Festival Staff Inspect Gunning's Capos

With the opening chords of Stan Fest just days away, festival staff have begun a meticulous inspection of the remaining containers of Dave Gunning’s custom guitar capos, checking for quality, stability, and structural soundness after last week’s highway accident wiped out an entire shipment.

The inspections, held inside the Canso arena — now serving as a temporary storage hub — were prompted by concerns that the surviving capos might not meet the rigorous performance standards required by Gunning’s unique playing style. Known for aggressive capo use and relentless up-the-neck work, Gunning is said to go through more gear in a weekend than some artists use in a lifetime.

“These aren’t decorative,” said one festival coordinator. “Each capo needs to be structurally sound, perfectly calibrated, and ready to lock down on fret thirteen like its life depends on it.”

The arena was originally stocked to hold enough capos to last through Gunning’s full festival run. But with one container lost in the recent trucking incident, organizers fear the remaining supply may fall short — potentially forcing the award-winning musician to modify his set or skip capo-heavy numbers altogether.

To preserve integrity, the capos are being stored in a cool, dry section of the arena, away from stage lights, humidity, and any curious hands. Staff continue to log each item and assess for hairline stress fractures — a task one volunteer called “surprisingly high stakes for something the size of a clothespin.”

Whether the remaining gear will hold up through the weekend remains to be seen. For now, all eyes are on the capo crates — and the man who demands more from them than anyone else in the Canadian folk scene.