If you need to buy a capo and you’re not yet sure which capo you want to buy then you’ve come to the right place. For some guitarists, the capo means everything to their playing. Some guitarists are even buying custom capos Andy McKee is a guitarist known for using the capo in many of his original songs. You may know his piece, Rylynn, where he uses his capo in a special way.
No matter what, it is important that you buy the right capo. I will try to give you some great buying advice and more detailed information about guitar capos.
Best capo for acoustic guitar
As I have just mentioned, guitar capos have different sizes. This capo designed to be used on an acoustic guitar as it is the right size and uses the right amount of pressure. The capo is from the brand Kyso. You will find that I almost only recommend capos from Kyso and GuitarX. The reason I do this is because my experience with these brands has been really good. I have never had problems with their products. The quality is great, they are easy to use and at the same time they are cheap. This capo is called Kyser Quick-Change and at the time of writing is available for $19.95
Best capo for electric guitar
The next capo is, of course, also from from GuitarX and is designed to be used with either electric guitar or acoustic-electric guitar. I use this very capo when I play on my acoustic-electric guitar. Right now it can be obtained for $16 which is a very good price.
Best capo for acoustic electric guitar
Best capo for 12 string acoustic guitar
Best ukulele capo
An ukulele is much smaller than normal guitars and, therefore, you will need a specialized capo for your ukulele. Fortunately, ukulele capos are a thing, and many big brands are selling capos that are specifically designed for ukuleles. Donner are making some of the best ukulele capos in the world, and I can definitely recommend their capos.
What does a guitar capo do?
A capo is a “clamp” that you place on different frets on the guitar’s neck to change the key and sound. You often place the capo on the guitar to make it easier to play a given piece. Each time you raise the capo one fret higher, all the chords become ½ tone higher. If you play guitar while singing, the capo may be important to you, as you often have to change the key you play the song in to make it easier to sing along. There are capos in different sizes (yes, I know it’s difficult …). Some are suitable for electric guitars and acoustic-electric guitars but not the wider neck of the classical guitar. That’s because the classical guitar’s neck is wider than the first-mentioned guitars. So you must take this into consideration when buying your capo. If you both have an electric guitar and a classical guitar, consider buying two different capos if you want to play with capo on both guitars.
Guitar capo types
Spring Loaded and Trigger Capos
Simple but effective designs that you can easily and quickly attach to your guitar with one hand. As the name suggests, the spring loaded capo uses a spring mechanism to open and close. Trigger capos are similar but instead use the tension of a wire that is coiled in the middle. Generally they will hold down the strings reliably but be careful as there are some cheaply made spring loaded and trigger capos on the market. Additionally, you can’t adjust the amount of pressure the capo used to press the strings down so make sure the capo doesn’t press down too hard – this can bend and warp your strings, which will affect the tone and tuning of the strings.
C Clamp Capo
The most secure and reliable type of capo. The screw mechanism allows you to put the right amount of pressure on the strings for your guitar. However, they take longer to attach to/remove from your guitar than with a spring loaded capo as you have to loosen and tighten the screw.
Toggle Capo
These capos are made of cheap materials and are very lightweight. They are inexpensive capos but are not particularly reliable as they struggle to put enough pressure down evenly across the strings of the guitar to hold all of the strings down at the desired fret.
Strap Capo
These capos are similar to the toggle capos, only they use elasticated fabric to create the pressure needed to push down the strings. Like toggle capos, they are not very reliable and I would not recommend using one for guitar. They do, however, work well for smaller instruments like ukuleles, with some companies making specially designed ukulele capos.
Partial Capos
These are really unusual capos that are rarely seen. They are designed to only cover some of the strings (generally the higher strings), trapping them on a higher fret and keeping the other strings free (or ‘open’). These are often used to keep the lower strings open so the player can still access the lowest notes on the guitar.
