Elliott Capos
 

Reading the G7 thread someone mentioned the McKinney-Elliott capo as the ultimate. I had a look at their website and there appear to be a few choices.

http://www.elliottcapo.com/product-c...y/guitar-capo/

Has anyone compared them - what are their pros and cons?

I'd primarily want to use it on my 1 11/16" nut D-28, but also have a 1 3/4" nut 512 that I guess it would be silly to not also take into account.

Only one con: price...

I use a paige, the "poor mans elliott"

I agree - not to bash anyone else, but I just can't see it. Not in my budget anyway. Those that play for a living are fortunate enough to be able to write things like this off, but you still gotta wonder 'why'?

If you have the money and want to spend it on a well crafted, beautifull piece of metalwork, go ahead. I've been tempted... but then reason kicked in and i ordered the Paige Click capo ( with a quick release system). I read comments of people who claim that the release system broke, but mine works fine and is way better than all the shubb style capo's i used before. I use it on a Gallagher d71 dread with 1 11/16 nut width.

Thanks, yes the Paige is a fifth of the price I see. Anyone compared them and can justify the Elliot?

I have to say I appreciate fine engineering, and the Elliots look beautifully made, but it would be nice to know it has a functional significance!

Go wide enough. I bought one for my martin and love it. Alas I cannot use it on the Taylors. There it sits mocking me.

I'have never used the Elliott, i live in the Netherlands and they are not available over here, so only ordering in US and send them over here would add to the price...

The paige, as said works fine...

Thanks John, it's worth consideration for sure.

Which did you buy Dave? If you're thinking of selling it... though I would of course only be able to use it on the D-28!

I have the Elliot elite. I'm willing to sell it, but it has my initials carved in it very small. DPC. Though, lately the initials seem to read "FU" as it sits there mocking me.

There are other alternatives. I do prefer the screw adjustable capo and got one of these. Works fine, holds tune, doesn't get in the way, under $50.

http://elderly.com/images/accessories/ACC/ULTGTR.jpg

There are two main differences in the Elliott capos - push button vs. bail latch, wrap around vs. McKinney saddle. They all work fine, so it comes down to preference.

My personal preference is the McKinney-Elliott because of the simpler latch and McKinney saddle. I own (or have owned) all current variations, including an original made by Tom McKinney that I sold to a collector friend, and another older McKinney.

There's also the limited edition Tony Rice capo, which might be my favorite. It's even more expensive, but a sizable portion of the cost is donated to help cover TR's medical expenses.

IMO the Elliott capos are functionally better than anything else produced. They are finely adjustable, don't pull my strings out of tune, and allow bends on the high E and B strings without slipping. Some other capos accomplish that as well, but require much greater pressure to do it.

I've owned Paige capos, but never got along with them. They are too springy compared to the Elliott's and require too much pressure to clamp effectively. I ended up giving mine away.

My second favorite capo, which I honestly like nearly as well, is the Shubb. I actually prefer the old style with the cone tip. IMO there is no better value for the money than a Shubb. If I didn't have Elliott's, that's all I'd use.

And regarding the price of the Elliott's, they retain an amazing percentage of their value, selling used for nearly new prices. If you shop around and buy a used one, you can sell it for exactly what you paid.

I have one of those older Shubbs, and find it does everything I need it to do. It's easy and quick to use, and doesn't get in the way when using it. BTW HHP, what brand is the brass capo you have pictured?

Thanks Dave, I guess the initials aren't that big of a deal, but as it will be for my birthday I guess I may as well get a 1 3/4" "new" one.

Thanks Todd. Is there any disadvantage to using a 1 3/4" one on a 1 11/16" guitar do you know?

I have a Mckinney-elliot for each of my two guitars. I received one as a gift and bought the other. I agree others will do fine, but I enjoy the craftsmanship of their capos and like supporting small businesses in the industry (they are located just up the road from me).

I'm sorely tempted, for similar reasons, though it's not exactly a local business to me!

Supporting good craftmanship would be a plus for me too ( in favor of the Elliott) capos. They even have a Tony Rice model from which they donate a piece of the price to him in this bad times for Tony...

