Morawetz Chinrest Violin Ebony, ZK-4841E-HIGH
ZK-4841E-HIGH
Mounted on the left side, with wings towards the tailpiece. Rounded dip with an additional step at the edge. Black stained ebony with the white Götz mark, the heaviest of the three woods.
- Available in three plate heights, so it can be matched closely to neck length
- High plate (2.8 cm), for a long neck
- Screws and barrels in metal
Technical data
| Model | Morawetz |
| Material | Ebony |
| Fittings | Screws and barrels in metal |
| Instrument | Violin |
| Item number | ZK-4841E-HIGH |
Features
- Contact points lined with Portuguese cork
- Barrels up to 27 mm for the 4/4 violin
- 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
- The ebony we use is not subject to CITES requirements
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.
Ebony is the densest of the three woods we use for chin rests, followed by rosewood and boxwood. African ebony (Diospyros crassiflora) has a density of 1,000 to 1,050 kg/m³ at 12 % moisture content. Only the deep black heartwood is suitable for instrument making; the broad sapwood is discarded.
How density shows in the finished piece can be seen on the violin Berber, which has the same shape in all three woods: in ebony with standard metal fittings around 56 g, in rosewood around 49 g, in boxwood around 45 g.
It is stained mainly with walnut stain and then polished; this gives the even black surface. After making, our chin rests are stored for several months so that they dry through completely.
We make the Morawetz in three heights: Low, Med and High.
- Low: plate 1.8 × 10.0 × 5.5 cm, 45 g including screws
- Med: plate 2.4 × 10.6 × 5.6 cm, 52 g including screws
- High: plate 2.8 × 10.4 × 5.3 cm, 61 g including screws
The figures are measured on the violin, with barrels up to 27 mm. Between Low and High, 1 cm more plate height adds around 16 g on the scales. Low and Med are close in their dimensions; they differ clearly in plate height, 1.8 against 2.4 cm. Portuguese cork sits at the contact points.
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.
For anyone looking for more height and hold at the chin, we often recommend the Morawetz High.
When another model suits you better
Anyone who would like less weight at the chin will find many of our models in boxwood too, the lightest of the three woods; on the violin Berber that is around 11 g less than in ebony.
Anyone looking above all for chin support will be well served by the Stüber, which of our models is the one most strongly designed for it.
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 the ebony coloured?
Yes, our ebony chin rests are stained and polished so that they are evenly black. Anyone who wants to see the natural figure of the wood chooses the unstained version with the suffix -NAT.
How dense is ebony compared with rosewood?
On average, African ebony at around 1,030 kg/m³ is just under a fifth denser than East Indian rosewood at around 870 kg/m³.
How much does the Morawetz weigh?
Measured on the violin, 45 g in Low, 52 g in Med and 61 g in High, each with screws.
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.
