New Game Changer Capo? D'Addarrio Pro Plus

[Goodallboy]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

Yes, in fact it’s evidently made of a gel material inside a durable rubber skin. I think I mentioned earlier that this is originally what G7th planned for their ART capos but they changed direction to the mechanism they have now. I find both work really well. However the Pro Plus will provide a compensated surface for any instrument with a single capo and costs less. I just don’t know about the long term durability.

Since the G7th ART technology went through the patent application process and received a patent, it would appear that this was their proprietary design, not a second thought.

The ART compensates to any radius, thus the uniqueness of the design and the receipt of the US Patent.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by Goodallboy

Since the G7th ART technology went through the patent application process and received a patent, it would appear that this was their proprietary design, not a second thought.



The ART compensates to any radius, thus the uniqueness of the design and the receipt of the US Patent.

Just to clarify, G7 started with with the Gel pad as their ART solution, and abandoned it for the bi-hinged plastic design they have now.

[Goodallboy]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

Just to clarify, G7 started with with the Gel pad as their ART solution, and abandoned it for the bi-hinged plastic design they have now.

Isn’t the “bi-hinged” design the essence of the patent, not the pad? I think so, but appreciate clarification.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Beakybird

That's interesting. Can you show a pic of what your Shubb looks like after you bend it? Have you ever broken one or bent it too much?

The Shubb Deluxe shown in the "Shubb compared to D'Addario Cradle" photo in post #45 on the previous page has a re-bent top bar.

I've done this with 3 Shubbs without problem. Keep in mind that the actual amount of radius change is very small. You do have to be judicious about force used and supporting the top bar ends appropriately.

I've actually been re-bending capo top bars for about as long as I've been a capo user, and that's close to a half-century.

I've also cut the length of a wide Shubb to better match my guitar without having it hang too far past the side of the neck. Another "Shubb trick" is to cut and fit the top bar pad made for the wide Shubb a bit longer than the stock pad on the standard top bar if you have a problem with the high E wanting to pop out.

Capos are simple mechanical devices and usually it's not difficult to adapt them a bit to better fit a particular instrument.

[Rudy4]

As an official "Capo Collector" I thought I'd give the new D'Addario Pro Plus capo a test drive.

It does exactly as it states, and the photo here shows how it deforms slightly around each string. I found it very easy to place and adjust by positioning behind the fret the same distance where your finger naturally lands while playing, pressing the top bar down to where all the strings hit the fret, spinning the knob down to remove all the slack, and giving it an additional 1/2 turn to apply a small bit of tension.

How does it perform?

I was initially a bit surprised by the difference in tone, at first thinking it was actually muting the sound on all the strings. After comparing the sound with capo to what was produced by my actual fingertip I realized it was exactly the SAME! I attribute this to less mass at the top bar than most of my other capos. The odd thing is after that initial introduction I actually prefer the tiny amount of perceived muting to what I've been normally used to hearing for the past 55 years of my playing experience.

Yes,it's remarkably easy to place without much fiddling to produce clear buzz-free capoing, and the fit, finish, size, and easy grip adjustment knob are all very nice features.

Does it raise the pitch?

Yes, but less than all my other capos. The amount of pitch shift was very difficult to establish by ear, and triggered the next bar on my tuner to show up. In practice, not enough to cause me to want to tweak the tuning when playing along with looped "open pitch" songs.

The interesting thing is the SLIGHT pitch shift was equal on all strings. All of my other capos cause the pitch to shift by varying amounts when moving between frets. That probably contributes to the lack of ability to hear any tuning change when shifting fret positions.

The sleeve does conform to the strings really easily, and MAY deform permanently over time. It's designed so the sleeve comes off easily, so hopefully D'Addario will supply the sleeve as a replaceable part. It does have a lifetime guarantee.

Bottom line? It might replace my Shubb Deluxe as my "first choice". Time will tell.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

As an official "Capo Collector" I thought I'd give the new D'Addario Pro Plus capo a test drive.



It does exactly as it states, and the photo here shows how it deforms slightly around each string. I found it very easy to place and adjust by positioning behind the fret the same distance where your finger naturally lands while playing, pressing the top bar down to where all the strings hit the fret, spinning the knob down to remove all the slack, and giving it an additional 1/2 turn to apply a small bit of tension.



How does it perform?



I was initially a bit surprised by the difference in tone, at first thinking it was actually muting the sound on all the strings. After comparing the sound with capo to what was produced by my actual fingertip I realized it was exactly the SAME! I attribute this to less mass at the top bar than most of my other capos. The odd thing is after that initial introduction I actually prefer the tiny amount of perceived muting to what I've been normally used to hearing for the past 55 years of my playing experience.



Yes,it's remarkably easy to place without much fiddling to produce clear buzz-free capoing, and the fit, finish, size, and easy grip adjustment knob are all very nice features.



