Upright Bass Rosin

For those new to bass rosin, we have a comparison below to help you decide which brand you might like best, along with some pros and cons, anecdotes, and other tidbits showing the differences between them. The first thing to know is that bass rosin is soft! Even what we bass players call a "hard" rosin might seem super soft to a cello player.

You may notice that some brands are missing here. That's intentional. There are lots of bass rosins out there, but not all of them work the same, and frankly, not all of them work well enough that we want to offer them here. Life is short—why waste time playing on bad rosin? Not to mention what old, poor, or overly waxy rosin can eventually do to perfectly good bow hair.

It seems that most experienced bass players tend to "stick" with the time-tested brand they love. Pop's players are often Pop's players forever, and the same is true with Nyman's, Carlsson, and some of the other old favorites. Still, every once in a while something new comes along that's worth paying attention to. In recent years we've had the return of Wiedoeft, the introduction of 050, and now the newer Leatherwood BASS and BASS EXTRA rosins.

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050 became quite popular with our customers, particularly during the period when several of the traditional bass rosins became difficult to get. We sold a lot of it, and the rosin itself works very well. Now that the new Leatherwood BASS and BASS EXTRA are available, however, we've been comparing them closely and find the comparable formulas remarkably similar in feel and playing characteristics. The big difference for us is practical: we greatly prefer Leatherwood's packaging. With rosin this soft, especially here in Arizona or when shipping during hot weather, that turns out to be much more important than you might think. For that reason, between 050 and the newer Leatherwood rosins, we're now recommending Leatherwood.

One Important Note About Soft Rosin and New Bow Hair

If you like the really soft rosins—Pop's, Wiedoeft Ultra Grip, Leatherwood BASS EXTRA, and similar formulas—you might also consider keeping a harder cake of rosin around. With brand-new, freshly re-haired bow hair, it is VERY easy to "gloss over" the hair when you immediately start using a very soft rosin. The waxier components can heavily coat the fresh hair before enough of the drier resin gets established.

Once you've badly glossed the hair, it can be next to impossible to reverse without actually cleaning it. Yes, it can be done, but why put chemicals on perfectly good new bow hair if you don't have to? I prefer using a harder rosin—something like Wiedoeft All Seasons—for the first several days or even the first week. By then there will be enough resin established in the hair without loading it up with too much wax. After that, you can gradually introduce the softer cake. 

How to Clean Bow Hair

Rosin and Different Styles of Playing

Another thing that doesn't get discussed enough is the difference between the rosin you might want for orchestra playing and what you might prefer for solo playing. A harder rosin will often give a more direct hair-to-string sound, without as much of the softer, waxier material between the hair and string. For orchestra playing, however, power is important. We need that big bass string to really vibrate, and we need the bow to grab it NOW. That's one of the big reasons softer rosins are so popular with bass players.

I also want my bow to "speak." If I'm playing spiccato, I want that nice "machine-gun" spiccato when I ask for it! For recital or solo playing, though, the priorities can be a little different. A harder rosin can give you a cleaner and more direct connection with the string. Some professional players actually keep one bow for orchestra and another strictly for solo playing, without mixing the rosins. At the very least, they may avoid putting a very soft bass rosin on their dedicated solo bow.

Our Recommended Upright Bass Rosins

Pop's

Pop's is still the #1 the best-selling and most recognizable bass rosin in the world. It comes in that unmistakable red plastic container and, year after year, remains remarkably reliable. There's a reason so many bass players use it: it works. Put a little on and you're often good for the entire session, sometimes the whole day. It tends to remain consistent on the bow and gives you plenty of grip.

The biggest caution with Pop's is simply not to overdo it. A little can go a long way. Sometimes, if I want a little more "pop" in the particular area of the bow I'm using—an orchestral spiccato passage, for example—I'll put a little extra rosin only on that part rather than coating the entire bow. That way, the unused areas of the hair aren't accumulating rosin unnecessarily over time.

