Is true that if you have black horse hair instead of black...

Blazemourne · #1 03-21-2007, 02:32 PM

you should use Carlsson and if you have white horse hair you should use Pops? And also, why is Carlsson much more expensive than Pops?

bfitz · #2 03-21-2007, 04:27 PM

It's not really true at all. When I had white hair on my bow I used both Carlson’s and Pops. I really didn't like either one. I switched to black hair with the Carlson's and still didn't like it. Now I'm using Kolstein soft with black hair and that's what works for me. You pretty much just have to try every thing and see what works best for you. I'm not sure about the price differences but I think that Pops is made in the US and Carlson's somewhere in Europe. That might be a reason it's more expensive but I'm not sure.

mahlerbass · #3 03-21-2007, 07:49 PM

Rosin, just like Bow hair, is 100% personal preference. There is no "rule" about correlating rosin and horse hair.

White hair has a smoother sound then black. Black horse hair sounds coarser because it holds more rosin then white hair.

I imagine that the manufacturing cost to produce Carlssons is higher then that of Pops, which would explain the price difference. Also, Carlssons is imported from Sweden, and Pops is made in Texas.

If you are so curious that it prevents you from developing as a bassist, then try the different combos of hair and rosin, and use the one that produces the results you desire. Then get back to practicing.

bassist1962 · #4 03-22-2007, 03:13 AM

Quinn Violins sells a sampe pack of rosin.

$39.54 Bass Rosin Sampler Pack. Includes one each of Kolstein, Pop's, Carlsson, Petz, Royal Oak.

I don't know how you would go about this with the bow.
Maybe try each with your current bow setup, go through the expense of getting a rehair, and start the process over again. Recording yourself with each combonation for sound comparison.