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  #1  
Old 01-28-2020, 10:22 PM
Thisisme Thisisme is offline
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Default What capo for resonator guitar?

Hello I have a steel body resonator (round neck played in normal position) and the action is really high. I have 13 guage strings on it but because the action is high a capo doesn’t work that grate as the notes don’t ring out and sustain as much. I wondered if there was a particular capo that is good for resonators?
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  #2  
Old 01-28-2020, 10:38 PM
BluesKing777 BluesKing777 is offline
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You can fool around with this before you give up like me....

You need to re-tune after somehow getting the thing on, it is too high for normal fretting. I bought it because of the slide player malaise of always being in Open D or Open G....hoping to slip the new wonder capo on and play in ....F!!!!! Works in a limited way:

https://www.jimdunlop.com/capo-slide-converter/


or the Shubb:

http://www.shubb.com/dobro/index.html




BluesKing777.
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  #3  
Old 01-28-2020, 10:45 PM
jim1960 jim1960 is offline
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That guitar may be set up for slide. Resonators often are.
And the problem you'd have putting a capo on a resonator with high action is the same problem you'll have putting a capo on a non-resonator with high action. The problem isn't the kind of capo you're using. The problem is the high action.
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Old 01-28-2020, 11:25 PM
agfsteve agfsteve is offline
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I have no experience with this, but I was curious enough to google it. Couldn't you use something like one of these, except place it at whatever fret you want to capo?:

Golden Gate Resonator Guitar Extension Nut
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Old 01-28-2020, 11:56 PM
Thisisme Thisisme is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BluesKing777 View Post
You can fool around with this before you give up like me....

You need to re-tune after somehow getting the thing on, it is too high for normal fretting. I bought it because of the slide player malaise of always being in Open D or Open G....hoping to slip the new wonder capo on and play in ....F!!!!! Works in a limited way:

https://www.jimdunlop.com/capo-slide-converter/


or the Shubb:

http://www.shubb.com/dobro/index.html




BluesKing777.
Haha I think some of you are comfused to what I need. It’s not a lap slide/dobro I’m talking about although I do play lapslide and have a Charlie’s capo which is excellent it’s a normal upright resonator guitar that has high action
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Old 01-29-2020, 02:37 AM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is offline
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Why is the action really high?

BTW - I don't subscribe to the necessity for having an overly high action for slide - after all - you still have to fret.
either lower the saddle or, maybe a neck reset?
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  #7  
Old 01-29-2020, 06:44 AM
banjomule banjomule is offline
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I like to use a Shubb 12 string (because of the 1 15/16” nut on some of them) capo on my round neck resonators, some of which have a relatively high action. I agree with others though that the action can be lowered if it’s too high to capo.
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Old 01-29-2020, 03:12 PM
Thisisme Thisisme is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Silly Moustache View Post
Why is the action really high?

BTW - I don't subscribe to the necessity for having an overly high action for slide - after all - you still have to fret.
either lower the saddle or, maybe a neck reset?
Hmm good point. It was like that when I got it but just got used to it however it will have better playability if I lower the action. I have some acoustics that have very low action but I still play slide on it. So yea I’m with you I don’t need really high action I will look into lowering it. The neck is definitely concaved quite a bit (I ised to have 16 to 56 strings tuned to open E! As you can imagine not good for the neck I now hAve 13s tuned to open D. I will probably put it to open E again though) the only problem is I have found you can easily break a tricone resonator buy adjusting the bridge action.
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Old 01-29-2020, 03:25 PM
Thisisme Thisisme is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BluesKing777 View Post
You can fool around with this before you give up like me....

You need to re-tune after somehow getting the thing on, it is too high for normal fretting. I bought it because of the slide player malaise of always being in Open D or Open G....hoping to slip the new wonder capo on and play in ....F!!!!! Works in a limited way:

https://www.jimdunlop.com/capo-slide-converter/


or the Shubb:

http://www.shubb.com/dobro/index.html






BluesKing777.

That capo/slide converter looks amazing I’m gonna get one. I have a nut extender on one of my guitars which is amazing. But this will be useful in so many ways. Thanks man. My solution to a capo is going to be lowering the action on my guitar
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  #10  
Old 01-29-2020, 04:26 PM
BluesKing777 BluesKing777 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thisisme View Post
That capo/slide converter looks amazing I’m gonna get one. I have a nut extender on one of my guitars which is amazing. But this will be useful in so many ways. Thanks man. My solution to a capo is going to be lowering the action on my guitar
Don't take the elastic band off!
A real nuisance working out how it was originally, if you do take it off!

Capo works, but like I said, you wouldn't want to put the capo on when in a hurry, eg. at a gig during a set, because you need to retune the strings as it lifts them a bit and puts them out of tune, or a lot. Best to de-tune first a whisker first, then put capo on and tighten tuning to suit. Can be a brain teaser..."let me see, hmm, I was in Open G and now I have the capo on 4 which is for the electronic tuner...key of B, which is F#,B,F#,B, etc, etc...........:Oh man, oh man"

BluesKing777.
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  #11  
Old 01-29-2020, 04:39 PM
Thisisme Thisisme is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BluesKing777 View Post
Don't take the elastic band off!
A real nuisance working out how it was originally, if you do take it off!

Capo works, but like I said, you wouldn't want to put the capo on when in a hurry, eg. at a gig during a set, because you need to retune the strings as it lifts them a bit and puts them out of tune, or a lot. Best to de-tune first a whisker first, then put capo on and tighten tuning to suit. Can be a brain teaser..."let me see, hmm, I was in Open G and now I have the capo on 4 which is for the electronic tuner...key of B, which is F#,B,F#,B, etc, etc...........:Oh man, oh man"

BluesKing777.
Cool man. I guess it will only take 4 or 5 minuets to change and with the David Wilcox tuning (this guy has learnt a method of changing strings so that he never breaks a string from constantly changing tunings) It will work really well. I will have to go from 12 to 13 guage on my acoustic though as 12s will be to thin for lap slide also I will use it on my resonator
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  #12  
Old 01-29-2020, 06:25 PM
BluesKing777 BluesKing777 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thisisme View Post
Cool man. I guess it will only take 4 or 5 minuets to change and with the David Wilcox tuning (this guy has learnt a method of changing strings so that he never breaks a string from constantly changing tunings) It will work really well. I will have to go from 12 to 13 guage on my acoustic though as 12s will be to thin for lap slide also I will use it on my resonator

I have a couple of guitars new and old in Open D tuning with a 16 on the first string.....there is no going back in a few ways after doing this! For one, the slide is fantastic sounding, fat, fat, fat and easy to play. The catch is that it can bow the neck a bit so..no higher than Open D

I have a pre-smashed up and stuck together 1952 Gibson LG1 in this setup (16 on top) plus a recent Maton SRS808 in Open G tuned down to F (16 on top) with the best current live pickup system Maton AP5-Pro. Ooh Yeah!

P.S. I put a piece of business card under the Dunlop slide capo to save scratching the fretboard...


BluesKing777.
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