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Does anyone use this Holstein rosin on their cello bow? It's red colored and says violin, viola, cello on the box. I use it on violin but it doesn't feel like a medium rosin I'd use on cello. My Codabow Prodigy cello bow is on order and I'm not sure if I want to put it on that bow if there's a more suitable rosin I should be using.





@Leaviathan
I believe you are using the Holstein Premium rosin. I do have that rosin. I originally purchased for violin use, but have used it with my cello, but strings and circumstances determine which rosin I use.
I love the packaging. I was trying to use it with a new set of strings on my violin, but I cannot remember the brand or model of that brand. It needed to be wiped off the strings all the time. It just heavily caked on the strings. I am not really sure, but I think that meant it was too soft for those strings? Strings have different surface textures.
I have tried it on different brands of strings with success on some and quick build-up others.
I think that is typical of rosin. I think climate, strings, and your bowing would affect it.
My experience with it on a cello was that I had quick build up. That was with different strings. I am hoping that with the next strings I try that rosin will work. I really really like that packaging.
Now, it may well be that I am the issue. I tend to be a heavy bower on a cello, viola or violin, but mostly cello. I am working on that issue. I would think that if you bow heavy that more rosin will be rubbed off more quickly.
I wish it was a harder rosin. I so want to love it and be able to use it on anything. I cannot stress how nice that packaging is!
I do believe your bowing and the strings determine the best rosin. I was using a mix of different Pirastro strings on my cello. I was using the red Pirastro cello rosin and it was not working for me. If I recall, it was fine on the C and G, but caked something awful on the D and A strings, or maybe the reverse. I was at a loss. None of my rosins worked. Mixing them on my bow did not work. Using a different bow did not help. I finally wrote to Pirastro. The strings were all Pirastro, a mixed set of Pirastro strings that was recommended to me by Pirastro. They said that their red cello rosin was too soft for that mixed string set and they sent me their Evah Pirazzi Gold rosin and that worked fine.
I don’t know what strings you have on your cello, but the Pirastro Red cello rosin is a little softer than Holstein Premium rosin, but the Holstein seems quite softer than my Jade and Evah Gold rosins. The Jade and Evah Gold are harder, Jade being the harder of the two. I also have rosin called Guillaume something or something like Guillaume something. It is a French rosin my closest violin shop uses. That seems to be a tad different than Jade, but I can’t figure out if it is harder or softer or what.
The thing is, the strings, and how my bowing is that day seems to determine which rosin is working for me.
I have put rosin over rosin on my bow. It wears off the bow. If you are concerned, just bow until you have used up the rosin on the bow and need to re-rosin. Then put on the other rosin. I am just saying what I do and do am not telling to mix them on the bow. Many people do. I think @Fiddlerman does. I used the ”@“ so he will get a notice he was mentioned here. That way he might chime in on what I just said.
Hope this helps. I know I sounded wishy washy, but from my experience, and what I was told by Pirastro, other people and have read, there is no one rosin for all. I also read that your climate also needs consideration, especially if you do not have A/C or play outside in heat.
They call me, “Mellow Cello”





PS @Leaviathan, When I started I was using the carbon fiber bow. When I bought my last cello, I also bought a $1k pernambuco bow. If purchased with the cello, I would get a 20% discount. That was not something I could turn down. I have mixed rosins on it. I have no issues with it. Again, that is my experience.
They call me, “Mellow Cello”

Regulars



Nice bow you have on its way, @Leaviathan ... congrats!
I noticed that you're a long time bass player so you probably have some really soft rosin lying around. Also noticed you're on Cape Cod... not exactly South Florida where I am but you get your share of back and forth between extreme Atlantic humidity and nice crisp NE air.
If that's the case, this is what I do to manage my intentional, daily switches between violin and cello and the unintentional barometer swings. I use one brand of rosin that comes in different levels of hardness. Recently Fiddlershop recommended Yumba (their new darling from Argentina that contains bees wax) so I got the cello and the violin version. When the occasional really low humidity day hits my area (not so frequent, unfortunately) I just add a couple of swipes of the Yumba cello rosin on top of their violin rosin. I'm sure that little ritual helps my head as much as it helps the actual bow grip... but help is help 🙂
You can do this with any family of rosin. I think Melos advertises that it's intended to be used as such. I previously mixed and matched between hardness I, II and IV of Larica Gold.
Leaviathan, do you still play bass and if yes, what rosin are you using for that?

Regulars


Hi Leaviathan
I agree with Bocoholly - I love my yumba rosin!
Only got it last week but it's fastly becoming my goto, I also really love the holstein, it's hot here most of the time and I'm finding the Yumba an all around great rosin....


bocaholly said
Nice bow you have on its way, @Leaviathan ... congrats!I noticed that you're a long time bass player so you probably have some really soft rosin lying around. Also noticed you're on Cape Cod... not exactly South Florida where I am but you get your share of back and forth between extreme Atlantic humidity and nice crisp NE air.
If that's the case, this is what I do to manage my intentional, daily switches between violin and cello and the unintentional barometer swings. I use one brand of rosin that comes in different levels of hardness. Recently Fiddlershop recommended Yumba (their new darling from Argentina that contains bees wax) so I got the cello and the violin version. When the occasional really low humidity day hits my area (not so frequent, unfortunately) I just add a couple of swipes of the Yumba cello rosin on top of their violin rosin. I'm sure that little ritual helps my head as much as it helps the actual bow grip... but help is help 🙂
You can do this with any family of rosin. I think Melos advertises that it's intended to be used as such. I previously mixed and matched between hardness I, II and IV of Larica Gold.
Leaviathan, do you still play bass and if yes, what rosin are you using for that?
Thanks for the info, but I play electric bass, no rosin needed 🙂
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