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

#41
Hey this is the only thread here on talkbass that mentions Leatherwood. I think thats pretty surprising. Is it because of the price?
... in my experience this is by far the best rosin on the market. It has an amazing grip, lasts long and a tonal quality that is uncomparibly better than others. Check it out guys!
 
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#42
Pirastro_Rosin_OlivEvah.jpg

Picked up a cake of this on a whim at a local store a few months back, my favorite so far!
 
#43
mathbassman said:
Hey this is the only thread here on talkbass that mentions Leatherwood. I think thats pretty surprising. Is it because of the price?
... in my experience this is by far the best rosin on the market. It has an amazing grip, lasts long and a tonal quality that is uncomparibly better than others. Check it out guys!
Click to expand...

Last time I checked, Leatherwood was exorbitantly expensive (I think $120 for 2 cake minimum). I decided to recheck after you mentioned it, and it's really not too bad anymore. It was $80 AUD, which converts to around $50 USD on my side of the Pacific, so about $25 is actually cheaper than Oak. And they're offering free shipping out of Australia now, too. Not too bad! I'm working on a cake of Wiedoeft right now (which I also purchased as a result of this thread), but I'll look into Leatherwood in the near future.

So that begs the question: what do you like so much about Leatherwood? What were you using before you switched? I saw that it comes from like a 20% - 60% recipe. Which are you using?
 
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#46
Tyler L said:
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.
Click to expand...

I think that rosin can be much like strings in that some of us feel the need to experiment to see if something new and/or different might work better for us. It’s a time and money risk. Maybe you’ve already got what is ideal for your instrument, bow, playing style - maybe not. There’s only one way to find out.

I used Pops for a long time (is Pops the “Spiros” of rosin?) before starting to branch out and try some new ones. I went through a few different cakes before settling on Oak Soft+ And Wiedoeft. Despite my relatively modest bowing skills I did notice a difference and I prefer them to anything else I’ve used so far.
 
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#48
Scott Lynch said:
I used Pops for a long time (is Pops the “Spiros” of rosin?) before starting to branch out and try some new ones. I went through a few different cakes before settling on Oak Soft+ And Wiedoeft. Despite my relatively modest bowing skills I did notice a difference and I prefer them to anything else I’ve used so far.
Click to expand...

My surely even more modest skills love the Oak soft too, but after a year of noticeable improvement in my playing (take lessons kids!), perhaps I should give Pop another shot.
 
#49
Tyler L said:
Last time I checked, Leatherwood was exorbitantly expensive (I think $120 for 2 cake minimum). I decided to recheck after you mentioned it, and it's really not too bad anymore. It was $80 AUD, which converts to around $50 USD on my side of the Pacific, so about $25 is actually cheaper than Oak. And they're offering free shipping out of Australia now, too. Not too bad! I'm working on a cake of Wiedoeft right now (which I also purchased as a result of this thread), but I'll look into Leatherwood in the near future.

So that begs the question: what do you like so much about Leatherwood? What were you using before you switched? I saw that it comes from like a 20% - 60% recipe. Which are you using?
Click to expand...

In terms of the price: think about how much you spend on strings and instrument and how comparibly small money a rosin is, even though it has such a strong impact on your play and your sound.
I am using the softest version of Leatherwood. I suppose it is the 20 which is recommended for the use in old music/gut strings, because it is extremly sticky (similar to pops in that sense). But: I use it with extremly responsive Gerold Genssler strings that react on the smallest movement of the bow quickly and extreme which you might think demands for the opposite of what plain gut needs. So that is also what I love about this product. I have the overtones, the softness, the beauty, the ability to modulate but I also have the extreme stickyness and grib that I need for the attack and the control. So what else do I need?!?! :)

Just one thing: the soft version has a very weird texture, you would never expect a clear sound from it. And one funny observation: when you put a lot of it on the bow, the first 2 or 3 minutes, it is like oil, extremly slippery... and then it get stickier and stickier!
 
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#50
mathbassman said:
In terms of the price: think about how much you spend on strings and instrument and how comparibly small money a rosin is, even though it has such a strong impact on your play and your sound.
I am using the softest version of Leatherwood. I suppose it is the 20 which is recommended for the use in old music/gut strings, because it is extremly sticky (similar to pops in that sense). But: I use it with extremly responsive Gerold Genssler strings that react on the smallest movement of the bow quickly and extreme which you might think demands for the opposite of what plain gut needs. So that is also what I love about this product. I have the overtones, the softness, the beauty, the ability to modulate but I also have the extreme stickyness and grib that I need for the attack and the control. So what else do I need?!?! :)

Just one thing: the soft version has a very weird texture, you would never expect a clear sound from it. And one funny observation: when you put a lot of it on the bow, the first 2 or 3 minutes, it is like oil, extremly slippery... and then it get stickier and stickier!
Click to expand...

That is extremely strange, and yet intriguing. You've sold me on trying it next! Although I may get just a titch bit harder perhaps... We'll see. When the time comes, you will likely hear from me yet again :D
 
#51
mathbassman said:
when you put a lot of it on the bow, the first 2 or 3 minutes, it is like oil, extremly slippery... and then it get stickier and stickier!
Click to expand...
that might be... BUT... I don't get the Leatherwood onto my bows...:p I never saw and checked out rosins with a surface, that was/is more "slippery" and "glassy".... You might have got another/better mixture, but the one I've got, doesn't work for me at all...whatever which bow I use...:confused:
 
#52
LaFaro01 said:
that might be... BUT... I don't get the Leatherwood onto my bows...:p I never saw and checked out rosins with a surface, that was/is more "slippery" and "glassy".... You might have got another/better mixture, but the one I've got, doesn't work for me at all...whatever which bow I use...:confused:
Click to expand...

Actually they had a few rosins that had a problem that was similar to what youre describing. It just didnt work. Leatherwood replaced those and fixed the problem...

ah, and I want to correct myself. The 20 grade is the hardest one and the 60 is the one that I am using. Check here:
[This invalid link has been removed]

... but as I said, the category "open gut" doesnt fit for me.
 
#53
mathbassman said:
Actually they had a few rosins that had a problem that was similar to what youre describing. It just didnt work. Leatherwood replaced those and fixed the problem...

ah, and I want to correct myself. The 20 grade is the hardest one and the 60 is the one that I am using. Check here:
[This invalid link has been removed]

... but as I said, the category "open gut" doesnt fit for me.
Click to expand...
Ok.. :P I gave the new mixture of leatherwood another try.... and it works much better!!:):hyper:
With my basses it has all the positive features, you've mentioned above.. it could be, that it develops to my favorite rosin ;) thanks for your comments :)
 

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