Varga Chinrest Violin Rosewood, ZK-253R
ZK-253R
The sturdier form of the Guarneri: centred over the tailpiece, with a wide contact area of around 147 mm and an ergonomically shaped dip. Rosewood with a warm reddish brown figure and the white Götz mark.
- For strong players looking for a sturdier form than the Guarneri
- Screws and barrels in metal
- Barrels up to 27 mm for the 4/4 violin
Technical data
| Model | Varga |
| Material | Rosewood |
| Fittings | Screws and barrels in metal |
| Instrument | Violin |
| Item number | ZK-253R |
Features
- Contact points lined with Portuguese cork
- Height means the distance between the top and the plate. It depends on neck length and shoulder rest: those who set the instrument high get by with a flat chin rest, those who carry it lower need more height
- Higher models are usually heavier. In our experience a heavier chin rest makes the sound a little warmer and darker; a light one leaves it more open
Sound and physics
The chin rest sits on the lower bout of the violin and is clamped to the rib with a metal bracket. Its clamp grips over or beside the bottom block, the wooden block inside the body that holds the end pin and reinforces the rib at this point.
The resting chin creates a hold between shoulder and head, and the violin is carried almost entirely by this hold; the left hand supports it only slightly.
Acoustically, the chin rest adds a mass with its own damping to the edge of the body through a few contact points. It therefore mainly slows those natural vibrations of the body that move strongly at these contact points, and leaves free those that have a node (a point at rest) there.
The violin chin rests we have weighed come to between around 41 g and 80 g including screws, depending on model, wood and fittings. With closed screws the barrel sets the height above the rib; violin barrels come in 25, 27 and 29 mm, and most of our violin models take barrels up to 27 mm. With the Hill fitting, by contrast, the feet are firmly joined to the chin rest.
The rosewood of our chin rests is East Indian rosewood, botanically Dalbergia latifolia, Palisander in German. Its density at 12 % moisture content is 820 to 920 kg/m³. Among the three woods we use for chin rests, rosewood therefore sits in the middle: denser than boxwood, lighter than ebony.
On the violin Berber, which has the same shape in all three woods, the rosewood version with standard metal fittings weighs around 49 g, the ebony version around 56 g, the boxwood version around 45 g. For the same model the dimensions are the same in every wood; in height two pieces may differ by up to 1 mm, because each is made by hand from natural wood.
Guarneri, Stradivari and Schulze-Priska are mounted over the tailpiece. Together with the Varga, these shapes differ mainly in how deeply the dip is curved: of the four, the Stradivari has the deepest and most contoured plate, the Varga follows, the Guarneri is gently curved and the Schulze-Priska has no curvature. The deeper plate guides the chin more closely and so gives more control.
Measured on the violin: Stradivari ZK-306 in ebony 57 g, plate 6.1 × 12.3 cm, height 22 mm; Guarneri ZK-1598 in rosewood 73 g, plate 6.8 × 14.8 cm, height 21 mm; Schulze-Priska ZK-252 25 mm high.
Our experience
Before we recommend a model, our first question is whether the chin prefers to rest beside the tailpiece or centrally over it. Our experience when tightening: a chin rest only needs to sit firmly enough to hold securely, because the rib beside the bottom block is more delicate than the spot directly over the block. If the chin rest touches the tailpiece, we solve it through the angle of the screws or with a slightly longer barrel.
When a chin rest is to match a set of fittings in colour, we will pick out a slightly lighter piece of rosewood on request; the variation between pieces is usually small. For us a rosewood chin rest and a rosewood tailpiece make a harmonious set.
On the violin, the Guarneri and Stradivari in ebony are among our best-selling standard models.
When another model suits you better
Anyone who prefers to rest the chin beside the tailpiece will find a flat, side-mounted shape in the Kaufmann or the Slim Style.
Frequently asked questions
What material belongs at the contact points?
Natural cork without coating, so that the chin rest does not slip and no metal touches the varnish; pressed cork is unsuitable because it crumbles over time.
Is Palisander the same as rosewood?
Yes, Palisander is the German and rosewood the English name for the same wood.
Are the dimensions in rosewood the same as in ebony?
Yes, for the same model the dimensions are identical; in height, natural wood and handwork produce small deviations of up to around 1 mm.
Do I need CITES papers for a rosewood chin rest?
No, because since 14 December 2019, musical instrument parts made of East Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) have been exempt from CITES certification; our rosewood chin rests therefore reach you without a separate certificate.
Which of these chin rests has the deepest dip?
The Stradivari, followed by the Varga; the Guarneri is more gently curved, and the Schulze-Priska has no curvature.
These texts hold decades of experience and a great deal of heart. They are protected by copyright, C.A. Götz jr. GmbH. Please ask us before any use. Thank you for your appreciation.