The Solar Chug Capo is a digital pitch-shifting pedal from Solar Guitars, Ola Englund's guitar and gear company, billed as "a digital bi-directional capo"1. Instead of clamping strings, it transposes your guitar's pitch up or down by one octave in semitone increments, so a guitar in standard tuning can play along in drop tunings or higher keys without retuning1. It is part of Solar's line of CHUG pedals, and Premier Guitar describes it as the first digital product in that series2.
What it does to your sound
Solar pitches the CHUG Capo as a low-latency transposer for heavy rhythm playing. Guitar World reported the maker's claim at launch: "This is the fastest and most transparent-sounding pitch shifter to date, especially when it comes to tight rhythm playing, chords, and pinch harmonics"1. Guitar Pedal X, covering the release, said the pedal is "feted to have the lowest tracking / shift latency of any current pitch-shifter"4.
Solar is upfront about the limits of digital pitch shifting. Guitar World's review, by Attila Voros, relays the maker's note that "for Solos, some digital artifact is unavoidable and audible as in all pitch manipulators, but the tone remains faithful to the source"3. In other words, expect the cleanest results on tight, low rhythm parts, with some artifact audible on sustained single-note lines.
Controls and modes
The pedal is a chrome stompbox1 with two modes, Mix and Fav1. The arrow controls set the interval, and the Mix control blends the shifted signal against your dry tone.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Left and Right Arrows | Set the shift interval from -12 to +12 semitones4 |
| Mix dial | Blends the pitched signal, so the pedal can double up as an octave pedal1 |
| Mix button | Switches to octaver mode, blending dry and pitched signals, defaulting to a 50/50 split3 |
| Fav mode | The pedal's second mode, alongside Mix1 |
Because the Mix control blends dry and shifted signals, the CHUG Capo can work as an octave and pitch pedal as well as a straight transposer1.
Power and connectivity
The CHUG Capo runs on 9V DC. Premier Guitar reports a "9v 200mA power draw is pedalboard friendly"2, while Guitar World's review lists "Power: DC 9V, 180mA"3; the two published figures differ. Connectivity covers 1/4-inch inputs and outputs, a 3.5mm non-latching switch input, 9V DC power and USB-C3. There is no MIDI connectivity, and Guitar World's review argues that "its lack of MIDI connectivity harms its compatibility in modern rigs"3. Premier Guitar describes the chassis as rugged and durable, tour ready2.
The published current draw figures disagree: 200mA per Premier Guitar2 and 180mA per Guitar World's review3. Size your pedalboard power supply for the higher figure.
Where it came from
Solar Guitars announced the CHUG Capo on 29 June 2026, its entry into pitch shifting and the fifth release in the CHUG pedal line14. Guitar Pedal X reported on 1 July 2026 that the pedal was "available right now from the Solar Guitars Webstore"4.
Videos
Solar Guitars
Ola Englund
Attila Voros
Questions
Is the Solar Guitars CHUG Capo analog or digital?
It is digital. Premier Guitar describes the CHUG Capo as the first digital product in Solar's line of CHUG pedals, and Guitar World calls it a digital pitch-shifter that promises low latency and tone quality preservation. Solar itself notes that for solos, some digital artifact is unavoidable and audible, as with all pitch manipulators, but says the tone remains faithful to the source.
How far does the CHUG Capo shift pitch?
The pedal shifts up and down by one octave in semitone increments. The left and right arrow controls set the shift interval anywhere from -12 to +12 semitones, so you can drop-tune a standard-tuned guitar or jump up in pitch without retuning.
What do the Mix and Fav modes do?
The pedal has two modes, Mix and Fav. Pressing the Mix button turns it into octaver mode, blending the dry and pitched signals, and it defaults to a 50/50 split. That blending is also what lets the CHUG Capo double up as an octave pedal.
What power supply does the CHUG Capo need?
The pedal runs on 9V DC. Premier Guitar reports a 9V 200mA power draw that it calls pedalboard friendly, while Guitar World's review lists DC 9V, 180mA, so the published figures differ. Connectivity includes 1/4-inch inputs and outputs, a 3.5mm non-latching switch input, 9V DC power and USB-C.
Can the CHUG Capo be used as an octave pedal?
Yes. Guitar World notes there is a Mix dial for blending the pitched signal, meaning the pedal can double up as an octave pedal, and the review describes pressing the Mix button to enter octaver mode, where dry and pitched signals are blended, defaulting to a 50/50 split.
Sources (4)
- Is Solar Guitars' Chug Capo the ultimate drop-tuning pedal?, Guitar World, 2026-06-29
- Solar Guitars Releases CHUG Capo Pitch Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2026-06-29
- Solar Chug Capo review, Guitar World, 2026-09-08
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-07-01
