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Rosin
Mixing or testing/changing - is it OK?
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Mimi Aysha
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February 7, 2018 - 11:57 pm
Member Since: April 26, 2012
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Hopefully not a silly question - got new bow from Fiddlershop (love it!) - but used old rosin to start (green), new rosin arrived few days later - now I am looking at new rosin and its so nice and shiny, and a totally different color, (red) not sure if that matters, but too scared to start using it...

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ryonass
Maryland
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February 8, 2018 - 10:03 am
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I have 3 different rosins and they are all different color. I don't think the color or shine matter.

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Charles
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February 8, 2018 - 10:38 am
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The color won't matter, but if it's shiny, that means the bow hair will slip on it easily and not pick up much rosin. Most people rough up a new cake of rosin a little (lots of shallow cuts with a knife, or a few passes with sandpaper. (Never used sandpaper, so I'm not sure what grade would be best. I'd try something like 200 grit the first time. As long as you don't go crazy sanding on it, shouldn't matter too much what kind.)

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BillyG
Brora, North-east Scotland
February 8, 2018 - 12:07 pm
Member Since: March 22, 2014
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Yeah @Mimi Aysha - @Charles is right.  Some rosin cakes are easy to "start", a few scuffs of the bow hair across the brand new, shiny cake will cut the surface of the cake and apply immediately (I observed this most noticeably with Pirastro Goldflex and Andrea Solo).  On the other hand, some rosins do seem to be hard and shiny and won't "take" to the hair immediately without slightly roughening up the surface.   Light sandpaper, nail-file, matchbox side etc etc... will do it..

There are discussions without end on the web regarding why this should be so, and they vary from "well, it's just rubbish rosin anyway" to "it has been in storage on the seller's shelf for who knows how many years and the volatile oils have evaporated"...   

I have taken little notice of this - but also, it has to be said - I have in my early days discarded, within days of purchase, some of the cheaper cakes I tried out of interest...

I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - guntohead.JPG

Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)

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Mimi Aysha
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February 8, 2018 - 12:56 pm
Member Since: April 26, 2012
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Wonderful - appreciate the advice, thanks so much guys, new rosin is an upgrade (fiddlerman's rosin) so now I'm gonna try it...have a great day all!

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BillyG
Brora, North-east Scotland
February 8, 2018 - 1:17 pm
Member Since: March 22, 2014
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Mimi Aysha said
Wonderful - appreciate the advice, thanks so much guys, new rosin is an upgrade (fiddlerman's rosin) so now I'm gonna try it...have a great day all!  

  Cool - you'll have no issues with that, I have a cake of the FM rosin as well, it's just fine!

  As time goes by, and your "feel and touch" with the bow and rosin evolve, you'll become aware of the difference a good rosin makes - and - even depending on the environment / geographical area you live in - you may well come to experience climatic effects - like when it's really, really humid, or really really dry - different rosins *may* feel marginally different.  I don't really experience this myself, we have no real "extremes" of ambient environment here, but others have reported such issues... and will change their choice of rosin depending on these external factors. (temperature, humidity)...  However, I'm pretty sure that applies to those who are in the higher-plane of playing-ability - but thought it just worth mentioning...

I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - guntohead.JPG

Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)

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Mimi Aysha
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February 8, 2018 - 8:05 pm
Member Since: April 26, 2012
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Thanks Billy - Its pretty warm here most of the year, I pop everything in the case every evening, and seems to be OK so far - and yes, I'm so not at a level where I can really tell any difference with the rosin (apart from fiddlerman's one is in the cutest packaging), the new bow is a marked improvement for sure - I would love to skip to the next level so I'm hoping with practice and my new bow I can jump up a step!...

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Arlon
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February 18, 2018 - 12:15 am
Member Since: June 23, 2016
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I have even applied rosin directly to my strings. It helps the sound for me. Only thing is you will have to clean the strings a little more often.

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Mimi Aysha
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February 18, 2018 - 12:29 am
Member Since: April 26, 2012
Forum Posts: 382
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Thanks Arlon, I did use the new rosin, I kinda played like crazy to wear off the old stuff, then used a nail file to rough up the new rosin a little - and even tho I'm not good enough to notice a difference any rosin would make - the new bow and rosin is now in use and I'm a very happy bunny!

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
February 19, 2018 - 9:35 am
Member Since: September 26, 2010
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Happy Bunny is good. :)

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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