IMPORTANT! Do not remove the sliding capo from the bar! We wrapped those little wires around the ends of the bar to make sure that the sliding part wouldn't inadvertently come off prior to installation. It's very tricky to get back on properly. There's a little spring in there: one end of the spring holds the lever-arm above the string, and the other presses against the 45° angle of the bar&emdash;this is what controls the sliding action of the capo. If the spring is not seated properly, the sliding part will just fall freely on the bar… you don't want that.

If it has come off the bar, you'll need some sort of very small tool to help you flip the prong end of that spring back onto the angled part of the bar. My favorite is a #11 Exact-o blade. If you can't do it, don't feel too bad; it's really tricky. Just send it to us and we'll put it back together for you.

If you have any doubts about your ability to install this capo yourself, take it to anyone who works on banjos. Show them these instructions, and the capo should go on quickly and easily.

INSTALLATION is not difficult, but accurate placement of the bar is essential so that the lever-arm will engage the string at the proper angle.

When the capo is not in use, the sliding part rests at the end of the bar near the fifth fret with the lever arm disengaged (raised). So you should hold it in this position against the side of the banjo neck in order to judge where to drill your first pilot hole. If the action of your fifth string is extremely high, it would be much better to lower the action at the nut than to mount the capo too high. The arm will have to be high enough above the string so that it won't buzz no matter how hard you play, but if it is too high, then the arm will come down at too steep an angle and not engage the string solidly. So: not too high and not too low, but just right. Got that? When you're satisfied with the placement, mark the point through the hole in the bar and drill a tiny pilot hole (#55 drill bit) for the screw which will attach the bar near the fifth fret. This one should be installed first.

If your banjo is set up with the fifth string quite far from the edge, so that the arm seems too short, the best remedy BY FAR is to relocate the fifth string nut (or, on some banjos, the hook behind the fifth fret.) This is not a radical thing to do to a banjo, it's a simple operation, and it's the way it should have been set up in the first place. If, for some reason I can't imagine, you are unable to do this or have it done, then we can provide you with a custom arm which is slightly longer. You'll have to send us the whole capo for us to replace it. All it will cost you is the postage, but it might take us a few weeks.

The bar on your fifth string capo ranges up to the tenth fret. If your playing dictates that you capo your fifth string higher than this, a longer bar (with a three point mount, formerly our production model) is available on special order. Contact us for details.