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Topic: Beard capo |
Fred Kinbom
From:
Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.
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Posted 5 Mar 2006 10:52 am |
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Hi all,
I recently got myself a Beard capo for my Oahu acoustic (the guitar is tuned to open C). I find that the Beard capo, in addition to the obvious key change, gives a very nice variation in tone - more mellow and "rounded" than the guitar's normal tone.
I guess this is due to the bone of the Beard capo (the guitar has a metal nut) and the shorter scale the capo creates.
I think it's very nice to get two tones in one guitar with the Beard capo, rather than the capo just killing some tone. It was a nice surpise!
Has anyone else noticed anything similar with Beard capos, or other capos?
Cheers,
Fred |
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Matt Lange
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 5 Mar 2006 11:14 am
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quick question:
Is your Oahu a square neck or round neck? Do you think the beard capo would work on a roundneck instrument?
i'm planning on converting a flat top acoustic i have to lap style and wouls like to get a capo for it, so i'm just wondering if the Beard would be a good option. |
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Steinar Gregertsen
From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
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Posted 5 Mar 2006 11:20 am
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I have a Beard capo and it works equally well on squarenecks and roundnecks, since the neck really doesn't matter as long as the action is high enough - the capo attaches itself to the strings and doesn't touch the fretboard or neck.
Fred, I believe what you describe is common to most dobro/weiss capos,- some people will perceive it as a "deadening" while others will call it "mellowing".
The small variation in tone doesn't really bother me, but I've never thought of it as a plus either...... 
Steinar
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www.gregertsen.com
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Alan Hamley
From:
Queensland, Australia
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Posted 6 Mar 2006 1:37 am
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Gidday Fred,
I use the Beard Capo on my square neck Oahu and it works great. As you say there is a small tone variation. My Oahu is tuned to D and my voice likes Eb so this little device works very well for me. Recently, Fred I tried some plastic fingers picks on the Oahu and was pleasently surprised with the tone.
Cheers
Alan |
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D Schubert
From:
Columbia, MO, USA
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Posted 6 Mar 2006 10:48 am
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| I've noticed the same thing with my Beard capo, on a number of guitars. I'm with the "deadening" camp. I don't like what it does to the tone, so I don't use it much. |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 6 Mar 2006 11:24 am
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I like the concept of what the Beard capo does for me, so I use it a fair amount of the time for songs in some different keys-but I prefer to use the term "murdering" tone.
This is why, as we have discussed here in the past, that at some point I will invest in either a Scheerhorn (the new one) or Bradley capo, I found less "tone death" with those products.
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Mark
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John Sluszny
From:
Brussels, Belgium
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Posted 6 Mar 2006 12:00 pm
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| Mark,which are the differences between the Scheerhorn "Flux" and "New" capos?Thanks. |
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Matt Lange
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Jim Bates
From:
Alvin, Texas, USA
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Posted 6 Mar 2006 1:09 pm
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Matt, this Muscian's Friend capo you mention was sold by Dunlop over 20 yrs ago, I still have one. The Dunlop version had a metal cylinder on the bottom versus Deldrin.
It take a little time to put it on guitar and then do some fine re-tuing(as you have to do with any capo). Otherwise, it works fine. Of course everyone has their favorite.
Thanx,
Jim |
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Bill Blacklock
From:
Powell River, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 6 Mar 2006 1:55 pm
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I seldom use a capo because I loss all those wonderful notes behind it, but I do like that mandolin effect you get when you capo up past the 5th fret. I've owned a Beard capo for quite a few years now and like it a lot except I'm always wacking my hand on that horrible nob that sticks up on the top. I'm thinking of going to a Scheerhorn for that reason. Can anyone tell me if the Scheerhorns tone is as good as the Beard.
Thanks, Bill |
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John Sluszny
From:
Brussels, Belgium
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Posted 6 Mar 2006 3:10 pm
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| Matt,I don't know what it's worth,but it's not very expensive! [This message was edited by John Sluszny on 06 March 2006 at 03:13 PM.] |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 6 Mar 2006 11:58 pm
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The new Scheerhorn is superior to the old Scheerhorn/Flux capo, and the Beard, as far as tone preservation.
The reason it is superior to the Scheerhorn/Flux is a simple matter of mass/weight. It looks pretty close to the same, as far as design, but is decidedly beefier. It also has more mass than the Beard. Rumor has it the Beard is working on a new and improved capo.
Brad Bechtel was there-at a Bay Area Rob Ickes workshop-and we did an informal test comparing the Bradley and Scheerhorn capos-they came out pretty close in regards to tone preservation, but the Bradley sells for ballpark $80 and the new Scheerhorn sells for about $50, so there is an obvious advantage from that standpoint.
The Beard simply kills more tone than the two above, and bone edge thing aside, is just not as good a dobro capo.
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Mark
[This message was edited by Mark Eaton on 07 March 2006 at 12:11 AM.] |
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John Sluszny
From:
Brussels, Belgium
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Posted 7 Mar 2006 8:10 am
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Thank you Mark.  |
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Roger Marshall
From:
Arroyo Grande, California, USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2006 2:43 pm
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I tried a Beard Capo today. It does change the sound somewhat, but what really bugged me was that it got in the way while playing in first position.
I guess all capos do that to a degree. I did a search though and found that the JD "flux" model by sheerhorn was meant to be used with the metal bar under the strings. I'm not sure how that capo sounds in comparison with the Beard, but it would seem that it would be less in the way. Not a small thing.
Does anyone have any experience with the Flux model?
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