Here are the measurements on a couple of mine. The "W" or "Wide" model is the 1 3/4" version, and the width measurement is just under the top bar. You can measure your neck and see how far up either will go on your neck.

Personally, I see no advantage to the wider one a narrow neck. The standard width will go up to about the 7th fret or so on most 1 11/16" guitars and up to 4 or 5 on most 1 3/4" guitars. I can get away with that most of the time, since seldom capo past 4 anyway.

The only down side to the wide version on a narrow neck is the that you have more "extra" sticking out the sides when capo'd at the first or second fret. Part of the appeal of these capos is sleek fit, so the overly wide capo negates some of that advantage.

If you want a truly one-size-fits-all capo for future use, get the 1 3/4" version. If you want the best fit on your D-28, get the 1 11/16" version.

McKinney-Elliott
2.005" wide
29 grams

McKinney-Elliott "W"
2.102" wide
29 grams

I've just gone through the checkout process to find they want over $60 for shipping to the UK. I think this makes it a deal breaker :(

Thanks again Todd, that's really helpful.

In two minds now with the crazy shipping!

The two single reasons why I also use an Elliott capo.

A. You can bend do bends on the E and B strings without the string slipping.
B. The capo will not pull the strings out of tune.

I used to only use Shubbs for reason A. However, in spite of how good the Shubb was, you had to use extra care when putting it on. Otherwise it would pull the strings slightly out of tune.

Many folks balk at the higher price, and perhaps that may be due to the small size of the component. But when I think about it I realize that for me, the Elliott is the perfect tool for the job. If I were a carpenter I wouldn't think twice about laying out the extra bread for a well designed, sturdy hammer, especially one that has the same type of warranty!!

Anyone want to trade a wide Elliott elite for my standard width one? ;-)

Used a Shubb for years, even though I thought it was crazy money 35 years ago when I first got one. It was well engineered & built and was a huge step up from the old elastic type I'd had previously.

With my recent bluegrass obsession, I'm using a capo more than ever, so bought a couple new ones to try out - a Paige and a Planet Waves NS (aesthetically Kyser-type clamp jobs trigger an involuntary gag reflex...). I liked both the new ones, and really appreciated the ability to store the Paige above the nut at jams. The Paige is a little flexy though; the NS is not.

With the addition of a 28-style guitar w/volute the Paige won't fit above the nut, so I finally sprung for a Mckinney-Elliot and it has all the pros I've enjoyed in other capos, with price as the only con. Also, there's no dampening or loss of tone at all with the Elliot. I still use the Paige on one guitar and generally have the NS as a backup (fits all width necks) when I'm out & about.

The Shubb is a little fussier than the rest up the neck a bit, so doesn't get much use, but I still think it's a cool capo and it served me well. Do still use my banjo Shubb, though.

My experience with the Elliotts, compared to the Paige is similar to Todd's.

The Paige is not in the same league, but then it shouldn't be expected to compete with handmade precision machinery.

I also bought one of the Tony Rice Elliott's as a show of support for Tony.

Here it is with the Hybrid which my Darlin' MaryAnn gave me for xmas a few years ago.

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/n...ce%20Stuff.jpg

My experience of the Elliott's and I also prefer the Elliott-McKinney model for ease of use, is that they simply, to my ears, sound the most like the nut than any other capo I have used. The harmonics ring as loud and I do not experience any loss of tone or volume. Agree with what Todd and Toby have expressed. But, as anything with guitars go, hands and ears are not created equal and you may experience it differently. If you could borrow one to try out, that would be ideal.

A friend of mine thought I was crazy spending that much on a capo and then she came over and tried it and could immediately hear the difference. Another friend of mine bought one and didn't think they sounded any different at all. So as we are fond of typing here on the forum - YMMV!

Best,
Jayne

Thanks all, I've emailed them to see if they have a cheaper shipping option.

I have two of them. One for each guitar. They live full-time behind the nut. I have the Elite and the Hybrid. I slightly prefer the later, but both are stellar. I recommend getting one size larger, so it fits further behind the nut when not in use. Also, I had my tech shrink wrap the arms so that it doesn't chew up the wood over time. See pic below.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps3ca3328e.jpg