frankabr. - Posted - 11/19/2025:  11:12:29

Should I remove the Shubb Sliding 5th String Capo & install RR Spikes on a long neck converted Bacon FF Professional from 1910 that I own?

cottontop - Posted - 11/19/2025:  11:27:58

I wouldn't, but then, who ever pays any attention to me?
Joe

banjobob36 - Posted - 11/19/2025:  12:06:25

Donate that long neck antique to a school music department and cherish your Gibson RB-4. If the Gibson has a ebony finger board it may be my traded-in for my old Stelling Masterpiece at Turtle Hill.

mikehalloran - Posted - 11/19/2025:  18:42:47

quote:

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Originally posted by frankabr.

Should I remove the Shubb Sliding 5th String Capo & install RR Spikes on a long neck converted Bacon FF Professional from 1910 that I own?

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I wouldn't. Being a singer who sings in all keys, I find the long capo most useful on a long neck. In fact, I own a couple of extra-long Shubbs that Rick made that give me extra range.

That said, I always preferred the Vega Pittman sliding capo—besides the functionality, I like the retro 'folk era' look of them. Shubbs were introduced in 1975 after long-necked babno folk music was dead. They show up now and then in the Classifieds and I may have a spare. Hole spacing is identical to your Shubb — Rick did that on purpose. 

banjonz - Posted - 11/21/2025:  12:19:02

Shubb 5th capos come in long and short models. I am not up to date on what is currently available. I installed a long one on my Gold Star GF85 because I wanted to be able to play in the key of D but G tuning fingering (song: Matterhorn). However, a downside is that it makes it a bit harder to fret the 5th string with my thumb over the capo bar.

J.Albert - Posted - 11/22/2025:  13:19:07

Are you playing 3-finger (bluegrass) style on it?

And if so, do you do much fretting of the 5th string with your thumb?

If so, is the capo interfering with that?

If not, why change things?

If the Shubb capo works, let it be.

It's a good piece of banjo engineering... 

kyleb - Posted - 11/24/2025:  06:28:40

i love those capos, some folks dont, but if its your banjo and it works for you, why would you care? What do you mean by calling it a long neck? if its from 1910, that wouldnt be a long neck banjo. those didnt exist in 1910.  If its a newer neck made for an old pot, then the value of alteration wont matter at all. 

Edited by - kyleb on 11/24/2025 06:29:58