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     notes by Rick Shubb You don’t necessarily associate Chet Atkins with using a capo, nor do you think of him as a singer. But one of my proudest moments in this business involved him doing both. The Shubb Capo had only been on the market for a couple of years or so. I …

     notes by Rick Shubb John Denver was, and still is, part of American culture. Through his songs and his singing, we all felt as though we knew him, and that this friend was taken from us far too soon. In the earlier part of his career I remember seeing an elastic capo on …

     notes by Rick Shubb In 1974 the Shubb 5th string capo for banjo was brand new and virtually unknown. My own band, the Hired Hands, was playing at the Golden State Bluegrass Festival, one of the first major bluegrass events in northern California. One of the headliners on the show was Doug Dillard. …

     notes by Rick Shubb Shubb Capos’ first customer. That’s right, it was none other than good ol’ Captain Trips himself. Our first product was our fifth string capo, and the first one I installed (besides my own) was on Jerry’s Weymann banjo. Later he would use our regular capos on both banjo and …

     notes by Rick Shubb John Hartford always did things his own way, so much so that you might say his music is a style all its own. With roots in bluegrass, his own riverboat background gave it an entirely different flavor. His song Gentle on My Mind was such a mega hit that …

Notes by Gary Mobley We were saddened and shocked to hear of the unexpected passing of Woody Mann last January. Woody was a true master of American roots music and was as passionate of a musician as one could ever find. I met Woody at a Musikmesse trade fair about 12 years ago and found …

     notes by Rick Shubb Tom Petty was one of those high-profile artists who discovered Shubb Capos shortly after they were first introduced. It always made me proud to see that capo on his guitar in those early days. I’d wanted to say thanks for his longtime support, and when I learned that my …

     notes by Rick Shubb Pete Seeger left us in 2014, and what a loss that was. So long, Pete, it’s been good to know you. When the Shubb Capo was still very new on the market, I got an order in the mail for a 12-string guitar capo, along with a check, from …

     notes by Rick Shubb Sadly, Doc has left us now. I’m proud to say I knew him, and played music with him. There will never be another like him. Someone once commented on Doc’s Shubb Capo as he was putting it on his guitar. Doc said, “Son, I knowed Rick Shubb before there was a …

October 23, 2020: we lost a national treasure. Rest in peace, Jerry Jeff. Memories of Jerry Jeff by Raul Reynoso Among my memories of shows that have had a profound impact on me as a player and performer, I would have to include an evening at the “World Famous Palomino” in North Hollywood. The club …