Using a CAPO on your Acoustic Bass Guitar

[AfterViewer]

Anyone else here like to use a capo on full size acoustic basses?

[cliff_the_stiff]

I’ve never had any need for a capo while playing bass.

[AfterViewer]

OK, I take that as a "no".

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Originally Posted by cliff_the_stiff

I’ve never had any need for a capo while playing bass.

I will second his 'no'.

[cliff_the_stiff]

Originally Posted by AfterViewer

OK, I take that as a "no".

I’m sorry if that came across snarky or rude. was not intended so.

[AfterViewer]

OK. Food for thought. I am not surprised that the use of a capo would be unlikely, even though I use one exclusively on my bass. (second fret only).

[Brent Hahn]

I never really thought about it. My acoustic bass is both long-scale and fretless. Just now I popped on a capo and it worked fine. Is the idea here to capo up to make the open strings higher, or is it to tune to standard EADG but with a shorter scale length?

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by cliff_the_stiff

I’ve never had any need for a capo while playing bass.

IME if you're really playing bass you're using moveable fingerings, and since the only time I use a capo is to achieve the sonic texture of open strings (almost never used by bass players) there's really no need...

I'm with Cliff...

[AfterViewer]

Hey,Brent. I don't know if anyone else uses a capo on a bass. My reasoning is that some styles of music (World) and modern classic soundtracking in general do not frequent the lowest registers of the 88 key grand piano. Blues, Rock, Reggae, Jazz, Soul/Neo, Bluegrass and country western and other genres use the lower register of the bass guitar and would be missing something if they didn't.
The F# second fret sets your harmonics to create a different vibe... even though you still have the same notes and bass chord structure. Just Like using the F# (second fret capo) on a 6-string acoustic guitar (steel or nylon) for Spanish Classical or Moroccan music, for instance. Much like the flavoring of sound harmonics the 6-string can produce in a way that differs from standard tuning. Most piano music I compose is produced on a much shorter scale (workstation). I would be a very infrequent visitor to the lower keys of an 88-key grand. * I use is a wide heavy- duty elastic strap bar capo (Bill Russell 12 string capo) that seems to be made of a compound (greyish-white) that snugs down on your bass strings with no distortion. My strings are heavy round-wound stainless Elixir's so I am not holding back on string bite/dynamics. I also keep a standard-tuned bass on hand for everything else. I put both through a Roland Cube Bass modeling amp for FX and Clean.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by AfterViewer

Anyone else here like to use a capo on full size acoustic basses?

I had a couple of gigs I was obligated to do during a time of recuperating from a pulverized collarbone injury. I capoed my 34" fretless at the second "fret" position, lowered the pitch a full step and played the gigs. It was a revelation for me and I ended up building myself a 30" scale length fretless and a 30" scale length fretted P bass. I love them both, and won't be going back to a long scale bass.

No need for a capo now!

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by AfterViewer

Anyone else here like to use a capo on full size acoustic basses?

Are you talking about acoustic bass guitars or the bass viol used in jazz, classical and bluegrass music?


whm

[AfterViewer]

Heh-heh. Yeah there is that stretchless comfort zone on the shorter necks. Nice arsenal in pic, Rudy4!

[AfterViewer]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Are you talking about acoustic bass guitars or the bass viol used in jazz, classical and bluegrass music?


whm

Four-string bass guitars.

[columbia]

I mean I really, really don't like acoustic bass guitars, but even if I did I don't think I would use a capo on it.

I think the uke basses (if a 3/4 bass isn't feasible) are much better for accompanying acoustic music.

[AfterViewer]

My other go-to bass is a bass uke.