Timeline for Does leaving a capo on "hurt" the strings?
Current License: CC BY-SA 2.5
8 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Dec 7 at 5:06 | comment | added | Edward | If a capo added a significant amount of tension to the strings, you'd know, because it would play sharp. Which it does, but only on the order of a couple cents. If you're that concerned, you should be re-tuning your guitar after you finish playing! | |
| Apr 3, 2022 at 19:41 | comment | added | Mike Battaglia | I would be very surprised if use of a capo added more tension to the neck than just going up to the next string gauge. | |
| Jan 14, 2011 at 7:44 | comment | added | Jimi Oke | @Brian: Oh, I see... but I merely posted up Griffith's. That wasn't really my opinion :) but just so my answer could have more weight. Anyway, I just don't leave the capo on unnecessarily too long, just as I don't keep my bass plugged in when I'm not playing! But really, if one leaves the capo on every night, if the strings have a phosphor coating, that will begin to crack right at that fret and strings may probably have to be changed faster. I never keep the capo on anyway, since I always clean my fretboard after each session... | |
| Jan 14, 2011 at 7:33 | comment | added | Anonymous | I know what you meant, I just think you're exaggerating the amount of tension added by the capo. | |
| Jan 14, 2011 at 7:16 | comment | added | Jimi Oke | @Brian: But, yes, it's not really about string life, here... | |
| Jan 14, 2011 at 7:15 | comment | added | Jimi Oke | @Brian Ortiz: Eh... I myself have left my capo on overnight on several occasions. But it's not about the tension to the strings but the extra stress on the neck due to the increased tension in the strings, which could be significant, depending on where the capo is placed. One certainly doesn't want to have the capo perpetually hugging the neck. | |
| Jan 14, 2011 at 6:46 | comment | added | Anonymous | I doubt the capo adds much tension to the strings. If this was really a problem then we'd be detuning our guitars every time we're done playing. | |
| Jan 14, 2011 at 2:59 | history | answered | Jimi Oke | CC BY-SA 2.5 |