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(5 votes) 
Finally it's here!
It took me just about 20 minutes to adjust. And now i can say i have a PERFECT (i mean it!) shoulder-rest! It's bent in all directions and fits me so well that i don't even feel it, when hold the violin. YoooooHooooooooo!!!! XD
This is the fourth shoulder-rest that i have! One of them i gave away, second is on the way to go and the third (Fom - the cheap analog of Wolf) i'll keep as a back-up. No-one of those could be even close to that miracle!
I've read a lot of reviews about the Bonmusica, and some of them mentioned that this one brings the violin to the left side. NO IT DOESN'T - You can adjust it for ANY desirable position! The other said that this one is BIG! Not big, but because of it's shape it can fit not every S-R compartment of a case (pretty much the same one can say about any shoulder-rest though)! Look at the pictures below.
About fitting to the case's compartments it's just an observation. I don't really care where it fits, because it's the matter of my comfort and my HEALTH! La-la-la and no-thing-els'-matters! Thank You!
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Congrats on the new shoulder rest! Wow...Love all the pics and your "graphics and notations! Happy Fiddling.
Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato
Regulars
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Glad you found a comfortable rest and it fits in your case.
I can be tough! My shoulder rest rides in the music pouch on the outside.
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Thank you, Naska for your excellent review of the shoulder rest.
Congrats to you and I'm so happy that it worked out well for you.
I will have a serious look at it as I'm still fighting for the "perfect" rest, although I've tried several already.
Appreciate the info.
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Thanks for your pictures and review Naska.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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I tried the Bonmusica...sadly, it just wasn't for me. Glad it works for you!!
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Me too--I've tried just about every rest I could find and so far haven't found anything that fits me "just right". Even the fancy Slipper didn't work for me. Those other ones that are adjustable like Naska had good luck with--I never could find an adjustment that worked for me, eventually I gave up and went back to my first one, the KUN. It works the best of any of them I've tried, though it is far from "comfortable". I tried the simple pads that Pierre used too--never could get close to being able to have the violin where it didn't want to fall off my shoulder. I know there are a myriad of chinrest heights to try too--but I ran out of patience and got tired of spending money at that point. I've got a box of stuff now that is unused. LOL
Yep. Unfortunately nothing works for evrybody equally.
I like everything adjustable and it works for me only this way. =)
Wish you, guys luck with all of this stuff, there's no need tos ay that the comfort makes learning and playing much easier!
=)
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Sometimes we think the problem is the shoulder-rest when in fact it could be the chin-rest.
A good chin-rest will put the violin at a good angle and up high enough for a sense of balance. Consider also that a center mounted chin-rest could be worth testing.
Many say that the center mounted rests are better for sound too because they clamp over the end button block which is solid and doesn't vibrate much anyway.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Thanks for the order Feathers. 
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
Honorary tenured advisor
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Thanks Naska, I also have a Bonmusica and have spent many hours adjusting it. Sadly I think Pierre is right and my chinrest is badly designed for me. I just can't seem to get it low enough to fit properly. I have only the internet to find a new one, no way to test the fit before buying.
If you think you can, or you think you can't, you're probably right.
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Fiddlerman said
Thanks for the order Feathers.
You're welcome
Got notice today that my items have shipped.....Yay!
"Music is what feelings sound like." ~ Author Unknown
Robyn.fnq said
Thanks Naska, I also have a Bonmusica and have spent many hours adjusting it. Sadly I think Pierre is right and my chinrest is badly designed for me. I just can't seem to get it low enough to fit properly. I have only the internet to find a new one, no way to test the fit before buying.
Yep. I tried several chinrests. And currently use one from internet =) From fiddlershop.com hahaha! Actually, if You don't have a chance to try some personally, You could try to figure out what shape should fit You. That's exactly what i did - i find out what places (on the chirest that i had) disturbed me and what shape (approximately) should work better. So far i'm happy with Beran.
If You can't find something that satisfies You, why not to try this thing:
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Thank you, Naska for this great suggestion.
