Bonmusica Violin Shoulder Rest 4/4

This is not a cheap shoulder rest, but the extra cost for me is worth it in terms of quality and adjust-ability. It is like the Wolfe Segundo (which I also have) but the quality is better and it is much more adjustable and adaptable. The main bar bends easily and the quality of the parts is quite good (better than others that I have tried) and it fits well together. I have struggled to find a good shoulder rest to fit me and this is the first one to actually do the job. It took me well over an hour of bending and adjusting to get it to fit comfortably but in the end it works well. I would not necessarily recommend this for those who just need an general shoulder rest due to the cost. It is suited to those who need a customizable shape to fit their form. I am very happy with it.

Solid design and very high quality manufacturing. The feet and arms of the rest are strong and sturdy. This shoulder rest suits my needs perfectly. It really helps, when shifting and playing in high positions, by supporting the violin and keeping it in the same place. The curved nature of the rest allows it "hook" snuggly over your shoulder - which takes the pressure off the neck and also avoids the need to adjust between phrases. I recommend this shoulder rest to all my advanced students. Obviously it might not suit every player but if you can get a chance to try one out, do it and see how it affects your playing.

I use it for my electric violin (approximately 720 gram). The electric violin that I use is Harley Benton HBV 870FR 4/4 Electric Violin.

The violin size is 4/4, also the shoulder rest t is 4/4, but the shoulder rest is a bit smaller than I think, so doesn't fit to the violin. I added some ring to the shoulder rest to make it longer. Finally it fits my violin. It would be nice if the shoulder rest has a default way to make it longer, so I don't have to figure it out myself to put an additional ring.

At the beginning I don't feel very comfortable with this shoulder rest. But then I set it up to make it fits my shoulder and neck. It's good that I can adjust it to my shoulder. I'm happy that it's easy to set it, compared to my previous wooden shoulder rest that cannot be adjusted at all.

If you buy the bonmusica violin shoulder rest, you will get the top of the shoulder rest.
On the positive side:
+ Very stable and convenient
+ Comfortable
+ Flexible and adaptable
On the element that could be improved:
- Expensive
- Somewhat heavy
- I had to replace a screw by a longer one, because my violin was apparently somewhat larger than a ?normal? 4/4 violin.

However if you feel the need of a new shoulder rest, I would advise to think also of the chin rest: sometimes a simple shoulder rest is enough, with a good chin rest. The thumb rule is (in my opinion): shoulder rest + violin + chin rest should come just below the distance between the neck and the collarbone.

I have purchased and used the 3/4 Bonmusica on my 3/4 violin last year. Now that I've acquired a 4/4, I can't imagine playing with a diferent shoulder rest! the Bonmusica makes me feel that my instrument is securely held in place and I have my hands free to work on my technique. The sound quality of a violin set up with a Bonmusica rest is very good (as I remember hearing on a Youtube shoulder-rest comparative test).
So my advice is, buy it, invest some time into adjusting the frame of the shoulderrest to your physique and you'll be really happy.
Packing it into your violin case can be a challenge, though!

The value of the product is very high.
However, when I first bought it, the tip of the shoulder pad on the chest side was bent sideways. I think it's the manufacturer's responsibility, not the seller's. Since it was purchased from Japan, it is troublesome, so I will not return it. Since it is a deformable shoulder pad, I bent it myself and put it back, so it can be used. However, the box is too weak and seems to have been bumped during transportation, so I advise the manufacturer to sell the product in a strong box. Great product, so please eliminate the possibility of buyer discomfort.