Shubb
Company typePrivate Company
IndustryMusic instrument manufacture
FoundedCalifornia, United States (1974)
HeadquartersValley Ford, California, United States
Key people
Rick Shubb (co-founder), Dave Coontz (co-founder)
ProductsOriginal Shubb Capo
Shubb Capo Noir
Shubb Deluxe Capo
Partial Capos
Fifth String Capo for Banjo
Capo for Dobro
GS Steel
Shubb-Pearse Steels
Robert Randolph Steels
Axys Reversible Guitar Slide
Talon Guitar Stand
String Winder
Transposing and Capo Placement Guide
Logo Clothing
Music Software
Revenueunknown
Number of employees
Approximately 28
Websitehttp://www.shubb.com
One of the 'original'-style Shubb capos

Shubb is a company that specialises in producing capos for all kinds of stringed instruments. The company was formed in 1974 by banjoists Rick Shubb and Dave Coontz.[1] Shubb capos remain a top-selling capo forty years after their invention.[2] Shubb wanted to create a capo that would not make his instrument go out of tune, which has resulted in ongoing efforts to refine his invention.[3][4] Since 2016 at least 80% of Shubb's Capos are manufactured in China.[5]

Capo design

The Shubb Capo utilises an over-centre locking action, which is lever operated.[6][7][8] The design includes a screw for adjusting the clamp's tightness, and has been described as "a turning point in modern capo design."[9]

Shubb capos are available in variety of models to fit different types of guitars, banjos, dobros, and ukuleles.[10][11] For example, there are Shubb Capos for Steel String Guitar which fit most acoustic and electric guitars; the Shubb Capos for Nylon String Guitar are designed for guitars with wide flat fretboards, etc. Furthermore, each model is available in different styles, namely Original (nickel-plated or plain, unplated brass), Capo Noir (black chrome) and Deluxe (stainless steel with improved roller design on the lever).[3][12]

The Shubb capo was introduced at the 1980 NAMM Show, and became a favorite on the Usenet acoustic guitar newsgroup.[13]

An advantage with using this type of capo is that it does not change the intonation in a way that makes the instrument difficult to tune, as it "mimics the grip of a human hand."[3][4] A disadvantage is that the rubber sleeve may wear, and may need to be replaced.[3]

The Shubb partial capos can be useful for playing fingerstyle guitar[14][15] and for playing in alternate tunings.[16][17][18]

The Shubb capo was featured in the 2007 Acoustic Guitar magazine's Player's Choice awards.[4]

Notable Shubb capo users

Notable users of the Shub capo include:

See also

References

  1. ^ "Rick Shubb". NAMM Oral History Interviews. June 20, 2010. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  2. ^ "Shubb Capo Celebrates 40th Year: Patented Design Remains a Top Seller after Four Decades". Music Trades. February 1, 2014. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
  3. ^ a b c d "Shubb Guitar Capo - Guitar Capos". www.theguitarcapo.com. Retrieved 2015-08-20.
  4. ^ a b c d "How Rick Shubb created the perfect capo for guitars - February 1, 2007". CNNMoney. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
  5. ^ "A brief history of Shubb Capos". Shubb Capos. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  6. ^ "How to use a Shubb style Capo - Guitar Gear". Retrieved 2015-08-21.
  7. ^ "US Patent # 4,250,790. Capo - Patents.com". www.patents.com. Retrieved 2015-08-20.
  8. ^ "US Patent # 5,792,969. Capo - Patents.com". www.patents.com. Retrieved 2015-08-20.
  9. ^ Rooksby, Rikky (2003-07-01). The Guitarist's Guide to the Capo. Artemis Music Ltd. p. 11. ISBN 9781904411154.
  10. ^ Rooksby, Rikky (2003-07-01). The Guitarist's Guide to the Capo. Artemis Music Ltd. pp. 14–17. ISBN 9781904411154.
  11. ^ "Shubb L9 Lite Uke Capo". Ukulele Underground. February 28, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  12. ^ Waterman, Doug (December 18, 2009). "#6: Shubb Capo. SHUBB Deluxe S1 Capo for Steel String Guitar". American Songwriter. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  13. ^ Legg, Adrian (February 2009). "Capo-tastic! Playing Techniques". Performing Musician + Live Sound World. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  14. ^ Bennett, Stephen (2011-02-11). The Stephen Bennett Fingerstyle Collection. Mel Bay Publications. p. 6. ISBN 9781610651400.
  15. ^ Business 2.0. Imagine Media. 2007-01-01. p. 8.
  16. ^ Phillips, T.S. "Shubb Partial Capo". TSP Guitar, Accessories, Reviews. Retrieved 2015-08-20.[permanent dead link]
  17. ^ Proctor, Chris (2005-02-01). Chris Proctor Guitar Collection. Alfred Music Publishing. p. 9. ISBN 9780757936838.
  18. ^ Reid, Harvey. A Careful Comparison of Shubb, Kyser Esus (3-string) Partial Capos. Harvey Reid's PartialCapo.com. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
  19. ^ News and links Archived 2015-08-10 at the Wayback Machine, Brian Setzer.com
  20. ^ Gulla, Bob (2009-01-01). Guitar Gods: The 25 Players who Made Rock History. ABC-CLIO. p. 178. ISBN 978-0-313-35806-7.
  21. ^ Eck, Michael (Fall 2009). "To Great Lengths: The far reach of Pete Seeger and his longneck five-string banjo". The Fretboard Journal (15). Archived from the original on August 19, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  22. ^ Wissmuller, Christian. "At 40 Years, Shubb Capos Keeps Firm Grip on the Market". MMR magazine. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
  23. ^ Carr, Joe (2013-11-11). Play Like a Legend: Doc Watson. Mel Bay Publications. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-61911-433-3.

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