PIRASTRO KorfkerRest User manual

The ultimate in sound and comfort

ENGLISH
Quick start guide
Instruction manual
Page  - 
Handmade in Germany
DEUTSCH
Kurzanleitung
Gebrauchsanweisung
Seite  - 
The ultimate in sound and comfort

Thank you very much for
purchasing the PIRASTRO
KorfkerRest®.
For full benefit of its features
and to ensure a long life for
your purchase, please read
this instruction manual care-
fully before use.
Patent pending
Art. No. 700010

Key .................................................................................  - 
Quick start guide ......................................... 
Instruction manual ..........................  - 
BENDING THE REST ............................................................... 
ADJUSTING THE LEGS .......................................................... 
Narrowing the rest ................................................................. 
Widening the rest ................................................................... 
Adjusting the tilt of the rest ................................................ 
HARDENING THE WOOD ............................................  - 
Hardening in a conventional oven ..........................  - 
Hardening in a microwave oven ...............................  - 
REPLACING THE RUBBER PADS ........................................ 15
CONTENTS





 

Accessories
 Torx key (size  for all screws)
 Rubber pad (x)
 Locking rings (x)
Protection bag
 EN
The ultimate in sound and comfort








 Wooden bridge
 Chest leg
 Shoulder leg
 Base joint
 Hinge joint
 Rubber foot
 Adjustment screw
 Rubber pad
 Torx screw
 Torx flange screw
 Eye

EN 

To get a first impression of the KorfkerRest please follow
these steps:
QUICK START GUIDE
Step 1
Using the Torx key provided, check that all the Torx screws
are tightened before use.
Step 2
If the rest is too tight or too loose for your instrument,
adjust it by loosening the Torx screw of the shoulder side
leg and tilting the hinge joint inwards or outwards. Tighten
the Torx screw again afterwards.
PLEASE OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING:
If the rubber feet slip during playing they can be tightened
by adjusting the legs. To achieve maximum tightening the
wood needs to be hardened. Please read how to do this in
the section entitled »Hardening the wood«.
 EN
1

Bending the rest
The Pirastro KorfkerRest has been pre-bent to a shape that
has proven to be comfortable for many players. A unique
feature of this rest is that its shape can be changed by
manual bending to fit the individual, as seen in picture 1,
2 and 3.
WHEN BENDING THE WOOD PLEASE KEEP THE
FOLLOWING IN MIND:
• Do not bend the rest if you have previously hardened it
(see the section entitled »Hardening the wood«). Bending
a hardened rest will result in the wood breaking.
• The fibres of the wood need time to adjust to a new
shape, therefore always bend the rest slowly and
carefully. Fast and forceful bending will damage the
wood and may cause cracking.
• The rest has a bending limit. By bending it slowly and
carefully you will feel when the rest cannot bend any
further. Do not force the wood to bend beyond this point.
• Please keep in mind that small adjustments can have a
significant effect on comfort.
• Clamping the rest onto the instrument will increase the
shoulder curve slightly. Bear this in mind when deciding
the final curve.
• When the rest is bent and its shape altered, the legs
might need to be readjusted. Please refer to the section
entitled »Adjusting the legs«.
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
EN 
2
3

Adjusting the legs
Each leg has a Torx screw connecting the hinge joint with
the base joint and a Torx flange screw connecting the
base joint with the wooden bridge. Locking rings prevent
movement between the hinge joint and the base joint
and between the base joint and the wood when the Torx
screws are tightened correctly. These four locking rings
are essential to the functioning of the rest and should be
replaced if lost or damaged (4 replacements included).
Adjustments to the legs should be made in small
increments. After changing their position, look at both
legs sideways and make sure the adjustment screws of the
rubber feet are parallel to each other (see picture 7). When
placed feet downwards on a flat surface, all 4 tips of the
rubber feet should touch the surface. If they are not, adjust
the tilt of the hinge joint of the chest leg.
In order not to change the position of the wooden bridge
in relation to the violin, whatever adjustment is made
needs to be divided between the shoulder leg and the
chest leg. This way the legs will both remain at a similar
angle pointing inward (see picture 4).
After making adjustments always check all screws have
been tightened.
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
 EN
4

