DCA has helped Kun, the leading manufacturer of violin shoulder rests, to create a revolutionary new shoulder rest system for players of the highest proficiency.

Fifty years ago, Kun developed the world’s first industrially produced shoulder rest, which is still serving a broad and loyal audience worldwide. As a market leader, Kun wanted to create a totally new innovative rest system that offered an unrivalled solution in terms of customisation, musician’s comfort and sound.

The new design, Kun Seven, has been developed in close collaboration with top professional violin players, who have provided invaluable input throughout all stages of the development process. A wide range of use cases, from stage performances, to full-day rehearsals, studio recordings and long distance travel, have all shaped the requirements of the new design in terms of acoustics, adjustability, grip, and comfort.

The new shoulder rest design is based on a radical new approach - going back to first principles. The two main functional elements are split into separate parts that can be adjusted independently - a stiff bridge that provides reliable grip on the instrument and a separate pad that can be adjusted to fit to the user’s shoulder.

This separation achieves the functional goal of uncompromising fit, both to the player and to the instrument. It also provides the opportunity to achieve customisation beyond one execution of the product.

Kun Seven is a system. Swapping out different versions of the bridge connection piece and the pad, as and when needed, addresses the most individual and specific of user requirements. Whether it is a multi-million pound Italian antique instrument, or a state-of-the-art electrically amplified version, Kun Seven enables switching from one use case to the next like never before.