Does it raise the pitch?



Yes, but less than all my other capos. The amount of pitch shift was very difficult to establish by ear, and triggered the next bar on my tuner to show up. In practice, not enough to cause me to want to tweak the tuning when playing along with looped "open pitch" songs.



The interesting thing is the SLIGHT pitch shift was equal on all strings. All of my other capos cause the pitch to shift by varying amounts when moving between frets. That probably contributes to the lack of ability to hear any tuning change when shifting fret positions.



The sleeve does conform to the strings really easily, and MAY deform permanently over time. It's designed so the sleeve comes off easily, so hopefully D'Addario will supply the sleeve as a replaceable part. It does have a lifetime guarantee.



Bottom line? It might replace my Shubb Deluxe as my "first choice". Time will tell.

Great review! I continue to enjoy using this new capo.

[LakewoodM32Fan]

the D’Addario Pro Plus Capo mimics the way the anatomy of the human finger functions when fretting a string

Just as long as it's not my finger. Because there would be a lot of unhappy users based on how I occasionally flub a barre chord.

I'll give it a shot, see how it stacks up to my G7th ART which is currently my favorite capo.

[M19]

Originally Posted by eatswodo

Sounds awfully similar to G7's ART technology to me.

As an aside, I find it amusing no-one ever complains about their index finger applying the correct pressure, never causing tuning problems and sounding just fantastic - in exactly the same circumstances that a capo is used.

Well, you haven't been listening to me, Dave!

The sales blurb that says it's as good as your finger would lead me to NEVER buy it. My finger sucks!

[raysachs]

I guess I'm the latest to try this capo, based on a newer thread and then going back and reading through this one. I've been around the capo block. I've had a handful of Shubbs (cheap and reliable), a G7th Heritage (expensive and really good, with the ART approach), a Daddario NS Tri-action (like a Kyser with adjustable spring tension), a Thalia, a Kyser, etc. I've tried a few others I don't recall.

I got this a couple weeks ago and it immediately became my favorite capo. The G7th Heritage had been, but I found both it and the Shubbs had trouble getting a clean note out of the G string on my CEO-7 at the second or third fret unless I clamped them down way too hard. The Thalia and the NS tri-action took care of that, but they tend to pull more strings out of tune with their heavy springs. But this Daddario takes incredibly little pressure to get a clean sound out of all six strings and it sounds less "plinky" above the third fret than any of my other capos. It's possible to clamp it so lightly that the strings do sound slightly muted and still get a clean sound, but just another slight turn of the adjustment wheel and the notes ring out as nicely as with any other capo, or without one.

I tested it back to back against all of my capos. Then I sold the G7th Heritage. I liked it a LOT, I've sung it's praises in the past, but I like this one even more, it's quicker on and off, and at $30 vs $150, it was a no brainer. I'll probably put some other capos up for sale. I may keep the Thalia, but more because its really pretty than anything else. And if, over time, I never find myself using it, I'll likely sell that too. The Thalia is pretty heavy and bulky - this is tiny and light as a feather.

In theory, I like the idea of an adjustable tension clamp design, like the Shubb, but in reality, this one is so quick on and off and is so quick and easy to dial in with the tension knob that it really doesn't matter. I'm as quick as I ever need to be with this capo and as quick as with anything else. I suppose the squishy pad could be somewhat less durable than some of the other capos with harder pads, but again, at $30, I'll risk having to replace this from time to time.

-Ray

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by raysachs

I guess I'm the latest to try this capo, based on a newer thread and then going back and reading through this one. I've been around the capo block. I've had a handful of Shubbs (cheap and reliable), a G7th Heritage (expensive and really good, with the ART approach), a Daddario NS Tri-action (like a Kyser with adjustable spring tension), a Thalia, a Kyser, etc. I've tried a few others I don't recall.

I got this a couple weeks ago and it immediately became my favorite capo. The G7th Heritage had been, but I found both it and the Shubbs had trouble getting a clean note out of the G string on my CEO-7 at the second or third fret unless I clamped them down way too hard. The Thalia and the NS tri-action took care of that, but they tend to pull more strings out of tune with their heavy springs. But this Daddario takes incredibly little pressure to get a clean sound out of all six strings and it sounds less "plinky" above the third fret than any of my other capos. It's possible to clamp it so lightly that the strings do sound slightly muted and still get a clean sound, but just another slight turn of the adjustment wheel and the notes ring out as nicely as with any other capo, or without one.

I tested it back to back against all of my capos. Then I sold the G7th Heritage. I liked it a LOT, I've sung it's praises in the past, but I like this one even more, it's quicker on and off, and at $30 vs $150, it was a no brainer. I'll probably put some other capos up for sale. I may keep the Thalia, but more because its really pretty than anything else. And if, over time, I never find myself using it, I'll likely sell that too. The Thalia is pretty heavy and bulky - this is tiny and light as a feather.

