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Double Bass If Rosin is Called By Any Other Name...

Tyler L

Tyler L

Aug 16, 2017
60
62
Urbana, OH
#1
In all of the items that I've "upgraded," be it bow, strings, et cetera, I have ultimately pulled the trigger and paid $XX.xx more for them due to anticipated gains. Because of this, I typically can measure my expectations as matched, exceeded, or disappointed. Rosin on the other hand, I am less sure about. I've been back and forth about pulling the trigger on higher-priced items. And I have tons of rosins I've considered buying, like Wiedoeft, Yumba, Oak, Leatherwood (probably too expensive, but still curious), and many more. But at the end of the day, I have no idea what to expect. Less powder? Better grip? Better sound? Longevity? The name brand & packaging? Better/sustainable/ethical ingredients? Magical bow powers that allow me to play whatever is on my stand flawlessly? Please let me know because I'm excited to learn. Treating yourself feels good sometimes and I'd love to follow through with measurable expectations.

PS: This is not really a "which rosin should I get" thread, but if you feel so passionate as to market one, my preferences are stickier rosins and I have been happy with Pop's for quite some time.
 
#3
I'm always just curious if the grass is greener on the other side I guess :D I'm not necessarily looking to replace Pop's. I enjoy experimenting so long as I have a purpose. I've enjoyed Pop's vs. other similarly priced brands like Kolstein, Carlsson, and Petz. I guess I'm just wondering what the benefits are of spending $30+ on a cake, assuming there are indeed benefits. Or perhaps it's more individualistic than that.
 
#4
Certainly understand your quest as I’ve been on it myself as well, but lately I find myself on a (hopeful) effort to find “good enuf” in various genres.

Honestly rosin auditions, with all the variables, would drive me nuts.
But then again I doubt if proper rosin is a huge factor in my nascent attempts at arco...

In the meantime it’s (iconic) Pop’s and Spiros for me!

Good luck with your search!
 
#5
For me, nothing replaces the Pops base coat. I love Kolstein in general & Oak hard for hot weather. my cake of Wiedoeft is my main go to for now. I think the other rosins offer stability over Pops. The three I listed have maintained their character over years at a time. I have my Oak hard in an old Kolstein sleeve, that is great.
 
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#6
I mainly used Pops. Tried Carlsson but didn't like it much.

When I went to tango music "camp" last year, the bass instructor, Ignacio Varchausky, said Kolstein Soft rosin was the way to go for being softer, stickier, grippier, with a thicker tone (which is needed for the short, percussive bow strokes in tango).

It is like night and day. Grabs the strings right away, nice thick tone. When I try a Pops-rosined bow now, it makes me sad.

I haven't tried others, but I'm curious about the Yumba rosin. $30 for expensive rosin doesn't seem like a big investment compared to strings, bows, etc.
 
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#7
The name Weidoeft has crossed my path several times. And everyone seems pretty keen on experimenting (especially at lower than things like strings) so I think I'll pull the trigger and try some! If my wife asks, I'll just tell her "everyone else is doing it!" :)
 
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#10
Mark_T said:
I keep coming back to Carlsson. I have some Wiedoeft and it's fine. The oak rosin I tried wasn't very grippy. Pops is too sticky. I guess it depends on your climate, bass, strings, technique, etc.
Click to expand...


I also switched from pop's to Carlsson. Humid weather made my pop's a pain, and I definitely much prefer the Carlsson, though oddly I think it seems to work better on white hair than black. Anyone else experienced or have an opinion on hair color affecting your pull?

It's be interesting to hear what the weather is like where everyone is from... That seems to make the largest difference in choice of rosin.
 
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#12
I think that it absolutely depends on your climate. I also get that skilled arco players will hear and feel things that lead them to prefer something over something else, but most of that is lost on me.

I tried Carlsson years ago and thought it was finer and more beautiful, but honestly for my purposes didn't work as well as Pops. I also have wondered if the less arco friendly strings that use jazz players use maybe need something grippier, like Pops.

I got a bunch of partial cakes from one of our local symphony guys years ago (obviously this mattered to him) and for most part nothing was better than Pops and I can buy that on the corner in my neighborhood for money that I have in my pocket, so that's what I use. But, there was an oak rosin in there that was objectively better in very way. I looked into ordering a cake of it and it was expensive, so I balked and bought some fresh Pops, which was a big improvement from my vintage cakes of Pops and other things.

I think it comes down to; where do you live? how precise are you at pulling very specific sounds out of your bass with a bow? how important is to you?

For an arco hack like me? I'll most likely just keep refreshing my Pops.
 
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#15
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#16
Fretless55 said:
Interesting that we Pacific Northwesterners seem to prefer Pops here in our moist neck of the woods...
Click to expand...

I live on the Oregon coast, and could never get used to Pops. Tried Kolstein, & found it better. Then I splurged on a cake of Oak (soft plus), and it changed my life. At this point, I see no reason to ever try anything else. Any problems are due to my lack of skill, not to the Oak rosin.

True, there's a bit of sticker shock with the Oak rosin. I think I paid $30 - 35 for my cake three years ago. I keep it wrapped with Saran, & it's still quite fresh and usable; I anticipate several more years of use. So I'm sitting at a little over $10 per year for my dream rosin, and anticipate the yearly cost to keep going down. Just curious how much you guys spend every year refreshing your Pops?
 
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#17
Dang! Now you put that nugget in to rattle around in my noggin...

Honestly, after almost a year I’ve yet to have the stale Pops problem others have noted.
I’m still finding my way in the ” Arcosphere”.

Oak rosin is really that much better? Even with Spirocore Mitts (not the greatest arco string...).
 
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#20
+1 on the Carlsson's. Not sure if it's the strings I play (flex deluxe, spiros) or the black hair but I get a much smoother sound than Pops. Humid environment here but I also have used it in the desert. With Carlsson's the E string doesn't start quite as quickly as with Pops but it's worth it to me for a cleaner/smoother overall sound. ymmv

Don Hergert said:
Is anyone still mixing liquefied rosin?
Click to expand...

Actually I tried this a year or two ago when I saw that Paul Kowert uses violin rosin. Melted some violin rosin and mixed it with pops. Smelled great but did not work well.. :laugh:
 
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