At Last

Somebody (A company called Kyser) has finally made a capo that actually works on the wide curved neck of my old 12 string guitar that doesnt look like the front bumper of a '57 Chevy. We were on our way home from minding the Grandkids yesterday, when on impulse, (sort of) I/We stopped in to a little music shop in Manukau. I happen to like this little shop. Its run by a guy nearly my age with shoulder lentgh hair who is as passionate about old Eko 12 strings as I am. He is that passionate about his that he tracked his old one down & repurchased it.

I still have mine. I bought it in 1968 & one of the few sensible things I have done with my life, (Other than marry Herself), has been to retain possession of it over the years. Yeah sure, its had the odd repair or two & had the tuning keys replaced, but I still enjoy playing it, & am nicely along the way to my new years resolution of being in form enough to attend an accoustic jam session at one of our local bars by the first Sunday in February.

Anyway, I digress. This capo is specifically made for a 12 string with a curved neck. Usually, if you use a capo on a 12, you have your choice of string buzz on either the top or the bottom E string. (Mine anyway) Although this capo looks insubstantial & I must admit to wondering at first if I had wasted my money, it works beautifully. It is one handed in operation , which is a refreshing first for me, & pulls the strings down with a crystal clarity that is a pleasure to listen to.

For those of you that are wondering "Why ??", a capo allows you to play in awkward keys without having to pull down bar chords, never a really easy task with a 12 string, & also allows you to use alternate keys for a slightly different sound & to give you the ability for left hand finger work that isnt an option in some keys. All in all, a good purchase.

Well thats the holidays ended for me. Back to work tomorrow. Damn, but I could get used to this life of the idle rich....