ToneGard Alternative?

[Daniel Nestlerode]

I was surfing the 'net a few years ago and stumbled on the site of a guy who was making these accessories that do what a ToneGard does but are made of wood. Basically it's just a curved slat with two ends that attach to the sides of the mandolin with felt pads.

I saw it again last Monday night on Cumberlan Highlanders, and began looking for it again but so far no luck.

Does anyone know a) what I'm talking about and b) where I can find one?

Thanks!
Daniel

[Daniel Nestlerode]

My question got answered via Comando. It's a Staurt Hugger (http://stuartmusic.com/hugger.html).

I tried a ToneGard the last time I saw Tony Pires at Inverness CA in March, but I found them a little uncomfortable. So I'm going to try this.

My thanks to Edward Ashley.

Daniel

[Dru Lee Parsec]

Oh My Gosh! They have one for ban!os too. Imagine that, something to make a b*njo even louder!

[Luthier Vandross]

I prefer the 9lb Banjo mute, near 100% sound reduction.

;)


M

[onlyagibsonisgoodenuff]

I prefer the 9lb Banjo mute, near 100% sound reduction.
I found that if I fill the resonator with concrete post mix, it sounds a lot better!

[sandcastlefaith]

Does anyone have any experience with these, and dot they work as well as the regular Tone Gards. I only ask because they are much cheaper, and look more comfortable.

[mad dawg]

I prefer the 9lb Banjo mute, near 100% sound reduction.

IMHO, the 3lb. banjo mute is a little more versatile due to its portable size...

[wjsandman]

Do you use it on the instrument or the player?

[citycountryguy]

It may work great, who knows...but it looks to me like the foam that keeps the device from scratching the back of the instrument may do some of the same thing my belly will--mute the resonance of the instrument. The difference between this and the tonegard, at least from the pics, seems to be the amount of contact with the back. The difference in coinage is substantial, but if it also puts foam against the back for 25% of its length/width, I wonder how much it is actually allowing the resonance/vibrations to be "free." If you get one, let us know.

[Michael Lewis]

Someone asked what was the best choice of pickup to put on a banjo, and it was decided that a Ford F 250 should do nicely.

[billkilpatrick]

backache works for me - i lean foward and let the mandolin hang away from my gut. i can usually play that way for about 5 full minutes before the pain messenger(s) from sciatica-ville start amassing at throb central.

[mandroid]

An F150. 1/2 ton will do, just drive over it twice..

[Jean Fugal]

Looks like to me that depending on the amount of arch it doesn't have to touch

[jim_n_virginia]

looks like to me the arch that is sawn into the thing is a little smaller than the width of the instrument so it says on by pinching the sides. It's touching the sides like a ToneGard and not the back so it probably wouldn't muffle the sound.

My worry would be that because it only has two contact points that after a while it would loosen up and slip off all the time. The Tonegard has 3 contact points so it never slips off, if it does you just bend the spring in a little.

I have never used or seen one of these so I don't know how well they work but I certainly would be interested in someone's opiunion who has used one. They certainly are a lot cheaper thats for sure.

[Mandolin Mick]

I gave this response on another thread. When I want my mandolin to get louder, i.e. solo, I place it on my right hip and hold it almost upright like Bill Wyman of the Stones did with his bass. Then I go back to standard position & chop away.

[MikeEdgerton]

I gave this response on another thread. When I want my mandolin to get louder, i.e. solo, I place it on my right hip and hold it almost upright like Bill Wyman of the Stones did with his bass. Then I go back to standard position & chop away.

Monroe and every other pro player prior to the Tonegard simply held the mandolin out away from their body as well. I use a Tonegard, it's just easier for me.

[fredfrank]

And before they invented the automobile, people rode horses and in wagons pulled by horses.

[Fishel]

The cheapest solution is what I did for a couple of years before I got a ToneGard (and after playing for 20 years with the instrument held out from my body): I made one myself.

I just bought some little thin white garden fencing at a hardware store and fashioned bits of it into a cage, using two-part epoxy at the joints. Some of the structure was already created by the pattern of the fencing.

I padded the grabber arms with windings of rubber bands. The whole thing looked a bit...inelegant, but it worked fine.

[bratsche]

Looks to me like whoever created the "hugger" was influenced by violin and viola shoulder rests, which are comparably priced. I tried one of those on a mando once (having them handy), but it turned out to be superfluous since the back of the mando-instrument doesn't really come in contact with my abdomen the way I naturally play, anyhow. Might be a suitable alternative for some, though - they are generally designed to NOT fall off (with a few notorious exceptions).

bratsche

[billkilpatrick]

i tried a violin shoulder rest on my mandolin - i can't remember exactly how but it didn't fit.

[bratsche]

i tried a violin shoulder rest on my mandolin - i can't remember exactly how but it didn't fit.

It probably didn't adjust wide enough. I'll bet a viola one would.

bratsche

[Nick Triesch]

The best Tone Guard alternavtive that I have ever heard is a Gibson F5!!

[jim_n_virginia]

The best Tone Guard alternavtive that I have ever heard is a Gibson F5!!

HA! Good one!!! :)):)):))

[bryce]

Doubt it will fit in the case though. Most toneguards will.

[KristinEliza]

It probably didn't adjust wide enough. I'll bet a viola one would.

bratsche

I saw a young mandolin player a few years back using a RESONANS viola shoulder rest. They are adjustable and it seemed to work fine for him. They are quite inexpensive. HOWEVER, I don't recommend them to my violin and viola students due to the metal parts (that easily scratch up the instrument) ...so use at your own risk!

Also..while the flat, sturdy, unforgiving platform is not great for violin and viola player's shoulders, it is ideal for the mandolin alternative. You wouldn't want to use a higher quality shoulder rest since it is curved to fit the shoulder.

[LoneStarMandolin]

i tried a violin shoulder rest on my mandolin - i can't remember exactly how but it didn't fit.

is it hard to pick with the mandolin on your shoulder? :))

[mandroid]

Have one built with a floating doubled back, or, maybe like a D hole Selmer a floating resonant interior back plate..
no it won't look just like everyone else's mandolin so BG connoisseurs won't favor it..

[Pete Hicks]

I don't know, Daniel. I think that black-face Vessel sounds just fine naked.

[Bernie Daniel]

Check out the Taylor mandolin tone enhancer (http://http://www.elderly.com/accessories/items/TTE1-BLACK.htm). I've had both a tone guard and a tone enhancer in my posession for several years now. They are on two different mandolins --both work fine but I like the tone enhancer a lot better:

The tone enhancer (for the naysayers that may pop up) 1) does not damage the mandolin in any way, 2) works as well as the tone guard, 3) is much easier to put on and take off, and 4) its cheaper.

Case closed! :)

[mando.player]

I assume that spring on the Taylor is kept far away from the back of the mandolin? I just looks like it would be begging scratch an instrument.

[Hallmark498]

Whats it weight?

[Bernie Daniel]

I assume that spring on the Taylor is kept far away from the back of the mandolin? I just looks like it would be begging scratch an instrument.

Not a problem at least for me. The spring is coated with a soft pliable rubber-like polymer --so I've not issues like that.
OTOH, if I were to think about an improvement on the design -- I would recomment some kind of elastic band for that function.

[Bernie Daniel]

Whats it weight?

Its aluminum so its pretty light weight. The mando I use it on is in the shop getting a new bridge. So when I get home in about an hour I'll weigh it. The other nice thing is the one on my mandolin is "butterscotch" color and it matches the tawney color of the Gibson sunburst very well -- there are several colors available.

[Bernie Daniel]

Whats it weight?

The device weighs in at 2.75 ounces.