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G7th Performance 3 Art Capo Review
The G7th Performance 3 capo is generating quite a buzz in the guitar world, aiming to revolutionize the capo experience. Unlike its competitors, such as the Kyser and the Dunlop Trigger, the Performance 3 is packed with some unique and new features that are bound to catch the eye of guitar enthusiasts far and wide.
So, let’s delve into the intricacies of the Performance 3 capo and explore what sets it apart from the competition and whether those features are a gimmick or something worth the extra money.
The Unboxing
The G7th Performance 3 capo comes in transparent plastic packaging, which fortunately is not one of those that require a knife or a sharp object to open.
So it’s very easy to open, and the capo comes with a couple of pamphlets with it, both promoting “Hope for Justice,” which is a global non-profit organization fighting human trafficking and helping victims and survivors of modern slavery around the world.
The capo itself is tiny, or at least that’s how I felt when I first saw it. But this is probably because I watched a ton of videos and photos of it on my computer screen, where it obviously seemed a lot bigger.
The size is also a limiting factor in terms of what kind of neck it will clamp to. Based on my measurements, the upper padding is exactly 55 mms (or 2.16 inches) wide, so take this into account, and be sure to measure the neck on your guitar before you buy this.
If you need a wider capo, you can opt for Performance 2 from G7th, which is a bit older and a larger model. This means that if you mostly play classical guitar, this capo is not for you.
The Capo and Its Clamping Mechanism
The capo itself does feel like a lot of thought has gone into designing this thing, and the overall feeling is that you’re holding a premium product. It’s definitely one of the more unique-looking capos out there, which is one of the factors that got me to try this capo in the first place.
I like the overall look – it does not look like any other capo on the market. I also love the way the bottom padding is shaped, which was done for a reason, as will be explained later.
The other factor that got me interested in this capo was the clamping mechanism.
Now, I’ve used probably tens of different models of capos over the years, and they all pretty much work identically. An average capo, if you think about it, is just a clamp – be it spring-loaded or with a screw.
So the G7th Performance 3 capo does seem high-tech compared to that, but that question arises – should a guitar capo even be more high-tech? Is there any need for innovation here?
For example, I have a friend who is a woodworker, and I’ve heard him say many times how much he likes his simple old F-clamps and how everything made nowadays is inferior to those. Some of that way of thinking is old-school, but I think some of it also holds some truth and translates over with the problem with guitar capos.
A guitar capo is, as I already noted, in its essence, just a clamp. Its purpose is to clamp the strings to the neck, and if it does that, there are very few things left to optimize. You can work out how to do it faster, you can work out how to make it look nice, maybe how to account for the different neck radii, and what else? And even if there is something left, it becomes extremely niche.
And G7th promises exactly that. Innovation – the next big step up when it comes to guitar capos.
Clamping Mechanism
Coming from a Kyser capo, I had some issues just getting used to how to operate the G7th performance capo.
Almost all of this comes down to muscle memory because, with Kyser, which is my go-to capo, you have to press down to release the clamp, while with the Performance 3, you have to do exactly the opposite, which is a lot less taxing to the fingers and the hand.
I’ve got to give props to G7th for this because this makes this capo a way better option for younger guitar players or for those who find clamp capos hard to squeeze.
Another thing that requires getting used to is the fact that you can’t feel the tension on Performance 3 – at least not in the same way you feel with other capos.
It’s hard to explain this in words, but if you, for example, placed a Kyser capo, or any spring-loaded capo, on your hand, you would feel it pressing down on it, and the pressure would feel constant.
However, the G7th Performance Capo doesn’t have that spring tension. You clamp it onto something, and it sort of just locks up in that position.
Instead, all the pressure that there is is due to the thick rubber padding on the bottom, which becomes compressed when you press against it.
This means that in order to safely secure the capo on the neck, you have to press it together yourself, and the capo remains in that position. Obviously, the stronger you press it, the more compressed the rubber padding gets, and the more it presses down on the strings.
This gives you some measure of tension adjustability in order to deal with the strings going out of tune.
I see so many capo manufacturers trying to push this as a “must-have” feature, but let’s be real, our guitars go in and out of tune every time we press our fingers against a string. Every time you hold a chord, at least one of the strings gets slightly bent out of tune. It just happens; it’s part of playing the guitar.
So, in my opinion, this is not something you should worry about, whether a capo has one or not.
But overall, this is a very different way to approach a capo, and honestly, I’m all for it. I still prefer spring-loaded capos, but there was definitely a need for a capo like the Performance 3, which is way less taxing on hands.
Adjustable Radius
One additional feature worth mentioning on the Performance 3 capo is what G7th calls Adaptive Radius Technology (or ART for short). When you word it like that, it sounds like something super advanced, but in reality, it’s relatively simple – at least in terms of what it does.
The upper padding on the capo – the part that sits on the strings – sort of bends to the shape of the fretboard. And I have to say, it does this pretty well, and it’s not some sort of a gimmick.
I couldn’t get myself to take apart my capo to see how it works (it’s not that cheap, and I do like it and want to keep it), but there is a very nice diagram on the G7th website explaining how this works.
I have to say though, personally, I never thought to myself at any point of using my Dunlop capo or my Kyser capo that this is something that a capo should have. I guess it could be that my guitars have relatively flat fretboards, so perhaps other people will find this feature life-changing.
And although it’s nice for the capo to adjust to the fretboard shape, I just didn’t notice any significant difference in tone or stability. However, your experience may differ based on the guitars you play.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, I’d say G7th Performance 3 is a nice addition to the pretty stagnant field of guitar capos. It does not represent the “iPhone” level of innovation, but it offers some nice features that other popular capos on the market don’t have, like the easier clamping method and the adjustable fretboard padding.
Also, all of those features are packed in a very well-made product, which almost, but not entirely, makes you feel less stupid for spending so much money on a guitar capo. The fact that this capo costs almost ten times more than another perfectly functional capo on Amazon will probably be my biggest obstacle in recommending it to other people.
I will, however, most definitely keep my Performance 3 capo, and I will most likely use it as a dedicated capo for my electric guitar – because of the ART feature and because of its relatively small and unobtrusive size.
For my acoustic, I still prefer my good old Kyser, and for my classical, I actually prefer a cheap Dunlop Trigger capo – which fits it way better than both of those capos.
Verdict
Negative things
- Expensive
- One size does not fit all
- Requires some getting used to
- Feels less secure than a spring-loaded capo.
Positive things
- Using it is much easier on the hands.
- It adjusts to the shape of the fretboard.
- (Somewhat) adjustable tension on the neck.
- Premium build quality.
If you want to buy a G7th Performance 3 capo, you can get it on Amazon here, or you can get it from the official G7th website here.
