I am curious to know what you guys feel is the best capo for acoustic guitar. I have shared my thoughts in the article on the Kyser quick change capo but there are a lot of other options out there and different reasons for each. One of the more unique option is Paieg capo which offers a very stable capo action.

In many respects discussing which capo is the best is like discussing which guitar is the best. Each player type is likely to favor one make over another but no one brand is ever the single best. If you are playing live one capo may be preferred over the rest but if you need something a little more solid for say a recording session another style of capo may be used.

Paige, Kyser, and G7th each have a lot to offer in their own respects and shouldn’t be overlooked with out a good hardy trial. Like a pair of shoes however you won’t really know how much you like or dislike  a capo until you put some miles on it. So, quick himmin and hawin throw down the 20 or so dollars to get a capo and start playing. Heck for the price of some of these guys you could pick up all three and sell the ones you don’t like on Ebay.

Using capos to change keys is an amazing way to open your world of music. Playing the same songs in different keys can give an entirely different feel to any old tune. If you have ever picked up and played the same song on different guitars you know what I mean. Just as the same song will sound different on different guitars, the same song will often feel and sound different when you change keys using a capo.

If you are a vocalist using a capo is especially helpful. It will allow you to not have to learn a new way of playing. Moving the capo up and down the neck allows you to play at a higher or lower pitch. Songs that were written and performed outside of your range can easily be dropped or raised to a range that you can sing comfortably. I use to thing I didn’t need a capo and could always learn to play in open tuning what I didn’t realize is that I was making things much harder than they needed to be.

Playing in the open position without the capo you are usually playing in the key of E. The base note and the high note are both E. If a capo is used and placed on the third fret you have just moved up to the key of G. The more you play the more you will begin to know where you are comfortable. For some reason I naturally try singing the higher end of my range so whenever I can key down it seems to help my performance.

Capos come in all sorts of different colors and styles. Some of them operate on came locks while others use a spring mechanism. Personally I prefer the Kyser quick change. They are easy to put on and will stay in place as you play. The quick change is nice as well, especially if you are playing live. When you need to drop back down to open tuning you simply clamp the capo to your headstock and you are good to go.

A question from one of our readers:

“I am looking to buy a capo but I don’t know what the differences between acoustic and electric capos.”

The short of it is that there is no difference between electric and acoustic capos. As you well know there is quite a difference between acoustic and electric guitars but when it comes to using a capo it would be hard to go wrong. Once you find something you like you can use it playing some blue grass or blues around a camp fire or rocking out while plugged into your stack.

That being said one thing to consider may be the shape of the neck. Some guitars have a very flat neck while other have “C” or “V” shaped necks. This could make a difference if the capo you chose has a notch that that neck indexes into. This won’t be a huge issue if your guitar is a fairly standard model.

Another issue that may be worth thinking about is the gage of your strings. If you use really heavy strings you may want a go with a capo that has slightly stronger clamping power. If on the other hand you use supper light gage strings any capo should do you fine.

So, all and all don’t worry about if you need specially an “acoustic guitar capo” or an “electric guitar capo” instead be thinking about what you like to use and if it works you will be fine.