Acrylic/Corian vs hardwood

[Nige52]

A simple question but I can't find an online answer....

Compared to a hard wood, walnut or mahogany or rosewood for example, how 'Tough' is acrylic or corian, what I mean is, how easy is it to scratch, mark, chip etc?

Only I've been asked to turn a fretboard roller capo, which is a capo that can hold the strings down on a guitar to change the key. Obviously I don't want to use acrylic if it's easily scored....

Thanks

 

[paulm]

A good question Nige but I can't help except for my gut feeling of thinking that they would all mark except maybe using a ca finish any of them...

 

[Grump]

Guitar strings are extremely abrasive, I think all of the suggested media would wear very quickly.

 

[Nige52]

Hmmm....ok, out of the 2 mediums, which would be the best to try?
Nige

 

[stevenw1963]

Nige,

My understanding of a capo is that it presses the strings against the fretboard so players can play the strings as per position 1.
There shouldn't really be an abrasion of the strings against the medium used so I would have thought either would be OK.

 

[Grump]

Ahhh yes I am thinking of the slider thingybob init.:wink:

Yes Steven is right as nearly always, sometimes.
It merely presses and holds the strings in place so any or all of them should be fine.
Maybe I should just stay out of what I don't know init?

 

[PhillH]

The capo should have a "dampening" rubber which touches the strings, so the "wear" will be on that.

You're not sliding it up and down too much, you shouldn't really slide it at all but we all do.

So based on that you should be able to more or less use anything you like. My only comment would be that most quality capos are metal so that they have the strength to depress the strings properly, so wood or acrylic would always be a second choice to me.

Also you will need to allow for the curve (if present) on the fretboard. That will be driven by the instrument you're making it for.

(Played guitar for the last 45 years in case anyone wonders)

Hope that helps.

 

[Grump]

So you have been playing since you 2 years old then Phil

 

[stevenw1963]

Phil,

Nige wants a roller capo, not your normal capo, I believe they are different beasts ( I googled it) they look different and it seems a roller capo is just a straight bar type across all the strings with a type of roller along the back of the neck.

 

[Vic Perrin]

Beyond me this lot? I always thought that a capo was something your worn on your hedo .


Vic

 

[Woody]

Duno only ever plated the fiddle you know wot I mean nod nod wink wink

 

[Terry]

Beyond me this lot? I always thought that a capo was something your worn on your hedo .


Vic

 

[wm460]

Beyond me this lot? I always thought that a capo was something your worn on your hedo .


Vic

And I thought capo was some sort of mafia boss.

 

[Penpal]

The capo should have a "dampening" rubber which touches the strings, so the "wear" will be on that.

You're not sliding it up and down too much, you shouldn't really slide it at all but we all do.

So based on that you should be able to more or less use anything you like. My only comment would be that most quality capos are metal so that they have the strength to depress the strings properly, so wood or acrylic would always be a second choice to me.

Also you will need to allow for the curve (if present) on the fretboard. That will be driven by the instrument you're making it for.

(Played guitar for the last 45 years in case anyone wonders)

Hope that helps.

Youre the manBest answer, Peter.

 

[Nige52]

Yes, they're also called Glider Capo's...the roller is on the back of the neck.
Thanks for the replies, appreciated.
Only problem is this guy is inventing his own device to be used on all 'Necked' string instruments, and his one design users 2 rollers, one one the fretboard and one roller on the back....DOH! Where do they find me???
I still can't find if corian/acrylic is of a higher density/hardness than wood. I suppose the only answer is to make one of each and see which wears out the quickest...LOL

 

[Buckeye]

Yes, they're also called Glider Capo's...the roller is on the back of the neck.
Thanks for the replies, appreciated.
Only problem is this guy is inventing his own device to be used on all 'Necked' string instruments, and his one design users 2 rollers, one one the fretboard and one roller on the back....DOH! Where do they find me???
I still can't find if corian/acrylic is of a higher density/hardness than wood. I suppose the only answer is to make one of each and see which wears out the quickest...LOL

For the wood I would use something like African Blackwood, it's very dense.

Peter

 

[ray7]

Yes, they're also called Glider Capo's...the roller is on the back of the neck.
Thanks for the replies, appreciated.
Only problem is this guy is inventing his own device to be used on all 'Necked' string instruments, and his one design users 2 rollers, one one the fretboard and one roller on the back....DOH! Where do they find me???
I still can't find if corian/acrylic is of a higher density/hardness than wood. I suppose the only answer is to make one of each and see which wears out the quickest...LOL

I`ve not been playing guitar as long as Phil but as he said the fretboard has a curve to it so a solid roller would not work. It would only hold the center strings down fully and tend to just mute the outer strings.
Just my thoughts on it.

Ray