Double Bass My Pops is hard

[Scot]

I rented a bass 2 1/2 weeks ago and when the person working the counter gave me a fresh can of Pops the owner took it from her and gave her an old used can to give me instead. I've read a lot here about Pops being soft, sticky, etc. but mine is hard as a rock. As far as the bow gripping the strings goes, it doesn't seem to make much of a difference whether or not I apply the rosin and I'm not even sure I'm getting the rosin on the bow when I use it since it's so hard. I'm able to produce notes on all the notes in closed postion but it sure does seem to take a lot of work to get the bow to dig in and not slip. I'm going to discuss this with my teacher when we start covering arco but since I'm primarily interested in playing jazz/pizz we haven't got the bow out just yet. In the meantime, it would be great to hear from you guys/gals about whether or not I should get some new rosin or just keep working on my tone production (or both). Thanks a lot in advance.

-Scot

 

[brianrost]

I find Pops to be OK but many people really hate it.

If it's too hard, just warm it up a bit to soften it. It doesn't take much heat, I've had mine melt in the canister while playing outdoor gigs in the summer.

 

[Ed Fuqua]

My Moms was sweet...

 

[Damon Rondeau]

Damn!! FEUD QUA got there first...

I was sitting here working over the Moms Mabley angle...

 

[Ed Fuqua]

FED UPQUA would also be acceptable, but...
NICE JOB!

 

[Scot]

Don't hurt yourselves, guys, and hang on to those days jobs.

Thanks, brianrost!

-Scot

 

[brianrost]

Scot,

If there is rosin on the bow, some will rub off onto the strings as you play. If you're not seeing any rosin dust on the strings, then you have no rosin on the bow...

 

[anonymous0726]

...or turn the bow over and use the hairy side.


Next time don't let a tight-fisted management sort sell you the old crap. You might even take that cake back if you live close enough to the shop and get it refunded or replaced. If the shop doesn't make good on your purchase then thank them with a parting smile and the knowledge that word gets around.

 

[Johnny L]

I've saw a bassist grab his 10 year old cake of Pops', rosin up his bow, and then proceed to knock down walls.

 

[anonymous0726]

I have heard that fresh Pop's is better than old stock. If this weren't so then the store manager probably wouldn't have tried to push the old stock off the shelf.

 

[Ed Fuqua]

Hey, you guys remember this? i mean it's almost Gertrude Stein....

Pirastro was watching Kolstein's three all weather Petz you know kolstein he is either hard or soft. When along came the three Tomastik's and the three Hidersine's, when Nyman and Carlsson came up talking Swedish. They were either talking about Pop's sticky situation with Bernadel or Annette Funacello. And with that I'm going to bow out.

 

[Marcus Johnson]

This is easily my favorite thread title in the history of TalkBass.

 

[Damon Rondeau]

... I have been in the exact same position as Scot -- was sold a dried-up old piece of crap (Pops; "just throw it in the microwave, no problem" Yah, right...) It was the first cake of rosin I ever bought and didn't know any better.

Edgar Meyer could probably play the Bach cello suites with a toilet brush and some honey for rosin and still make it sound OK. For a student just starting out, though, that dried up old Pops is useless. Throw it out, have it out with the store, get another cake of (fresh) rosin and start again.

 

[Scot]

Thanks a lot for the help, guys. I have to take the bass in tomorrow to have them lower the action so I'll grab a fresh can.

 

[Scot]

I should clarify that I didn't actually buy the rosin. They threw it in with the rental. They've actually been really cool with the whole deal. It seems like they don't have a problem with lowering the action for me, so that's a big plus. I didn't mean to come across like I'm getting ripped off or anything. I don't know if it's standard procedure to throw in rosin with a bass rental.

-Scot

 

[Johnny L]

My Pops' cake is over a year old now and works just fine. But rosin is cheap, and that makes trying them all out a lot easier and a lot more fun than trying out strings.

 

[Paul Warburton]

My Pops' cake is over a year old now and works just fine. But rosin is cheap, and that makes trying them all out a lot easier and a lot more fun than trying out strings.

Johnny my boy, if you think rosin is cheap, you're in another world. For what it is, it may be the most expensive item in the world of musical instrument accesories!

 

[Johnny L]

Johnny my boy, if you think rosin is cheap, you're in another world. For what it is, it may be the most expensive item in the world of musical instrument accesories!

I guess I'm getting too used to the expense bassists must go through to ply their craft. But I still shudder to think what I'm going to end up paying for a step-up carved bass with the strings high enough to not have to always play within the C-bouts without banging into the table with my bow...

Maestro is right though - unless one is very lucky or has already had previous experience with the bow and some stringed instrument, applying rosin to a bow and drawing a good sound usually requires face-to-face instruction. That's what I had to resorted to.

 

[Mike Goodbar]

I had one poor kid come to me for lessons who had actually been applying rosing to the strings. He told me that the Einstein at a local music store told him to do it that way.

 

[Damon Rondeau]

...yep, I agree entirely: it is not obvious how to rosin the bow, nor even how to make a sound with the bow. You need to be taught.

That being said: for a student, that rock-hard cake of Pops is crapola. Do yourself a favour and get rid of it.