The Story of Shubb Capos
Crafting tools for musicians since 1974 — built by players, for players.
Where It All Began
At age fourteen, Rick Shubb took up the guitar, inspired by the playing of Merle Travis. A year later, hearing Earl Scruggs changed everything, and he switched to banjo.
In his twenties and thirties, Rick was among a small circle of musicians making a living playing bluegrass on the West Coast. Music was his path, alongside a strong interest in graphic arts.
That path changed one night during a banjo lesson. Rick described an idea for a better fifth-string capo to his student, Dave Coontz, an auto mechanic. A week later, Dave returned with a working prototype. After weeks of refinement and testing on real gigs, they made their first one hundred units — and Shubb Capos was born.
The Capo That Changed Everything
A few years later, Rick and Dave developed a guitar capo unlike anything else on the market.
Rather than borrowing from clamps or straps, their design closed onto the neck with a natural action that helped solve the tuning issues players had long accepted as part of using a capo. The result was not just easier to use — it changed expectations.
The first time Rick used the prototype, he knew he had found the work that would define his life.
Milestones Along the Way
From the original fifth-string capo in 1974 to the launch of the Shubb guitar capo in 1979, the company continued to grow through practical innovation.
Over the years, that journey included the introduction of the compensated banjo bridge, the Deluxe Capo, the Shubb Lite, the FineTune Capo, and Capo Royale. Each product reflected the same guiding principle: create tools that genuinely serve musicians.
A Global Company
In 2014, Rick joined forces with longtime friend and music industry veteran Adrian Bagale to form Shubb International.
Originally created to manage global sales and support growing international demand, the company expanded to include product development, global business strategy, brand management, and worldwide distribution.
Today, Shubb products are used by musicians around the world, while still reflecting the same player-first approach that started it all.
Built by Musicians, for Musicians
Rick remains a musician at heart, and that perspective continues to shape the company.
From weekend players to world-class artists, Shubb exists to make dependable, well-crafted tools that improve the musical experience.
Whatever the future holds, that dedication remains unchanged.
