Tone Guard

**yankees1** · Feb-08-2010, 9:16pm

Will the newer tone guard leave marks/rub marks on a mando?

**mandroid** · Feb-08-2010, 10:20pm

The rubber and leather contact pads are the same materials as before ,
so, new, as previous .. should be no problem.

**Tim2723** · Feb-08-2010, 10:32pm

True enough inherently, but anything that touches a finish is a potential problem. Like violins, a delicate finish can be disturbed by repeated or unrelenting pressure, as many fiddles show damage from their own chin rests.

**Mike Snyder** · Feb-08-2010, 11:06pm

I find it difficult to believe that a mandolin that has worn a gard for multiple years has absolutely NO wear marks from the pads. Mine does. Ever so slight, there none the less. I could be wrong, of course. About yours.

**jim_n_virginia** · Feb-08-2010, 11:35pm

Mine has been on for at least 2 years and there are barely marks on the finish. I believe I could buff them out easiliy IF I wanted to.

**Jeff A** · Feb-09-2010, 7:25am

The net effect is less finish marring will occur overall since the gard protects the back. For me the increased volume is worth a few small marks.

**yankees1** · Feb-09-2010, 7:47am

Can you tell a big difference in sound with and without this gard?

**Dave Greenspoon** · Feb-09-2010, 7:56am

Originally Posted by yankees1

Can you tell a big difference in sound with and without this gard?

ABSOLUTELY!!! I have a gard on my Rigel A, and I took it off to answer that question for a local player. I haven't played with the gard off my mando since I got it years ago. I was surprised myself to be reminded of the huge difference. Not only is the volume much better, I find that (for my ears at least) the tone is much fuller.

**Michael Gowell** · Feb-09-2010, 8:32am

I agree...for me, the tone-gard advantages are -

- isolating the mando from any muffling effect caused by vibration-damping contact with the human body.

{note: in Gibson's 1903 catalog they advised "The Gibson mandolin should be held at no more than 3 points of contact...leaving the sounding board and back board, which are carefully graduated, free for vibration." So, an early realization of the problem.}

- a TG protects most of the back against accidental whacks and regular shirt button hazards. Any slight pad marks on the rim are a small trade-off for this.

- the weight of a tone-gard will improve the peghead-heavy balance of F models.

I'm a convert. I resisted the idea of accessories for my mandolins for years, but a recent lesson convinced me to change my posture and my pick and to add a tone-gard and armrest. Each of these elements helped solve a particular personal playing problem and they are working together for and with me - I'm happy.

And I appreciate the recent refinement of the TG's round wire changed to flat. Always good to see a smart, active little American company.

**SternART** · Feb-09-2010, 10:03am

What the man from Maine said!
Buy one Yankees1 and you'll see.....

**MikeEdgerton** · Feb-09-2010, 10:06am

Will it leave a mark? Maybe. Mine has on my Gibson. Will those marks be worse than what your belt buckle or shirt buttons will put on there, probably not. Can you tell the difference in the sound? Yes. I'm a Tonegard fan.

**yankees1** · Feb-09-2010, 10:12am

Thanks for replies! Next question! Anyone out there have the F style Eastman (915) with the rectangular case ? Tonegard was not sure if this combo would fit in case or not. Not so much from lid closing but on sides where the gard makes contact to mando.

**mandroid** · Feb-09-2010, 12:56pm

will the side padding give way to put 3 pencils in along side your mandolin?
one in-between body and padded case lining on each of the sides ,
and one on the end, that's about the diameter of the soft rubber tubing pads..

**Dave Schimming** · Feb-09-2010, 6:34pm

Regarding the case fit - I have a TKL case for my Summit F, no problems with the sides but too much pressure on the bridge from the top (forced the bridge to lean forward). I am sure every case & mando combination is different but you might want to check it out. One other small item, paint popped off where I needed to bend the frame to better fit the mando. Still, no regrets regarding my purchase of the Tone Gard as it has improved the sound and volume.

**Mike Snyder** · Feb-09-2010, 6:54pm

I get the heebie-geebies every time I see a photo of Mike Compton playing those Gils with overalls on. Those most recent pics are Carharts, and those will carve up the back of a mando real quick.
I wear bibbers, too, but my tone thingy keeps the metal off the wood. Mine is not a Tony P. gard, and is welded of stainless steel, which I really like. No paint to chip. I never take mine off, it lives in the case, and has deeply indented it's shape into the vellux.

**Curt Palm** · Feb-09-2010, 7:12pm

I've got an Eastman 815V and the standard Eastman rectangular case. I keep the tone gard on all the time. Its a tight fit into the case but I keep my strap on also, so the tightness is more from the leather at the strap button than from the tone gard.

As far as marking, I haven't had a problem with the tone gard marking either the varnish finish Eastman I have now or the other standard finished Eastman I used to have. One time, though, I started drooling while I was playing (I don't know why) and I had a black mark on the back of the mando where the tone-gard pads touch the back. But it washed right off.

The tone gard helps the tone of the f-holed Eastmans, but it didn't do anything for the oval hole 814 I used to own.

**chip** · Feb-09-2010, 7:36pm

Danny Roberts has one on his 22 Loar so that's good enough for me...

**mandroid** · Feb-09-2010, 7:50pm

Probably, Only an issue when the varnish is very young and un cured.

**GRW3** · Feb-10-2010, 11:49am

Mine stays on my Weber full time. The Weber case has an arch sufficient to clear the bridge even with it on.

**yankees1** · Feb-11-2010, 7:03pm

Originally Posted by mandroid

Probably, Only an issue when the varnish is very young and un cured.

How long does it take for varnish to cure?

**mandroid** · Feb-11-2010, 7:28pm

How old is yours?

**yankees1** · Feb-11-2010, 8:02pm

Originally Posted by mandroid

How old is yours?

About two months old but I don't know the build date.

**PJ Doland** · Feb-11-2010, 8:16pm

My tone guard leaves black grease marks on my satin-finished Breedlove KF, but they always wipe right off with no problem.

**Salty Dog** · Feb-14-2010, 11:45pm

I have a ToneGard that I have tried to use several times - I find it uncomfortable and it leaves marks on my belly rather than the mandolin! I see a lot of talented players out there getting tons of volume without one. I really think it is a matter of avoiding "hugging" the mandolin to one's body which suppresses the mandolin back. I find that allowing the mandolin to face toward my right side (I am right handed) and, holding it to my right side, relieves that pressure on the mandolin back and allows the good volume. I believe that is why WSM put the strap across his right shoulder rather than across his body as it tends to point the mandolin in that direction and take it off the body (check videos of him playing). It takes a bit more positioning of the mandolin if you put the strap across your body (as I do) - you have to stand somewhat at a right angle to the face of the mandolin.

**woodwizard** · Feb-15-2010, 12:27am

I'm a toneguard fan and one has been on my Goldrush sense it was new in 06. Occassionally I'll take it off for a good cleaning and so far no damage or marks that didn't clean off but if there were I'm also a believer that the trade off is worth it. Don't have one on my A4 tho... I think the A4 is wider across the body. I know it won't fit in a travelite case. Do they make a tone guard for the vintage A's?