doo-dads

**NG53** · Jun-25-2012, 5:47am

Well done Bill

It is great to get rid of unnecessary accessories. For me, the pleasure of mandolin playing, like Bill says, is to have a close connection with one's instrument. I like to keep my mandolins light and close so no accoutrements for me either. With an F-style mandolin one can rest part of it comfortably on the right leg when sitting down and have it so that the back is resting lightly on one's torso.

Nic

**Richard Moore** · Jun-25-2012, 5:53am

Doo-dad free zone here too... I enjoy the contact with my instruments and they are made to be played and enjoyed.

**Bertram Henze** · Jun-25-2012, 6:20am

I never understood what these toneguards were intended for anyway...

**Bertram Henze** · Jun-25-2012, 6:35am

Originally Posted by Santiago

I don't think the arm rest is for my benefit, but to protect the instrument from my sweat.

It took me decades to understand why some violinists have a large white cloth on their instrument. And even today I'll say that if an instrument can't stand the player, there's a basic design flaw hidden somewhere.

**billkilpatrick** · Jun-25-2012, 7:24am

Originally Posted by Bertram Henze

I never understood what these toneguards were intended for anyway...

bernard - i'm talking mandolin - what you've got there is mandon'tgoin ...

it wasn't my intention to slag-off either tone guard or arm rest - they're both jolly good products. if you're into micro-maintenance on your mandolin, they're probably just what the doctor ordered. it's just that i was surprised - i'd forgotten - how nice mine sounded, even without these accoutrement.

**Jim Garber** · Jun-25-2012, 7:46am

Toneguards or the equivalent go back a ways. Here is one from about 120 years ago. Check out this Romito and Carbone mandolin.

The alumium bars around back were to hold the mandolin away from the player's body, in theory, this would increase the resonance.

BTW that mandolin also has soundports.

**F-2 Dave** · Jun-25-2012, 7:54am

Wow Jim. It's amazing how much that thing resembles Bertram's contraption.

**Bertram Henze** · Jun-25-2012, 7:57am

Originally Posted by billkilpatrick

bernard - i'm talking mandolin - what you've got there is mandon'tgoin ...

Originally Posted by Jim Garber

Toneguards or the equivalent go back a ways. Here is one from about 120 years ago.

Bill, you must admit they look suspiciously similar ...

**Jim Garber** · Jun-25-2012, 8:04am

Hah! Very true! Great minds run in the same gutter.

**Randi Gormley** · Jun-25-2012, 10:09am

You guys do know that the key to the device was in the user's hand? it prevented unwanted botheration during war and stuff ... or so I've heard.

I'll admit to a tuner on the headstock, but not most of the rest. I had a friend suggest I take the pick guard off my one constantly used instrument to open up the sound (I float my wrist so it doesn't protect the top) but I haven't done so because I like the way it looks. Some of the doo dads are on for the look of the thing, I'm thinkin'

**Brutus1999** · Jun-25-2012, 11:36am

I took the strings off my mandolin and I immediately noticed that the buzzing from the strings disappeared! I'm thinking that if I take the top off, it will be A LOT lighter as well!

**hedgehog** · Jun-25-2012, 12:49pm

But if you took the strings of wouldn't it more or less be a drum and we all know a drum doesn't belong in Bluegrass

(Yes, I know there is lots of music that isn't Bluegrass, I'm reaching for a joke folks a joke!).

Unfortunately strings are sorta a requirement to make a Mandolin a mandlin, the other junk.... Doo-Dads aren't. I do admit to using a small shock cord as a string dampener, no leather shoelaces were available at the time.

**AlanN** · Jun-25-2012, 1:26pm

Tone guard: nope
Arm guard: nope
pick guard: nope

Right Guard: check!

**Ivan Kelsall** · Jun-26-2012, 2:45am

The one thing that i enjoy as much as anything when playing my instruments,is to feel the instrument resonating against me. Even my heavyweight banjo resonates.I can feel the string vibrations in the neck. My mandolins resonate even more so,it's great to feel them respond to my picking.I just can't see me ever placing a barrier between me & the instrument,
Ivan

**Mike Snyder** · Jun-26-2012, 5:08am

"You can have my tuner and tone gard when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers."- "Stumpy" Snyder
"Tune it or die!"- F.W.Nietzsche
"What, me worry?"- A.E.Newman
"I yam what I yam." Popeye T. Sailorman

**M.Marmot** · Jun-26-2012, 6:46am

Originally Posted by billkilpatrick

being a sociable cove

'Cove' - nice, have'nt seen that word used in quite some time... outside of it's other maritime context that is.

**hank** · Jun-26-2012, 6:50am

I wonder if you can get one of those war party preventers in a sunrise pattern with a little more padding.

**Dobe** · Jun-26-2012, 1:16pm

[QUOTE=AlanN;1064647]
Tone guard: nope - never liked the feel of em. OP is right- feel it - GET IN MY BELLY !
Arm guard: nope
pick guard: YEP (I see em' more as a finger rest)
Right Guard: NOPE

**Marty Henrickson** · Jun-28-2012, 2:24am

Originally Posted by Ivan Kelsall

The one thing that i enjoy as much as anything when playing my instruments,is to feel the instrument resonating against me. Even my heavyweight banjo resonates.I can feel the string vibrations in the neck. My mandolins resonate even more so,it's great to feel them respond to my picking.I just can't see me ever placing a barrier between me & the instrument,
Ivan

Is that your neck or the banjo's neck, Ivan?

But seriously, if you do feel your banjo's neck vibrating, it is about to explode, so you should immediately throw it in the nearest large body of water!

Back on topic, I can feel the backs of my mando's vibrating when I play, and I like it. But I do try to angle the mandolin's back away from my ever-expanding belly to increase its volume when the occasion warrants.

**Bertram Henze** · Jun-28-2012, 3:08am

Originally Posted by Marty Henrickson

But seriously, if you do feel your banjo's neck vibrating, it is about to explode, so you should immediately throw it in the nearest large body of water!

Dynamite fishing is illegal in the UK.

**Ivan Kelsall** · Jun-28-2012, 5:36am

Shame on you Marty !.

I've always thought that having the instrument vibrate in such a manner,means that everything's working together & no part of the instrument is isolated from another - that's what we want isn't it ?. 'Not' feeling the resonance would be a bit like driving a car without being able to hear the engine revs.,
Ivan

**Marty Henrickson** · Jun-28-2012, 12:23pm

Originally Posted by Ivan Kelsall

Shame on you Marty !.

I've always thought that having the instrument vibrate in such a manner,means that everything's working together & no part of the instrument is isolated from another - that's what we want isn't it ?. 'Not' feeling the resonance would be a bit like driving a car without being able to hear the engine revs.,
Ivan

Sorry, Ivan, I just can't resist banjo jokes...

By the way, there is an excellent article on "new/old" banjo builder Kevin Enoch in the latest Fretboard Journal, which I received in the mail yesterday. (MC - also a picture of Chris Hillman's '24 Loar in there [no tone-gard])