Does This CRAZY Mandolin Accessory ACTUALLY Work???
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 4 июл 2024
- Making this Tone-Gard comparison video was an eye opening experience for me. Take a listen and see what you think. Does this thing really makes a noticeable difference?
✅ Subscribe for even more mandolin videos and lessons - ruclips.net/user/DavidBen...
🚀 Support my Patreon Page for tons of exclusive mandolin goodies like, pdf transcriptions, bonus lessons, and more - / davidbenedictmandolin
WATCH NEXT:
🎵 7 ACCESSORIES you NEED for the Mandolin! - • 7 ACCESSORIES you NEED...
🎬 Mandolin Gear and Tech Playlist - • Mandolin Gear and Tech
MY WEAPONS OF CHOICE:
🤡 Golden Gate 1.3mm X-Stiff Triangle Clown Barf Pick - amzn.to/3h2Mud3
🧶 D’Addario XTCM Strings - amzn.to/35iwyAt
🐟 D’Addario Micro Tuner - amzn.to/3InvSII
🧣 D'Addario Microfiber Cloth - amzn.to/35mHcqg
💪 Dan Voight Arm Rest - voightmandolins.com/get-a-quote
🛡️ Mandolin Tone-Gard - www.tone-gard.com/
🎸 My Apitius Vanguard F5 Mandolin - www.apitiusmandolins.com/Model...
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:
🎥 Check out my weekly video series #mandolinmondays - • Mandolin Mondays
🎙 Give a listen to my recorded work on Spotify - open.spotify.com/artist/6kjiO...
MY BANDS:
☕ Cup O’Joe - www.cupojoemusic.com/
🚢 The Foreign Landers - www.theforeignlanders.com/
LET’S BE FRIENDS:
💌 Sign up for my email newsletter - mailchi.mp/7d8a93a927a3/youtu...
🌍 My website - davidbenedictmandolin.com/
📚 Facebook - / davidbenedictmandolin
📸 Instagram - / davidbenedictmandolin
⏱ TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@davidbenedict...
ABOUT ME:
My name is David, and I play the mandolin. I've played with multiple award-winning bluegrass bands across the world including Missy Raines, Mile Twelve, Cup O’Joe, and The Foreign Landers, and I curate the weekly mandolin video series #mandolinmondays hosted by the Mandolin Cafe. But most of all, I love sharing my love of the mandolin with others. I run an online mandolin learning community on Patreon, and I also make videos to share my thoughts, ideas, and general mandolin enthusiasm with other mando aficionados. Find out more at the links below:
🌍 My website - davidbenedictmandolin.com/
🚀 My Patreon Page - / davidbenedictmandolin
*Just a little disclaimer that I’m endorsed by some of the companies represented here, and a few of my "weapon of choice" links above are affiliate links that bring in a small percentage of revenue for the channel. 
Видеоклипы
If you're curious, I made sure to press the back of the mandolin flush against my body while playing all of the tests without the tone-gard. Interesting results, right? What do you think?
Great test. I am a string player as well and I’ve been using the tone guard on my Eastman. I think the level of quality of the instrument also makes a big difference as to how effective the tonegaurd is. Your Mandolin is on a completely different level than my Eastman. The better the instrument the less need for the tone guard. I would recommend really doing a test with some of your budget friendly Mandolin using the tone guard putting it on a handmade $5000 plus instrument is marginal. Putting the tone guard on a sub $1000 instrument is in my humble opinion totally worth it.
I think standing while playing with or without would be a good test!
This was my immediate reaction as well. I would expect the results to be less noticeable when sitting when the mandolin body is supported on your lap, as opposed to playing while standing, when the back of the instrument is sort of clamped between your right arm and body. Round 2 of testing, perhaps?
i think your comment about the mid-range was spot on. When you were playing open strings, the difference was most noticeable on the D string, and slightly less on the A. I couldn't hear any difference in the G or E strings.
I was on the tonegard train for many years, from my eastman I started on, to the Ellis A5 I play now.
About a year ago, I decided that the Ellis just didn’t need it. I liked how it sounds without it, and I play in a couple groups where a little more low end isn’t necessary, as there is guitar and bass present filling those frequency ranges.
More than that, I like how it feels without the tonegard. I feel more connected to the instrument, and I can feel a little bit of the thwack in my gut.
