Anyone tried a "glider capo"? Impressions?

[Seagull S6]

Because he couldn't place it were it needed to be placed for good string tension which effects pitch which would cause you to re-tune.

[mattbn73]

Greg Bennett stopped by our hole in the wall music store about 15 years ago where I was working and demoed this thing. If you play like him, you need one! :-) Super nice guy, played the crap out of that thing, and had me sold. I have one at the house somewhere, but I'm still not Greg Bennett.

He played it for a few minutes, and it dawned on me. I said, "wait. Are your the guy from the Washburn commercial?". He just smiled and said that yes, he used to sell Washburn guitars or something. Couldn't find it on YouTube anywhere, but there used to be a Washburn acoustic guitar ad that was the coolest thing I'd ever seen in terms of a television ad with an acoustic guitar, at least that's how I remember it as a kid. Played during MTV unplugged episodes. Greg Bennett is a boss.

[cotten]

I've had a Glider capo for a number of years, and though it is not my main "go-to" capo, I've run into many occasions where it has been a very handy tool. For instance, I often play in a Praise and Worship setting, or with a large choir and orchestra. The music is often arranged by keyboardists who seem to hate the thought of staying in one key more than a few seconds, and yet value the sound of open chords versus barres. The Glider is perfect for that application!

I've discovered that there are times when the ease and speed of transition is more important than occasionally playing very slightly out of tune because of poor placement - something I can sometimes adjust when I get a second or two.

No, it didn't replace my Shubb, but then the Glider handily addresses situations for which the Shubb is unwieldy. I'm glad to have both options, and more!

cotten

[Reasley]

Originally Posted by cotten

I've had a Glider capo for a number of years, and though it is not my main "go-to" capo, I've run into many occasions where it has been a very handy tool. For instance, I often play in a Praise and Worship setting, or with a large choir and orchestra. The music is often arranged by keyboardists who seem to hate the thought of staying in one key more than a few seconds, and yet value the sound of open chords versus barres. The Glider is perfect for that application!

I've discovered that there are times when the ease and speed of transition is more important than occasionally playing very slightly out of tune because of poor placement - something I can sometimes adjust when I get a second or two.

No, it didn't replace my Shubb, but then the Glider handily addresses situations for which the Shubb is unwieldy. I'm glad to have both options, and more!

cotten

When I read the OP, I immediately thought: this is the capo for the James Taylor song "Your Smiling Face" which has three key changes in the song . . .

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by The Bard Rocks

Let me display some ignorance here. How is something placed behind a fret going to help on intonation?

Hi TBR

I angle the capo across the strings with the tip on the treble side back about 1/3 into the fret. Don't know why it intonates better…but it does.

I've done this since I observed Franco Morone doing it in Healdsburg in 2005. He changes capos all night long without intonation issues, and I've followed his career for over a decade. I've never heard him explain it, but he's very deliberate about the angle as he moves it between songs. He rarely plays without capos, and he moves them around during his concerts frequently.

And I've seen him with at least 4 brands of capos on 6 different makes of guitars…and it's the way he always capos. Sometimes more slant, sometimes slant, but always at least 1/3 on the treble side. And his intonation on them is stellar.

Here's some shot of how he places capos on the neck.





I've never heard him explain it, and would love to ask him to explain why he thinks it works so well (because it does intonate better for me than placing a capo straight across the fret).

I've certainly thought about it and asked other frequent capo players, and nobody has come up with any answers I deemed viable. Most just say 'I dunno…'

[Allen Shadd]

Originally Posted by cotten

I've had a Glider capo for a number of years, and though it is not my main "go-to" capo, I've run into many occasions where it has been a very handy tool. For instance, I often play in a Praise and Worship setting, or with a large choir and orchestra. The music is often arranged by keyboardists who seem to hate the thought of staying in one key more than a few seconds, and yet value the sound of open chords versus barres. The Glider is perfect for that application!
cotten

I'm afraid that I would have to make a deal with the keyboardist in this setting- don't tell me how to play my guitar and I won't tell you how to play your keyboard. I never owned one of the Glider capos, but have tried one in the past. It's not for me.