Phoebe, my 2021 Collings MT mandolin
Dolly, my 2021 Ibanez M522 mandolin
Louise, my 193x SS Maxwell mandolin
Fiona, My 2021 GSM guitar-bodied octave resonator mandolin
Charlotte, my 2016 Eastman MDO 305 octave mandolin
And Giuliana, my 2002 Hans Schuster 505 violin, Nehenehe, my 2021 Aklot concert ukulele,
Annie, my 2022 Guild M-140 guitar, Joni, my 1963 Harmony 1215 Archtone archtop guitar,
Yoko, my ca. 1963 Yamaha Dynamic No.15 guitar, and Rich, my 1959 husband.
I think it's pretty chaotic at the moment. I've had 3 deliveries from EU recently (all under £135), no duty or extras to pay. Two of them specified that on the order webpage, so maybe they included it somehow. My son had an order from Stewart-MacDonald in USA (again under £135), again no duty or duty collection charge. He sold 2 x something small in the same parcel for £25 to a guy in Belgium, the postal service there stung the customer for duty + 2 x collection charge.
I love the Tone Gard so much I got one for each Mandolin! IMO They are as important as a chin rest on a violin.
BILLY
Billy Packard
Gilchrist A3, 1993
Weber Fern, 2007
Stiver Fern, 1990
Gibson 1923 A2
Gibson 1921 H1 Mandola
Numerous wonderful guitars
I forget my tone guard is on until I read a thread on the cafe that mentions them. It's been a permanent fixture on my collings mf for as long as I can remember
Can’t remember exactly where I read it but I believe that our wonderful government is expecting foreign firms to register for, collect and pay over UK VAT on “low value” transactions. I seem to remember that the figure was “below £135”.
My first reaction was that pigs might also learn to fly but, since then, I suspect that some firms are likely to suffer such a loss in trade (e.g. Thoman) that they might actually do it.
Thomann practise for Uk and Switzerland is here:
https://www.thomann.de/gb/faq_questi...countries.html
The problem there is that UPS add 2.5pc for collecting Customs charges, plus a minimum of £11.50 delivery. I used to use Musiekhauss Thomann a lot, but the UK discounters like Andertons, GAK, etc are now often cheaper, and their service is very similar. Also, some things are cheaper bought from USA even with carriage and tax - dunno about now, but I played cello until about 5 years ago, and it ws cheaper to buy high quality EU made cello strings from a store in NYC and pay tax than it was from UK or Germany - and sometimes the small packet escaped all duty anyway. It's always worth checking out, with GBPUSD exchange rates changing a lot recently.
Thanks, the Thoman link explains what I thought was the case (goods up to £135) but that’s not where I read it!
I don’t mind paying the taxes - you either pay them at source or prior to delivery - it’s the delivery firms opacity and trying at all costs to make any form of direct contact difficult, which I find annoying.
As Maxr says, the tongardis intended to improve the sound of an instrument by allowing whatever is intended to vibrate, vibrate. What I have often puzzled over is why someone might want to encase their instrument in a heavy leather sheath (i.e. a certain Mr Presley; but I’ve never liked his music anyway.)
I just received my Tone-Gard in UK, ordered from Elderly Instruments on 19th Feb. $85 USD, no additional taxes or costs added on delivery. It fits very well on my Eastman 305, which also has an arm rest fitted. They don't conflict. You wouldn't really know it was on there unless you play with a very thin or no shirt (not really UK style in early March), except the mandolin sounds better.
tuhker, PM me if you want to sell yours- RR
Tg does indeed help with tone and projection when standing. My only gripe is the way my mandolin feels with the Tg attached. Body heavy or bottom heavy. Without the Tg the instrument feels balanced. Subjective I know however that’s the only way to depict what I’m trying to say.
J.Lane Pryce
(at the risk of repeating myself...) I would like to congratulate Tone Gard for establishing a customer loyalty that most businesses only dream about! Reminds me of my late father and how much he liked Buick automobiles. And maybe second only to Blue Chip picks.......although it surprised me how many people "jumped ship" when Thile got a new endorsement........
I agree with Rob Roy -- why would something as nice as an Ellis require any type of accessory not designed by Ellis?
I have come to the conclusion that many mandolin players simply like accessories attached to their instruments, as opposed to having a stock instrument. That includes Tone Gards, armrests, peghead tuners being "worn" when not tuning, same with capos (capoes?), those little rubber washer thingies between the bridge and tailpiece and probably some others I am missing. I will grant that a strap is sometimes necessary.......
I've related this to a certain "way of thinking" that appeals to some and not to others. For example, some men like power washers and some (like me) simply get a bucket of soapy water, a sponge, and a ladder to clean my siding. My neighbor has a high-powered (and thus, noisy) leaf blower that he loves and he blows his leaves into my yard, the neighbor on the other side, and the street -- his yard looks great, but it makes work for me. Instead of a leaf blower, I use a rake and bag my leaves, like a normal person. He also creates a dust bowl effect that clings to my porch and requires me to clean it more than I should need to, IMHO. Again, the soapy water and a sponge.......
What is right? I don't know. What is logical? I thought I knew, but nice and reasonable people seem to disagree. So, I guess we will continue the Tone Gard debate!
I recently added one to my Northfield F5. I actually really like the weight. It seems to provide a nice balance to the instrument, counteracting the weight of the headstock. I also find it stays in place in my lap much easier, allowing me to ditch my strap.
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