Customer Reviews

Wolf Forte Primo 3/4 - 4/4 Violin Shoulder Rest

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the best! For almost the price of a Kun, not only its height can be adjusted to the highest possible among the various brands (up to 3 inches!), the padded-metal bar can be BENT to fit the contours of your shoulder! I spent an hour bending and trying out various heights and angles, and the result is an amazing fit! (I will still continue to explore to see if I can improve the shape further.) Storage in the violin case, however, may be a problem if you wish to preserve the shape as the legs still occupy considerable space even after being collapsed. Nonetheless, because it fits perfectly to your shoulder after the adjustments, this shoulder rest is very very comfortable and stable, and it's a customised shoulder rest that is truly yours and yours only!

I am a former professional violinist, and I still play a lot. I have used Wolf Forte Primo shoulder rests exclusively for over twenty-five years. They are extremely comfortable, highly adjustable to pretty much any physique, stay reliably on the instrument, are very well made, and fold up small for storage in the violin case. They are used by thousands upon thousands of professional violinists every day. I have never heard a complaint about their quality, and I can only assume that the negative review below is based either because the person got a lemon (very rare - I've never seen one), or somehow put it together wrong (I can't imagine how, though - it's very easy). I personally find the Wolf Forte Primo superior to the competition in all aspects. The only drawback used to be that on the old models the rubber that comes into contact with the violin was black and over time would leave black "skid marks" on the violin. But Wolf corrected this problem years ago by switching to a different material that (a) isn't black (as you can see on the pictures) and (b) does not rub off.

My violin teacher has one similar to this and it's been a great help to her. She suggested that I buy this one to help keep my violin on my shoulder, at the right height and angle. I did and now I wouldn't be able to play without it. I'm no virtuoso and learning is tough. With my violin staying where I want it, practice is so much easier and less frustrating. Good choice for all students as well as teachers. In short, I love it. Wolf Forte Primo 3/4 - 4/4 Violin Shoulder Rest

I thought the Kun shoulder rest was just fine, until my college professor told me I was clutching the violin up to my next to make a perfect fit with it.

He then told me to go and get a Wolf Forte Primo, and folks, that's just it, it has changed my life.
Not only does it fit PERFECTLY for ANYONE's shoulder/neck etc, but there's no strain anymore, my neck doesn't hurt, I don't feel like the violin will slip as I shift, and I have absolutely no complaints.

It also doesn't dampen the sound at all. My violin resonates even more than it did with the Kun. Curious, but true!

I have recommended it to every player I know, and let's face it. Who is happy with their shoulder rest? Pretty much no one, unless you have a Wolf Forte Primo.

Seriously, my shifting and playing are tremendously better.
It does all the work of stabilizing the violin for me.
COMPLETELY WORTH THE MONEY.

First off, let me say that I am trying to get back into the violin after a long absence, so I do not have a lot of experience with shoulder rests.

I have tried all manner of positions for this shoulder rest and it simply has not worked for me. I realized after purchasing this shoulder rest that I might have been better served with the Wolf Forte Secundo, which looks like it has more positioning possibilities. Or, with a simple foam rest, which is much cheaper.

The pad is not as soft as it looks in the picture. The plate is not quite as malleable as I had hoped. The clasping feet tend to fall off of the violin when I try more extreme positions.

I think the product is over-priced. Don't get me wrong - it is decent and has held up under my manipulations. But at $29 I thought it would be softer, sturdier, and more malleable.

My daughter and I both use the Wolf Forte Primo shoulder rest and we love them for many reasons. From being comfortable to staying in place they meet our needs perfectly.
There is somewhat of a wrestling match to get them fitted to your shoulder but if your patience matches your pickiness then you can get through it.
My daughter plays classical and I play bluegrass but the Wolf shoulder rest don't care. It works equally well for both of us.

For any of you with an aspiring musician in the house, I highly recommend springing for one of these shoulder rests instead of a Kun. Originally I had a Kun shoulder rest. After months of drooling over my teacher's wolf rest, I finally got my own. I love it and have never had an issue with it. The fit on the violin is perfect. Once I got it adjusted, I haven't had to fiddle with it since. Just slip it on and play. I love the width of the pad, it doesn't dig into my shoulder like the Kun would. Overall it's very comfortable. Being an on again off again player, I can't speak for it's durability and longevity, but five years later it there's no issues with it. The ONLY problem I can see with this product is storage. There's ample open space in my violin case around the neck, so I simply tuck it in underneath in that nook before placing the violin in on top. A slimmer, smaller case might be more of a challenge. But aside from that, I have absolutely, positively no complaint with this shoulder rest, and no need or desire to try any other. We get along perfectly!

I used the Wolf shoulder rest for several years, and was very satisfied with it. It is very stable, gives you a very wide range of height options, and is much more comfortable than many of the other shoulder rests that I have used in the past (ie KUN). Why am I not still using it? It broke! Right where the arm is attached to the "rest" part, and it is impossible to fix it.
It's a good product, but it definitely has some durability issues. But if you're really looking to buy a good shoulder rest, pick up a Bon Musica! I've had that one for about six years, and it is in super condition. If you can't find one on Amazon, swstrings.com has them for about $40.

I used a sponge in place of a shoulder rest for the first few years I played violin. The first shoulder rest I used was a Resonan Resonan 4/4 violin shoulder rest. I used it for about a year. Well, I got a different violin and suddenly the shoulder rest didn't fit anymore, even though it was a full size violin. I would try to attach it and it just fell off. I decided I needed a better quality shoulder rest and decided on this one. When I first put it on, I put it on wrong, and it pushed in on my skin. Once I figured out how to use it and got used to it, it worked really well. I love this shoulder rest. So much support! I could do my vibrato better. At first, I couldn't even do vibrato without a shoulder rest. Now I couldn't be happier. This is a GREAT shoulder rest.

I've been playing violin with this shoulder rest for more than 12 years. Being 6'5" and slender, this was the only shoulder rest I could find that was tall enough to reach from my bony shoulder to place the chin rest at my jaw. This works by unscrewing the foot from the larger screw (the one visible in the pictures) and inserting a spacer (provided). After 7 or 8 years I had to replace 2 of the rubber feet (I used rubber hose that can be purchased by the foot for very cheap at the local hardware store). Other than that the rest has held up great to all of its use. As mentioned in other reviews, it takes up some space in the case (especially with how high I have it), but it has never been problematic for me.

I would recommend this shoulder rest to anyone looking for something solid.