This seems to be the newest capo thread, although I thought I'd seen one about a capo museum and the "Bird" capo too.

Anyway, I'm looking for yet another answer to the capo problem. For most simple purposes the standard Shubb does OK but I am a bugger for partial capos, and I do some stuff on 12-strings.

First problem with Shubb and a 12-string is pulling the fatter strings more out of tune than the thinner ones. The Shubb is not good for the "Fielding" capo placement solution because the flat surface to the rubber is very hard to place close enough to the fret to avoid pulling the strings yet far enough back to avoid damping the strings. It would be better with a rounded profile to the rubber - but there is still problem 2.

It's easy to make a Shubb too tight. This WILL pull some strings sharp and some more so than others. It will also be aggravated if the camber on the guitar does not match the capo (a problem for all capos, not just the Shubbs). It's a particular problem on 12-strings because guitar fettlers WILL set the tops of the strings level and they should set the bottoms of the strings a constant distance from the frets. AND they will roll the outer edges of the frets too much - so the top top E and the thin bottom E buzz unless you pack the very ends of the rubbers - or as far too many guitarists do, over tighten the Shubb and pull ALL The middle 10 strings out of tune some more than others.

One way to reduce the amount a 12-string goes out of tune is to file grooves in the rubber to relieve the fatter strings - but then you need at least 3 capos because the string spacing varies as you go up the neck!

Next Shubb problem is the overcentre mechanism. Some 12 strings have necks like baseball bats to reduce neck problems. And then when you try to clamp the Shubb it does not quite get over-centre, you play two chords and off it flies to hit a person in the front row in the eye. Why don't they make ones for fat necks?

Final Shubb problem is the curve in the rear arm. There is only one place on a given guitar (with a V or C neck) that it fits. Of it you want to pull the Shubb to one side to vary the strings it's covering the nose of the rear arm pokes a dent in the neck and the capo is precariously balanced on a pivot-point. It is a particular nuisance with partial capos that cover 3 or 5 strings.

Why do they not make one with a flat rear bar (like the Kyser) controlled by the same overcentre mechanism, but an adjustable or shimmable thickness away from the overcentre mechanism - and a rounded rubber? Next - Kyser