The 6 Best Viola Chin Rest – Top Models + Buyers Guide!

What Is The Best Viola Chin Rest On The Market?

Louis Spohr invented the chin rest in the early 19th century, and it has turned out to be a regular part of the instrument. The integration of the chin rest into the instrument has to do with the increasingly demanding repertoire of that time. With the assistance of the chin rest, it allows the left-hand additional freedom, especially in vibrato and shifting.

Many students are not aware that the chin rest that came with their instruments might not be a very good fit. An ill-fitted chin rest will get in the way of ideal posture and natural movements and will trigger aches, pains, or even injuries.

In this article, we will present to you the best chin rest for your viola that you can find available on the market in 2023!

1. Wittner Composite Violin Chin Rest

In the beginning, we have the Wittner Composite violin chin rest which is an inexpensive selection for violinists of all ages and levels. It’s hypoallergenic, so you shouldn’t have to stress about having a bad reaction to it. You’ll mount the chin rest on the side of your violin so it’s simple to connect to the left of the tailpiece.

This chin rest’s mixed material is nice for lots of people. It won’t crack like wood, so you can use it for a very long time. It is a good choice in case you don’t like your current chin rest or in case your violin doesn’t have one at all.

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2. Flat Flesch Violin Chin Rest

The Flat Flesch 3/4-4/4 Violin Chinrest is another wonderful model for the 2 largest violin sizes. You mount this chin rest on the center on the end of the tailpiece using a regular bracket. Its rosewood finish appears beautiful and it is very comfortable.

This chin rest arrives with a mounting tool, so you’ll be able to easily put it on your violin. It could set a bit high on a 3/4 violin, but it is surely a good fit for full-size.

This chinrest is also pretty inexpensive, so you’ll be able to experiment with it to find the best position, and it’s not a huge loss in case you don’t like it.

Features

3. SAS Ebony Chinrest for Viola – Violin

If you need a chin rest that you can use on your existing violin and any future upgrades, you should try the SAS Ebony Chinrest for 3/4-4/4 Violin. It’s the right size to work on violins of these two sizes, so you don’t need to have a particular model to give it a try.

You’ll be able to attach it with a single barrel bracket, and the gold won’t tarnish like silver. The plate is 32 millimeters high, however, you’ll be able to adjust it. That way, you’ll be able to play your violin comfortably and not struggle to keep the instrument in place. And in case you decide to learn the viola, you will be able to use this chin rest on it as well.

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4. Soarun Black Violin Chin Rest

One of the most reasonably priced and best violin chin rests is the Soarun Black model. Soarun chin rest comes with a regular mount, so you’ll be able to attach it to the center of your violin. It’s an ebony model, which means it’s going to fit right in with the other ebony fittings on your instrument.

The chinrest is extremely durable, so you can use it for a very long time without any problems. It additionally has a smooth finish, so you can play your violin comfortably for a long time. However, you will need to have a 4/4 violin for this to fit.

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5. Wittner WITT253111 Violin-Centered Mounting Chinrest

Another middle mount chinrest that you can seriously consider is the Wittner WITT253111 Violin Centered Mounting. It makes use of composite materials, which are nice if you’re sensitive to particular woods. And also you don’t have to worry about it cracking like wood can.

However, this model fits only on 4/4 of the violins. Fortunately, there’s a similar model that is available for 1/4 and 1/2-size violins. That way, you will get the exact benefits as the main model, but you don’t have to play an instrument that’s too big.

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6. Flat Flesch Violin Chinrest

The Flat Flesch 4/4 Violin Chinrest is yet another choice to think about, especially in case you want a center mount chinrest. It uses ebony to match the tailpiece and fingerboard of your violin, and it’s very reasonably priced.

You’ll get an ordinary bracket that you can use to attach the chinrest to your viola or violin. It appears and feels good, so you don’t have to stress about your chin itching after you play. Instead, you’ll be able to focus on the music.

Features

Best Viola Chin Rest – Buyers Guide!

The chin rest is an essential viola part that is usually overlooked by many violinists.

Chin rests are sometimes included with violas when they are being sold and so many players adjust to the chin rests that are included with their violas rather than selecting the chin rests that work for their specific needs.

There is a big number of chin rests that are available for violas, in quite a lot of shapes, sizes, colors, and more.

As you are looking for a chin rest for your instrument, understand that there aren’t any right or wrong selections. Choosing a chin rest for your instrument comes down to your personal preferences and what you are the most comfortable with.

With that in mind, here we have a few things that will help guide you along your journey in selecting the best chin rest for you and your needs.

