Extensive and prolonged use of a capo
can add some extra wear divots to the frets where you most often put it. The capo holds more pressure than your hand, and for far longer. Just don't over-tighten or store it clamped in place and you'll be fine. SF already covered the potential pad issue. I have one guitar that lives in Eb tuning and needs to be capo'ed at the first fret to "play well with others". But that guitar has very hard stainless steel frets, so string wear is a non-issue. I tend to avoid using a capo and try to play in most keys without one. But when I'm following someone else at a jam and they are capo'ed - or we are playing in a flat key - it can be easier to just go along. At bluegrass jams where most songs are in the key of G, I have been known to capo 2 and play in F for a while, just to be a stinker. It also prevents me from wearing through my calluses playing the same G chords all the time.
A capo, strap, electronic tuner, and flat picks live in each guitar case, and I've used all kinds of capos over the years. The classic original
Shubb is my favorite (familiarity, adjustable tension, replaceable pads) but the
G7 is quite nice too. I liked the G7 twelve string version so much that I bought a second one used from Taylor Girl last year when she advertised it here. The only capo that I don't care much for is the Kyser - the aesthetics do not appeal to my eye and the spring is TOO STRONG!! (It bends the strings out of tune). For a spring-tension capo I prefer the Dunlop Trigger.
