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Thread: Another Tone Guard question

  1. #1
    Registered User Charlie Bernstein's Avatar
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    Default Another Tone Guard question

    How easy are they to take on and off? Is it practical to put them on and take them off everytime your mando goes in and out of its case?

    (Or do they fit in most cases so you don't have to take them off?)
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  2. #2
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Another Tone Guard question

    Mine fits nicely on my mandolin in its TKL case. I can’t imagine that it adds more than 1/4” to the depth of the mandolin.
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  4. #3
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    Default Re: Another Tone Guard question

    I think it’s a case of suck it and see. I have a couple of Kimbles - one in an Ameritage and the other in a Custom made (UK) Calton - and they fit in the case. On the other hand, the one on my Collngs Mandola always stays in the case when I take the instrument out. I think Andy would advise that Tonegards are not supposed to be taken off and put back on on a regular basis.

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  6. #4
    Registered User mbruno's Avatar
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    Default Re: Another Tone Guard question

    you're not supposed to take them off too often as that could harm the finish since the "feet" that hold the mandolin have rubber on them. I generally leave mine on all the time and only take it off when I'm cleaning the mandolin as needed. It's fit in TKL cases and my Alpine backpack case without issues. I haven't tried the higher end cases, but I assume they'd fit there too since ToneGards are really popular
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  8. #5

    Default Re: Another Tone Guard question

    Mine fits in my Northfield recurve case. As I recall they don't want you to remove it often because it may wind up with a loose fit. If that does occur you can carefully bend the arms that grasp the mandolin body, back to a tighter fit

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  10. #6

    Default Re: Another Tone Guard question

    I have Tone Guards on both my Collings F-style and A-style mandolins. The Guards fit easily on both and I have never removed them for the reasons discussed in this thread. The Guards fit easily in my two Crossrock cases and my Calton case.

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  12. #7
    Lurkist dhergert's Avatar
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    Default Re: Another Tone Guard question

    I have ToneGards on my F-9 in its Gator ABS case and my MK F in my F-9's original TKL case. Both instruments also have full pickguards and Cumberland armrests; those accessories also make a case tighter.

    With the F-9 in the Gator ABS I painstakingly compressed the styrofoam using the head of a hammer in the palm of my hand, pressing firmly against the bottom of the case below the ToneGard and against the top of the case above the bridge, tailpiece, armrest and pickguard to make sure there is no undue pressure when the case is closed. The styrofoam compresses permanently and maintains a good custom shape. The process can be tested with a sheet of aluminum foil while making the fit.

    The MK in the TKL actually fit well as-is which is good because the padding there would be difficult to shape.
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  14. #8
    small instrument, big fun Dan in NH's Avatar
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    Default Re: Another Tone Guard question

    Very easy to take off and put back on.

    I keep mine on my mando when I put it back in its gig bag, along with the arm rest, strap, and clip on tuner.

    Some hard cases are very form fitting. You probably couldn’t leave a strap or Tone-Gard on the mandolin in one of those cases.

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  16. #9

    Default Re: Another Tone Guard question

    Quote Originally Posted by dherg.ert View Post
    With the F-9 in the Gator ABS I painstakingly compressed the styrofoam using the head of a hammer in the palm of my hand, pressing firmly against the bottom of the case
    Don,

    You made me recall a humorous memory of one of my former music store employer's behavior. As you can imagine, cases, especially original hardshell cases are the curse of the vintage guitar business. And, in some cases (pun intended) or lack thereof can be a deal breaker for a sale. The store where I worked had a huge basement with 200+ cases properly stored on shelves and above the ground. OK, the guitars that came with an original case, got labeled as such and were left alone, waiting for a sale. The other "orphan" cases were perfectly good cases that somehow got separated from the instrument they came with, for some reason. Compounded by the fact that many used/vintage guitars are purchased without a case. ANYWAY, more than once I told a potential customer, "no, that one doesn't have a case," which my boss took as his cue to jump up and say, "let me take it downstairs and see if we happen to have a "nice hardshell" that will fit it." Often, he would find something that worked fine "without modification" BUT OTHER TIMES, he told me he used the heel of his boot to compress the styrofoam to make something fit. Keep in mind, he was somewhat impatient personality wise, so this whole process took 30 or 40 seconds, at most. (By accident I witnessed him doing this more than once and it wasn't a pretty sight!) Then, of course coming upstairs and saying, "we got lucky -- found a nice case that fit "perfectly!" -- the customer completing the purchase.

    Like they say, you don't want to know what goes on in the back room. Or, as another employer once told me, "the vintage business is selling the illusion of quality!"

    YMMV.

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  18. #10
    Lurkist dhergert's Avatar
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    Default Re: Another Tone Guard question

    Yup, thank you for sharing the memories... I too worked in music stores way back when, teaching banjo and doing setups and minor instrument repairs. And yes, there's a lot of deception, both gentle and severe, that happens in some retail music channels. There are some memories I look forward to losing .
    -- 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]

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  20. #11
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Question Re: Another Tone Guard question

    A4 '22 OHC no problem F5 Pegasus case also no problem.


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  22. #12

    Default Re: Another Tone Guard question

    My Morris F5 with tonegard fits great in my Crossrock fiberglass F style case.

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  24. #13
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Another Tone Guard question

    Quote Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein View Post
    How easy are they to take on and off? Is it practical to put them on and take them off everytime your mando goes in and out of its case?

    (Or do they fit in most cases so you don't have to take them off?)
    I have two mandolins outfitted with Tone Guards. I leave them on all the time. They are, for all intents and purposes, part of the mandolin.

    I keep both these mandolins in soft cases - (Reunion Blues Continentals), so there were no case issues anyway. I had put these particular mandolins in soft cases because the original cases, or cases I got them in, were IMO insufficient for their care anyway. Nothing to do with my future decision to get tone gards for them.
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  26. #14
    Registered User Russ Donahue's Avatar
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    Default Re: Another Tone Guard question

    Agree with the group. Tone Guards stay on. I use both Bobelock and Recurve cases. No prob. Like anything, carefully and gently does it - especially when it comes to a musical instrument.
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  27. #15
    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Another Tone Guard question

    When I had the Northfield with a Tone Guard, it fit easily in both the regular Recurve and the older style Airloom Deluxe cases. Also fit in a Travelite.

    My Brentrup with Tone Guard fits just fine in the Hoffee case.
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  28. #16

    Default Re: Another Tone Guard question

    Best to NOT take it on and off. It fits close to (my 1917 Gibson A) mandolin.

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  29. #17

    Default Re: Another Tone Guard question-

    Not sure how to delete -- someone smarter than me can delete this!
    Last edited by Alan Spector; Oct-23-2022 at 10:28am. Reason: Wrong forum

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