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FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest®
 

Caution! Read all safety warnings and instructions!

Please keep this Instruction Manual at hand for future reference.

Read these General Safety Instructions and the Instruction Manual carefully and follow all instructions. The PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® must be correctly used and fitted to provide increased com-fort and support while playing and to avoid injury to you or damage to your instrument. The PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® could damage your instrument if it comes loose and impacts your instrument, or if it slips off causing you to lose control of your instrument. Incorrect use or maintenance could also result in physical discomfort or interruptions while playing your instrument or, in rare cases, in physical harm.

Please observe the following safety recommendations:

Check the firm attachment and correct setup of your PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® before every use. Refer to the Instruction Manual for details.

Check all screws are firmly tightened before every use and especially after adjustments have been made. Improperly tightened screws can lead to sudden instability of your PIRASTRO KorfkerRest®. If the Torx key is used improperly or with excessive force, its sharp edges can cause damage to the instrument or even injury to the user.

Check all parts of your PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® for damage, wear and tear before every use. If worn-out or damaged parts are detected do not use your PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® until these parts have been replaced. Continued use can lead to direct damage to the instrument, to instability of your PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® or to discomfort while playing your instrument.

Bend the wood of your PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® with care. Fast, forceful or careless bending can cause the wood to crack or even break. In rare cases this can result in physical harm if the wood splinters. If in doubt, ask an experienced luthier to assist in shaping your PIRASTRO KorfkerRest®.

Before making adjustments, always detach your PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® and move your instrument to a safe place.

Do I have to harden my PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® in the oven after bending it?

The first PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® sent out to customers in 2014 came with the instruction to harden the wood in an oven in order to maximise stability. During that year we continued to develop the wood so this procedure would not be necessary any more. When we found the ideal configuration a year later the text referring to the hardening was removed from the instruction manual and hardening is since then not advised.

Due to the nature of the internet, this hardening is still mentioned on several websites. We hope that in time these will be updated to the latest information.

Sometimes my PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® slips out of position during playing, what could be the cause of this?

The PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® has been designed to sit on the instrument very securely with minimum interference with the sound. If you experience the feet slipping please check the following:

  • Make sure the rubber feet are clean. Cleaning can be done with a damp cloth.
  • Please check the tightness of the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest®. If the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® is too loose this will affect its stability. If the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® is too loose, please follow the instructions in the video »Narrowing the rest«.
  • If the shoulder leg of the rest is angled in too much, it will not have ideal contact with the edge of the instrument. This can happen when the chest leg has rotated outwards a bit and a user has compensated by angling in the shoulder leg. Ideally the rubber foot meets the instrument at a 90 degree angle. Please check the position of the chest leg.
     
It should also be angled inwards when off the violin and meet the instrument at a 90 degree angle when attached. If you feel the position of the legs is causing instability, please compare it to the picture seen below and follow if necessary the instructions in the following video to get back to the ideal positioning of the legs.


Picture: Ideal leg positioning

  • If your violin is particularly narrow, please consider using the ErgoPack. This will allow a very secure fit even on violins which are smaller (up to 7/8 violins). Please see the ErgoPack section for more information. Otherwise, narrow the legs as much as possible and make sure to do this symmetrically.
 
Over time the tightness of my PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® on the instrument has become less. What could be happening?

When starting to use the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® it is important to check that the two flange screws which hold the legs to the wooden part of the rest are well tightened. Especially the chest leg may slowly twist outwards if this is not the case. This causes an increasing of the distance between the two rubber feet. Often users will not notice this twisting of the chest leg and only observe a loss of tightness when putting the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® onto the violin. 

 


Picture: Ideal angles of the legs

They then try to remedy this by increasing the angle of the shoulder leg, leading to instability. 

If you feel the position of the legs is causing instability, please compare it to the picture below.
To get back to the ideal positioning of the legs follow the instructions in the video "Starting Position".

Why do the rubber pads of my PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® wear faster than the ones of my colleagues?

When designing the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® we discovered that the amount of rubber used in the rest has a significant impact on the sound of the violin. For this reason we looked for the ideal balance between comfort and acoustical properties. Particular attention was given to the choice of rubber and adhesive of the pads to make sure they last as long as possible. Many users have reported years of intensive use without major wear, but as usage between players varies, some have found they have to replace them more often. These are some factors which influence wear and tear:

  • Angle of tilt of the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest®
    If the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® is tilted too much, this can put a disproportionate amount of pressure on one edge of the pad, which can then start to peel off the edge of the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest®. You can prevent this by reducing the tilt of the KorfkerRest®. This will also make using the rest more comfortable. Please refer to the video »Changing the tilt of the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest®«.
  • Shape of the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest®
    In some cases the rubber pad has worn predominantly at the very end of the shoulder PIRASTRO KorfkerRest®, where it touches the shoulder. If this is the case, the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® may be too much curved, as only the last bit of the rest will be touching your shoulder. You may want to reduce the curve of the rest so more of it is in contact with the body. This will reduce wear and make using the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® more comfortable.
  • Shoulder pressure
    Inevitably some players use less shoulder pressure during playing than others. The combination of shoulder pressure and pulling the violin downwards can cause increased wear of the shoulder pad.
The rubber pad on the shoulder is wearing in only one place, why is this happening?

When designing the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® we discovered that the amount of rubber used in the a has a significant impact on the sound of the violin. For this reason we looked for the ideal balance between comfort and acoustical properties. Particular attention was given to the choice of rubber and adhesive for the pads to make sure they last as long as possible. Many users have reported years of intensive use without major wear, but as usage between players varies, some have found they have to replace them more often. These are some factors which influence wear and tear:

  • Angle of the tilt of the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest®
    If the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® is tilted too much, this can put a disproportionate amount of pressure on one edge of the pad, which can then start to peel off the edge. You can prevent this by reducing the tilt. This will also make using the rest more comfortable. Please refer to the video »Changing the tilt of the rest«.
  • Shape of the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest®
    In some cases the rubber pad has worn predominantly at the very end of the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® where it sits on the shoulder. If this is the case, the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® may be too much curved, as only the last bit of the KorfkerRest® will be touching your shoulder. In this case you may want to reduce the curve of the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® so more of it is in contact with the body. This will reduce wear and make using the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® more comfortable.

 

The wood of my PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® seems to change its shape over time making the bend more pronounced. What can I do to prevent this?

When the KorfkerPIRASTRO KorfkerRestRest® sits too tight on the violin this can cause an exaggeration of the bend, over time resulting in a stronger curve of the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest®. To remedy this, bend the wood back to the desired shape and bring the feet slightly further apart to decrease the tension when attaching the KorfkerRest® onto the instrument. If the change has been significant, please give the wood an hour or so to PIRASTRO KorfkerRest®. When putting the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest® back on the violin, the tension should still be enough to secure the rest onto the violin. If it is not, adjust the feet slightly inwards. Herefore please see the following video: