Ukulele and mandolin capos?
 

What are the best capos for ukulele (tenor) and mandolin? Is there a capo that works on both these instruments?

I used to use a G7 guitar capo on my uke but notice there are some buzzing issues.

I have a planet waves one for my Mando, (the kind with the tension wheel on the top/back.)

this: https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Waves-...s%2C149&sr=8-5

works just like it should too.

I have a couple of D'Addario capos, they work well.

Uke capo https://www.daddario.com/products/ac...lele-pro-capo/

Mandolin & banjo capo https://www.daddario.com/products/ac...olin-pro-capo/

The G7 has a radius, no? Most / many ukulele have flat fret boards. A radiused pad would explain buzzing.

I bought a Paige yoke-style capo labelled for banjo and mandolin use, but it should be fully usable for ukulele with flat fret boards. Honestly I have not used it yet or even opened the package. It was purchased "just in case" from a small town store that I like to patronize when passing through and lives in my case pocket. I had to go grab it to know just what was there....
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...o-satin-nickel

I use a modified Dunlop Professional toggle capo (the one with the adjustable strap) on which I cut off the last notch, filed everything smooth, and clipped off the excess strap length (made a couple for my banjos as well); looks like a factory piece - I've had several players ask me where I got mine - and about a 20-minute job if you're handy with a Dremel and a small file...

Axel, I have a Shubb banjo capo that I use on every mandolin that I use in public or gig with. The banjo capo is the right length to cover the width of the mandolin’s fretboard and the amount of tension can be dialed in by the player.

Which is important for mandolin because the neck thicknesses can vary dramatically from one fret to another further up the neck.

I don’t use capos on mandolin very often, because they do have an impact on the tone, particularly the higher the fret where you’ve placed the capo. But they can come in handy occasionally.

We have a few songs and hymns at church that have been arranged in the key of F minor. If it’s just me with the bass player and other guitarists I’ll often take it down a half step and play it in E minor, but with our pianist it’s easiest to play in the assigned key.

So popping the little Shubb banjo capo on the mandolin is a quick way to accommodate him.

Anyway, I have a general preference for Shubb capos for most of my guitars. But for mandolin they work better than most other capos that I’ve tried because they can have the tension exactly where it needs to be, even though that can change a lot on a mandolin neck depending on which fret gets selected.

Plus, not only are Shubb banjo capos the best-functioning of any capo I’ve ever tried on mandolin, they’re also the most reasonably priced.

Since I don’t play or own a ukulele I don’t know whether the Shubb banjo capos are as good on uke as they are on mandolin or banjo, but I suspect that they are. It’s easy enough to find out, of course - buy one for your mandolin and try it on the uke, as well.

Rick Shubb told me once that John McEuen, the banjo-fiddle-mandolin-playing multi-instrumentalist who used to be in the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, owns precisely one Shubb guitar capo, which he uses on every instrument that he plays aside from the fiddle.

So I suspect that you should be able to use the same Shubb banjo capo on both mandolin and ukulele.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

I recommend you take your Uke with you to size the capo. I bought a mandolin capo by Daddario thinking it would be fine, but my uke has a bit wider fretboard and it didn't fit, so had to order a Uke one online (the store only had the mandolin capo). The mandolin capo does work on some of my ukes and of course on my mandolin though I don't use it on it.

I too use a banjo capo by schubb

I don't have any 'ukes, but I have a Paige capo that works great for mandolin. Don't ever capo a mando at a traditional BG or OT jam.....

I have a Showcase capo made by Bill Stokes. He make each one to order. Also bought one of his guitar capos too. They are yoke style.

Just today I ordered a G7 Heritage capo from Sweetwater. I saw they have uke/mando capos too. Both are similar to the Elliot/McKinney style yoke capos except the Heritage has their A.R.T fret bar. It adjusts to the different radiuses one uses.

I have several guitars with different radius and neck shapes. THe Heritage sounds like it should work. The Showcase did a great jobwith no qualms what so ever. I liked that the Heritage also has a neoprene on the side of the capo to eliminate neck scrapes etc..

They're expensive but will be the last one you'll need to buy and should work well for you. I love a good quality yoke capo; no need to retune after putting it on.

Remember the old Bill Russell capos we used back in the 60s? Dunlop makes a Bill Russell banjo/uke capo that I love. I teach uke for Guitars (and ukes) In The Classroom and Dunlop donates these capos to us. I like that they are easy to slide us and down the neck, easy to adjust and easy to store. They have plenty of tension for all my ukes, soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. I actually bought my own on Amazon before we got Dunlop (a sponsor who gives us picks) to donate them for our classes.

I have found this is a no no at BG jams.
Usually when a guitar or banjo player says
Something about a capo on a mandolin I just
Respond by saying "I wont use one if you dont. " banjo players especially cant play in any other key without one. And most guitarists at these things only know how to play a G chord bluegrass style. That being said as one progresses in mandolin the need for a capo
becomes obsolete. But it's still funny to me
how frowned upon it is at bluegrass jams.
It's a fretted inst just like any other.
Now a capo on a fiddle I could understand. ;)

Mandobart wrote:

Agreed, unless getting tarred and feathered and ridden out of the jam session on a rail is your idea of a good time....


Wade Hampton "Man, This Is No Fun At ALL!!" Miller

I'm not sure why anyone would care if someone else used a capo if it they were making great music. If it sounds good, it is good. ("We can play without a capo. That guy is using a capo. let's run him outa town." Next it'll be, "That guy doesn't have a scroll on his mandolin. That ain't bluegrass! Let's run him outa town!")
Although it's not often done, I have seen either Jeff Hanna or Les Thompson on the liner photos to the first Circle Album playing an F4 with a capo.
I have also seen Ricky Skaggs use one on "At The Opry".

I played mandolin in a group whose lead singer liked to play in flat keys. I would take a spare mandolin tuned a half tone sharp (or flat -I can't recall now) to play when he called a tune in a flat key. You couldn't see the capo, but it was there.

Planet waves has good assortment of capos for these instruments. I love playing uke but find the scales already short with little space between frets so have never bothered with capo. Also with only four strings the vast majority of chords is easily movable to any position. I would only see a need for capo if elaborate chord melody pieces were played along with other instruments that can not transpose.