# Tight hariband in guitar as capo?



## sevenstringgod (Jan 29, 2010)

Don't know if this is the correct section to put this in, and the question itself is kinda silly, but here it is anyways:

Why do some people place some kind of hairband on the guitar's neck? Is it to kinda eliminate some of the noise of the guitar? Also, in what part of the neck is it usually used? In the following pics Luke Hoskin from Protest the Hero is using it, but it looks like he is using it instead of the locks on his guitar? I thought it was more like a capo thing? 

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/at...362042670229_596940229_10350396_4978847_n.jpg

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/at...362042500229_596940229_10350379_3449383_n.jpg

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/at...362042570229_596940229_10350385_8341930_n.jpg


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## Winspear (Jan 29, 2010)

Yeah it's not a capo. I'm not sure a hairband could ever be tight enough to do that. It's to eliminate noise. Behind the nut stops sympathetic ringing from the short piece of string between the nut and tuning peg which some guitars suffer from.
Sometimes you will see people tracking solos with them infront of the nut like a capo, this is to mute the open strings and make the solo cleaner.


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## sevenstringgod (Jan 29, 2010)

Oh okay, thanks for clearing that out bro, I always thought it was used to eliminate noise and always have used it in front of the nut.


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## Charles (Feb 3, 2010)

I use one for a different, and from what I've read and observed, rather unique reason.

Whether it's a manifestation of poor technique or not is subject to debate, but sometimes when I'm sliding back to the nut with my fretting hand, I'll hit the nut and it'll hurt. As a solution, I stick a hairband there to cushion the blow.

Yes, I also slide the hairband onto the fretboard to help with wide intervallic, string skipping, tapping stuff, but it's mostly for the former reason.


Charles


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## liquidcow (Feb 4, 2010)

I find using a sock instead of a hairband will vastly improve your tone.


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## Charles (Feb 5, 2010)

liquidcow said:


> I find using a sock instead of a hairband will vastly improve your tone.



There's something to be said for subtlety though. A small hairband is far more discreet than a big ol' sock tied around the nut.


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## distressed_romeo (Feb 5, 2010)

Charles said:


> There's something to be said for subtlety though. A small hairband is far more discreet than a big ol' sock tied around the nut.



It's also easier to get on and off when you want the open strings to really ring out.


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