Chinrest VLA Slim, Natural Ebony, Titanium, ZK-V256-NAT-T
ZK-V256-NAT-T
Developed in our own workshop, mounted on the left side and built to minimal height. The flattest chin rest in our range. Natural ebony with brown to grey figure; every piece shows its own grain.
- The height above the rib is set through the barrels; we recommend using a shoulder rest
- Screws and barrels in pure titanium, uncoated and free of nickel
- Sized for viola rib heights
Technical data
| Model | Slim Style |
| Material | Unstained ebony |
| Fittings | Screws and barrels in pure titanium |
| Instrument | Viola |
| Item number | ZK-V256-NAT-T |
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
Viola barrels come in 32 mm and 35 mm; many viola models are supplied with one pair in each length. What counts for the choice is the rib height at the lower bout, measured from back to top.
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 viola chin rests we have weighed come to between around 55 g and 67 g including screws.
The suffix -NAT stands for unstained ebony: it is not stained, only treated with beeswax. The natural features of the wood with their grain flames therefore remain visible; the difference from stained ebony is purely aesthetic and not a difference in quality.
As a wood it is the same dense ebony; after working, the chin rests are stored for several months to dry through. Of the three woods we use for chin rests, ebony is the densest, ahead of rosewood and boxwood. African ebony (Diospyros crassiflora) has a density of 1,000 to 1,050 kg/m³ at 12 % moisture content.
The Slim Style and the Kaufmann are mounted beside the tailpiece and built flat. The Slim Style is around 11 mm high in every wood; the Kaufmann is built a little higher, on the ZK-4255 in rosewood 13 mm without and 14.5 mm with cork.
The Slim Style runs straight back and is built for instruments with a usual arching of the top. The Slim models go with short 25 mm barrels. Because of its flat shell shape, we also know the Slim ZK-256 in-house as the Flat or shallow shell. We make the Slim Style in rosewood, in stained and unstained ebony and in boxwood. On the viola the Kaufmann ZK-V4256 in ebony weighs 55 g with a plate of 6.4 × 10.9 cm.
On the versions with the suffix -T, screws and barrels are made of pure titanium. Screws and barrels in titanium Grade 2 weigh around 42 to 44 per cent less than the same shapes in steel.
On the Guarneri in rosewood the scales show the difference: around 51 g with standard metal screws, around 45 g with titanium screws. Pure titanium contains no nickel and resists corrosion without any coating, including from perspiration. A thread in pure titanium runs a little stiffer than one in an alloy and therefore likes a light oiling.
We make our titanium screws ourselves in Wernitzgrün. We offer titanium in the closed design only; pure titanium cannot be brought into the geometry that Hill fittings need.
Our experience
When we advise on a viola, we ask for the rib height and then put together the matching pair of barrels. Our experience with tightening applies to the viola as well: only firmly enough that the chin rest holds securely, because the rib beside the bottom block is more delicate than the spot directly over the block.
We make the unstained chin rests with 1.5 mm cork on the feet, just like the stained ones.
We keep receiving warm feedback on the Slim; one teacher wrote to tell us they recommend the thin chin rests to all their students. With a very highly arched top, we are glad to look at a photo of the instrument before choosing.
For us titanium is the choice when a chin rest is meant to stay on the instrument for decades: in normal use we know of no limit to its lifespan.
When another model suits you better
Anyone looking for a consistently deep black to match stained ebony pegs will choose the same model in stained ebony.
Anyone looking for more hold at the chin than these flat shapes offer will find higher-built models in the Morawetz High or the Stüber.
Anyone who values the classic Hill fitting will find it on our models with gold-plated Hill screws, whose feet are firmly joined to the chin rest.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the NAT version differ visually from the stained one?
The difference is small: the unstained wood shows its natural features and grain flames, while stained ebony is black throughout.
Do you also make boxwood as a NAT version?
No, the suffix -NAT is used by us for ebony only; boxwood is a light wood in any case.
Is there a left-handed Slim Style or Kaufmann?
We do not make a dedicated left-handed version; a Kaufmann can be fitted, but it does not sit exactly symmetrically.
Can I convert a chin rest to titanium later?
With models that have closed screws, yes; the titanium screws are also sold individually for this. Models with Hill screws cannot be converted to titanium.
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.