Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Elliott Capo... Is It "Worth It"?

#1

After taking the “BlueChip plunge” and buying several high end picks, I have been thoroughly satisfied with my purchase and happy that I did it. There was a time when I thought spending $35 on a set of banjo fingerpicks was crazy, but now I can’t think of going back to my old, bent Dunlops without cringing at how bad those picks were.

The question is, am I going to feel the same way about my Paige capo if I take the even greater “Elliott plunge”? The immediate answer my brain gives me is “Of course! Buy one!", but of course, is a high end capo going to be as utilitarian/practical as a high end flatpick or banjo pick? Maybe not.

So, for all you Elliott capo owners out there, do you feel that your purchase was worth it? Do you like/use your lower end capos as much as you do your high end one? I am of course quite hesitant to spend the money on an Elliot, but I can tell my Paige is just not built with as high quality materials an Elliott would be.

P.S.[I’m so sorry to say that I’m going to miss you guys at this year’s camp!! We had to cancel last minute. :slightly_frowning_face:](Next year!)

Edit: Situation changed! We’re going to be there!! :+1::+1::sunglasses:

-Michael

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#2

I was going to buy one at camp last year but Jake talked me in to this one.

I have to say I love it. When you get the pressure dialed in right, you don’t have to retune your banjo after clamping the capo on. That was always my biggest complaint with using a capo in my banjo.

Sorry to hear you’re not making it to camp. That’s a real bummer.

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#3

I own an Elliott capo and really love it. It is a functional work of art. With that said, though, I’ve asked Adam to bring a fine tune capo to compare. So I guess I’ll let you know after camp if I still think the Elliott is worth the money.

So sorry you had to cancel on the camp, by the way. Hope to meet you in the future.

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#4

IN short: If it is to you then it is to you.

for what it’s worth: mine (guitar) is to me…I like it best (for me) of what’s on the market…but that’s my experience & opinion…

,

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#5

Thanks for the advice… edit at the bottom of the original post! :slightly_smiling_face:

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#6

I think Fiddlewood nailed it! It just depends on what you want and how much you’re willing to spend.

I’ve had two Elliott capos and as far as craftsmanship, I don’t think there’s anything better. It’s nice to see something made of high quality these days when most things you buy is pure junk! So, if you’re the type that appreciates fine tools made with good craftsmanship, then it may be worth it to you.

On the other hand, if you just want something that simply pushes down on your strings and you can still adjust, buy a simple Paige capo for around 20.00. It will do the job just as well as an Elliott or anything else you will find. And, it will store on your headstock just like an Elliott.

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#7

Thanks, @jw11. I do have two Paige capos and like them- best budget capo in my opinion. I did actually replace the tubing with tubing from Elliott, since the cheap tubing that came on the Paige wore and ripped pretty quickly.

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#8

Ben has a video of Jake polishing up a Paige capo and replacing the tubing to make it look much more expensive. It’s on Youtube and titled “How To Make a Paige Capo Look High End”… Looks like it turned out real nice!

I’d give you the link, but can’t remember how to do that.

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#9

Awesome! Looking forward to it!

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#10

@jw11 Yep, that’s the tutorial I followed. They turned out pretty well; they do rust quite a bit on the areas where you sand the black paint off.

I called the General Store today and asked Justin if they could bring an Elite banjo capo that I could purchase at camp. I think I’m gonna take the plunge on the banjo capo and keep the polished Paige on my guitar for the time being. If I like the capo as much as I like my BlueChips, I think I’ll be pretty happy with my purchase. After all, If I spent 10-12x the amount of a normal pick for a BlueChip “lifetime pick” and it was totally worth it, I think spending 8-10x the price of a normal capo for a well made capo that’ll be a “lifer” will be worth it as well.

@Mark_Rocka Looking forward to camp so much too! See you there, Lord willing!

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#11

Go for it! Nothing wrong with buying high quality tools and equipment! In my line of work, I use Snap-On, Mac and Cornwell tools. (Cornwell are my favorite and they’re made here in Ohio).

If you have a passion for something, whether it’s work, hobby or whatever, I think it’s perfectly fine to buy high dollar, quality tools and toys… As long as it’s within our means and we don’t cause ourselves and our families any hardships!

Back to the capo, I’ve had a few different capos and the Elliotts are like a fine piece of jewelry whereas a Paige, Shubb or Kyser aren’t the same quality but do the job just as well.

The Elliotts (the family that is) are some super nice folks by the way!

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#12

I do like supporting smaller businesses. I’ve met Alan Goins from the BlueChip company and he is a super nice guy as well. Same thing with Ronnie Harrison from Harrison straps.

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#13

I switched to Elliot on banjo about a year and a half ago and just recently got one for my guitar. They’re a huge upgrade from the cheaper Paige ones and much more consistent across the strings. Pretty much like the Bluechip nobody wants to spend the money for the upgrade but in the same way it’s well worth it.

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#14

Thanks! I bought an Elite banjo capo at camp yesterday. I ended up getting the wider one for capoing at the 5th fret. Slightly less sleek than the smaller 4th fret ones, but this way I won’t have to pull a Shubb out of the flange for songs capoed at the 5th. (I’ve actually seen people use a normal Elliott for songs capoed 1-4, then pull a wide Elliott out of their pocket for songs at the 5th! Maybe there’s something to that…) It definitely produces much clearer tone than the Shubb; less noticeable of a difference between the Paige and the Elliot, probably because I upgraded my Paige with Elliott tubing. I think the tubing that the Elliott uses contributes somewhat to the clearer tone. It definitely operates much more smoothly than any other capo I’ve used. Overall, what Justin said rings true: “Paige gets the job done, but Elliott does it in style!” I can tell that I’m going to want to find any excuse to play songs with a capo now!

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