In the event you’ve ever purchased an acoustic guitar from a brick-and-mortar retailer, there’s a excessive probability you’ve already encountered a Kyser capo in a single type or one other. Kyser affords a plethora of choices to select from, and every capo – whereas basically comparable – performs completely different duties to an exemplary customary. We’ve bought a myriad of Kyser merchandise to speak about on this assessment, together with full-sized capos, partial-sized capos, and even an acoustic humidifier and a guitar cleansing equipment. Let’s dive proper in!
The Kyser Fast-Change acoustic capo is the place all of it started. The assessment unit despatched to us was completed in a wide ranging ‘rosewood’ color scheme, consisting of black tiger stripes overlaid on high of a darkish crimson wooden grain sample. Aesthetically, this capo is a winner. It pairs properly with nearly each guitar color and end conceivable. Most distinctive of all is its high arm, which is stylishly furled upwards right into a slight spiral, mirroring the snazzy, cursive ‘Ok’ within the Kyser model brand.
The Fast-Change acoustic capo is constructed from light-weight aluminium, that includes a single-handed motion certain by a high-tension coil. A thick sheet of rubber coats the highest jaw of the capo, whereas a block of clear white rubber rests on the backside. It’s barely regrettable – a black rubber block would have suited the general color scheme a lot better. Minor gripes apart, the capo capabilities because it ought to. Clamping, releasing and shifting the machine is so simple as it may very well be. The stress utilized to the fretboard was evenly dispersed and by no means made me fear about whether or not my frets had been underneath pointless duress. Efficiency was glorious throughout the complete fingerboard. There have been no lifeless spots, buzzing or rattling to talk of.
Following the acoustic capo is the Fast-Change electrical variant. Like all Kyser capos, this one is solid from sturdy aluminium then hand-drilled and assembled in Texas, USA. By way of form and appears, the electrical capo is equivalent to its acoustic peer. Once more – robust rubber coating beneath the highest arm, and a clear rubber block on the decrease. In keeping with Kyser, the principle distinction between the 2 is its smaller physique, smaller radius, and a decrease spring pressure. That is particularly tailor-made in the direction of classic guitars with a 7.25” fretboard radius, in addition to the extra generally discovered 9.5” radius discovered throughout most traditional electrical guitars as of late.
The remaining three capos are functionally distinctive. Nonetheless, the Professional/AM capo is by far the smallest and most bare-bones out of all of them. It’s constructed from uncooked, unfinished aluminium and options two thick wads of rubber on the ends of every arm. Clamping is carried out through a manually adjustable pressure screw. Whereas barely tedious, exact changes might be achieved for extra fragile devices. Nonetheless, you possibly can neglect about leaving this capo in your guitar’s headstock. Unscrewing the stress screw to take away it every time is approach an excessive amount of of a trouble. Resulting from its laborious nature, this capo could be greatest suited as a secondary or backup capo.
Let’s discuss in regards to the remaining two capos directly: the Kyser Fast-Change for drop-D tunings, and the Kyser Quick-Reduce. Each capos are constructed for alternate tunings – clearly drop-D for the previous, and any wild tunings for the latter. Structurally, the drop-D Fast-Change capo is a mirror picture of the Kyser Fast-Change for electrical guitars. Nonetheless, it particularly covers solely 5 of the six strings in your guitar, permitting for some fascinating chords to be performed. Whereas plainly selling using drop-D tuning, Kyser additionally recommends experimenting with BGDGBD with the capo on the fourth fret, or CADGBD on the third fret. This spirit of experimentation is additional compounded within the Quick-Reduce. As an alternative of 5 strings, this capo solely bars a mere three (the A, D, and G strings), and is certainly greatest suited to the extra experimental gamers on the market. Different, progressive and math rockers, this one is certainly for you.
The penultimate merchandise within the Kyser care package deal is the trio of cleansing/conditioning merchandise. The instrument polish, lemon oil fretboard conditioner, and the string cleaner. Every is available in an lovable spray bottle, plastered with its personal vibrant and trendy font. I put these to work on a barely dried out Epiphone ES-339, and it didn’t take lengthy for the guitar to shine as soon as once more. The lemon oil conditioner labored wonders on the 339’s darkish Pau Ferro board, hydrating it with out a hint of stickiness. The identical results had been skilled with the instrument polish, which eliminated slight marks and fingerprints with aplomb. The string cleaner was my private favorite of the three; it really works by moving into the microgrooves between every string’s metallic winds, and types a barrier to guard towards corrosion, sweat and particles. Whereas it actually made the strings really feel slick, they weren’t slippery within the slightest.
The ultimate merchandise is the Lifeguard Humidifier, an unsung hero in safeguarding your acoustic guitar towards the weather. Proudly owning a guitar can typically be a big funding, and thus guaranteeing its longevity ought to be your utmost precedence. In case your guitar sometimes travels with you abroad or when you dwell in a dry, arid local weather, a humidifier is totally essential to protect the wooden of your guitar.
With such an all-encompassing line of guitar equipment, Kyser is a veritable one-stop store for all guitar-related paraphernalia. Contemplating the wonderful high quality of their longevity merchandise and their lifetime assure on all their capos, you might be assured {that a} Kyser product won’t ever allow you to down.
