V.com weekend vote: Would you consider changing your chin rest?
After Pirastro's big announcement this week about their new chin rest, the KorfkerSpring, I wanted to re-visit our vote about trying new chin rests: would you consider changing your chin rest?
I admit, I have not experimented all that much with chin rests - my violin still has the chin rest that I bought it with, some 20 years ago! Mine is a basic Guarneri-style chin rest that mounts over the center then has the chin plate on the left (in the illustration, it's the one on the upper right).
However, I am aware that a good chin rest can make a big difference in one's comfort level, especially for those with a long neck. A shoulder rest can provide more height for the violin, but it does so from underneath the violin, and that pushes the violin upward. If you provide the height via the chin rest, the violin can remain closer to the shoulder. Potentially this can be more comfortable, as you don't have to raise your arm farther to reach the fiddle.
The KorfkerSpring looks so very different from any other chin rest I have tried, I am very curious about how that would feel and how it would affect my comfort level. I would say I have medium-tall neck, enough that I feel that I benefit from a supportive chin rest.
What are your feelings about your chin rest? What kind do you have? Are you happy with what you have? Have you experimented a great deal with chin rests, to come up with the right one? Are you still on the search for the right one? (Maybe you don't use one at all!) Are you relatively happy, but still a little curious about other chin rests? Please participate in the vote, then share your thoughts in the comments!
You might also like:
- Pirastro Introduces Revolutionary New Chin Rest for Violin and Viola: KorfkerSpring
- Achieving a Pain-Free Setup on Viola or Violin
- Julie Lyonn Lieberman on How Violinists Can Prevent Injury with Proper Stretches and Set-up
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Replies
Difficult. I'm happy with the current Kaufmann, but I tried 4 others before I hit upon it. So I voted for happy, but change is not out of the question. I'm unlikely to get a korfker, though. I'm more interested in a comfortable shoulder rest first.
I have tried countless shoulder rests and chin rests before finally finding what works best for me. I have a short neck and it always felt like I was having to reach my chin out for the violin and it always felt like my violin was trying to slide off of my shoulder. I have found the best shoulder rest for me was the BonMusica shoulder rest because the curve really gives me some stability and it doesn't want to slip or slide but the Chin rest was another issue until I found the WAVE chin rest. They sent me one that was for shorter necks but it still wasn't right and after talking to their great customer service they sent out another one that was even shorter and boy what a difference. My chin just fits nicely and I don't find myself reaching or adjusting my height to make contact. Check them out!
I agree that the proper setup is crucial but if you are often trying different shoulder and/or chin rests the problem might not be with your equipment but how you are approaching holding the violin in general.
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November 23, 2025 at 08:04 PM · I voted being open to change even though I am perfectly happy with my viola chinrest. It seems to be at its optimum comfort with my SR combination. However, I have been thinking recently to cha ge the CR on my violin. It takes quite a while to adjust and get comfortable each time compared.to my viola where it's straight away near enough.