A capo will allow you to alter your sound to suit an arrangement better. You can transpose up a key so you can play something correctly if the original artist used a capo.

You can clamp a few strings and change a tuning completely without tuning up or tuning down.

A capo allows you to play with less tension so if barre chords are messing you up, a capo will alleviate some of that tension.

You can also get a spider capo which is what I have. It is a series of levers that clamp down individual strings. So if I want the second fret of the D, G, and A strings fretted, I just have to flip the switches.

Capos will do no damage to your guitar's neck or strings and 7's or lighter will snap pretty easily I would have thoughy. 9's are a better compromise of lightness against tone. Shubb capos are pretty good by the way, for about £20. Dont go for a cheap one as they dont stay in tune.

i only find it useful when i need to go from Open G to Open A

otherwise, i usually fuck around with it, in weird tunings as Freebase does

like a CCCDEE, with a capo on the 7th fret

I taught Freebase how to be awesome at guitar.

or just fuck that

ever tried a CCCCCC with a capo on the 11th?

Why wouldn't you just tune all the strings to B instead?

I usually stick with semi-well known but seldom used tunings.

DADFAC#
FACGCE
CACGCE
DADEAD

Things like that. I don't really mess with those really off the wall tunings like DDDDDD FGBBCDD or whatever.

I didn't really teach Freebase how to be awesome at guitar. We used to jam together and it was probably the most innovative period out of the entire time I've played guitar.

different intonation and string tension

1. Why are you playing with 7's??

2. A Capo is 20 bucks who cares.....just buy one if you dont use it then dont use it.

only about 8 bucks here

either Korean or Chinese-made, though

you could get the elastic one as well, that one's just under 2 bucks