Pirastro Releases KorfkerRest Luna Shoulder Rest for Viola
On Thursday Pirastro announced the release of its KorfkerRest Luna shoulder rest for viola, following the release of the violin version in March 2023. The Korfkerrest Luna is a newer and less-expensive take on Pirastro's popular KorfkerRest, which was introduced for violin in 2014 and for viola in 2017.
The Luna KorferRest for Viola. Image courtesy Pirastro.
The viola version includes some special design features, just for viola.
"For the KorfkerRest Luna for Viola we first scaled up and reshaped the curves of the violin model to give violists maximum comfort," said Berent Korfker, inventor of the KorfkerRest. "We then designed additional barrel legs to accommodate the wider range of viola widths. Finally, we carefully calibrated the stiffness of the rest. The result is a meticulously designed and featherlight viola rest which is as much a joy to use as the other models in our shoulder rest range."
To be a little more specific about the range of violas widths and "featherlight": the Luna for viola fits violas with a bout width of 222 to 258 millimeters, and it weighs 40 grams.
The KorfkerRest Luna for viola also includes all of the same features as the Luna for violin, including:
The lower cost: while the suggested retail price of the original KorfkerRest for viola runs about $470, the Luna will substantially less (I will put in the specifics when they are available - the violin price is about $420 for the wooden rest and $275 for the Luna).
The materials: The Luna KorfkerRest is made with a sound-optimized, proprietary composite material created by Pirastro. As Pirastro's Ed Mingo discussed with me when the violin version came out: "We tested materials for four years. We went through tons of materials to come up with this," because Berent Korfker, the violinist who invented the KorfkerRest, "wanted the rest to vibrate with the instrument." Also, they wanted the Luna to have the same weight has the original. As for its appearance, the entire shoulder rest is concert black.
Adjustments: The original KorfkerRest comes with a special "Torx key" tool so that you can adjust the screws and thereby affect the height, tilt, and fit of the rest. It can take some tinkering to get it right. The new Luna takes a different approach to adjustments: it comes with eight differently sized and interchangeable legs, and you can just pop one out and pop in another. They have a simple guide that allows you to pick the right legs, based on the width of your instrument (in millimeters).
Collapsible feet: the Luna has collapsible feet so that it fits more easily into the viola case.
You might also like:
- Review: The KorfkerRest Shoulder Rest - Is It Worth It?
- Review: The New KorfkerRest Luna Shoulder Rest (for violin) by Pirastro
- V.com weekend vote: What kind of shoulder rest do you use?
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Good to know this less-expensive and folding alternative exists now for both violin and viola. I'm a big fan of the original, and use one on both instruments. I even have a spare one I bought used for the viola that I've set up exactly the same as the main one, and keep in my car. Haven't needed it yet, thankfully! Greatest shoulder rest made so far, IMO.
Steve, Berent Korfker sent me a response to your question:
“To understand how shoulder rests affect our instruments, it helps to perceive them as hyper-sensitive acoustical bodies. They will, for instance, be affected by the weight (which causes damping) and material properties (which can cause sound distortion) of any attachment. Therefore, even if a shoulder rest were inert it would still affect an instrument acoustically.
With our instrument’s sensitivity in mind, Pirastro chooses to make its shoulder rests from wood or superior, sound-optimized materials and truly featherlight. We also use minimal rubber where the feet touch the instrument. As a result, our designs cause virtually no acoustical damping or delay and swing in harmony with your violin or viola.
There are of course many other aspects which make an acoustically superior shoulder rest, however I hope this answers the question!”
Thanks Laurie. I don't entirely understand Berent Korfker's physics but I guess that's just me. Long may we all "swing in harmony", not quite like the Coca-cola ad...
I’ve been waiting for the viola version for a while. I’d been thinking over getting the model 2 for my viola but the price was discouraging after already having the violin version which is both expensive and hard to tinker with. Now that the Luna is available for viola I’ll likely get it over the model 2 instead due to its simplicity. If it ends up not being what I need I’ll probably end up buying the model 2 for the increased customization. I wonder when it’ll be available for purchase.
Coincidentally I was about to buy a Korfkerrest Luna for my violin to compare against my model 2 but then the kun seven came out. It’s an interesting rest that I think might do the trick, but I now have to experiment with the placement and chinrests
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July 26, 2024 at 05:09 AM · I was surprised by the statement that Berent Korfker "wanted the rest to vibrate with the instrument." I always assumed that ideally a shoulder rest should be acoustically inert with contact points chosen so as to cause minimal damping.