Different types of Viola chin rest

There are a lot of viola chin rest models that are available on the market at the moment and their main difference is heights and the position they have on the viola or violin.

Chin rests and their height

As soon as you go to buy a new chin rest (or shoulder rest) for your instrument you will notice there are three different heights:

• Low
• Medium
• High

The height of a chin rest defines how high the base of the chin rest sits from the body of a viola. Your selection of chin rest height is determined by your unique dimensions and comfort preferences.

In case you have a shorter neck, for example, then you might choose a low chin rest for your instrument. Those who have long necks can choose higher chin rest or side mounted rest that will go well with your playing position and will boost your viola or violin performance.

Chin rest position: Center mount vs side mounted

Chin rests are mated to the bodies of violas using a bracket system. There are side-mounted, over-the-tailpiece, and center mounted chin rests which are available for violas.

Side-mounted chin rests are mounted on the bottom side of a violin’s physique. Over-the-tailpiece chin rests are mounted over a violin’s tailpiece but are placed towards the side of the violin. Center-mounted chin rests are mounted over a violin’s tailpiece and are placed exactly over the violin’s tailpiece as well.

The size of the chin rest

The dimensions that you select for your viola’s chin rest will depend on your jaw’s structure and dimension. Over-the-tailpiece chin rests, because of their designs, tend to be the biggest chin rests, however, there isn’t a common size scale for chin rests.

There is a large number of options that are available to you, it doesn’t matter what size or structure your jaw has. In case you have a bigger jaw, for example, then you may be comfier with a bigger chin rest that additionally has a more curved design.

In case your jaw has more flesh, then you could purchase a chin rest that is flatter in its form, allowing your jaw to sit on top of the chin rest itself. Similarly, in case your jawline is small, then you may choose a smaller chin rest that hugs your jaw more.

Materials

Chin rests can be made out of several different materials depending on choice and budget. You will have an option to choose from different chin rest materials depending on your needs and for both violin or viola.

The chin rests that you will normally find on violins from their producers are made from plastic.

Wood

Wooden chin rests are usually costlier for producers to develop than plastic chin rests. Most of the wooden chin rest that you can find available on the market have been carved into their shapes rather than placed into pre-fabricated molds.

Wooden chin rests, because of the natural pores of their materials, can absorb moisture more easily.

However, this additionally makes them somewhat extra delicate than plastic chin rests and harder to clean as well. It is possible for you to find wooden chin rests that are created from a variety of different wood types with the most typical being Ebony, Boxwood, and Rosewood.

Plastic

These chin rests cater to a wider range of buyer needs and provide an affordable and simple solution for violinists.

Plastic chin rests are easy to wipe off and clean after you’ve performed, however, what makes plastic chin rests advantageous can also cause them to be an issue for a lot of violinists, as their smooth finishes enable them to slip easily under moist skin.

In case your skin produces lots of oil, or in case you sweat a lot as you are playing, then you could experience more problems with plastic chin rests than their alternatives, wooden chin rests.

Comfort

In case you discover that your viola’s chin rest is uncomfortable you’ll be able to try using a different form of chin rest that is going well with your playing style. However in case you like the shape and it’s still uncomfortable to use after an extended period of playing time, then you should buy a cover for the chin rest.

Using a chin rest cover on your viola’s chin rest is a superb alternative to buying a new chin rest if comfort is your biggest concern. Chinrest covers can be found with many different materials and varieties and are also nice at absorbing moisture and are easily washable depending on the material that you choose.

Some violin chin rest covers attach to the body of the violin while others attach right to the chin rest itself. We’d suggest something like this which can help to increase the comfort.

As you are looking for a chin rest cover, check out the cover on your violin’s chin rest. Be sure that the cover that you select is comfy and has enough padding for your needs.

Durability

Chin rests are constructed very well and last for exceptionally long times. You need to expect the chin rest of your violin to possibly outlast the violin itself with proper care.

Chin rests have metal parts on their brackets, so keeping moisture away from your violin’s chin rest will stop its bracket from rusting. Similarly, in case your violin’s chin rest is coated with any material, routinely wiping the chin rest off will protect its coating as well.

Price

The prices of violin chin rest vary based mostly on the materials which are used and their mounting structures but they are relatively cheap in comparison with other violin accessories.

High-quality chin rests that are wooden and have gold-plated mounting brackets, for example, are on the higher end of the price scale.

The typical chin rest price lies between $10 and $50, with the higher end allowing you to buy a classy chin rest with high-quality materials.

Last Words

We hope that our article will help you choose the right Viola chin rest for your needs.