In theory, I like the idea of an adjustable tension clamp design, like the Shubb, but in reality, this one is so quick on and off and is so quick and easy to dial in with the tension knob that it really doesn't matter. I'm as quick as I ever need to be with this capo and as quick as with anything else. I suppose the squishy pad could be somewhat less durable than some of the other capos with harder pads, but again, at $30, I'll risk having to replace this from time to time.

-Ray

I'm pleased you like it, Ray.

The more I use it the better I like it.

I posted this video a while back the shows it being placed on the 3rd fret, but watch at 2:10 to see it moved up to 8th fret for playing a higher solo mid-song. This is the only capo I've been able to "capo on the fly" with no need to re-tune. Much as I love my Shubb Deluxe it always needs a bit of adjustment and slight re-tuning when changing to a different neck position. I've learned that the Pro Plus is even quicker and easier if you squeeze the front and back with your right hand and cinch up the tension adjustment with the left hand. It's demonstrated here, as well as the ability to quickly re-capo without any need to tweak the tuning, as done at 2:10 into the video.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

I'm pleased you like it, Ray.

The more I use it the better I like it.

I posted this video a while back the shows it being placed on the 3rd fret, but watch at 2:10 to see it moved up to 8th fret for playing a higher solo mid-song. This is the only capo I've been able to "capo on the fly" with no need to re-tune. Much as I love my Shubb Deluxe it always needs a bit of adjustment and slight re-tuning when changing to a different neck position. I've learned that the Pro Plus is even quicker and easier if you squeeze the front and back with your right hand and cinch up the tension adjustment with the left hand. It's demonstrated here, as well as the ability to quickly re-capo without any need to tweak the tuning, as done at 2:10 into the video.

That worked pretty well, but it would have been a lot tougher without that looper working!

The Thalia is the easiest one handed move from fret to fret of any capo I've tried. But I never really need to do that, ever even. So that's a non issue for me. But this one is as easy on and off as any. I'm liking it a lot...

-Ray

[Methos1979]

Add me as another one that likes this latest version of the NS Pro. I've been using the original Planet Waves NS Pro capo for several years and although I've tried others I always end up coming back to this one. It's small, light-weight, low profile and easy to use with one hand. I like that it's tightened manually to avoid to much (damage) or too little (buzzing) tension like you can get with spring loaded capos.

D'Addario bought out Planet Waves and when I went to buy another one of these they had made the fretting bar blade very thin which I didn't like. Then I saw this one with the new fretting material and noticed the bar is back to the original thickness so I thought I'd give it a try since my original NS Pro fretting bar pad was getting pretty worn in those areas as you can see from the photos I'll post in the next post below.

Since it's nearly the exact same size (although the bar is slightly longer) and works exactly the same it was easy to get used to. The only real difference is the knurled knob used for tightening now has a rubber band for grip. I hope that lasts. The biggest difference of course is the fretting bar material which is a softer and more pliable spongy vinyl-like feeling substance which does form over the strings with seemingly more even pressure.

This manifested itself in two ways: First, it takes more turns and more pressure than the original which is made of a hard rubber. I noticed this when I dialed in my 'usual' amount of tension and I had buzzing in the G string. So I started to dial in more tension and instead of having it get harder it continued to tighten, a sign of the 'give' of the new fretting material. This will take a little getting used to since I'm so used to dialing in the right amount of tension from the other NS Pro.

The second and very positive thing I noticed was that the low E string did not seem to pull sharp. With the original I would have to always check the tuning after changing position and often times need to back off a little on the low E tuner to compensate. Not so with the NS Pro Plus. It seems that due to the extra 'give' in the fretting material the strings all stay in tune much better and I was very impressed with the overall tone moving the capo around.

So now it just comes down to how well it will hold up. I think I paid $12 for my original PW NS Pro quite some time ago and other than the 'dents' in the hard rubber fretting material it's still in great shape. I'll let you know in a few years how this one holds up. I'm also not sure it's worth the doubling of the price from the original.

Like I said, the only difference is that material so unless it's some sort of super expensive space-age stuff like they use to make Blue Chip picks, I think we're paying a premium for a 'latest-and-greatest' marketing scheme although I do think it does work a little better.

[Methos1979]

Photos

[DavidE]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi L20A

The aluminum frame ones are far superior…

Do they make this new model with an aluminum frame? I can't find one.

[KevinH]

Originally Posted by DavidE

Do they make this new model with an aluminum frame? I can't find one.

I just bought one of the Pro Plus capos a couple weeks ago (Amazon link). Really like it. I believe it has an aluminum frame.