Customer Reviews

Viva La Musica Black 3/4-4/4 Violin Shoulder Rest

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have been played the violin for over eight years. During this time, I've always had trouble with shoulder rests. I've tried Kun supers, original, collapsible, mach ones, a Wolfe, and play-on-airs but none of them were satisfactory. Kuns are quite comfortable but come off rather easily. Wolfes are uncomfortable because they are quite rigid. I found play-on-airs to not provide enough support. Mach ones are built like a Kun backwards and cut into my shoulder a little. So, especially if you like the comfort of a Kun, the Viva is your solution. (The contour is similar.) The grips have no plastic in them so that they don't wear out and scratch your violin but are very strong. (It's kinda funny because sometimes when I take off one of the grips, the other side alone can keep the shoulder rest on for a couple seconds before it falls off.) I don't know about availibility, but I got mine at Ted Brown.
I suggest trying shoulder rests out before you buy them if you can. People have all sorts of preferences.

I have been using this shoulder rest on and off for over a year now on two different violins. During that time I also tried few other rests, including a VLM variation of the same rest crafted from fine maple wood (which depsite looking better has been too low for me).
I keep coming back to this rest and in fact ordering a 2nd one just in case. The support beam is broad and soft, yet quite firm and non-slipping. The feet are made of very soft rubber(silicone?) which grips the edges of the instrument very well. Just as the other reviewer pointed out, it seems that the rest would hold on even with only 1 foot attached. The feet do not seem to scratch the varnish, and I can account for it after using it for over a year (I looked closely). One of my violins have a very fine, spirit based varnish, which proven a bit brittle in another spot, when accidentally hit with a bow :( ,yet no wear can be detected under the feet of this rest.
The only drawback to this rest is that the feet are not collapsible (non-folding) like the more expensive, wood-beam version. It is more difficult to find space for it in the inside compartment of my case, but a case with larger compartment might work better for others.

Packaging box inside of the shipping box looked like it had been smashed prior to shipping. Item was missing a tightening nut which was a non-standard size. Could not order a replacement nut nor find one in local hardware store that matched threads of bolt. I would not recommend trying this product or manufacturer.