Compact, sleek design. No handles or triggers hanging off or sticking out
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Results at a Glance
Effectiveness
Works great on all frets. Buzzy notes on heavier strings can be eliminated with a little extra pressure
Ease of Use
Really easy to use. However, trigger style capos still have a slight edge here
Price
Not the cheapest, but also not the most expensive. Priced well for a premium capo
Speed
Fast to place, but trigger style capos still have a tiny edge here
Safety
Rubber pads have just the right amount of softness, so it’s safe on neck and finish
What I Liked
What I Didn’t Like
I’ve been wanting a new capo for awhile now–one that can be placed and moved easily with one hand, but isn’t a big mechanical contraption hanging off my guitar neck. That pretty much ruled out all the “trigger style” capos on the market.
This is why I was intrigued with the G7th Performance 2 capo. It seemed like the best of both worlds: easy one-handed operation, but without bulky triggers and handles hanging off the back of my guitar’s neck.
But would it live up to my expectations?
Unboxing and First Impressions
First, a few photos of the packaging. Check out photo #3 over there–this capo features a LIFETIME WARRANTY.
When the G7th Performance 2 arrived, I was immediately surprised to discover it was smaller and lighter than I’d always imagined. Oh sure, I’d seen plenty of photos of this capo and even seen it in use in videos, but for some reason I was expecting it to be much bigger and heavier. Instead, it was surprisingly light and compact.
Other Colors & Models Available
The G7th Performance 2 is available in a number of colors on Amazon:
Oh, and there’s is also a G7th Performance 2 for Classical guitars for all you Classical and Flamenco players out there.
The G7th Performance 2 Capo in Use
The G7th Performance 2 capo can be clamped from the top or from underneath the neck. It’s really a matter of personal taste, but the capo is designed ergonomically to allow you to do either comfortably. My preferred direction was from the top, as shown here:
Clamping the G7th Performance 2 capo from the top
Or, if you’re more of an “underneath” kinda person, well, the G7th Performance 2 makes that easy as well:
Clamping the G7th Performance 2 capo from underneath
The G7th Performance 2 is pretty unobtrusive once it’s clamped in place. I like the fact that, unlike trigger-style capos, there isn’t a bunch of crap hanging off the back of my guitar’s neck to potentially interfere with my hand when I’m playing close to the capo:
No big handles or triggers hanging off the back of the neck to potentially interfere with your hand while playing
Releasing the capo is fast and simple. Just clasp your hand over the capo and use your thumb to press the little black lever. This will release the clamp and the capo will pop open. You can also do the same thing from underneath the capo if you prefer:
Releasing the capo is fast and easy–almost as fast/easy as trigger-style capos. You can do this from above or below
Tip: Since you can control the amount of clamp pressure, it’s possible to store the capo on the headstock if you’d like. If you gently clamp it just slightly behind and on top of the nut, as I have here, it’ll stay put without affecting your tuning or muting your strings. Be sure to remove it if you put your guitar in the case.
The G7th capo can be stored on the headstock when not in use
So, How Did it Perform?
Effectiveness 
The G7th Performance 2 did exactly what a capo’s supposed to do. On my Breedlove acoustic, which has a 16″ fretboard radius and 10-50 gauge (ultra light) strings, it was easy to clamp and then relocate with one hand–just as advertised. The only reason I deducted half a star here is because on the Fender Kingman acoustic, which has a 12″ fretboard radius and 13-56 gauge (medium) strings, I needed to really squeeze the capo hard or use 2 hands to create enough clamp pressure to eliminate all buzzes. However, it still did the job.
Another thing I liked is that the G7th Performance 2 didn’t make my notes sharp once it was clamped in place. This is a potential problem with any capo, but wasn’t an issue with the G7th. Pretty awesome.
Ease of Use
The G7th Performance 2 is a breeze to use: Just put it on the fret of your choice and give it a firm squeeze to clamp it down. You can choose to clamp it from above or below–whichever works best for you. If you need to release or move it, simply squeeze the little black release lever and it immediately releases the clamping mechanism. Move it, reclamp, and play on. Deducted half a star here for the previously-mentioned need to sometimes squeeze it with 2 hands on guitars with heavier strings.
Price
Let me be clear here: I do NOT think the G7th Performance 2 is overpriced. I only deducted 1.5 stars because it’s in the mid-high price range for capos–which some of you may not like. My personal opinion is that the price of the standard models (black or silver) is a great value for what you get. Now, if you choose one of the fancy colors or limited edition versions, you’ll pay more, and that’s totally up to you.
Speed
Clamping the G7th Performance 2 in place with one hand is really fast and easy. Unclamping and removing or relocating with one hand is just as fast and easy. I deducted half a star because trigger-style capos still have a slight edge here. However, the speed difference is so small that it’s almost negligible, especially considering how compact and unobtrusive the G7th Performance 2 is compared to trigger style capos. Also consider this: the G7th doesn’t squeeze notes sharp, so the nanosecond longer it might take to relocate it is made up for by the fact that you don’t have to retune your guitar–as you might with a trigger-style capo.
Safety
I can’t see any reason that this capo would damage a guitar. The rubber pads that contact the back of the neck, though pointy, are soft enough that they won’t damage the finish on the back of your guitar’s neck in any way. Of course, it goes without saying that you should never leave any capo clamped on your guitar when you’re done playing for the day.
What Others Are Saying
Tony Polecastro did a nice, short review of the G7th Performance 2 capo. Check it out:
Recap: What I Liked
- Lifetime warranty!
- Fast 1-handed placement
- Easy to move with one hand as well
- Compact, sleek, modern design. No handles or triggers hanging off my guitar neck
Recap: What I Didn’t Like
- With really heavy strings, you may need to squeeze extra hard or even use 2 hands to create the right amount of clamp pressure.
The Final Verdict
The G7th Performance 2 is a great capo, and I really really like it. Though it’s a higher-priced capo, the value is definitely there… especially when you factor-in the lifetime warranty.
