A Look at the Different Types of Guitar Capos

A guitar capo easily lets guitar players switch between keys while still using open chords–chords that don’t require any barring. They’re extremely useful for guitarists who play with singers, or guitarists who play in bands that like to shift the keys of songs around a bit. There’s a lot of different types of capos out there, though, and many guitarists wonder about the benefits and weaknesses of each type.

Here’s a look at the types of guitar capos you can buy, to help you find out which works best with your playing style and your guitar.

1. Trigger Capos – Trigger capos get their name from their shape, and how they apply pressure to the neck of the guitar. A spring squeezes a piece of plastic, covered by a soft rubber, onto the neck of the guitar, and since it’s spring based you can easily move the capo around the guitar neck with a single hand. Kyser makes a very popular version of these types of capos. If you decide to buy trigger capos, expect to pay $15-20, and switch out your capo every few months–otherwise, the rubber and plastic parts can break down and eventually cause damage to your guitar. Also, realize that since you have no control over the amount of tension applied to your guitar strings, trigger capos may cause tuning issues (probably nothing that you’d notice in typical day to day usage, though). There’s also “partial” capos, which only hold down a few strings (useful for playing in certain tunings).

2. Elastic Capos – Elastic capos work by stretching a piece of elastic across a piece of plastic that holds your capo to the neck of your guitar. They’re generally cheaper than trigger capos, and you can adjust the amount of pressure applied to the neck, but they require two hands to put on. Elastic capos are also of varying quality, but cheaper ones are far more likely to simply break rather than damage your guitar. Still, it’s good to have a few on hand if you’re using elastic capos.

3. Screw Capos – There are also capos that apply pressure to the guitar by way of a screw. These are great, because you can adjust pressure, and though you generally have to use two hands to put a screw capo on your guitar, you can slide it around once it’s on the neck. Some slide easily past the nut of the guitar, so any time you want you can slide it back there and play guitar normally. These tend to cost $15-20, but they’ll last a bit longer than the trigger capos.

Besides the benefits and detriments of each guitar capo type, also consider your guitar neck–you should use a curved capo for most steel string guitars, and a straight capo for classical string guitars.

What’s your favorite type of guitar capo? Post in our comments section below.