I got the Bonmusica and have used for over a week now, running into some problems and that is why a late report.
It's in no doubt the best shoulder rest I've had, adjustable in all direction, and hooked on my shoulder, coupled with FM Impressionist rest comforter the fit has never been better.
There are few things I ran into. My violin is about 1" wider so the one for it is Bonmusica 15 1/2 viola model. After adjusting for best fit, I was able to raise my violin neck higher, parallel to the floor and hence my left arm position and string bowing plane changed, resulting in quite a few muscle sores and time to readjust. But so far things are getting better and better.
Thank you so much, Naska for this shoulder rest recommendation.
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I've not posted in quite a while, but this topic is one i think about alot. I am up in the air about shoulder rests. I have dabbled in using nothing more then a small bean bag on my shoulder. I presently have a Kun Bravo, but really is it honestly needed?
Many great violinists, including Tibor Varga, Aaron Rosand, Arthur Grumiaux, Anne-Sophie Mutter, David Oistrakh, Jascha Heifetz, Joseph Szigeti, Yehudi Menuhin, Henryk Szeryng, Ivry Gitlis, Elman, Nigel Kennedy, Nathan Milstein, Pinchas Zukerman, Michael Rabin, Fritz Kreisler, Efrem Zimbalist, Isaac Stern, Eugène Ysaÿe and let us not forget the great Itzhak Perlman have not used a shoulder rest.
Players in general seem have all kinds of muscular/tendon problems in their neck, back, and shoulder. I wonder if its because as violinist/violist that we are no longer letting our body posture support the instrument and we are letting the "rests" compensate for incorrect placement/holding. It is a relatively new "creation" for the musician comparitively speaking.
There is scientific backing for the thoughts about tone, volume, and overall dampening while the shoulder rest is in place. It can also damage the finish on the back. I just don't know.
"I find your lack of Fiddle, disturbing" - Darth Vader
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Hi Ty, haven't seen you for a long while and I was wondering what happened.
I agree with you. There are lots of debate about shoulder rest and also chinrest if whether or not it needed.
For me, I can not hold a violin without a shoulder rest/chinrest regardless of how many attempts and I did try hard to do.
So, when I can be at the level of those great violinists then will try to do without one. But for now, no one tells a bee it could not fly, right? Oh, well...
Thanks for the insight about violin holding.
So good to see your posting, Ty.
Hi, Tyberius!
This topic is not an exhortation to persons who doesn't use shoulder-rests! I'm not saying: "You guys, who doesn't use it just never tried Bonmusica! If you try once - you'll be happy and never return to playing without it!" That would be ridiculous.
Unfortunately not everybody can have one those great violinists as a teacher to explain how exactly hold a violin without that thing. (By the way, why didn't You post the list of great violinists that use shoulder-rests?)
Actually i've almost figured out how to hold it without anything. Have some things unsolved though. Violin waving side-to-side for example, or how to play on the end of the fingerboard. I've got to the stage of understanding that hold, where vibrato and shifting without a shoulder-rest is not a problem, but that's not all. And meanwhile i have a lot of things to do, which i can manage only with that device on! And why shouldn't i have a comfortable one?
I'm really happy for You if You don't need it! But i do. As many of us. Do You think that they didn't try either? But that miracle doesn't happens to everybody.
I respect your concern of our helth, Tyberius, and grateful for it. When i decide that i don't need a shoulder-rest, i'll take it off, promise! =)
Honorary tenured advisor
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Thanks for the link Naska, I'd already seen that little gizmo and I don't think it suits what I'm looking for.
I actually have a problem with the height of the chinrest when I'm using a shoulder rest (which, by the way, makes playing so much more comfortable). But I have a short neck, and though I've lowered the Bonmusica as much as I can, the chinrest is still stretching my neck.
I think perhaps I'm still getting used to a shoulder rest after using a piece of sponge for so long. Maybe there's nothing wrong with it after all. I'll persevere and see how it goes.
If you think you can, or you think you can't, you're probably right.
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