Mach One Maple Violin Shoulder Rest Hook 4/4-3/4

Finding the most comfortable shoulder rest for takes time, experience, or for beginners, a skilled teacher to assess a student’s unique posture needs. This rest is beautiful to look at and light weight. I have a variety of comfortable shoulder rests but I liked the aesthetic of this one so I gave it a try for a couple days. While it may be just right for some players, it has very little flexibility for adjustment: the “hook” must sit in just the right spot in order for the shoulder to relax and for the the rest to provide adequate support for the instrument. I failed to find that spot on my shoulder and my violin wanted to slip forward slightly. It also lacks foam padding which makes it uncomfortable when playing for a long time. I can not recommend this shoulder rest for my students.

I bought this shoulder rest for my daughter because her violin kept slipping down while playing, as a result her neck hurt. Her professional violin came with a rest. Luckily, her violin instructor suggested the Mach One with the Hook since I had no clue what was wrong. She plays professionally, so I took her advice and found Mach One products on Amazon. However, the difficulty in selecting the correct Mach One shoulder rest was I found several where the pictures look similar. So caution, there are lots of Mach One shoulder rests but it absolutely must say HOOK in the title and description. I mention this because I ordered the wrong one and had to stop the shipping. The hook on the end of the shoulder rest really keeps the violin from sliding off her shoulder while performing. The Mach One shoulder rest with Hook has helped her playing as well as her posture. As a note, the Mach One products are not only sturdy, it looks good and will be used for many years.

(was writing another review for a recent order and realized I never ever wrote one for this LOL)Been almost a year since I bought this and I LOVE IT :D at first it might feel different from your previous shoulder rests. I used FOM, which was a KUN knockoff. Not as good as KUN which I've tried my teacher's but similar.The thing about this mach one is that is maple wood. And I told myself I will somehow overcome that unfamiliarity of how it rests on my shoulder compared to "cushioned" shoulder rests and I must overcome it. You ask why?Because the sound that my violin produced with it was a GREAT difference from the previous/other rests! It made my previous rest sound like it muffled my violin A LOT.And I wouldn't say its because my old rest was cheap. Because when I went on violin shopping and the shops were using KUN. After picking out my current violin with KUN, I made a final check with this rest. The sound was just amplified so much the shop assistants were shocked. And it also gave me the confidence of the potential my current violin can doOn top of the sound quality, this rest is really light. It's a thin yet sturdy layer of wood. And personally I'm quite petite so I really prefer smaller and lighter stuffs xDAnyway! It did take a while for me to get used to the wood/leather on my shoulder. Yes, sometimes when I take my teacher's KUN before, it does feel really comfy because of the cushion. But this rest really has a lot to offer and I don't mind sacrificing that cushion feeling because I think that's the only thing I would say falls behind KUN. It's not painful or anything with this rest, it's just not cushioned. So if you don't compare them, mach one is really good by itself in every way!

I'm not sure yet if I like this shoulder rest. I've had it a few days. It has a very thin leather pad which is a good thing (and bad) because it makes me feel closer to the violin (and makes a better un-muffled sound. However because it lacks a thick padding (like the Everest) it can feel like it's digging into your shoulder. I think this rest in particular MUST have the right matching chinrest to balance things out. I am waiting on another chinrest to come in the mail that I am hoping will be a better match for this Mach One Hook. I think a chinrest that is somewhat flat and close to the violin (with a nice hug to the chin) would be a good match with this Mach One Hook. But just a guess. I am going to keep on experimenting till I find a good match for me.I think this Mach One Hook could be be Awesome for the right person and uncomfortable for some people. I also think I could get more used to it over time. It is a very high quality product and I would say it is definitely worth trying if you have the money to try it.

I know, it's a bit pricey compared to all those plastic Kun knock-offs, but dad-gummit the thing works perfectly. The only downside is that these all ship with the shorter "foot" on the low side (i.e., your chest side) so if you need a longer/taller foot, you'll have to visit your local violin dealer to ask for one. My teacher got it positioned and adjusted for me, and suddenly I had no tension or gripping issues, and I could focus on playing. Highly recommended.

Fantastic shoulder rest! I've got narrow/thin shoulders and a long neck and was in a lot of pain while playing. This solved all my issues! It's so much easier to hold my violin and play a song and my arm pain and neck and jaw pain is gone too!

I bought this for a friend. It was recommended by a coach at a string camp we go to. My friend absolutely loves everything about it -- lightness, feel, look, & grip on her violin. Her last shoulder rest, a Bon Muscia, fell off her violin often. I used a Bon Musica on my fiddle before I switched to cello, & liked it fine. I bought the Mach 1 Hook through Amazon & saved about ten $ over Shar Music's price, evan though it was shipped by Shar. So, I got Amazon's protection, plus Shar's excellent return policy.