Tone Gard in Case and Bridge Pressure

[Stevo75]

I just got a tone gard and would like to keep it on all the time. It fits fine in my case, but because the tone gard adds a gap of about 3/4 inch or so on the back of the mandolin, it sits a little high in the case. There is plenty of padding on the top and bottom of the case, and I think the tone gard will pack it down on the bottom and the bridge will pack it down on the top, but I'm concerned I might be adding extra pressure on the bridge and top of the madolin by doing that.

Anyone have any experience with this? I know a lot of folks with tone gards keep them on in the case, and this case seems to be deeper than average, but it's still not a perfect fit and I don't want to affect the top of the mandolin.

[Northwest Steve]

I recently got a tone-gard for my Kentucky 1050. it fits well but does not add 3/4" (1/1" or a little less. Are you sure you have it seated properly or doe it fit your mandolin well? Mine fits my 1050 a Flatiron Festival F but is tight and does not seat all the way on a Flatiron Performer A.

[Stevo75]

It looks like it's properly seated but I don't know what is normal as this is my first tone gard. I just measured and it sticks out about 1/2" on the back. Here are some pics...

143517 143516 143518

[samlyman]

Try this... place a piece of paper over your bridge and close the case. Can you see imprints of the strings on the paper? Tissue paper also works well for this.

I have left the TG on in a Calton, Hoffee and Collings TKL and all were fine. That being said, I have an older tone gard that might be a little lower profile that the newer ones.

[nordian]

I leave mine on all the mandolins that I have in the cases that they came in and have never seen any evidence of damage. The only one that I had to put in a different case than it came in was the MK Dragonfly. It now resides in a travelite. The Loar, JBovier, and Kentucky 1500 all wear their TGs in the cases they came in.

[Canoedad]

Would it be a reasonable approach to the question to ask if the mando is capable of handling J75s, then compare the pressure difference between J74s and J75s and make an informed estimate about the resistance of your foam? I'm sort of asking the experts here.

[fatt-dad]

I leave the tone gard on my A3 in the original Gibson case.

f-d

[Pick&Grin]

I take the tone guard of my Collings MTO when it's in its TLK case; those TKL cases are really tight!

[sgarrity]

The simple solution is don't use a tone guard. I've never been a fan.