Spider capo

matdotcodot

Just wondered if anyone had experience of using one of these?

Seem to get a bit of a mixed response when I asked about locally.

ICBM

I've not used that one, but I can't quite understand the point of "alternative tuning" capos - because they don't give you an altered tuning. All they do is change the open string notes - the intervals between fretted strings remain exactly the same, because you have not retuned them. I did try one that was supposed to give you "Drop E" by capo'ing the top five strings, but it was completely useless except for playing an open chord using the E note.

So unless I'm missing something - which is quite likely! - all this one will do is give you a few new open chords.

axisus

I bought one years ago. 

Never use it.

Octahedron

If they went and pitched it on Dragon's Den... "I don't see a market for this, it doesn't do what it claims to do, you'll never make any money from it so unfortunately I have to say "I'm out"" 

I haven't been watching that show much lately at all. 

FWIW: tried one... it was just fiddly and annoying as hell. 

matdotcodot

Yeah, my local shop in Brighton is pretty decent and they said they stopped stocking them, due to it being a great idea in theory, but a bit weird when trying to use them. Cheers for the comments though, think I will stick to a partial capo for experimenting.

EricTheWeary

ICBM said:

I've not used that one, but I can't quite understand the point of "alternative tuning" capos - because they don't give you an altered tuning. All they do is change the open string notes - the intervals between fretted strings remain exactly the same, because you have not retuned them. I did try one that was supposed to give you "Drop E" by capo'ing the top five strings, but it was completely useless except for playing an open chord using the E note.

So unless I'm missing something - which is quite likely! - all this one will do is give you a few new open chords.

But would work on slide though?

ICBM

EricTheWeary said:

But would work on slide though?

No - because all the strings are still tuned the same as normal, so when you use the slide you're back to regular tuning. Same as when you play a barre chord anywhere above the capo. The only thing the capo affects is which notes the open strings play.

That's precisely why I can't understand the point of them. (I use a normal capo a lot though.)

EricTheWeary

ICBM said:

EricTheWeary said:

But would work on slide though?

No - because all the strings are still tuned the same as normal, so when you use the slide you're back to regular tuning. Same as when you play a barre chord anywhere above the capo. The only thing the capo affects is which notes the open strings play.

That's precisely why I can't understand the point of them. (I use a normal capo a lot though.)

ha, you are quite right. What a donut.

ICBM

No, the donut is whoever called this an "alternative tuning capo" .

It's easy to understand why anyone who read that might think that's what it does. I made the same mistake when I bought a Kyser "Drop D" capo, before I thought about it... it does nothing of the sort!

Totally misleading description. Partial capo is at least accurate.

Beth

matdotcodot said:

Just wondered if anyone had experience of using one of these?

Seem to get a bit of a mixed response when I asked about locally.

Beth

Funny, I've had totally cool time with the SpiderCapo.

It does give every Open tuning [they say 945] -but without changing the tuning of the guitar.

So you get the open tuning And, what you normally play still works!

I Love that!

There are lots of new voicings using open strings that are completely impossible otherwise.

When you re-tune the tuning pegs to an open tuning it changes all the string intervals so you may as well be playing a viola or some other unrelated instrument. Nothing you know on the guitar works. 

I guess if you dont know anything on the guitar it wouldn't make a difference!

sorry guys.    :-) 

ICBM

But the whole problem is that it's claimed to give alternative *tunings* and that's exactly what it doesn't do.

You don't get any open tuning, you just get different open notes - good for some open chord voicings you would find difficult or impossible otherwise, but absolutely not the same as an altered tuning. It's a valid thing to do if you find it useful, but it's completely misleading marketing. The point of an altered *tuning* is that it does change the intervals between the strings.

Rich

I like the way this guy uses it, with the capo higher up on the board and playing intersting stuff underneath:

Almost persuaded me to buy one, but not quite.

axisus

I'd be more interested if it was quicker to place. I didn't like that screw on approach.

ThePrettyDamned

What's the capo that antoine dufour uses? It let's him choose which strings are fretted by it and which are not, and he changes them during songs (memories of the future uses one).

Paul_C

ThePrettyDamned said:

What's the capo that antoine dufour uses? It let's him choose which strings are fretted by it and which are not, and he changes them during songs (memories of the future uses one).

his website says it's a spider capo

EreforGuitarGear

I have tried to like the spider capo... Have even tried other types of "alternate tuning" capos... Only non-standard capo I've kept is this: http://www.weaseltrap.com/capo.html

matdotcodot

EreforGuitarGear said:

I have tried to like the spider capo... Have even tried other types of "alternate tuning" capos... Only non-standard capo I've kept is this: http://www.weaseltrap.com/capo.html

They look really interesting, some really nice clips on youtube, interesting playing behind the capo with pull offs to open strings being natural harmonics.

Only place I can find in the UK that sells them though is here:

http://guitarswales.co.uk/index.php/capos/the-harmonic-capo-by-bob-kilgore-made-in-the-usa.html

Maybe a little pricey?

EreforGuitarGear

Yeah... It was only around £25 delivered from the states. Can't remember if I had to pay any import duty on it :-/. Suppose it depends on whether you're willing to wait the 2-4 weeks quoted delivery time from the US.

EreforGuitarGear

Bought this as well- http://bigwalnutproductions.com the "HammerJammer" but haven't really used it... Tried it out... Thought about it for 5 minutes and put it back in the box!