Some sensitive players feel that very soft Pop's can slightly "coat" the tone between the hair and string. That's another reason some professionals keep an orchestra bow and a separate solo bow. And again, be particularly careful with Pop's on brand-new hair. I'd start with something harder for several days and introduce the Pop's afterward. You'll greatly reduce the chance of glossing over your beautiful new bow hair.  Order Rosin from Our Rosin Page

Wiedoeft

The newer Wiedoeft comes in two useful versions: Ultra Grip, the softer version, and All Seasons, the harder version. The bass world had a minor fit when the former Kolstein Soft and All Weather rosins disappeared from production, so for players who miss those older Kolstein rosins, Wiedoeft is definitely one to try.

Personally, I think there's a pretty good argument for owning one of each. Ultra Grip is the one I'd reach for when the weather gets brutally cold and dry and you need serious grip. All Season is excellent for warmer weather, but just as importantly, it's a terrific rosin to have around when you've just had a bow re-haired.

I don't care how wonderful a producer says its super-soft rosin is—with brand-new hair, I'd rather start harder. Use All Season for the first several days, get the new hair broken in nicely, and then start introducing something softer. There's much less risk of turning your beautiful new bow hair into a waxy mess.

Nyman's and Carlsson

Why put these two together? Because they're extremely similar in the way they behave and occupy much the same territory for me as a player. These are longtime Swedish rosins that have been used by professional bassists for years. Both tend to perform reliably through a wide range of conditions, and both have very loyal followings.

Players who find Pop's just a little too soft or sticky will often gravitate toward one of these. They're not the newest or flashiest things on the page, but they just work—and sometimes that's exactly what you want.

Leatherwood BASS & BASS EXTRA

While 050 rosin gained a little more attention during this past year's rosin shortage, after actually living with it for a while, we just don't think the performance, packaging, and everyday usability are worth all the fuss and muss.

One thing we did notice, though, is how remarkably similar the new Leatherwood Bass and Leatherwood Extra feel to the 050 rosins. And that's where things get interesting. To us, Leatherwood Bass falls into that 050/Pop's territory, while the Extra gets closer to the seriously sticky feel of 050 Super Sticky. But when it comes to actually living with the stuff every day, the Leatherwood packaging is in another league.

The 050 comes in a small, loose-fitting, thin cardboard box with a little piece of non-stick, wax-type paper that barely covers the rosin. With a soft, sticky bass rosin, that's just not a great combination. The rosin wants to ooze, the paper moves around, and sooner or later you're wondering what's happening inside the rosin pocket of your bass cover.

The Leatherwood, on the other hand, is packaged somewhat like the old Wiedoeft: the rosin sits in a nice rectangular silicone cup with its own lid, and that slides neatly into a snug-fitting cardboard outer cover. Simple, but it works. The rosin stays where it's supposed to stay. It's easy to get at, easy to apply to the bow, and when you're finished, you can toss it back into the rosin pocket without worrying that you're going to find a sticky science experiment in there the next time you open your bass case.

There's also the question of how long a soft bass rosin stays usable. That's a real concern among serious players. Some bassists go so far as to keep their rosin cakes in humidified, airtight containers to keep them from drying out or becoming flaky. Leatherwood has put some thought into this as well, working with chemists in Australia on an additive designed to help preserve the rosin and keep it usable longer.

So, for us, this isn't simply a question of which rosin feels stickiest on the bow. If two rosins give you similar performance, but one is easier to handle, better protected, less likely to make a mess in your case, and designed to stay usable longer, those things start to matter pretty quickly in the real world.

What About Age and Freshness?

OK, here's where I give my usual spiel about freshness and not being a cheapskate about rosin! I can remember being in high school and college and thinking that as long as there was still some rosin left in the cake, it must be perfectly fine. There's still rosin there—why would I buy another one?

Well, I was wrong.

Because we're constantly trying new bows here, I can wholeheartedly attest that freshness is one of the most important components of soft bass rosin. This is also one reason I recommend buying your rosin from a bass specialist who actually sells a lot of it. You don't want a cake that's been sitting forgotten on somebody's shelf for years.

Pop's used to put a "born date" on its rosin so you could see when it was made. I always thought that was refreshingly honest. Of course, I suspect some shops weren't quite as thrilled about it because customers started checking those dates! The dates eventually disappeared again.

