Isny model shoulder rest by Wittner. It is designed to work together with the Wittner chin rests and also works without one.
- Universally adjustable
- Dismantles very small
- Hi-Tec composite
Technical data
| Model | Isny |
| Material | Hi-Tec composite |
| Country of manufacture | Germany |
Features
- Four mounting variants: without chin rest, with a central, a side-mounted and a traditional chin rest
- Wittner in Isny, founded 1895, today a division of Gewa Music GmbH
In practice
- Height first: when you place the instrument and lower your chin, the spine should stay straight and the head should not tilt. Better to start too low and raise it step by step.
- Then the tilt, and set each foot separately. The shoulder slopes away from the neck towards the arm; if one side sits in the air, only an edge is bearing.
- Chin rest and shoulder rest work together. With a long neck a higher chin rest can take over part of the height, so the shoulder rest need not be wound up to its limit.
Versions
- 4/4 to 3/4 incl. screwdriver, WIT-280111
- 1/2 to 1/4 incl. screwdriver, WIT-280131
- 4/4 to 3/4 without screwdriver, WIT-280211
- 1/2 to 1/4 without screwdriver, WIT-280231
- viola incl. screwdriver, WIT-281131
Sound and physics
The violin is clamped between shoulder and chin and held almost entirely by this clamping; the left hand gives only slight support. The shoulder rest forms the lower abutment of this clamp on the shoulder.
By lifting the vibrating back away from the body, the rest keeps its radiation backwards and downwards free of damping by the body. Its feet grip the edge of the lower bout; each of these small points of contact acts on the vibration of the back only locally (damping, that is, drawing energy from the vibration), and the more strongly the back vibrates at exactly that spot, the greater the effect.
At the edge the top and back overhang the ribs by around 3 mm, and the back is worked thicker there, around 3.3 mm, than in the adjoining area at 2.5 to 2.8 mm. The width of the rest is governed by the width of the lower bout, and on a 4/4 violin also by a rib height of 30 mm.
Violas are sized by body length in centimetres or inches; adult sizes range from 15.5 to 17 inches.
The dimensions a shoulder rest engages with grow with the body length.
The construction principle of back, ribs and lower bout is the same as on the violin, in larger dimensions. A viola rest therefore needs a wider span than a rest for the violin, and its feet grip taller ribs.
The Isny is made of a high-tech plastic and contains no wood. Wittner describes it as ultra light, anatomically shaped, very flexible in adapting to the shoulder and dismantling into very small parts.
It is designed to work with Wittner chin rests and can also be used without a chin rest. For chin rests with barrel fittings, including other makes, there is a separate version. The range covers violin 4/4 to 3/4 and 1/2 to 1/4 as well as viola.
When another model suits you better
Players who prefer to play without a shoulder rest and want more hold at the chin are better served by a taller chin rest, on the 4/4 violin for example the Morawetz High with its 25 mm cup height.
Frequently asked questions
Does a shoulder rest change the sound of the violin?
The rest lifts the vibrating back away from the body and touches the instrument only with its feet at the edge of the lower bout. Each of these points of contact has a local damping effect, the stronger the more the back vibrates at exactly that spot.
How wide does a shoulder rest for a 3/4 violin need to be?
The lower bout of a 3/4 violin is around 195 mm wide. The rest is set so that both feet grip the rib securely at the edge of the lower bout.
What should I look for in a shoulder rest for my viola?
What counts are the lower bout width and rib height of your own instrument; on a viola with a 42 cm body they are 244 mm and 39 mm. If in doubt, measure the lower bout across at its widest point.
Why are there separate shoulder rests for the viola?
Violas are built wider and have taller ribs than violins, so the rest needs a wider span.
Does the Isny need a Wittner chin rest?
The Isny is designed for Wittner chin rests and can also be used without a chin rest; for chin rests with barrel fittings, including other makes, there is the WIT-282211 version.
What is the Isny made of?
A high-tech plastic without wood; we do not have a material data sheet.
