The 10 Best Capos

If you want one capo that does the job without fuss, the Kyser Quick-Change is the safe choice. A stiff spring clamps it on with one squeeze, and it rests on the headstock between songs. The aluminum body is made in the U.S., and Kyser guarantees it for life. This version is shaped for steel-string acoustic necks. The spring can't be softened, so on slim necks it can pull notes a little sharp.

Players who hate retuning after every key change tend to settle on the Shubb C1. A small screw sets the clamping force once, and after that a flip of the lever locks it on or lets it go. The bar wears a soft rubber sleeve that grips the strings much like a fingertip, and Shubb has built this design for decades. The catch is speed, since moving it takes two hands.

The D'Addario NS Tri-Action pairs a quick squeeze-on trigger with a small dial that sets how hard it clamps. Easing off the pressure keeps strings from going sharp, something a plain spring clamp can't do. The aluminum body clips onto the headstock when you don't need it, and a slot on the side holds a spare pick. Move to a guitar with a thicker neck and you'll need to reset the dial.

Players who switch keys all night are who the G7th Performance 3 is built for. You squeeze it on until the buzz stops, and an internal ratchet holds that exact pressure, so strings stay in tune. Its string pad flexes to fit curved and flatter steel-string necks, and G7th backs every capo with a free lifetime warranty. It's a lot of money for a clamp, and it isn't made for flat classical necks.

Anyone who plays more than one kind of guitar should look at the Ernie Ball Axis. Its string bar has a curved face and a flat face, and you turn it to match the fingerboard, so one capo can serve a steel-string acoustic, an electric and a flatter neck. The lightweight aluminum frame sits easily on the neck. Its spring pressure is fixed, though, and the bar is one more thing to set.

Hand-built in the U.S., the Paige Original tightens with a screw that presses straight down in the middle, so the force lands evenly across the strings. Its bar is curved to match an acoustic neck, and the rubber tube and felt-lined contacts can be replaced when they wear. When it's not in use, it slides up behind the nut and stays on the guitar. Turning the screw makes it slower than a squeeze-on clamp.

Dunlop says its Dunlop Trigger has been around since 1991, and the idea hasn't changed: squeeze the handles, set it behind the fret and let go. This curved version is shaped for steel-string acoustic and electric necks, and it's designed and made in the U.S. The aluminum body is light and quick to move. There's no way to soften the spring, so it can press hard enough to bend notes slightly sharp.

Twelve-string owners have fewer choices, and the D'Addario Pro Plus is one built with them in mind. Its soft pad shapes itself to the curve of the fingerboard, so it presses the doubled strings evenly, and it works on six-string necks too. A thumb screw fine-tunes the clamping force, and the whole thing moves with one hand. Like any adjustable capo, it needs a moment to reset when you switch guitars.

Built from stainless steel, the Shubb S1 works like Shubb's classic lever capo but has no plating to wear off over years of use. A roller in the lever gives it a smoother action, and it's American-made. You set the pressure once with a screw, then flip the lever to clamp or release. It's heavier than an aluminum clip, and moving it still takes both hands.

For a spare in the gig bag or a first capo for a beginner, the Wingo JX-09 covers the basics at a low price. It's a light aluminum spring clamp with a wood-look finish and silicone pads, and a handful of picks ship with it. Wingo says it fits acoustic and electric guitars plus ukulele, banjo and mandolin. The spring and pads are the weak spots, and they lose grip with heavy use.