viola shoulder rests

[Jeff A]

Has anyone ever used one of these? I remember a tread about this and wonder if it is a safe and less expensive alternative to a tone guard. Kun viola shoulder rests sell for about $20 and look as if they would work.

[BigJoe]

Yes. You can use a viola shoulder rest. The only disadvantage is they fall off very easily and it can get frustrating. They do the same job as the toneguart. I used to use the viola shoulder rest, but no more. The tone guard just holds on there and does what it is supposed to.

[bratsche]

Being a violist, I have tried one simply out of curiosity. I'm not that fond of it (as I don't really need it, or a Toneguard, due to the way I hold the instrument away from my body). But I can tell you this. A lot depends on what kind of rest you get. The Kun brand is notorious for falling of from even the instruments for which they were designed! I have no idea how they manage to market them so that they're the most popular selling brand, which I've heard they are, because I wouldn't touch one of them (or their cheaper $6.99 eBay clones) with a ten foot pole for this very reason. Also, some shoulder rests are designed to be more mobile than others, both to fold up into a smaller parcel in the case and also even to pivot every which way while in use, to supposedly adapt to the player's movements. I would avoid these kinds, and stick to one with a more rigid basic design for use on the back of a mando. I think it would be more stable. Just my $.02.

bratsche