Yes, tone-gard on my BRW FTMS for over 15 years now. I like the feel and it protects the wood on warm days. As for tone, yes for tremolo and open strumming projects more. Big chops maybe not so much, but it is more comfortable. Can't imagine it off now.
Also, the sound to my ear is quite a bit more full and clean with the tone guard in your video and in my personal experience as well. I’m no mandolin guru… but I’d say she’s more comfortable and sounds a bit deeper with the tone guard… so… worth it
Very interesting comparison, David...thanks for taking the time to do that. While you mention taking care to press the instrument against your body, I'm not sure that is the same as standing with the instrument against your body. As mentioned by a couple other posters, it might be interesting to do the same comparison while standing.
Have had it for several years! My Collings F-5 De Luxe and myself like it! Camp Tone-Gard!
Maybe try the test on a couple of lower end instruments to really hear how it might improve the sound. Yours is so balanced as it is but It seemed to me to be even more balanced in the mid ranges with the Tone-Gard. And it would certainly protect the beautiful back on your instrument.
I put one on my cheap Loar and it was dramatically louder. It may depend on how you hold the mandolin. If you don't press it against your chest tone guard won't make much difference.
If you are heavy, it's necessary. Maybe not necessary, but it absolutely helps. And you were mic'd or plugged in.
Really interesting to see this video. I have used a Tonegard ever since attending the Mandolin Symposium in 2015 and above all the issue of weight and balance that you mention at the end is the feature I perhaps appreciate most, and the fact that it protects the stunning back of my Ellis F5. I mostly sit when I play, so from a sound point of view I'm not convinced it makes a huge difference as the mandolin is not pressed up against my body. When I do stand I think it does make a difference, particularly volume wise. I like them!
I felt like the open chords had way more “whoosh” in them with the tone gard, I think it was more sustain. Like I was fully blown away. I also felt the same with the melody, not as pronounced but definitely a difference. Even if just having the thing on makes you more confident of a player it’s a worthwhile investment to me. Like you said, I feel more inspired in a way when I have mine on.
I can definitely hear a difference when I play and so can someone sitting in front of me. Going through a mic and recorded digitally and then played back on a computer through headphones is not going to give you the same experience as the sound going directly from the mando to your ears.
My ear isn't the best, but I felt the sound was more muted consistently without the toneguard. But regardless, it definitely protects the back!
If you had more of a built in mandolin mute (read: beer gut) like I do, I think the difference would be more noticable. 😂
Regardless of how I hold my mandolin, the back of it makes a lot of contact with my belly. The Tone-Gard fixes that and gives the mandolin a richer sound. For skinny guys like you, probably a less noticeable difference.
Either way, your new mandolin (and your playing) sounds amazing!
What a gorgeous back on your new Apitius. Geez. I would carry that to gigs in a feather bed. I use toneguards too. But Dang. What a beautiful mandolin.
Need to test against a portly body to dampen sound wihout and with it.
Definitely sounds about the same. The standing test would be a good idea
David: First of all, great video as usual. Through my observation, when you sit down to play the mandolin, there is an open space between your body and the instrument, so the back of the instrument is not entirely muted. However, when you stand up to play, this gap closes, and the mandolin is pressed tightly against your body. This is where the tone guard proves its value. In jam sessions, the tone guard really enhances the sound of my mandolin. Give it a try and see for yourself.
I’ve dabbled with placing a viola shoulder rest on the back of my mandolin to replicate this. I’ve mostly just found it locks the mandolin’s angle to the body, which is helpful as a beginner learning to aim for strings with a pick.
The chop chords sounded significantly brighter to me with the guard. I shall continue using mine
To my ears in your examples, the D and E strings benefit the most from the toneguard. Also, more "umpfff" when you chop chords. If the back was carved and tuned around D or E note, it's not surprising that those are the strings that resonate more with the toneguard.
I have the same style ToneGard on my Eastman 615 and there is a noticeable improvement in sound. Not huge but definite. Other benefits are protection of the back, better weight balancing and of course keeping it off the body.
Should use something that measures sound pressure loss
I may be one of the few that has a tone-gard on my guitar. Definitely no night and day difference, but at least it helps keep button and belt scratches off! 😂
I got a toneguard for my guitar that really improved my volume. I even had to turn the volume on my pre amp down. The guitar one is SO heavy though 😂
I use a tonegard and mainly only tell a difference while standing. I also like the extra width it give the mandolin since I’m a bigger guy with longer arms.
