Show your Extensions!

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Robert Anzellotti

Slideshow:
http://s389.photobucket.com/albums/o...view=slideshow

I still haven't mounted it. Also need to smooth out the varnish a bit. This is the only one I've made from scratch. I ended up with just enough room to bring the string back over the scroll and over a second smaller pulley which sends the string down to the "A" tuner.

Ken, you make a valid point about the sharp ends of the fingers, but the example you saw was very early work. For many years now I have a greatly improved leather wrap, including a larger radius at the end. If this is still not enough, I can on special request wrap a thicker band of leather and make an even softer edge, but everyone out there who uses them seems perfectly happy the way they are. There is an aesthetic thing here too. Some people prefer so see less bulk on their scroll!

Rob, I am all for innovation but for ease of quick flipping them from the edge with a back hand motion, the outer edge of your capos are still at a 90 degree angle and not rounded on the front edge, just around. That is the area I am referring to. Look at the ebony fingers on these examples and see what I mean about rounded. Not the top, but the outer edges.



Here you can see varying degrees of rounding regardless of the mounting method, size or shape of the fingers. If your Capos could be smooth on the edges like these, it would make a world of difference.

The other argument is the tension. You said one full turn was 1/24". Is that correct? If the threads were finer it would adjust that much finer? Correct? Well, if I go from a .105" diameter E-string to a .108" diam. string, I can turn my top screw just a fraction, not a full turn, so it feels the same. With a 1:24 ratio, it would not be possible to adjust .001-.003" as yours have a fixed amount per turn. If I go from .102" to .108" it falls in the middle again. One turn too little and 2 turns too much. I adjust my 'fingers' as the weather changes and the string slightly grooves itself into the finger pads or when I change strings to a different gauge. I think .004166" (1/24th") is a bit hit and miss to get the tension just right if you are finicky about it.

Your newest extension does look nice however.

[Robert Anzellotti]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Rob, I am all for innovation but for ease of quick flipping them from the edge with a back hand motion, the outer edge of your capos are still at a 90 degree angle and not rounded on the front edge, just around. That is the area I am referring to. Look at the ebony fingers on these examples and see what I mean about rounded. Not the top, but the outer edges.

Photos deleted for brevity

Here you can see varying degrees of rounding regardless of the mounting method, size or shape of the fingers. If your Capos could be smooth on the edges like these, it would make a world of difference.

The other argument is the tension. You said one full turn was 1/24". Is that correct? If the threads were finer it would adjust that much finer? Correct? Well, if I go from a .105" diameter E-string to a .108" diam. string, I can turn my top screw just a fraction, not a full turn, so it feels the same. With a 1:24 ratio, it would not be possible to adjust .001-.003" as yours have a fixed amount per turn. If I go from .102" to .108" it falls in the middle again. One turn too little and 2 turns too much. I adjust my 'fingers' as the weather changes and the string slightly grooves itself into the finger pads or when I change strings to a different gauge. I think .004166" (1/24th") is a bit hit and miss to get the tension just right if you are finicky about it.

Your newest extension does look nice however.

Ken, as I said, I could always make a thicker leather wrap and do more roundover. There have been no no requests for this.

Let us separate tension and height. On my latches, tension (rotational resistance) is "set at the factory" if you will, and is unrelated to intonation. Only finger height and to a degree angle of incidence affect where the finger stops on the string.

As for adjustment, the slots in the mounting brackets allow for a lot of movement, so the Capos are plenty adjustable beyond # of screw turns. This is not the case with the E-Stop I concede, but there are ways to deal with this, and all my installers seem to make it work without incident.

As for later intonation adjustments, it doesn't seem to be necessary except when changing string gauge. A dimple presses into the leather during the first days, but the leather doesn't wear or further compress after that. Perhaps it varies from bass to bass, but on my main axe I've had Capos installed for fifteen years, and I've only ever adjusted them when changing string gauge.

My closure system is a significant departure from standard designs, but that doesn't mean it doesn't work