Why should I use an armrest?

[OneChordTrick]

Prompted by another thread why should I use an armrest?

What are the benefits? And drawbacks?

All thoughts appreciated, no agenda other than I'm tempted by some "pieces of wood" that could qualify as works of art!

[Capt. E]

More comfortable to your wrist. Protects the top from wear. Changes the angle of your picking hand (personal preference). Can give you a consistent picking position. Looks good.

[Folkmusician.com]

Looks Cool (at least I think so).
Can be more comfortable (party depends on your playing position)
May help tone (especially if it keeps you from touching the bridge)
Helps protect finish wear from forearm

Cons
Additional mass could theoretically act as a mute. Same if it is clamped on further onto the top.
May do minor damage to your finish
May interfere with some cases.
Can fall off if not clamped on well, and if clamped on too tight, may damage instrument.
If you put a rest on one mandolin, all the others will be jealous. You will have to buy more.

[Buck]

It's all personal preference. Me, I hate the look and the feel. I dislike Toneguards just as much, for the same reasons. Both accessories do what they're supposed to do, but with my playing style and preference, there is just no upside to either.

[mandroid]

My original need was due to a sharp edge binding under my forearm...

[Ryk Loske]

When i asked Pete Langdell about armrests when i picked up my I-110 he said "Why?" Then he took the mandolin and played it without armrest or tone guard and showed the different tones available by having the arm on or off the top, hand on or off the bridge, hugged to the body and angled out so as not to touch the back. "Why limit the possibilities?" was Pete's response and i have to agree with him. Why color with the 16 crayon set of Crayolas when you can have the 126 crayon set?
Ryk

[Russ Jordan]

Like Mandroid, I was bothered with the sharp edge where my arm rested, to the extent that I had extreme tingling in my right hand. I also had a pinched nerve in my neck at the same time, so who knows for certain what caused the hand tingling. I put on the arm rest on at the same time that I was having regular physical thereapy. All I know is that I am pain free and my hand is not tingling!

[James Miller]

Had thought it was to align the hand to the strings more, and to get past that abrupt edge. However the Cumberland arm rest may not have as an abrupt edge, it still digs into the forearm.

Was expecting something more I suppose, like that other forearm rest maker that everyone talks about but he had retired when I found his wares.

[GProulx]

I've played with and without. Bottom line for me, it neither helps nor hurts. The one thing you should know is that for me, once I played for a few weeks with the armrest, it took some getting used to again to play without one. I'm a creature of habit...

[mandroid]

Cumberland arm rest, was better than the sharp edge , on my Lebeda.. his recurve is such the edge corner is sharper than 90 degrees..

[bobby bill]

I doubt if you would have this problem in Oxfordshire, but playing outdoors in Texas can be a sweaty endeavor, and I prefer to get the sweat on my arm-rest rather than my mandolin. (In addition to the benefits mentioned above . . .)

[Tom Wright]

I wore the finish off the edge of my Steve Ryder electric before I got careful. I use a sock on my forearm for the electrics, and that plus an armrest for my deep-bodied Buchanan that has a sharp edge.

Violinists learned long ago to use a chinrest and preserve the finish.

[Gelsenbury]

Like several others here, I bought a McClung armrest because the edge of the mandolin was digging into my forearm. Having the armrest is simply more comfortable.

Some people say that an armrest may improve the tone because the body of the instrument isn't hugged by as much flesh. Others disagree.

[Spencer]

I found that using an arm rest, McClure type, put my arm in an uncomfortable position, and I got pains in my forearm, so I had to take it off. Nice piece of work, and now somebody else has it who is very happy with it. Works for the majority, but not for me.

Spencer

[Br1ck]

I first tried one because I was always wondering off the sweet spot up by the neck. I'd creep back toward the bridge. Now, with the armrest I don't as much.

I found out how easy it was to make them, so I will always do that when I buy more mandolins.

[Bob A]

Back before I could afford A/C, my arm sweat would turn he varnish cloudy on my F4. The binding left an ugly and somewhat uncomfortable impression on my forearm. This was back in the early 1980s.

Had a local luthier make an armrest to my specifications; it eliminated both problems. It doesn't seem to affect my playing at all, which has been uniformly mediocre. It does have a positive effect on the instrument's finish.

[Bertram Henze]

I see three categories of reasons for an armrest mentioned here:

#1 protect the mandolin from the arm
#2 protect the arm from the mandolin
#3 put a "handle" on a small instrument to simulate the ergonomics of a larger instrument

None of those apply for my bullet-proof-laquered OM with its pleasantly large round edges.

[OneChordTrick]

I doubt if you would have this problem in Oxfordshire, but playing outdoors in Texas can be a sweaty endeavor, and I prefer to get the sweat on my arm-rest rather than my mandolin. (In addition to the benefits mentioned above . . .)

Hey we suffer with the heat here too! On a really hot day it can get into the 70's!

Thanks everyone for your views, I've taken the plunge and am waiting for it to wing its way across the Atlantic.

[William Smith]

I have no use for them, you don't want wear on your mandolin well don't play it just look at it? Armrests can cause dents anyway, one came with a mandolin I bought once and well it sits in a box.

[B381]

I have no use for them, you don't want wear on your mandolin well don't play it just look at it? Armrests can cause dents anyway, one came with a mandolin I bought once and well it sits in a box.

"Sits in a box" - need me to dispose of that for you? Let me know if you need my mailing address....��

[William Smith]

Send me a private message and if you can use it, I think it's a quality one, ebony etc...I'd take a trade of something a kool pick, pearl,abalone whatever?

[Christoph Penny]

I'm about to start making some to possibly sell to friends, I made myself one but had to attach it with Velcro, where can I get the proper attachments from please, I live in England. thanks

[Dave Sheets]

Hopefully someone here can confirm this, but what you want is the mounting screws, or clamp, meant for a viola chinrest. International Violin supply has them in the US, no idea if they ship to England. I think the viola depth matches mandolins better than the violin clamp does.

[Dave Hanson]

Really I suspect it's the American love of attaching things to their instruments.

Dave H

[Beanzy]

Really I suspect it's the American love of attaching things to their instruments.

Dave H

I have to admit to thinking roll-cage on the back & bumpers on the front with a mud-flap when I see them & the scratch guard. I suppose the mounted mic could be the steer-horns equivalent.