As a rule of thumb, I've traditionally recommended replacing most soft bass rosins—Pop's, Carlsson, Nyman's, Kolstein/Wiedoeft, and similar formulas—about once a year. As a professional player, I buy fresh rosin at least once a year myself. Think about it: one cake of rosin is WAY cheaper than a rehair, and you really can hear and feel the difference.

When someone buys a new bow from us, I'll almost always insist on sending some kind of new, fresh rosin along with it. Why put old, dry, scratchy rosin on a beautiful new bow? Order Rosin from Our Rosin Page

What About Really Hard Rosin?

You may have noticed above that I mentioned players who keep one bow for orchestra and another strictly for solo playing. The orchestra bow gets a traditional bass rosin, while the solo bow may get something considerably harder. Violin, viola, and cello rosins are generally made in much harder formulas than typical bass rosin.

Anyone who has just gotten a fresh rehair may have noticed that the tone can initially seem more apparent, open, and pure. The hair is new, and there isn't yet a bunch of soft, waxy bass rosin worked into it. As orchestra players, though, we generally want a big, full, and powerful sound. We need grip, and we need that bow to grab a huge string and get it moving immediately.

There's a tradeoff. Rosin helps the hair grab the string, but all that soft material between the hair and string can also slightly cover the pure tone. For strict solo playing—say, playing a Bach Cello Suite—a harder cello or even violin rosin can let the bow feel more even throughout the stick and give you a more direct connection with the string.

There really is a difference, but it's difficult to hear the experiment properly if your bow is already loaded with soft bass rosin and you then simply rub some cello rosin on top. So here's something fun to try: the next time you have your bow re-haired, borrow some cello rosin and use it for the first couple of days. Then you'll really hear and feel what I'm talking about.

All the more reason to be nice to those "upper-string" people around you—you might need to borrow their rosin!

Some longtime violin, viola, and cello choices include Bernardel—cheap and it works—and Hill Light or Dark. Generally, the darker versions tend to be softer, but remember that even a "soft" cello rosin is still pretty darn hard compared with typical bass rosin. If you're experimenting, I'd probably start with the dark.

One warning: don't buy a hard violin or cello rosin intending to use it exclusively for orchestral bass playing if you only have one bow. For most orchestra playing, it simply won't provide the kind of grip and power we're looking for.

So, Which Bass Rosin Should You Buy?

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There isn't one answer. Most bass players need enough grip to get a very large string vibrating immediately, which is why soft rosins dominate our world. But your bow, strings, climate, playing style, and personal taste all matter.

Pop's remains the classic super-soft, all-around favorite. Wiedoeft Ultra Grip is terrific when you need serious grip, while Wiedoeft All Seasons is a useful firmer alternative and one of my favorites for starting out freshly re-haired bow hair. Nyman's and Carlsson remain excellent traditional Swedish choices for players who don't want something quite as soft or waxy as Pop's.

Among the newer rosins, however, Leatherwood BASS and BASS EXTRA are the ones we're recommending most enthusiastically right now. They give us the playing characteristics we're looking for, two useful consistencies, and a silicone package that simply makes much more sense to us for soft bass rosin. The company's attention to the stability and longevity of the rosin is another reason we're particularly interested in where they're taking these formulas.

And if you've been using 050, Leatherwood would be our first recommendation when you're ready for your next cake.

Should You Own More Than One Rosin?

Actually, I think it's a pretty good idea. Seasonal changes can be dramatic, and something that feels wonderful during a humid summer may not be what you want during an extremely cold, dry winter. I've sometimes picked up a rosin that simply wasn't working particularly well that day, switched to another cake sitting right beside it, and suddenly everything was fine.

Why? Who knows! Temperature, humidity, hair, strings, and even what you're playing can all make a difference. That's part of playing the bass, and a little experimentation is part of the fun.

Whatever brand you choose, though, remember the easiest and cheapest piece of advice on this entire page: keep your rosin fresh. Good rosin is cheap compared with bows, strings, and rehairs, and newer, fresher rosin will almost always perform better.