7.25 inch radius
Fits certain vintage electrics, notably some Teles and Strats,
but most electric guitars do NOT have this extreme radius, and should use our model 1.
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fretboard radius is the whole story on this model!
There seems to be a persistent myth that all electric guitars have a more extreme radius to the
fretboard than acoustic guitars. In fact, only a very few do. Most electric guitars have the same
radius as acoustic steel string guitars.
The model 4 was created specifically for some older editions of Fender Telecaster and Stratocaster,
and copies of these guitars, that have a more radical curve to the fretboard. Most electric guitars
do not have this radical curve, and should use our model 1.
more about this...
The curves on our model 4 capos and our model 1 capos are actually pretty similar. If you happen
to get the wrong one, you might find that it works OK anyway, depending on string gauge and action.
The rubber that presses the strings is very resilient, and forgiving of slight differences in fretboard radius.
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Shubb Capos
for 7.25" radius fretboards
The Shubb capo models C4, C4B, C4k, C4a, L4, and S4 are made to fit a fretboard radius of
approximately 7.25 inches (as opposed to our standard steel string models, which can nicely
accommodate a radius ranging from 9 to 16 inches).
So which guitars have these fretboards? Ah, that is the question.
There tends to be a fair amount of confusion about the radius of guitar fretboards.
First, it's safe to say that the vast majority of guitars which MIGHT have a 7.25" radius
fretboard are electric guitars. But...
• Do all electric guitars have a 7.25" radius fretboard?
NO! Most have a 9.5" radius or greater, and should use our C1, C1B, or S1 capos
Fender guitars are often associated with a more extremely radiused fretboard, but...
• Do all Fender guitars have a 7.25" radius fretboard?
NO! Even most Fenders have at least a 9.5" radius.
Some people assume that a Tele or Strat has a more extremely radiused fretboard, but..
• Do all Fender Teles or Strats have a 7.25" radius fretboard?
NO! There are so many models of Fender Telecaster or Stratocaster, most of which do not
have this radical curve, that it is difficult to keep track of which has which curve.
• HEY! Wait a minute. Do ANY guitars have this curve?
Well, yes. SOME of the old vintage Teles and Strats, and some copies of these styles of guitars,
DO have the 7.25" radius fretboard. That's why we made this model of capo.
the only way to know is to learn to identify by eye.
radius
Kind of hard to see much difference here, isn't it? But on your guitar, you can tell ...once you're
used to looking at one or the other.
• What if you get the wrong one?
In many cases, this is not a big problem. The rubber on the Shubb Capo is soft and forgiving, and
depending on your string gauge and action, it can accommodate the difference between these two curves.
That said, you would probably prefer to have the model capo that was made to fit your fretboard.