I love the Toneguard on my Silverangel.
More tone, more projection.
I love it, can hardly tell it is there when playing. In most of these tests, it does seem more balanced with it on. One issue with A/B tests is that it is hard to remember sounds to get an accurate comparison. It all becomes subjective at this point.
I’ve never tried one and always wondered about it. I notice a slight difference in sound strumming and picking none on chop notes though. I think the real difference would be if it feels better and makes you play better then maybe it’s worth a try. One thing when I play live is I tend to sweat a lot especially in the summer and sweat gets on the back of the mandolin, the tone guard may prevent the sweat from getting on the back. The front of the body will still get some from my right forearm. I’m interested in trying it, it can’t be that expensive.
Agree, there is a very small difference between the two. My normal bias is pro Tonegard. But I do wonder if it doesn't make that much of a difference in higher end instruments?
In each of the test, the Tone-Gard sound has more depth, but that sound is also filtered by the video to some slight degree. I would like to try one.
I did not read all of the comments. I don't believe it works BUT, I use it to keep the sweat off it. Summertime is just around the corner. I call it a "Sweat Guard".
So I have noticed that while I’m playing my mandolin, the sounds I hear are quite different than when I’m sitting next to someone else playing my mandolin, in fact I’m a bit astonished at times by the difference. Has anyone else ever noticed that? I think the tone guard makes the mandolin resonate more for me when I’m playing it and I believe I play better when the instrument sounds better.
I always thought the volume and tone increased for players who played their mando too close to their body, like a guitar player. Many early mandolin players played mandolins on their sides, away from their bodies, to project more sound. The tonegard sounds better for this reason if you are a player who holds the mandolin close to your body. When I play in a band standing, it helps me by an increase in tone and volume. At least, I think it does after this video. haha
Very cool comparison with a fine mandolin. With all the onboard accessories, how close in weight is it getting to a top-tension Gibson banjo? Last time I saw him recently, John Reischman's Exceptional Lloyd Loar is sporting a Tone-Gard. Some love them, some don't. I notice that you have always held your instrument close to your thorasic cavity thereby slightly muting the tone. Mr. California Bluegrass, David Dickey II showed me how to hold the mandolin "low and away", greatly improving the volume and tone. That is what the bottom point is for.. I know Mr. Monroe didn't do it that way, but he did hold it away, most likely for proximity to the microphone. Therefore, we must be wrong in some people's eyes!
To my ear, the differences are subtle. Another factor could be the quality of the mandolin. Would the tone guard make a bigger difference on a less expensive mandolin than it would on a higher end instrument, or vice-versa? What effect does the individual player and their skill level have? Perception of volume and tone can be very subjective.
I would test it standing up.
One of the questions here is:does it benefit a lower quality mandolin more than a high end mandolin? I didn’t hear a lot of difference here, but on my mid level Kentucky, it really seems to help it project a lot more. My higher quality LaPlant, not so much.
It certainly doesn’t make the mandolin sound worse, and with the other benefits (weight balance, back protection), why not. Another thing we can geek out on. 🙂
i have a toneguard on my eastman MD315 and it sound mutch better with. (+ of high mid)
For maximum Science™ you should have made this a blind A/B test. But I'm nitpicking :D This video is pretty much in line with my own observations, too: you get more low-mids to ring out in your tone and you can hear your own playing better, as the extra bit of spacing between your body and the instrument acts like a sound port, especially when playing standing up. Same amount of projection forward as without the accessory, but that extra bit that travels upward to your own ears is a real QOL improvement!
The biggest difference for me was when things were strummed. The open chords and the tremolo test produced a bit more roundness on the A and E strings and emphasised the lower strings when all strummed together. Otherwise, VERY little difference!
There are a bunch of other variables that haven't been tested: oval vs F hole, tonewood type (Adirondack vs Sitka for example), teardrop vs F shape, whether playing standing or sitting (leg contact is a variable). Overall, for me, the difference isn't worth the price.
