tonegards (for better or for worse?)

Do tonegards work better on some mandolins than others,
I notice that when I'm hold my mandolin tightly up against me, the tone is much different, not better and not worse its just differnt. Im thinking of gettting a tonegard, has anyone thought that it actually influenced the sound, but not into a better sound?

[Michael Lewis]

If you hold your mandolin away from your body and play it, that sound is what a ToneGard will do for it. There are a few mandolins that are not helped by a ToneGard, and they are generally heavily built, but not always. It is an interesting question to figure out.

[John Flynn]

Mike Compton was asked about tone-cages during his workshop in Columbus, IN. He said, "If you learn how to hold the instrument right, you shouldn't need to put a 'catcher's mask' on the back of it." I know some other big players do use them and a lot of people like them and that is thier preference and that is fine. I think the point is that it is more about how you play rather than what you play that makes the difference.

[onlyagibsonisgoodenuff]

The tone-gard lets the back of the mandolin vibrate when you play; something it cannot do if you have it touching your torso. Some players can get around this by holding the mandolin out at an angle with their left hand. I don't try to do that because I have enough to think about and besides, I think it limits the ability of your left hand to move about freely.

I thought that the tone-gard had a greater effect on my Gibson Fern than on my Collings MF5, but there was definitely an effect on both, nonetheless.

[Big Joe]

Opinions are like....well, we know that one! #Actually, some pickers love them because they do increase the volume of the instrument substantially. #I have not seen an instrument they have not make louder. #The question is if loud is better. #The tone guard does not affect the tonal qualities of the instrument, just the volume. #Some players like the ability to adjust the volume they need for the situation by the way they hold it and how much they may muffle the volume with their body. #Not all players can make these adjustments. #I prefer not to use one. #Maybe it is because of the way I hold it or??? but I can tell it is louder when I use one. #The issue is I don't like the increased weight on my mandolin. #To me it feels unbalanaced. #It does not seem to bother Ricky Skaggs or many other top flight pickers, but I just don't prefer one myself. #I feel there is much more to tone than volume in and of itself.

On the other hand, I use an arm rest on all my mandolins. #I like the increased volume by keeping my arm off the top of the instrument and the position it holds my hand. #It is a personal thing whether to use an arm rest or a tone guard. #They are both great products and each player must determine what works best for them. #For many lesser expensive mandolins it can give substantially more volume which may make it possible to play your existing mandolin for a longer period of time before upgrading. #Of course, you are probably better upgrading the mandolin than buying accessories. #The nice thing about the tone guard is it can grow with you. #The tone guard is a good product, well made, fairly priced, and can be an asset for many.

I should add we do sell them in our retail store if anyone is interested they can PM me for information.

[SternART]

Dawggy, Mike Marshall & Tom Rozum use them on their Loars.....I have one for each of my mandos....nuff said.

[J. Mark Lane]

Hey Joe, what brand of mandolin do you play?

mark

[mandopete]

I noticed that John Reischman was using one on his Lloyd Loar mandolin. #Guess there's something to be said for these tone-gards, eh?

[recklessmando]

Let's just say that holding my mandolin away from my body isn't as easy as it used to be. As my gut mute gets bigger the tone gard becomes more valuable. I use one and like it but play quite a bit without it as well. Wish I was a skinny kid again.

[Steven Stone]

None of the previous posts have mentioned the two reasons I use a tonegard:

1.Weight re-distribution. The TG adds weight to the body so the headstock doesn't tend to dip down. F-style mando's headstocks are usually too heavy compared to their bodies so they want to drop down, forcing your left hand to act as a support. Accoridng ro Mike Marshall, that's known as "bad technique."

2. Ventilation. I sweat when I play, especially in the summer. The TG moves the mando body away from my body so I don't have to peel the mando off my chest, leaving a mando wet-spot.

Also the TG protects the finish during hot summer days. I once had a Gil model 3 that stuck to my chest so badly that when I peeled it off the finish had a tee-shirt texture. Compared to getting the back of the mando french-polished a TG is cheap insurance. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[onlyagibsonisgoodenuff]

Dawggy, Mike Marshall & Tom Rozum use them on their Loars......
I guess they're just using them until they can upgrade.

Sorry, Big Joe, couldn't resist!

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[Mike McCoy]

I use a ToneGard on my mando and a DGard on my guitar and have noticed both a favorable difference in tone and volume as well as the added benefits that Steven and Jay have pointed out. I've also had the added pleasure of becoming good friends with Tony Pires the inventor and maker of ToneGards. He deserves and has my respect and the respect of many others in the mando community for what he has done for the instrument.

Mike

[SternART]

I agree Mike, I've found not only increased volume, but benefits in the tone department as well.....and this is on every instrument I've tried them on, including instruments by many of the best custom builders. Tony Pires is the Tonemeister, as well as being a great fella & darn good picker.....

A good bit of the pros use them. I think Skaggs picks with one on some of his mandos. I won't touch one now. I want my mandolin and no additions like that added to it. I don't know i like my sound fine.