I am a former classical guitar teacher and I taught at several elementary art schools in Czechia. I always used a footstool while playing. However, as I got older, I started having back problems. So, I began to take an interest in guitar supports, of which there are many types available on the market today. I tried several types of supports: Sagework, Ergo Play, Gitano, and Woodside. At first glance, I liked the Gitano support because it is small, compact, and with just a slight adjustment in placement on the guitar’s side, you can set the desired tilt of the guitar. A minor drawback was that the suction cups left marks on the sides of the instrument, and there were sometimes issues when I had to repeatedly reattach the Gitano to the guitar because the suction cups didn’t hold perfectly (I had to moisten them, but even then, sometimes the support would fall off). This uncertainty started to bother me, and I returned to the Woodside support, which I initially dismissed because it seemed unhandy and complicated. However, I realized I was wrong. The only thing that takes a bit of time (just a few minutes) is the initial assembly of the support and the subsequent adjustment of the necessary height and pressure so that the support holds on the guitar. It really only requires slight pressure, as the silicone ends of the structure, which touch the guitar's body, adhere perfectly to it and leave no marks on the varnish. Once you set the correct pressure, you just place the support on the guitar and secure it by flipping the lever. The speed and ease of placement are comparable to the Gitano with suction cups. The options for adjusting the height and angle of the support meet all the requirements I can imagine. It is a brilliant design, and I’ve come to like it because it matches my romantic vision of perfect engineering works from the 19th century, like typewriters or sewing machines. I sometimes play in a duet with a violinist, and I’ve always envied how well the violin shoulder rest works. The Woodside works just as well, and I consider it a perfect replacement for the footstool, with the added advantage of protecting your back from injury.
