Hi folks,

Anybody else tried out SAS chinrests? I was looking for a high chinrest, and I ordered a few of these to try from Johson Strings in Newton, MA. They seem very well made (in Slovenia), and fit perfectly, but the single-clamp design has me a little worried about stability and safety.

http://www.johnsonstring.com/cgi-bi...B35&action=2

Thoughts?

Posted - 02/09/2010 :  00:55:35        

I would think that that huge overhang would be be exerting a lot of side pressure on that uni-pod mount.

Posted - 02/09/2010 :  05:19:02      

While I think they are good looking, wood and brass, the real question is does it fit you. Chinrest and shoulder rests in combination with your fiddle need to be fitted so that you are comfortable playing for long periods of time and that you support the fiddle without any stress on your chin, neck, etc.

The people at Johnson have a good reputation for service and I am sure that they would be more than accomodating to see that you are set up properly.

Play Happy

Posted - 02/09/2010 :  06:19:45    

Mudbug -- that's exactly my worry.

Swing, that's good advice, and yes, this chinrest really fits me well, accommodates my relatively long neck and my aversion to shoulder rests. What's nice is that not only can you move it around on the face of the instrument, closer or farther from the tailpiece, but it also levers up and down laterally so you can angle it relative to the instrument, which has been perfect for me.

I just worry the thing is going to twist off with that side pressure and damage my fiddle

Posted - 02/09/2010 :  07:10:15  

I got an SAS about 3 months ago and really like it. I got the tallest one and was able to get rid of my shoulder rest and still hold the fiddle securely. It is very stable and secure. Really easy to get on and off too - comes with a little allen wrench.

Posted - 02/09/2010 :  12:07:35    

Thanks mjb!

They are truly beautifully made. This is one area where it seems violin gear lags behind fretted instruments like guitars and banjos. There are all these great goodies for those instruments -- straps, picks, arm-rests, capos, etc., and you can get really nice stuff. Most fiddle accessories bring to mind orthopedic shoes or orthotic inserts instead of nicely crafted objects d'art. Of course, for the violin, accessories must actually be functional, which may explain this.

Still, SAS seems to have nailed the chinrest, at least from an aesthetic point of view.