Double Bass Wiedoeft Bass Rosin

[BassiklyAC]

Saw this on Jason Heath's bass blog site:
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Anyone tried it?

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

That looks a lot like the rosin Sid King was using about a month ago when we played a duo performance on the new music fest at the U. He said it was new and that he liked it a lot.

 

[LouisF]

Made by Kolstein -- curious to see how it differs from their house brands:

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(57 years would be the right length for copyright expiration (28 x 2))

See also comparison in ad language: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

(Nothing wrong in any of this; just curious how it compares)
Louis

 

[Don Kasper]

Well, we know it ain't cheap.
"$28.00 + $12.00 domestic shipping" (from their website.)
Must be glue-ten free.
Sorry.

 

[Tom Lane]

Well, we know it ain't cheap.
"$28.00 + $12.00 domestic shipping" (from their website.)
Must be glue-ten free.
Sorry.

Seriously, $10 discount, $9 profit on shipping... who are they kidding?

 

[Don Kasper]

Seriously, $10 discount, $9 profit on shipping... how are they kidding?

Yeah - the usual price is $38.00!!!
Also - It is named after an early 20th century German-American Saxophonist! I guess the estate of "Boots Randolph" felt that his name being associated with this product would cheapen his musical legacy.
P.T. Barnum $mile$ from beyond the grave.
Thanks.

 

[Tom Lane]

I bought a cake of this Wiedoeft rosin just for the hell of it, and despite is silly pricing strategy. I tried it today and it did work much better than my years old cake of Clarity Winter Bass I've been using. OTOH, that Clarity has been "Kaspered" a couple of times so... how dried out is it? It looks nice and shiny after its melting. We're thinking of having a small bass get together before Christmas and if it happens I'll get the others to review it. If not, I'll start mailing it around to whoever wants to try it. I can't wait to get a comparison to Pops. The packaging is nice; it comes in it's own square silicon rosin saver that's a better solution.

 

[Don Kasper]

I bought a cake of this Wiedoeft rosin just for the hell of it, and despite is silly pricing strategy. I tried it today and it did work much better than my years old cake of Clarity Winter Bass I've been using. OTOH, that Clarity has been "Kaspered" a couple of times so... how dried out is it? It looks nice and shiny after its melting. We're thinking of having a small bass get together before Christmas and if it happens I'll get the others to review it. If not, I'll start mailing it around to whoever wants to try it. I can't wait to get a comparison to Pops. The packaging is nice; it comes in it's own square silicon rosin saver that's a better solution.

Wow! The Plot STICKENS!
Also - thank you for spelling my name correctly! Hmmm...Being "Kaspered", however, does not sound like a very pleasant experience. YMMV.
Thanks, Tom.

 

[Federighi]

I've been using a cake for the past few months. I've been satisfied but this is subjective of course.

 

[Federighi]

I've used lots of different rosin makers over the years but eventually settled with Kolstein hard and soft. I own a few bows, so I'll experiment with different formulas when the time comes for a re-hair or cake replacement.

 

[Tom Lane]

Wiedoeft just sent me an email saying they'll wave the shipping cost until Christmas. Use promo code FREESHIP at checkout. Just FYI. I ordered a cake of regular Kolstein to compare. www.wiedoeftrosin.com

 

[LouisF]

Thanks, Tom! Let us know.

 

[Tom Lane]

Thanks, Tom! Let us know.

We had our get together last night, me, Adam Cohen, and Don Kasper. Adam and Don can speak for themselves but I didn't hear them swear to cough up $40 next time they needed a new cake.

For my part, I bought a cake of regular Kolstein rosin to compare and I have a significant preference for the Wiedoeft because it's stickier than the regular rosin and the square silicon container works much better than the round regular Kolstein silicon container - the round container is too thick and it's really challenging to roll it down to expose the rosin. With the Wiedoeft, I can take 3 or 4 swipes and get a nice sticky coat of rosin on my bow. One more swipe and my bow will be too sticky. The regular Kolstein takes a couple of more swipes to get the same degree of stickiness.

For now, I think I'll continue to use the Wiedoeft rosin and be happy with it. When it comes time to buy another cake, will I be willing to spend $40 instead of $14? Dunno.

 

[Don Kasper]

and Don can speak for themselves but I didn't hear them swear to cough up $40 next time they needed a new cake.

$40 for 1 cake of rosin? Not Gonna Happenz.
What kind of sap do they think I am?
(It performed just "fine", to be honest.)
Thanks.

 

[eh_train]

I guess the estate of "Boots Randolph" felt that his name being associated with this product would cheapen his musical legacy.

Just saw this now. Maybe they could skirt the issue by naming it "Yackety Rosin"?

 

[Dr Rod]

I just spoke to somebody at the Kolstein Shop and they told me that it's the same formulation as the Kolstein Holiday rosin they sold last year.
I like it a lot. Very sticky, very soft.

If you use rosin in ridiculous amounts, like I do, the regular Kolstein soft can sort of cake up onto the hair strands, and create these black muti-strand clusters. This rosin has not done this so far which is a big, big plus for me.

 

[Tom Lane]

I emailed Wiedoeft asking them about the difference between their rosin and the Kolstein rosin:

I bought a cake of this rosin when a friend of mine asked a question about it on Talkbass. I was curious. I read that Wiedoeft rosin is made by Kolstein. Is that right? If Wiedoeft is indeed made by Kolstein, can you explain a bit how the two are different? They do appear to be made from different materials, based on the difference in the color and grip.

Here's their response:

Hello Tom,

Thank you for your email concerning that you like the Wiedoeft Rosin and the your question as to the connection of Kolstein and Wiedoeft Rosin and the higher cost of the rosin over the Kolstein rosin.

Wiedoeft has been straight forward about our introduction of the fine formula of rosin. I will address your questions as thoroughly as possible.

Kolstein’s involvement in the Wiedoeft Rosin is on a back end basis of producing this very different formula most similar to the original Wiedoeft formula from the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Kolstein contracted an international distribution company to handle distribution, marketing and sales of the Wiedoeft rosin, so aside from doing the back-end production of the Wiedoeft rosin, that is the extent of the Kolstein company with the Wiedoeft Rosin.

As to you question of the higher pricing of the Wiedoeft Rosin, a simple economic answer is that the components of this rosin are much different from the Kolstein formula, as is the packaging and also the electrical pouring equipment. As you can likely imagine, to produce the Wiedoeft rosin took a great deal of investment into component materials, development of the packaging materials, creation of specialized melting and pouring pots. This all determined the list and actually MAP (minimum selling price ) for the Wiedoeft Rosins.

I hope this answers your questions. Wiedoeft Rosin truly appreciates your support and faith in our rosin.

Sincerely,
Manny Alvarez
Wiedoeft Rosin Sales Team

 

[robobass]

Aside from the Rosenberg level conspiracy, is there any reason to believe that this rosin has a long shelf life? I've been using Nymann for around 30 years, but in the last decade or so have been disappointed by how quickly it turns to stone. I don't remember this being a problem in the '90s, and wonder if changes in formulation have affected longevity. Since I no longer play regularly, I would be happy to pay a premium for a cake which stays soft for two or three years.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

@robobass - I have the same questions as i rarely use the bow. If this stuff actually stayed viable for a long time I would try a cake. I really like the form factor and all reports i have heard secondhand have been positive.

 

[damonsmith]

@robobass - I have the same questions as i rarely use the bow. If this stuff actually stayed viable for a long time I would try a cake. I really like the form factor and all reports i have heard secondhand have been positive.

I would recommend soft Kolstein for you. Kolstein is great rosin, and the rubber container really keeps better than any other stock container.