With the tonegard on the lower strings seemed slightly more prominent to me. Almost like you are getting a shade more of that woody sound. 🤷🏼♂️ maybe I’m crazy? I’m always in search of lower resonance for my style of playing so maybe I’m biased? I’d be curious to hear different mandolins in this test as well as different players.
Can you test standing so it isolates the effect on the back? The fact that the sides are resting on your body might affect the result.
You need to do a blind abx test. Though admitting you can't tell a difference is at least somewhat honest.
I've got an oval hole Weber Bighorn and a stout (ahem!) abdomen. Love my TG, the volume is noticeably woofier than without it on.
Agree with the standing test suggestion. Also, with all that gear you have - it would seem easy enough to measure mechanically the volume & sustain...
I have used a tonegard for 20 years and tried it on a lot of different mandolins. Less expensive mandolins, especially sub $500 mandolins sound completely different with a tonegard. An Eastman 305 sounds a lot better with a tonegard. Also, oval hole mandolins sound very different with a tonegard. However, the higher the quality of the instrument, the less noticeable the difference, but the tonegard can protect the back from any scratches or dings which makes it well worth the price. I guess the real question is, does the tonegard restrict the sound in any way? I never found a mandolin that sounded worse with it on.
Makes a bigger difference when playing standing up in my experience.
I havent used many tone guards, but i do know that on cheaper mandolins Ive played, the sound seems so much worse when holding it close to your body and the volume almost doubles when holding it out. For a fine instrument such as yours, it may not make quite as big of a difference.
100% in the "with ToneGard" Camp.
One thing you didn't cover here the difference this device brings in a band performance or jam context. I believe that the ToneGard makes my mandolin (a Lawrence Smart F-5) more discernible to my ears in a bluegrass band context. I get a subtle but meaningful increase in volume, sustain and resonance when surrounded by a flat top, upright, banjo, dobro & fiddle.
I have great apprection for your skills and the interesting analysis here.
Thanks David!
Sitting down is not a good test. Most people tend to hug it much more closely when standing up that’s where the tone guard really shines.
No guard necessary for me. Practising more would mean more improvement ;-)
I still want to know how to play that backround track. I commented on a video where you played it on a Kimble mandolin. So what’s up breh?
I think the difference is well more pronounced with lower quality instruments.
I was given a Tone-Gard when I bought a new Gibson Master Model, so I gave it a try. I hated it. I hated the feel against my body and I greatly prefer to feel the wood. I didn't notice enough of a difference to make it worthwhile for me, so I sold the Tone-Gard and never looked back. My opinion at the time was that everybody is drinking the kool-aid. It's easy for the human brain to fool itself.
I think you're feeling a difference as you play because without the tone guard there's no air gap, so you're hearing it internally through your body up into your ears. With the tone guard, you're hearing more from the ear canal. So that might change the tone of what you are hearing.
I did notice some difference between the two, but it was very slight. Perhaps for a recording studio it would be more important.
At least to my ears on the 3 mandolins I've tried (1928 Gibson A2, 1993 Flatiron A5 Artist, Lawrence Smart asymmetrical 2-pointer) I can easily tell the difference. True, I haven't recorded them all in the way that you've done hear, but I can definitely hear more sustain, and I'm pretty sure I can feel air movement between my chest and the back of the mandolin when the tonegard is on. And the effect is more pronounced for the G and D strings... more study is needed!
If it's not that noticeable, then 75 dollars is probably a waste of money in these hard times of trouble, brother!
Dramatic increase in volume, especially if you are kinda fat and your belly is right up against the mandolin.
It’s going to remain a controversy. I have a Tonegard on my Old Wave oval A. I like the sound of the instrument, but I liked it just as well without. I liked your test, but it would be interesting if someone got more scientific and used some audio-electronic testing equipment. I think the Tonegard is personal preference and therefore strictly optional.
Two words: bowl back
Thank you for saving me some money. I cannot hear much of a difference. This gimmick is not worth the money.
You should have used a cheap $300 Mando. Just saying...
Five minutes in and I’m stopping as this test is invalid. At no,point in sitting is the mandolin pulled into the body and potentially hindering the tone and resonance.
I actually noticed the biggest difference with the chop chord demo.
Bought the deko guard first, and it opened up my mandolin. The longer you play it with one, the better the instrument sounds
PS: if you can afford a mandolin that’s 5000$ you don’t need a tone guard