There are many different bass rosin brands on the market right now, and because of this, it can be hard to decide which brand of rosin is right for you. I am here to share three different brands of bass rosin that I have remained loyal to over the years.
In this list, I explain in detail what makes each brand of bass rosin unique. I also provide links that will allow you to get all three of them online for your convenience.
Pop's rosin
Pops rosin is probably the "bread and butter" of bass rosin. It provides a good amount of 'stick' for your bow (hence why it's called "pop's" rosin), so if you are playing music that requires loud and heavy bow strokes, then this is the rosin that will get the job done. I would highly recommend pops rosin when playing orchestral excerpts and chamber music.
Piastro bass rosin (medium)
So my first encounter with this rosin was when I found it sitting under a desk during my time in music school. I was so curious to see what would happen if I used this abandoned rosin, and let me tell you, my curiosity payed off. This rosin, compared to the sticky pops rosin, does not have much 'stickiness' to it. The sound that this rosin produced for me was a brisk, grainy but smooth sound. I believe the reason why Piastro bass rosin creates this soft light sound is because the rosin creates less 'resistance' between the bow hair and the bass string. I would highly recommend Pirastro bass rosin for solo repertoire.
Kolstein all weather rosin
This is the rosin I wish I had during those 'outside' concerts. If you are playing your bass in a setting where there is no climate control, then I would HIGHLY suggest getting some all weather rosin to stop your bow hair from accumulating dirt particles.
Do you know what happens when dirt particles get stuck to your bow hair? What happens is your bow hair starts to form hair clusters, and over time, your bow hair will turn into a big dirty clump of hair that makes no sound. Don't want this to happen? Then I would suggests getting a cake of Kolstein all weather rosin to solve this problem
So there you have it; three bass rosin brands that I still remain loyal to till this day.
If you have any additional questions about my experience with these three rosin brands, then feel free to leave your question in the comment section below.
Cheers!
-Xavier Foley
42 comments
Muchas gracias. ?Como puedo iniciar sesion?
I just bought some Pops’ Bass Rosin from a reputable music store in town and when I got it home found it has a huge bubble in the center of it (size of a prune). This is not good right? Please advise. I am going to try to exchange it if they will. We haven’t used it yet.