I use dark cake rosin. I rosin my bow before I play. But for some unknown reason I never see rosin on my fiddle. Rosin is just pine pitch and I don't think it is subject to deterioration - or is it. Before a long layoff I used to wipe my fiddle off after playing.
Hopefully someone more knowledgeable about rosin knows what is happening, and if it is a problem, how to correct it.
Rosin, being a natural substance, reacts with ambient humidity. I imagine an ancient piece of it would not be ideal. As far as rosin dust, a lot has to do with how much you put on. Early on I used to slather rosin on my bows, to the point where they would almost smoke with released dust. But now a days, its 3-4 swipes with the rosin cake like every other time I play. Any more and I find the tone suffers. I know its time for more when a note or 2 gets missed. And I notice the relative humidity and temperature affects it, more then I used to. Maybe from playing more or just getting more sensitive to the difference.
Yea I don’t get much dust either? I rosin like Al…too much/heavy layer will give you a louder scratchier sound, but I like a mellower sound.
Also these days, rosin is marketed as “dustless”… I think it used to release more dust in the olden days…( based on my memories as a kid … the white dust used to go everywhere, and now it’s better…)
Rosin is derived from pine resin, but its formulation into a finished product is a little more complicated. It is cooked and various additives are put in to change the way it works on the bow. Most rosins have metals added, and the choice of metal will impact the attack. The longer the resin is cooked, the softer and darker it becomes. Dark rosin gets a nice attack because its melting point is lower and it therefore grabs the string with less friction in normal conditions, but in hot and humid conditions it can feel gummy and like it doesn’t engage; light rosin, having a higher melting point due to its more intact chemical structure, will work well because it takes more for it to melt. Rosin is perhaps not as complicated as its manufacturers suggest, but it’s not just sap straight from a tree either.
There are “dustless” or “lower dust” rosins on the market, but most produce a fair amount of dust and I would not recommend choosing a rosin based on this characteristic. Some are extremely messy—especially Jade and Magic Rosin. How much of a mess that’s made does depend in large part on the amount you put on the bow. If you apply a lot of rosin constantly, the excess will end up on the top. As a luthier, I can attest that instruments are still regularly getting covered in clouds of rosin!
Rosin can last indefinitely if stored well. As long as it’s not flaking apart, it will be fine to use. My father bought a cake of Hill dark when he was in music school in the 1960s, and forty years later I used that same cake regularly. I think the Hill formula was changed and some point, and the newer variety, while still good, just doesn’t have the same presence of the older one. I would use my own cake most of the time but would borrow the “good” one before a performance.
I rosin the bow as needed and it definitely doesn't need it every time I play.
Do you notice the rosin not being effective? If not, this send like a non problem. As others have said, dust on the fiddle seems more like A) using too much or B) using a dusty rosin.
I apply rosin very sparingly. Maybe 4 swipes for ever 2-4 hours of playing. I don't get dust or buildup on my strings.
I am hoping to have a experienced fiddler try things and get his/her opiniion on the rosin and the three fiddles I have acquired. I am pretty much self taught. Bought lots of books and educational stuff. Had some violin instructors but all of them except one did not seem to pay attention to what I said. The good violinist was outstanding but got a great job in the Middle East and left town. One luthier was talking about rosin and said too much rosin can create the same feel as not enough rosin.
Edited by - Dick Hauser on 02/10/2025 15:41:06
I'll usually notice when my bow needs rosin a lot sooner than any one else. And when I notice, I'll rosin the bow. What little bit of "dust" that shows - has accumulated over the years... I can't remember the last time I cleaned any off. Never really been an issue - not to me anyway.
But I know folks who will wipe down the strings and the instrument every time the get it out and before they put it up. They rosin the bow like clock work. I admire that. It's never been important enough for me to be that disciplined. (shame on me)
I used to leave the dust on my fiddle, just blow it off once in awhile. But then I found out that if you leave it on for a few seasons it hardens and is really difficult to remove. Even commercial rosin remover solutions don't do the job then and you can really F the finish up trying. Affects the tone? Unknown - some say yes, some no. As my fiddles got more expensive, I started wiping them off. To some OT players its a white badge of honor!
