It turns out this Joachim is the ideal chinrest for me to purchase at this time (at last my 20-year search has ended). My ideal chinrest for the past 50 years has been the "original Stuber" as manufactured in Germany until that time. More recent searches for that old chinrest to use on more recently purchased violins and violas failed since the Stuber chinrests available today are manufactured in the Far East to different dimensional specifications. To obtain the old design one must have it custom made for well over $100, which I did once.
By applying one-half of an "Impressionist" ("Impressionist chinrest comforter" sold by many dealers) to the top of a Joachim chinrest and molding it with one of my old Stubers I have been able to achieve the same playing comfort I have enjoyed on my other violins for the past half century. I cover ALL my chinrests with a cotton chinrest cover and they ALL feel the same.
