Shubb
Private Company | |
| Industry | Music instrument manufacture |
|---|---|
| Founded | California, United States (1974) |
| Headquarters | Valley Ford, California, United States |
Key people | Rick Shubb (co-founder), Dave Coontz (co-founder) |
| Products | Original 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 |
| Revenue | unknown |
Number of employees | Approximately 28 |
| Website | http://www.shubb.com |
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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:
- Brian Setzer[19]
- Keith Richards[20]
- Pete Seeger[21]
- Jerry Garcia[22]
- Bruce Springsteen[4]
- Doc Watson[23]
See also
References
- ^ "Rick Shubb". NAMM Oral History Interviews. June 20, 2010. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b c d "Shubb Guitar Capo - Guitar Capos". www.theguitarcapo.com. Retrieved 2015-08-20.
- ^ CNNMoney. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
- ^ "A brief history of Shubb Capos". Shubb Capos. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
- ^ "How to use a Shubb style Capo - Guitar Gear". Retrieved 2015-08-21.
- ^ "US Patent # 4,250,790. Capo - Patents.com". www.patents.com. Retrieved 2015-08-20.
- ^ "US Patent # 5,792,969. Capo - Patents.com". www.patents.com. Retrieved 2015-08-20.
- ISBN 9781904411154.
- ISBN 9781904411154.
- ^ "Shubb L9 Lite Uke Capo". Ukulele Underground. February 28, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
- ^ Waterman, Doug (December 18, 2009). "#6: Shubb Capo. SHUBB Deluxe S1 Capo for Steel String Guitar". American Songwriter. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
- ^ Legg, Adrian (February 2009). "Capo-tastic! Playing Techniques". Performing Musician + Live Sound World. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
- ISBN 9781610651400.
- ^ Business 2.0. Imagine Media. 2007-01-01. p. 8.
- ^ Phillips, T.S. "Shubb Partial Capo". TSP Guitar, Accessories, Reviews. Retrieved 2015-08-20.[permanent dead link]
- ISBN 9780757936838.
- ^ Reid, Harvey. A Careful Comparison of Shubb, Kyser Esus (3-string) Partial Capos. Harvey Reid's PartialCapo.com. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
- ^ News and links Archived 2015-08-10 at the Wayback Machine, Brian Setzer.com
- ISBN 978-0-313-35806-7.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Wissmuller, Christian. "At 40 Years, Shubb Capos Keeps Firm Grip on the Market". MMR magazine. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
- ISBN 978-1-61911-433-3.
External links
- A Careful Comparison of Shubb, Kyser Esus (3-string) Partial Capos, by Harvey Reid
- Intonation, A capo's greatest challenge, Shubb Official Website
- Official Shubb Website
- Rick Shubb Interview at NAMM Oral History Library (2010)
- Dave Coontz Interview at NAMM Oral History Library (2014)