Me & Dawg

Radim Zenkl (website) was the very first professional endorser of the Tone-Gard. He has taken his Tone-Gards all over the US and Europe, bringing it to the attention of more people than anybody else. His workshops and articles in various publications have done a lot to make the mandolin-playing public aware of the Tone-Gard. He has also challenged me to make Gards to go where there were none. Kind of a R&D lab on tour.

Andy Statman (website) Years ago Radim met Andy Statman, and in the course of things showed him the Tone-Gard, and the rest is history. I can’t begin to tell you how cool this is for me. Andy Statman has always been one of my heroes, and to have him endorse the Gard is amazing.

“To ensure that he can generate maximal tone and volume from the A-style, oval-holed instrument [Gibson A2Z snakehead from 1922-23], he keeps a Toneguard [sic] wire support device on the back so he doesn’t inhibit the back’s vibrations by holding it directly against his body.” (Fall 2005 Mandolin Magazine)

Mike Marshall (website) another “needs-no-introduction” mandolinist and teacher, co- founder of the Mandolin Symposium, performer with the Darol Anger-Mike Marshall Band, Marshall & Thile, Edgar Meyer group, David Grisman Quintet, Psychograss, Montreux, Modern Mandolin Quartet, etc. etc. etc.

Chris  Thile (website), 2012 MacArthur "Genius" Award, Goat Rodeo Sessions, 2013 Grammy for Best Folk Album, host of "Live from Here" NPR radio show,  preeminent mandolinist of his generation, performing solo (e.g., J.S.Bach Sonatas and Partitas), duo with Mike Marshall, and with Punch Brothers, Nickel Creek.

Paul Glasse (website) jazz and western swing great, featured in Riders in the Sky, Asleep at the Wheel, and many others, says: "I think the Tone-Gard is a great invention. It allows my mandolin to resonate to full potential and helps protect the back of the instrument as well. I depend on it every day. Thanks Tony!"

Dana Rath, co-founder and long-term member of the Modern Mandolin Quartet shows off the ‘Gard on his Monteleone.

Eric Thompson of Eric & Suzy Thompson, Bluegrass Intentions, and many other groups (check out video clip with Jerry Garcia — scroll down to bottom of that page), is enthusiastic about the benefits of the Gard on his vintage Gibson F-4.

Alan Bibey of BlueRidge with his custom AB-Gard

Emory Lester (website) said in Mandozine: “My main (and only) mandolin now is the 1996 Bruce Weber Gibson … It has a ‘Tone-Gard’ on the back of it … I can hear an audible difference with it as opposed to without it. David Grisman turned me onto that thing at the Grey Fox Festival in New York several years ago. Obviously, when he speaks, I listen.”

Roland White (website) has played with everybody from the Kentucky Colonels (with his brother, guitar demi-god Clarence White), to Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt’s Nashville Grass, the Country Gazette, and the Nashville Bluegrass Band.

Don Stiernberg (website) the foremost jazz mandolinist in America today, says: "I love it! It seems like before long a Tone-Gard should be standard issue with every mandolin, like shoulder rests for the violinist.”

Joe Craven (website) soloist extraordinaire and a longtime member of the David Grisman Quintet, the Garcia-Grisman Band, and other great groups, uses a Gard on his most conventional instrument.

Chris Hillman (website) was a member of The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and The Desert Rose Band (backing Emmylou Harris).

Dix Bruce, noted musican, writer of instructional material, proprietor of Musix, and former editor of Mandolin World News.

Frank Sollivan. Frank Sollivan & Dirty Kitchen was 2014 IBMA Instrumental Group of the Year. Their guitarist Chris Luquette uses a D-Gard.

Wayne Benson of the headline bluegrass band IIIrd Tyme Out, says: "These really do make an incredible difference!"

Steve Kirk with his Jethro-model Washburn

Steve Martin,  IBMA 2011 "Entertainer of the Year" winner with the Steep Canyon Rangers, uses a Banjo-Gard on his custom clawhammer banjo (see BanjoHangOut forum).

Steve Martin, takes his Banjo-Gard very seriously.

Tom Rozum (website), long-time performing partner of Laurie Lewis, and fine singer and instrumentalist in his own right, has Gards on his 1924 Loar F-5 (Custom “Dog-Boy” Gard) and 1924 H-1 “Nelson” Mandola. Also he's as funny as Steve Martin.

Dominick Leslie (website) of Molly Tuttle Band, Hawktail, Sam Reider and the Human Hands, and Phoebe Hunt and the Gatherers.

Joe Walsh (website) Among other activities, Joe plays with Darol Anger in Mr. Sun, and teaches at Berklee School of Music and online at PegheadNation.com

Teo Quale (Crying Uncle) mandolinist of the future (and present)

Greg K., Deering Clawgrass Banjo custom

Howard Burton, (website) "It fits great and looks great! From the moment I fitted it I could tell a difference in the tone of my banjo, it seemed to have a more rounded balanced tone, it's difficult to fully describe, certainly an improvement to my ears." 

Brian Delaney, of the Royal Garden Trio with his ‘33 Gibson L-5 guitar. He likes his custom Tone-Gard for strolling gigs.

Jason Dennie (website) with his Breedlove

Jason Dennie's BRW F-5

Award winning multi-instrumentalist, composer and singer-songwriter Bruce Graybill (website) of Cordas Eclética and Hot Strings Trio.

Kenny Epps (website) with Ronnie McCoury backstage at Greymont. Ronnie has a 'Gard too, and told Kenny that he just uses it when recording.

Craig ‘Lumpy’ Lemke (website) 

Custom mandolin Aloha-Gard

Custom guitar Aloha-Gard

Linda Binder (website)  Breedlove Orca

Rachel Singleton of The Glenville State Bluegrass Band

Tony Phillips, webmaster since way back when.

John Bird with his Kentucky Dawg. 

John Bird, early adapter.