What's the highest you've been?

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

...with a capo

A question for anyone who uses a capo with a guitar - what is the highest fret you've been able to use a capo without it sounding terrible?

The reason I'm asking is that I'm building a WordPress plugin to display song lyrics with chord diagrams - like exhibit 'A' in the wonderful sketch below.

I am building in options to show chords for guitar, ukulele or my current favourite, chicago tuned tenor guitar, to transpose the song, optionally show chords for southpaws, and also apply a capo (which is different to transposing as the chord name will change without the diagram changing when you add in the capo).

The transpose range will be from minus eleven to plus eleven semitones and I am considering to also allow for using a capo up to the seventh fret but I'm not sure whether this is enough - should it go higher? If so how far?

My Ozark tenor guitar has the neck join the body at the twelth fret and my (banjo) capo can be fitted as far as the ninth fret but the neck heel is in the way up there making chords difficult in that position.

 

[Dad3353]

Late '60s I attended a buddy's wedding reception where green cakes were served. I don't remember anything about capos, though. Happy daze. 

[Mykesbass]

Not sure how high, but NEVER been this low...

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

26 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

Late '60s I attended a buddy's wedding reception where green cakes were served. I don't remember anything about capos, though. Happy daze. 

You're not supposed to eat the urinal cakes Douglas - despite the name they're not actually cakes 😉

[Nicko]

I cant see why you wouldn't go to 11th fret so you get a full octave (on guitar at least) whether its practical to play with a  capo that far up or not.  

[skankdelvar]

For practical purposes I've seldom capo'd higher than the 7th fret (though one can, obvs) and it's almost always involved a bit of re-tuning or string tugging.

That's the thing with capos. You can't just stick them on anywhere and assume everything will be in tune 

[Dad3353]

19 minutes ago, Nicko said:

I cant see why you wouldn't go to 11th fret so you get a full octave (on guitar at least) whether its practical to play with a  capo that far up or not.  

The width of some capos would preclude this on many guitars; probably less of an issue with a 34" bass neck.

[Raymondo]

Approx 2000 metres... Part way up Mount Teide for a BBQ one Christmas day.

 

I am afraid I can't be of any practical help as  I am useless on guitar.

Some would say not much better on Bass but that would be hurtful😪

Your project fascinates me. 

I just cannot comprehend being able to think that way...hats off to you ! 

Edited June 23, 2020 by Raymondo

[skankdelvar]

20 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

The width of some capos would preclude this on many guitars; probably less of an issue with a 34" bass neck.

Just checked and my standard Shubb is just about good up to the 12th fret on a Strat (nearest to hand).

The problem is fretboard radius - at 7.5 inches the strings 'splay' as the capo clamps onto the board and you have to jimmy them around by hand to get them straight again. A flatter board would be less of a problem. Then there's the issue of 12th fret intonation which necessitates re-tuning. 

So it can be done but it's a bugger. If one wants to play that high, buy a mandolin.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Thanks for all the replies - to make it as flexible as possible and as an accidental tribute to Spinal Tap I will make it go to eleven. its unlikely to be used much at the higher numbers, but there's always that one person who will need it.

[paul_5]

I’ve been so high I was hallucinating whilst listening to a Joe Satriani track - I focussed on the reverb and saw the band playing inside of an empty swimming pool. 
 

wow man.

[Guest]

5th fret for me, usually when doing Jet Harris basslines, many of which he actually payed on a detuned guitar.

[Nicko]

20 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

The width of some capos would preclude this on many guitars; probably less of an issue with a 34" bass neck.

I don't like fat necks, or wide necks - guitars should have 6 strings and basses should have 4.  I haven't really struggled to get a capo to fit, but even so I wasn't suggesting that playing with a capo that high would be a good idea.  Personally I find tuning issues above about the 7th fret.

[Dad3353]

37 minutes ago, Nicko said:

I don't like fat necks...

By 'width', I meant the width between the frets; some capos would be too wide to fit between the frets above the octave, maybe earlier, just by the fret spacing reducing as one goes up the neck. 

Of course, I do realise that many bass players are unaware of this, having never dared to go past the fifth fret. 

...

[Beedster]

I’ve used capos very high up on a 12 -string with the aim of a mandolin tone, forget how high I went but certainly to the pointy hat it was VERY hard to position my fingers. Sounded nothing like a mandolin solo’d, but sat in the mix well. Tuning the bloody thing took hours however

[Nail Soup]

I don’t often use a capo, but I probably would go up to 7. After that may struggle with fingering etc.