I’ve had one on my KM 1500 for years — no marks at all on the finish. Does what it says..
I’ve had one on my KM 1500 for years — no marks at all on the finish. Does what it says..
Also, just watched Mandolin Mondays #159, and David has one on his Apitius. (Also on his mandolin.)
BYW, he compares three D’Add. string types on this session. As usual, I couldn’t hear any difference, but he describes the differences he hears.
Though my mandolin did cost much more than my guitar, it is significantly smaller. Now, with the Tone Gard, at least the weight comes a little closer.
Yes, that correlates nicely.
Yep. Totally works but much more so on my f5 compared to my a5. With the f I can clearly demonstrate the difference not only to myself but everyone else that's listening. I showed it to my cynical band mates and they stopped being cynical.
One other thing it does... I don't get a mandolin sized sweat patch on my shirt at hot gigs...
I have a case that fits it on. It's a cheap as chips case from hobgoblin (UK music store). I'll see if I can find out for those curious.
My name is Rob, and I am Lord of All Badgers
Tenor Guitars: Acoustic: Mcilroy ASP10T, ‘59 Martin 0-18t. Electric: ‘57 Gibson ETG-150, ‘80s Manson Kestrel
Mandolins: Davidson f5, A5 "Badgerlin".
Bouzouki: Paul Shippey Axe
My band's website
Ok, new member to the forum and new to the Mandolin, having bought a Loar LM 310F back in October ...after much consideration and reading online reviews I purchased a ToneGard. As a matter of fact, Just arrived in the mail today! But I have high hopes that it will work for me as it was designed, so time will tell.
Mine stays on the mando when it’s in the Superior case. Snug fit, but no problem really.
Seems Reischman changed gard, or maybe just the tubing. Looks like the modern silicone tubing in this recent video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0fmT-KOd7w
"quote: Thanks for this info! I always wondered why the tonegard on Reischman's mandolin had black rubber instead of the clear tubing I have on my 3. You can see it clearly at about 1.30 on this video:
https://youtu.be/AvB2PxEsGbM
In my humble opinion, assuming your mandolin is properly set up, a tonegard is the best $75 you can spend on it. Plus Tony is an absolute gentleman; fantastic customer service."
Last edited by seankeegan; Jan-18-2019 at 5:09am. Reason: messed up quote
I've been musing about this for quite some time, so I'll bring it up here...
I think there is an additional tone effect to the ToneGard that we usually don't discuss, just as there is a tone effect for an F-style vs. an A-style. or really for anything else that you attach to a mandolin (or any other instrument)... That being added mass.
We usually talk about the size of the vibrating soundboard surface related to sound, but we almost never approach the subject of mass. It does have an effect on tone and volume. Whether that effect is desirable or not is pretty subjective, but the effect is there.
Most people estimate that the human ear cannot discern less than a 10% difference in sound. Perhaps that's the reason mass isn't usually discussed, or maybe it's just too hard to quantify. But as a part of the total instrument, mass differences in similar instruments do have to have some effect on sound.
-- Don
"Music: A minor auditory irritation occasionally characterized as pleasant."
"It is a lot more fun to make music than it is to argue about it."
2002 Gibson F-9
2016 MK LFSTB
1975 Suzuki taterbug (plus many other noisemakers)
[About how I tune my mandolins]
[Our recent arrival]
yep brings out more bass & mid in my f5
My name is Rob, and I am Lord of All Badgers
Tenor Guitars: Acoustic: Mcilroy ASP10T, ‘59 Martin 0-18t. Electric: ‘57 Gibson ETG-150, ‘80s Manson Kestrel
Mandolins: Davidson f5, A5 "Badgerlin".
Bouzouki: Paul Shippey Axe
My band's website
Much has already been said about Tone Gards. But, I'll chime in anyway. I have had several Tone Gards on mandolins I have had -- both F and A models. It has always made a difference. I have to say, though, that I have not seen a more dramatic difference than when I just put a Rigel Gard on my recently purchased Rigel G5. It took a Wow! sounding mandolin to a WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! sounding mandolin. I won't leave home without it.
