Paige capo6/12/2023 ![]() We had noticed people advertising a willingness to pay up to $75 for old McKinney capos in the late ’80s, and decided to try it ourselves. We decided to try making a capo in the shop since we were both guitar players. Dad played bluegrass guitar like Lester Flatt did, with a thumbpick. “I’m a tool and die maker, and me and my dad had a small shop that built parts and fixtures for the automotive industry. Most consumers think of Paige as a budget capo outfit, as most of the items in their catalog for guitar, banjo, and ukulele are in the $15-$40 range, a price accessible for students, amateurs, and professional players looking for functionality at a decent price.īut Bryan said that it didn’t start out that way. Now they are preparing to introduce a new model, the Paige Pro, with a number of innovative design elements that they expect will revolutionize the way we look at fine capos going forward.īryan Paige and his wife, Lisa, run the company now, which Bryan and his dad started from their own tool and die shop all those years ago. In the meantime, the Paige Clik ETI family of capos, handmade in Michigan, offers a great alternative in today’s market.Paige Capos have been made by the Paige family in Michigan for 33 years, providing quality, cost-effective, American-made capos to the fretted stringed instrument world since 1988. BU will report back when we have the chance to try one. We suspect the new Paige Pro, which we hope to review soon, resolves the issues mentioned here, and provides a worthy competitor to the best instrument capos on the planet. But I have thick, blunt fingertips and short nails, so I expect other players will have little difficulty.įor more than 30 years, Paige has given serious bluegrass players a product that is well-designed and made, that’s attractive in an understated almost steampunk aesthetic, and works simply and reliably at an affordable price for many. ![]() One issue for me personally was I had a bit of difficulty getting the J-shaped clasp to release from the locking tab. ![]() In use, I found that the hard plastic, rubber-backed Paige ETI outserts to be on the brighter end of the sonic spectrum. Instead, Paige brings a kind of classic pickup truck aesthetic that would look right at home on any vintage guitar or banjo. It’s definitely not brightly polished stainless steel or color anodized capo-bling. Visually, the Paige has its own unique appeal. But that issue should smooth out after it wears in. The screw threads on the test unit are slightly rougher compared to the higher-end competition. Available in a variety of standard widths, the Paige capo ships with a 16” radius bar that should fit most modern and vintage bluegrass guitar fingerboards.įor $90, the Paige Clik ETI capo looks industrial and rugged compared to high-end capos like the Elliott, as well as its own newly launched Paige Pro capo. Located at the junction of the yoke and tightening screw, the Clik button releases the tension on the capo so it can be moved easily without fully unscrewing it and releasing the clasp. In use, I found that the ETI system worked just as promised, delivering a clear tone without over-tightening or going audibly sharp.Īnother valuable innovation is the Clik’s quick-release button. The bar system consists of specialized outserts made of a nut-like material individually molded for each string. Each outsert has a (concave) radius to ensure that the string always positions in the center even after string bending. Underneath the individual pieces lies a rubber cushion that allows for even pressure and adapts to the radius of the fretboard.” An added bonus is the outserts are fully replaceable. In essence the bar acts like a nut requiring little tightening. This greatly reduces the need for retuning when you move the capo. The company’s web copy claims, “the Paige Clik ETI features a patented bar system. Consisting of individual, pre-formed radiused pads that cradle each string individually behind the fret when tightened, these plastic and rubber radiused “outserts” offer several advantages. The Clik ETI guitar capo Paige sent Bluegrass Unlimited for review is one of their most popular models, upgraded to include a true innovation in capo design the company calls ETI (Enhanced Tone Innovation). Today, you can buy a Paige capo for banjo, mandolin, electric guitar, classical and 12-string guitars, and more. Paige’s affordable, practical design caught on, and soon, his Michigan-based company found international success with its understated but innovative design. So he used his machining skills to design and make his own. In 1988, a tool and dye maker named Bryan Paige couldn’t find a capo that kept his guitar in tune.
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