Can i use capo on electric guitar

Posts: Folks, I am very concerned about the number of supposedly professional players I've seen lately especially from that city with the "N" name using capos as guitar side men. Not that many years ago you would NEVER see any self-respecting lead or rhythm guitarist putting a capo on his electric.

He took great pride in knowing his fretboard and playing alternate positionings to cover any key he may be asked to play. The other night I saw a not one, but TWO electric guitarists using capos on their electric guitars in the Brooks and Dunn group.

I almost fell out of my chair. Can someone tell me when this phenomenon began? When I started playing in the '60's you would be laughed out of the studio or stage using a capo on an electric! Never happened in my first 30 years. Now so many of the younger players are picking up capos. To me it just looks lazy and unprofessional. For those who perform regularly, what is your take on this. I apologize if I'm stepping on some toes, but this is really baffling me!

Repeat after me: "Friends don't let friends use a capo on their electric guitar! Nov 8, 2. Age: 64 Posts: Too lazy to type again see my permalink here I think you will be surprised with your poll results.

Nov 8, 3. Posts: 16, How to use one properly? Follow the same rules for capo use as you would on a steel string acoustic. Place the capo properly on the neck, don't squeeze it super-tight, avoid bending notes when the capo is in use, and always remove the capo when done playing.

Guys that spend the extra cash on a nitro finished neck do want wear to happen, but only from the fret hand and not a capo. Use of a capo may result in premature undesirable marring of the nitro finish. Yes, I am saying the entire reason to avoid capo use on an electric guitar with newly finished nitro is specifically to promote a more desirable look over time from fret hand wear only.

Fret hand wear is the desirable wear, while wear from a capo is undesirable. But bear in mind they're all using necks with significantly darker woods. On electrics with light color necks e. Fenders with maple necks , premature wear is a lot more obvious - especially on necks finished with nitro designed to wear quickly e. Fenders with "thin skin" nitro. If you find the cheap capo, it might destroy the finish on the neck, especially if used for a longer period of time.

Most of the capo has a softer side of the clap that is placed where your thumb would be. It is also worth mentioning that capo will have a somewhat impact on the strings and their lifespan. There are several things that you should not do when the capo is on the guitar. These are important to remember if you want to avoid damage to your instrument. You should consider this to be rule number one.

Since the strings are already fretted at someplace depending on where you place the capo, tuning them might cause them to break or to simply fail to tune the guitar. Since putting the capo on and off is easy, you should just remove it, and tune the guitar without it. This way, you can be sure that there is no extra tension placed on the strings. However, if your guitar is perfectly tuned and goes out of tune when you place capo, there are two things that might be the problem.

You are either placing the capo incorrectly uneven or you bent a string , or your guitar has some issues with intonation. Whatever the issue may be, there is absolutely no reason to tune the guitar with a capo on. One of the important issues is about using capo too much. While it is perfectly normal to play the guitar for a while with the capo on, you should never leave on the guitar when you are not playing. The acoustic guitars already have so many issues with the tension, and you creating more will be of no help at all.

Furthermore, this additional tension can lead to neck warping. While electric guitars have a truss rod inside the neck, acoustic guitars rarely do. Finally, you might ruin the capo as well. Clamping it on pulls the strings down to the fretboard, while it also can tweak them when sliding it up and down the fretboard. Download the Fender Tune app , visit the Fender online tuner or use a handy digital tuner to make sure you are in tune once you get back to playing. Skip to main content. By Mike Duffy.

Others find it an essential accessory in their gig bag. Here are six truths about the unassuming capo : 1: A Capo Is Like a Moveable Nut The nut of your guitar is one of two anchor points on your guitar that make up the length of string that vibrates and creates sound with the other being the bridge saddles. In fact, it can unlock thousands of songs with the knowledge of just five chords, in addition to giving you the ability to create lush multi-guitar tracks by playing 3: There are Different Types of Capos Depending on your preference, there is a wealth of capo varieties out there that are afixed to the guitar neck just behind the fretwire in different ways.