Narrowing the rest
Increasing the angle of the hinge joint of the shoulder leg
inwards will narrow the rest and create a stronger clamping
action (see picture 5). In order to adjust the hinge joint,
loosen the Torx screw enough to allow the joint to move.
Move it to the desired position and tighten the Torx screw.
A similar adjustment needs to be made to the chest leg
(see picture 6). To make the rest narrower, slightly loosen
the Torx flange screw and rotate the base joint clockwise.
After tightening the Torx flange screw, loosen the hinge
joint and swivel the hinge joint inwards. At this point both
adjustment screws need to be parallel with each other and
all screws need to be tightened.
EN 
5
6

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Widening the rest
Straightening the hinge joint of the shoulder leg by
bringing it outwards will widen the rest and create a
weaker clamping action (see picture 5). In order to adjust
the hinge joint, loosen the Torx screw enough to allow the
joint to move. Move it to the desired position and tighten
the Torx screw.
A similar adjustment needs to be made to the chest leg
(see picture 6). To make the rest wider, slightly loosen the
Torx flange screw and rotate the base joint anticlockwise.
After tightening the Torx flange screw, loosen the hinge
joint and swivel the hinge joint outwards. At this point
both adjustment screws need to be parallel with each
other and all screws need to be tightened.
 EN

Adjusting the tilt of the rest
The tilt of the rest can be adjusted as seen in picture 7. In
order to increase or decrease the tilt of the rest, start with
the shoulder leg. Slightly loosen only the Torx flange screw
and rotate the whole leg slightly clockwise to increase the
tilt or anticlockwise to decrease it. A small rotation will
have a noticeable result. After tightening the Torx flange
screw, adjust the tilt of the hinge joint of the chest leg by
loosening its Torx screw and swivelling the hinge joint so
the two adjustment screws are parallel as in picture 7.
EN 
7

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Hardening the wood
In its bendable state the Pirastro KorfkerRest rest attaches
safely to your instrument with a minimum effect on its
sound. Nevertheless when the wooden bridge is still
bendable the rest might slide during use, or in some
cases the wood might bend during playing. This can be
prevented by
hardening the wood, thus maximising the clamping force
and the stability of the rest. Please be aware that this
process is irreversible. Therefore harden the wood only
after a period of testing. When choosing a final shape, bear
in mind that even when the wood is hardened, putting the
rest on the violin will slightly emphasise the bend.
Hardening in a
conventional oven
Hardening the wooden bridge in a conventional oven will
result in the greatest and most permanent stiffness.
Do not heat at more than 200ºC or for more than the
stated times as this will cause burning of the wood. As
the temperature control of conventional ovens can be
inaccurate you are advised to use an oven thermometer to
confirm the exact temperature in the oven. Follow these
steps precisely:
 EN

Step 1
Before hardening the wooden bridge, take careful note
of the positions of the legs so they can be repositioned
easily after hardening the wood. Take a picture if necessary.
Remove the legs, Torx screws and locking disks and peel
off the rubber pads. Place the wooden bridge sideways
on a sheet of paper and copy its curve with a pencil. This
drawing will be important during the hardening process.
Also look at the wooden bridge from the chest end and
note its twist.
Step 2
Pre-heat an oven to 200ºC and place the wooden bridge
only on its side in the middle of the oven for 1 minute.
Place the wood directly onto an ordinary wire oven shelf.
Do not use a solid shelf or tray as this will cause damage to
the wood.
Step 3
Remove the wooden bridge with oven gloves and compare
its curve with the line drawn on the paper. Sometimes at
this point the shoulder bend and twist will need slight rein-
forcing. While the wood is still warm, carefully bend it to fit
the line. Remember that putting the rest on the violin
will slightly emphasise the bend.
Step 4
When you are happy with its shape, place the wooden
bridge back into the oven for another 3 minutes at 200ºC
to finalise the hardening process. Remove the wood with
oven gloves and let it cool down. From now on, do not
try to bend the wood as it will break. The rest can then be
reassembled.
The rubber pads can be reattached after hardening the
wood, although they may not stick as well as before. If they
do not regain stickiness after a day, replace them with the
new ones provided.
It is normal for the colour of the rest to be slightly darker at
the end of this hardening process.
EN 

