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Thread: Present - Capo for Mandoline

  1. #1

    Default Present - Capo for Mandoline

    Hi there.

    I'm so glad I found this forum and it is great to be here! So over the past few days I was lurking around and finally decided to register. Hopefully I can get some help here.

    First off, I don't play Mandolin myself, but so does my boyfriend. So please bear with me for the lack of terminology. Anyway, he just started about one month ago and is pretty enthusiastic about it. With his birthday coming up within the next few weeks, I thought it would be a great idea to get some additional equipment.

    Currently he owns a Dean Tennessee Acoustic-Electric Mandolin and some basic stuff like two beginner books, a strap and a tuner. He is still missing a proper bag and a capo.
    I would like to get him both. A bag is not an issue, but I'm not sure about the capo. I already did some research online and checked out some websites classified adds, but I simply don't know which one to pick. There are so many for sale.

    I know there are the ones used for guitars. So can I get one of those? Or do I need a spacial one for Mandolins. I do need some help here.

    Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

    Greetings!

    Heather.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    Shubb,

    Dave H
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  3. #3
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    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Waves-...+mandolin+capo

    Shubbs are excellent capos but rather bulky. I prefer this one which works just as well and has a much smaller physical profile. Guitar capos are rather large to put on a mandolin neck, get a dedicated banjo/mandolin capo. Don't be surprised if you start getting posts telling you he shouldn't be using one and you are enabling him in his slide towards musical moral turpitude.
    Steve

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  5. #4
    Registered User AndyPanda's Avatar
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    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    I bought the same planet waves (mine came stamped as D'addario brand) that Steve linked to - it's great, very small and unobtrusive. However I'm finding that so far I never need a capo It comes in really handy when I'm doing a setup though - makes it much easier to check the relief on the fretboard when adjusting the truss rod.

  6. #5
    Registered User mee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    Kyser makes a capo, it is the same as for a banjo. I know because I used one for a couple years when I first started playing until I went cold turkey without it and now I am capo free 2 years
    Now my hubby has inherited the capo for his banjo. So maybe boyfriend might not need a capo? It really is much better without, but I won't knock it because I have been there.

  7. #6
    Mandolin Botherer Shelagh Moore's Avatar
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    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    Shubb, Planet Waves and Paige are all good. I don't often use one but it's useful to have in your case.

  8. #7
    Lurkist dhergert's Avatar
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    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    It's nice of you to be checking so thoroughly about a capo for his birthday...

    I've got to ask, though, has he expressed a need for a capo? If he has talked about this in the sense that the mandolin is difficult to play for his left hand, his action may be high for him... Meaning it may need some setup related adjustments. A lot of times new mandolins may not have had someone do the work of adjusting the action -- the distance of the strings from the frets -- and that can make a huge difference in playing comfort. If that is his situation, it might be more valuable for his mandolin to get a good setup, including adjustment of the action, than it would be to purchase a capo at this time.

    As has been mentioned, capos on mandolins can be somewhat controversial. Some people use them and have good reasons to do so. Some people avoid them and have equally good reasons to do so. It's a personal choice related to the way a person wants to play. Over time, your boyfriend will hear both sides of this and will be able to decide for himself.

    While I rarely use them, I've got both a Shubb and a Paige capo for my two active mandolins.

    I like the Paige because it can be left in place above the nut on the mandolin neck, however I've never been able to get used to feeling it there, so I don't leave it in place as it should be if it were being used often.

    I like the Shubb because it can be stowed off the instrument, out of the way, but because it is off the instrument I rarely seek to use it.

    Once a person gets used to not using a capo, it's sort of a pain to grab one and put it on... It almost always will require re-tuning and that takes up valuable time between songs. But on the other hand, there are certain song arrangements in certain keys that would be really difficult to play without a capo.

    Decisions...
    -- Don

    "Music: A minor auditory irritation occasionally characterized as pleasant."
    "It is a lot more fun to make music than it is to argue about it."


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    [About how I tune my mandolins]
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  9. #8

    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    Just to clarify, a beginner has very little need for a capo on mandolin. He (or she) has plenty to do learning chords, scales and picking technique in the basic keys--A, D, G, Em, Am and more--which most players use most of the time anyway.
    Mandolin capos are awkward to use, require a lot of extra tuning attention. The main reason I would ever use one would be in a performance situation where other musicians--singers or players of different instruments like various pipes--prefer or need to play in a key that is very difficult to finger on mando, such as C#, B or whatnot. The reason capo is an advanced musicians solution for these issues is that the mando player needs to transpose all the notes and chords into a different key than the music was written in (unless it was written out with an instruction to 'capo 2nd fret and play A major fingerings'), and you can only follow the guitar chords if the guitarist is capoing the same number of frets as the mandolinist. These pieces arent usually written for beginners to play...
    Some more essential things you might want to get your mando guy are: case/gig bag, a good stand and/ or wall hanger, a whole selection of picks for him to experiment with, a professional mando setup from your local acoustic music store, or some extra nifty strings such as flat-wound, flat-top or coated Elixirs, any of which may make his playing more comfortable (you can order the less common types from stringsandbeyond.com). And good for you!

  10. #9
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    Hi Heather. The use of a capo on a mandolin is an issue that is debated almost monthly on the Cafe. My suggestion is that you buy your friend one of the capos that has been suggested and let him figure out if it helps or hurts him. It's a tool. Some people use them, some don't. I have one. I find that when I do feel the need to use it I usually get confused but that's just me. Your friend is in the early stages of learning the instrument. He might feel he needs one, he may find out he doesn't but that's a decision he needs to make.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
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  12. #10
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    The bulk is the problem. banjos that they were made for are a lot longer scale,

    so 1st couple fret spaces are wide, & then they have more space..

    Try the Elastic strap and pin thru a plastic tube type, less bulky, and cheap.

    While you / He works on playing in more keys, so as to not need a capo..


    He is still missing a proper bag & ... (snip).
    Bag for what? Mean a Padded Gig Bag to carry it in?




    ...
    Last edited by mandroid; Mar-16-2017 at 11:57am.
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  13. #11
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    Quote Originally Posted by mandroid View Post
    The bulk is the problem. banjos that they were made for are a lot longer scale,

    so 1st couple fret spaces are wide, & then they have more space..

    Try the Elastic strap and pin thru a plastic tube type, less bulky, and cheap.

    While you work on playing in more keys, so as to not need a capo..




    ...
    I actually tried one of the elastic capos. The elastic in ones they make these days isn't strong enough to hold the strings down. They just don't make them like they use to.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  14. #12
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    Maybe true, My picking buddy has one for his Irish Zouk, long scale, light strings, Octave down, etc.

    so the tension requirement for the capo's clamping power is lower..
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  15. #13
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    I can believe it would work on that. If I could get one with doubled up elastic like the old 2 string capos it might work. It would have been the smallest capo and would have been ideal.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  16. #14
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    Any DIY motivations?

    Elastic 1/2 wide ,and grommets and a grommet setting tool is not that costly,
    nor a nail and some plastic tubing.
    writing about music
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  17. #15
    Registered User AndyPanda's Avatar
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    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    the planet waves (D'addario) capo is very small and no more bulky than an elastic type.

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    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    Quote Originally Posted by AndyPanda View Post
    the planet waves (D'addario) capo is very small and no more bulky than an elastic type.
    If you've never seen one, it's difficult to envision just how small it actually is.
    Steve

  19. #17

    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    Thanks to everybody for alle these replies and insights. I didn't know a capo was such an issue when playing Mandolin.

    I'll think it over.

    Enjoy your weekend!

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  21. #18
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    Capos are a chord player tool , mandolin , relative of the violin, is a melody player's instrument..
    that also chords..


    As to the Bag part you mentioned, the super nice..
    Reunion Blues company, makes leather covered padded gig bags for mandolins, acoustic types,

    so if your BF has an acoustic-electric that is that size, they make the nicest one..
    thick sufficiently dense padding..


    I used to (30 years ago) have an occasional, walk in Shop visit

    with a friend who worked for them ,

    when we lived in SF, and the company had not yet ,

    relocated making them, to east asia.



    ...
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  22. #19
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    Quote Originally Posted by HeatherM View Post
    Thanks to everybody for alle these replies and insights. I didn't know a capo was such an issue when playing Mandolin...I'll think it over...
    If your boyfriend thinks he should have a capo, then one of the recommended ones would be fine.

    The "issue" about capos and mandolins, is that some people like 'em and some don't. Those holding either point of view, come up with a bunch of arguments as to why you should or shouldn't use one.

    If your boyfriend has one, he can decide whether he likes it and wants to use it, or not. When I saw the word "capo" in the title of this thread, I knew that the old controversy would rear its head somewhere.

    I have capos for my mandolin-family instruments, and I use them when it seems appropriate. I don't find it an "issue," and you needn't either.
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  23. #20

    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    This whole discussion reminds me of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance wherein a relatively straightforward question becomes a trip deep into the inner psyche, possibly including diversions into madness. Thanks for indulging us.
    Darn, I forgot to address the burning question of moral turpitude, probably because I dont know what that is. The only thing I know about it is that the Nixon administration accused John Lennon of it, so I guess I'm in favour of moral turpitude, whatever it is.

  24. #21
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

  25. #22
    Registered User AndyPanda's Avatar
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    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Cameron View Post
    Darn, I forgot to address the burning question of moral turpitude, probably because I dont know what that is.
    I use that to clean my paint brushes.

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  27. #23

    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    Spend the capo money on picks. Many, many picks.
    Dobro Mandolin
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  28. #24
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    Anyhow She says this $250 mandolin needs a bag , shift your attention to bags Padded kinds..


    for these: an A http://www.deanguitars.com/query?upc=819998003838
    writing about music
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    about architecture

  29. #25

    Default Re: Present - Capo for Mandoline

    Quote Originally Posted by HeatherM View Post
    Hi there.

    I'm so glad I found this forum and it is great to be here! So over the past few days I was lurking around and finally decided to register. Hopefully I can get some help here.

    First off, I don't play Mandolin myself, but so does my boyfriend. So please bear with me for the lack of terminology. Anyway, he just started about one month ago and is pretty enthusiastic about it. With his birthday coming up within the next few weeks, I thought it would be a great idea to get some additional equipment.

    Currently he owns a Dean Tennessee Acoustic-Electric Mandolin and some basic stuff like two beginner books, a strap and a tuner. He is still missing a proper bag and a capo.
    I would like to get him both. A bag is not an issue, but I'm not sure about the capo. I already did some research online and checked out some websites classified adds like http://www.for-sale.co.uk/capo. But I simply don't know which one to pick. There are so many for sale.

    I know there are the ones used for guitars. So can I get one of those? Or do I need a spacial one for Mandolins. I do need some help here.

    Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

    Greetings!

    Heather.
    I finally went for the Planet Waves. Thanks for the help.

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