ChinnRest - Posted - 01/06/2022:  10:31:04

I think we're all looking for the right shoulder rest or chin rest. I found one I really like - came with a fiddle I purchased, but have not been able to find another like it. Looked at International Violin, Shar, FiddlerMan, etc, but have not found one like it.

Have several in a box, so I went into the shop and took one that was too bulky (plenty of extra wood to work away) and worked on it. I traced lines on the sides that would be relatively close to the chin rest I like. I used my belt sander to take it down quickly to the rough shape and then my planes and knife to bring it down the rest of the way. When I had it close, I gave it a try and found it was almost exactly what I wanted.

I finished out the shape with progressive grades of sandpaper up to 1000grit. Took off all the sharp working edges that I did not like. So much more comfortable in use.

Tried it out on my Hopf copy and love it. I think I paid maybe $8-10 for this piece, so it was a cheap experiment that has paid off.

At some point, I'll dye the ebony black again and shoot it with a copy of lacquer to keep the ebony from reacting with my skin (I have wood allergies).

Apltrez - Posted - 01/06/2022:  10:54:19

I had almost the same situation with the same "original shape" to the chin rest and very similar, maybe the same result. However I found almost exactly the same shape at Southwest strings. It isn't exactly the same but close enough until I take the time to sand it closer to the one I like.
Thanks for sharing the pix

Swing - Posted - 01/06/2022:  14:13:12

I have modified the chin rests on my three fiddles... they are comfortable and I can play hours without feeling like they have dug into my neck etc.... the one thing that I will tell you... do not apply any finish after you get them to the shape you want....any finish will act as a sticky point and cause a slight rash or discomfort... your sweat will be enough to act like a finish...just wipe it dry as you do the rest of your fiddle when you get done playing of the day...

Play Happy

Swing

DougD - Posted - 01/06/2022:  14:40:58

Following Apltrez, I see a very similar one at Southwest Strings. Its called the Wendling, and its also available in plastic, if that would help your allergies. But maybe you have what you want now. Looks nice.

The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 01/06/2022:  15:08:18

It’s just a Guarneri style chin test with a smoother contour. There are a lot of small variations on the style, some more squared, some more rounded. Modifying them is easy. I have some customers who ask for customized chinrest setups. There’s even a business near me that consists entirely of making custom chinrests.

RobBob - Posted - 01/07/2022:  04:44:35

I've got a Wittner tailpiece on one of my fiddles. It is made of composite so it should not cause allergy problems. Check it out here

WyoBob - Posted - 01/07/2022:  14:20:04

Over the past two years since I started, I played some stock center and side mount chin rests and some of those I cut down and reshaped to try & get a better fit which worked a bit better but I still wasn't happy.

One day, I grabbed my "beater" fiddle that I'd removed the chin rest from (to experiment on) and started playing it with only a shoulder rest.  I now have 3 fiddles with no chin rests, just shoulder rests and I prefer this set up on all three fiddles.   

KCFiddles - Posted - 01/08/2022:  10:48:28

I shaped my own chinrests until I ran across the Wittners. They're the most comfortable I have found -for me, at least.

Earworm - Posted - 01/08/2022:  12:23:22

I have an allergy to nickel, so I had always used the plastic Wittners which were fine. I probably should have left well enough alone, but I discovered a couple of years ago, that there was such a thing as titanium hardware that I could attach to the chin rest of my choice. So, naturally I had to experiment, and got kind of dizzy with the possibilities for a while, but did find one I like for both my fiddles. I find it interesting that people can be allergic to the wood too, but my issue has always been the metal.

Lonesome Fiddler - Posted - 01/08/2022:  12:51:47

I mentioned this in another thread some time in the distant past, but whenever I added to my fiddle collection I'd go to the best violin store in town (L.A.) and test out/scope out whatever chin rests they had. I now have three fiddles, each with a different style chin rest...and a couple of chin rests that eventually didn't make the grade...sitting in a shoe box.