First I've heard of this and I'm inclined to try it.
As a drummer since 1966, this discussion is reminiscent of drummers on isolation mounts and feet. I have isolation feet on all my floor toms and it makes a big difference on most. Isolation mounts have become ubiquitous to the point where every manufacturer has their own copy of the original product. Some work and some don't, some bad copies even choke the shells and decrease resonance. And some drums just don't have much resonance to begin with so using them doesn't matter.
The discussion about what the player hears is also very pertinent, especially as bands with drummers tend to be loud. In my case I've been playing with small "acoustic" groups and am pleased that better, more complex tone reaches the audience. But in every case some nuance is lost to the audience unless you are close to them in a space with excellent acoustics.
There is a similar discussion amongst audiophiles regarding turntable isolation feet, record "clamps", and something called a sandbox....
All these doodads have their fans who swear by them......and that's great! As I have stated before, my only real objection is that someone designs a state of the art $megadollar$ turntable (or builds a beautiful mandolin...) and then some sharpie on the sidelines wants a piece of the market and makes up some goofy add-on gadget........
David Hopkins
2001 Gibson F-5L mandolin
Breedlove Legacy FF mandolin; Breedlove Quartz FF mandolin
Gibson F-4 mandolin (1916); Blevins f-style Octave mandolin, 2018
McCormick Oval Sound Hole "Reinhardt" Mandolin
McCormick Solid Body F-Style Electric Mandolin; Slingerland Songster Guitar (c. 1939)
The older I get, the less tolerant I am of political correctness, incompetence and stupidity.
Over 200 posts and we've arrived at a definitive answer.
So go buy one and try it. If you don't like it, sell it for a ten dollar loss and move on. Then do the same with a BC pick. Cheap entertainment.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
I'd love to see a Tone-Gard armrest combo.
Hmmm. Added mass.
Just kidding too.
-- Don
"Music: A minor auditory irritation occasionally characterized as pleasant."
"It is a lot more fun to make music than it is to argue about it."
2002 Gibson F-9
2016 MK LFSTB
1975 Suzuki taterbug (plus many other noisemakers)
[About how I tune my mandolins]
[Our recent arrival]
One of the toneguard pads will likely need to be sliced off. You can glue it back from the armrest hardware, but the armrest hardware will protect the mandolin so there is no need.
Armrest brackets built into a toneguard would be nifty, but then you have no adjustment if you like your armrest one way or the other.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
Neither of the Tonegards (one Standard Deco, one Vintage Sunrise) on the two of my mandolins that have them needed to be modified in any way to attach the McClung armrests they both also have. On the Standard model I could see where there could have been some trouble, but the edge of the TG doesn't extend all the way to the rim so the pad is alongside the clamp but doesn't interfere.
If there had been a conflict where the clamp is underneath the TG, I could have rotated the TG quite a few degrees in either direction to move the pad to one side of the clamp. YMMV.
C.
Northfield F5S Amber #347 - 'Squeeze'
Mann EM-5 Hollow Body - Gimme Moore
Kentucky KM-270 - Not just for whisky
Flatiron 1N Pancake - Not just for breakfast
Epiphone Mandobird IV - Djangly
Cozart 8-string e-mando - El Ch(e)apo
Lanikai LB6-S Banjolele (tuned GDAE) - Plinky and the Brane
-- Don
"Music: A minor auditory irritation occasionally characterized as pleasant."
"It is a lot more fun to make music than it is to argue about it."
2002 Gibson F-9
2016 MK LFSTB
1975 Suzuki taterbug (plus many other noisemakers)
[About how I tune my mandolins]
[Our recent arrival]
Tone Guard? Is that like a chastity belt for a mandolin. You can see it, but can't touch or feel it. It will "protect your back from belt rash" and when you sell you can advertise as pristine and untouched by any human.
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