Capo horror stories?

[Parlorman]

I asked a guy I was jamming with to hand a Shubb capo to me and he tossed it instead. I wasn’t expecting the throw and missed it. It left a divot it the top of my, then new, Martin D-28.

I had a vintage OM-18 from the 1930’s that had a series of dents and scratches on the back of the neck that I assumed were scars from some sort of capo. They were noticeable playing the guitar and I sold it because of it.

[DaveG]

My biggest capo horror story involves playing live, coming in on a song and finding out you're capo'd on the wrong fret.

[BillyMays]

Originally Posted by Parlorman

I asked a guy I was jamming with to hand a Shubb capo to me and he tossed it instead. I wasn’t expecting the throw and missed it. It left a divot it the top of my, then new, Martin D-28.

That would have left me seriously twisted. Who throws something at a person holding a multiple thousand dollar guitar? It's got me mad thinking about it now.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by DaveG

My biggest capo horror story involves playing live, coming in on a song and finding out you're capo'd on the wrong fret.

Oh, I think most of us have done that at one point or another.

If I do that at a solo gig, I try to tough it out, perhaps modulating to another, easier key to sing in after a verse or two, so the audience will think I actually MEANT to do that!

It's trickier if you start a song in the wrong key when other musicians are playing with you, though. About once or twice a year, it seems, I'll start a song with the wrong key with the praise and worship group I lead in church. When that happens, I just stop, apologize and say that I started the song in the wrong key. Then I say "Let's do it in the right key this time!"

But if I can change the key using different chord voicings without having to stop and reposition the capo, that's what I'll do. Since I always think in terms of tone values - like I, IV, V, VIm and so forth, rather than specific chords like "G, C, D, Em..." - then that's what I'll do, and hopefully nobody will notice except for my fellow musicians in the group.

Anyway, that sort of screwup kind of goes with the territory when using a capo.


Wade Hampton Miller

[FrankHudson]

Capo horror stories?

So, my sweetie and I were out in a lonely lover's lane doing what couples do in such places. I was playing my guitar and she had her flute. Really nice and peaceful out there, but suddenly she stopped and looked worried.

She said "Have you heard about the killer who escaped the state prison last night. He's supposed to have been seen around here, and he he's got a big hook-thing in the place of one of his hands--and he used that to clamp down on people and strangle them. Kind of like you do when you try to make one of those, what do you call them 'bear chords?' -- that thing where you always have a dead string or two that makes you mutter..."

You know me, I'm a reasonable guitar playing sort of guy, so I said "Now, now. I've just found the right pick, my Retro strings are just starting to find their sweet spot, I think mastodon ivory pins and that removed end pin leaving a hamster sized sound port have finally gotten me to tone heaven. Can't we stay a bit longer."

"No, humor me, lets go now."

So I fired up the car and peeled out of there, because I was just a bit envious and upset that flute players don't have to worry about picks, strings, pins, etc. and therefore understand nothing.

So when we got home, and we got out of the car, what did we find clamped onto the door handle of our car?

That's right. A capo!

And you know what's really scary? The rubber on that thing could've tarnished the chrome on my door handle if I hadn't found it an removed it.

[rmp]

Originally Posted by BillyMays

That would have left me seriously twisted. Who throws something at a person holding a multiple thousand dollar guitar? It's got me mad thinking about it now.

many years back...

one of the guys I was in band with, had a Martin d28 12 string he bought on special order. it took months of waiting. It finally arrives, and he brings it out for the very first time...

The key player we had, was a bit of a joker, we were jaming in our basement where there was a tool bench to one side... on that bench was a spike hammer.. (Hammer on on side, 6 inch pick spike on the other)

Mind you, he meant no harm,, he just being a clown,, he picked up the hammer, and from behind my band mate, standing there with his guitar, as we talked about a part to a tune, the key player (Nate) made a slow motion gesture of driving the spike end into the side of this brand new Martin 12... never once intending to do any harm, but...

Wayne kind of sensed something going on behind him and turned around,, that movement brought the top of the guitar in direct contact with the pick end of hammer... It was not a massacre, but just enough contact to leave a mark on the top.

I was pretty sure at that point I was about to be an eye witness to my first homicide...

some how, there was no blood shed.. but for Nate, there was no saying "I'm sorry" enough for the next few months at practice.

[Gordon Currie]

Originally Posted by Proclaimer888

So, I have always had an aversion to using a capo although I totally get benefits and have used the tool sparingly......I want to use it more, however, and want to hear of any issues that I might need to be aware of as I move forward. FYI, I am currently using a Shub with adjustable tension.

Most of the 'horror stories' will be because people used something other than a Shubb. You are safe there.

The only other common one is forgetting or losing it (just before a performance or session), so buy a spare!