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Hardening in a microwave oven
It is possible to harden the wooden bridge by microwave
oven, but the hardening might be less permanent than
when done by conventional oven. Do not use more than
450 Watts power and do not heat the wood for more
than one minute at a time as this will cause burning of
the wood. If the microwave oven does not have a turning
plate, do not use it for hardening the wood as this may
cause burning. Please find an alternative microwave oven
with a turning plate or use a conventional oven. Follow
these steps precisely:
Step 1
Before hardening the wooden bridge, take careful note
of the positions of the legs so they can be repositioned
easily after hardening the wood. Take a picture if necessary.
Remove the legs, Torx screws and locking disks and peel
off the rubber pads. Place the wooden bridge sideways
on a sheet of paper and copy its curve with a pencil. This
drawing will be important during the hardening process.
Also look at the wooden bridge from the chest end and
note its twist.
Step 2
Place the wooden bridge only in a microwave lying on its
side. Position it on the turning plate 2-3 centimetres off
centre with the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest engraving on the
side of the rest facing upwards. Heat for 1 minute at 450
Watts.
Step 3
Remove the wooden bridge with oven gloves and compa-
re its curve with the line drawn on the paper. Sometimes
at this point the shoulder bend and twist will need slight
reinforcing. While the wood is still warm, carefully bend it
to fit the line. Remember that putting the rest on the violin
will slightly emphasise the bend.
 EN

Step 4
Place the wooden bridge in the microwave again, as in
step 2 but with the PIRASTRO KorfkerRest engraving
facing downwards. Heat for 1 minute at 450 Watts.
Remove the wood with oven gloves and let it cool down.
From now on, do not try to bend the wood as it will break.
The rest can now be reassembled.
The rubber pads can be reattached after hardening the
wood, although they may not stick as well as before. If they
do not regain stickiness after a day, replace them with the
new ones provided.
If after following this procedure maximum and more
permanent stiffness of the wood is required, remove the legs,
Torx screws and locking disks and peel off the rubber pads.
Read the instructions under »Hardening in a conventional
oven« carefully and follow only step 4 for a maximum of
3 minutes at 200ºC.
PLEASE NOTE:
Some microwave ovens express power in percentages or
steps. In those cases please refer to the instruction manual
of the microwave oven to come as close to 450 Watts as
possible. If in doubt choose one step below 450 Watts.
Microwave ovens can vary in accuracy of power output
and Pirastro cannot accept responsibility for the results of
using poorly calibrated ovens.
Replacing the rubber pads
When a rubber pad has worn out, it can be peeled off using
the finger lift under the tip of the pad. Peel the backing off
one of the replacement rubber pads included with your
Cradle. Start by aligning the round hole exactly around the
torx flange screw, then align the eyes in the rubber with the
eyes in the wood. Aligning the eyes might require slight
stretching or compressing of the rubber, depending on how
strongly the rest has been bent. Before using, press the whole
rubber pad strongly onto the wood, starting at the edges.
EN 

DE 
DEUTSCH
Kurzanleitung
Gebrauchsanweisung
Seite  - 
The ultimate in sound and comfort
Handmade in Germany

 DE
Patent pending
Art. No. 700010
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zum Kauf der PIRASTRO
KorfkerRest®.
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