy to adjust my fingering, but you should be aware of it.
The product is available in the usual ukulele sizes (soprano /concert or tenor / baritone), and are shown below. It retails in the UK at £9.99 and should be available at the big uke stores such as Duke Of Uke, Eagle Music and Southern Ukulele Store. US distribution is not yet finalised, but I am told that Chris is working on it. Keep an eye on his new website for details at www.customcapo.com
In summary, I think its a very nice product, in particular the way it fits the whole feel and ethos of the ukulele. It's simple, works ingeniously well and is nicely priced. Keep an eye on some of your finger placements, but on the whole I think you will get on well with this. In fact, one lucky reader can try one first hand as in the next week or two I will be running a new free to enter competition on the blog to win a Volcapo!
Thanks to the guys at SUTHERLAND TRADING for the product to review
Read More »
The VOLCAPO - Ukulele Capo review
I'll be honest with you, I hadn't really thought much about ukulele capos before, and I think that is because I am a guitar player. You see, my guitar capos tend to be fairly heavy, substantial pieces of metalwork, with powerful strings and imposing jaws. Similar (but scaled down versions) are available for the ukulele, but to my mind they would seem overkill on such a diminutive instrument. Then the good people at Sutherland Trading made contact with me and asked me to review a brand new and rather exciting looking product - the VOLCAPO.
For my beginner readers, a Capo is a device that effectively moves the nut of the instrument to a different fret. It attaches around the neck of the ukulele at a fret position of your choosing and tightens (in the case of the guitar styled capos, usually with a spring or ratchet) a padded strip across the strings at that point. This raises the pitch of all the strings equally, and you can then play at the next fret down as your 'new' first fret. Why would you do this? Well several reasons, but for beginners, it's usually for those occasions where you find the song and chords you have learned are too deep for your voice. The capo allows you to play exactly the same chord shapes, but the notes will all be uniformly higher.
As I said in the introduction, I don't like the idea of bolting a large sprung metal device to my ukulele, so the Volcapo has really caught my attention, as it is made of wood, leather, string and a something that looks like a tuning peg!
The Volcapo was developed by Chris Baird, the guitar technician for American band Korn, as a guitar capo. Chris made them privately and sold them to various 'stars' whilst on the road, but only as a sideline or hobby. The product came to the attention of Sutherland Trading in the UK via Dean Markley strings, and they made contact with Chris to enquire whether he could fashion the same product for the ukulele. The Volcapo Uke Capo was born.
They are completely handmade in Long Beach California from wood, leather, nylon and that tuning peg, and are rather ingenious in the way they work. You have a carved piece of wood, that in profile looks to me like the shape of those low looking Hawaiian volcanos (presume that's where the name comes from) with a padded piece of leather glued to the flat base. The leather extends from the wooden block as this will provide the neck padding, and a nylon thread runs through it attached to a plastic peg shaped like a ukulele tuner.
The wooden part of the Volcapo is placed across the strings in normal capo fashion, with its padded leather side down onto the strings. You then pass the leather strip around the neck of the instrument. The string is guided into a notch on the side of the wooden block and the peg inserted into the hole on the top.. By turning the peg and thus winding the string around it, the Volcapo tightens. I'm a sucker for simple things that just work, and this just works!
For me, it is the style of the product and the handmade origin of it that suits the ukulele perfectly, That use of wood goes perfectly with the uke, and the product will CERTAINLY cause people to ask questions (I certainly haven't seen anything like it before). It certainly stands out when fitted to your instrument.
So, how does it work? - quite simply, very well. The main positive with this capo, that sets it apart from other metal sprung capos, is the weight – this thing weighs very, very little. The ukulele is a very light instrument that, in most cases, is held without a strap and cradled by the arm. The bane of many cheap ukes are those that have cheap, heavy geared tuners fitted which weigh the head down and make it tricky to hold. I would imagine fitting a heavy metal capo would do the same thing, and the Volcapo causes no problems in that regard – you really cannot feel it is there.
The friction peg works just fine, and you can actually finely adjust the tension quite well. Moving the capo from fret to fret is just a case of slackening the peg a little, relocating the wooden block and re-tightening the peg. I found no issue with uneven pressure or strings being muffled, and found it hugely entertaining to play some of my favourite chord progressions at ridiculously high places on the ukulele neck. It must be said that it isn't as quick to move as a sprung trigger capo, but it really isn't that much hassle.
The only slight gripe I have is that the tuning peg can get in the way a little with certain chords. It isn't a huge problem, but I did find myself bumping my knuckles on a couple of chords, most commonly E7, or those that use a lot of fingering at the first fret. Perhaps a smaller block or peg would solve this, but to be honest on a small instrument such as the uke, I suspect any capo may have this issue. It didn't trouble this ukulele player and found it quite easy to adjust my fingering, but you should be aware of it.
The product is available in the usual ukulele sizes (soprano /concert or tenor / baritone), and are shown below. It retails in the UK at £9.99 and should be available at the big uke stores such as Duke Of Uke, Eagle Music and Southern Ukulele Store. US distribution is not yet finalised, but I am told that Chris is working on it. Keep an eye on his new website for details at www.customcapo.com
In summary, I think its a very nice product, in particular the way it fits the whole feel and ethos of the ukulele. It's simple, works ingeniously well and is nicely priced. Keep an eye on some of your finger placements, but on the whole I think you will get on well with this. In fact, one lucky reader can try one first hand as in the next week or two I will be running a new free to enter competition on the blog to win a Volcapo!
Thanks to the guys at SUTHERLAND TRADING for the product to review
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