| Author |
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AaronReeves
Registered User
Posts: 190
(6/30/01 2:30:39 pm)
Reply
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Yet another
rosin thread.
The rosin that I'm using right now is pretty sticky (Super
Sevsative Dark. The cheapo stuff), I have a light rosin (Glaesel)
but am wondering if I use the light, will I have to apply it more
often? I'm wanting something that's a little, drier, I guess is the
word. Also, don't you have to scratch up the surface of the new
rosin to be able to use it? What should I use to do that? A
key?
Aaron
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CelloBass
Registered User
Posts: 5
(6/30/01 7:50:11 pm)
Reply
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Re: Yet another
rosin thread.
Aaron,
because the consistence of rosin depends very much on
the temperature, it is good to have 2 rosins, a harder one for hot
days, and a softer one for cool days. The consistence of the rosin
influences the tone. If you use a soft rosin, getting the deep
strings working is usually easier and requires less bow pressure, so
some people prefer soft rosins for orchestral jobs. A hard rosin can
reveal more brilliance and allows a more subtle control of the
timbre, but you have to be careful when you bow the deep strings -
fast bowing can lead to unwanted harmonics, if you are used to soft
rosin. It requires more control of the bow speed. If you get a fresh
rosin, you don't have to scratch the surface, some bow strokes will
do it. There are big differences in quality. For example, some
months ago I tried a Pirastro on my bass, and actually you should
expect to get good rosin from Pirastro. After a week, my bow just
stopped working, it slipped over the strings. Applying rosin didn't
help. Finally I found that the rosin on the strings and on the bow
had turned into a greasy substance. I had to clean the strings and
the bow hair with alcohol. I went back to Bad Liebenzeller Metal
Rosin Gold which is, in my opinion, the best rosin on the market. It
is expensive, but if you want to avoid all rosin related problems
proactively, buy it, it is worth the money and you can use it very
economically. For cello, I use grade 3 and 4, on the bass 5 and 6.
However, the bass rosin grade 5, the harder one, works perfectly on
the cello if the temperature is pretty low. If you first want to try
one grade, I would recommend 4.
Horst
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CelloBass
Registered User
Posts: 6
(6/30/01 8:07:46 pm)
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Re: Yet another
rosin thread.
Aaron,
sorry, it is not 'Bad Liebenzeller', it is just
Liebenzeller Gold.
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AaronReeves
Registered User
Posts: 191
(6/30/01 11:11:34 pm)
Reply
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Re: Yet another
rosin thread.
Thank you. Very informational. One reason I was asking is because
either I have too much rosin on my bow, or my rosin is immortal,
because it takes FOREVER to wear off. I can't remember when I put it
on, and then I'm afraid of reapplying and putting too much on. thank
you. 
Aaron
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Andrew
Victor
Registered
User
Posts: 347
(7/1/01 9:46:04
am)
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Agreement on
Liebenzeller rosins
I agree with the opinions of CelloBass on Liebenzeller Gold rosins.
Their grades Gold-IV (especially) and Gold-III (to a lesser degree)
have really saved me on cello (and the I and II level grades work
for smaller violin and viola instruments).
From my recent
rosin expriences I hypothesize that it is quite common for cello
rosin (on bow and strings) to fail because the sticking friction
(that causes the bow to pull the string) decreases. To compensate
for this, the player will tend to press harder on the bow until the
normal stick/slip mechanism that causes smooth bowing and sound
fails and the strings are beiong over driven and growly sounds
result.
The simple act of cleaning of my strings and bow and
rerosining with Liebenzeller Gold-IV was sufficient to cure this
problem. This rosin now remains in the shielding bag that hangs
around my cello's neck - along with a cleaning cloth.
Andy
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TerryM
Registered
User
Posts: 447
(7/1/01 11:35:12
am)
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Re: Agreement on
Liebenzeller rosins
Andy, after reading your enthusiastic post in the previous rosin
thread, I got a cake of Liebenzeller Gold IV from Ellen at Cellos2Go
and agree that it really works well. My teacher also tried it and
was immediately sold on it.
Terry
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Bobbie
Registered User
Posts: 507
(7/1/01 7:45:51 pm)
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Me, too.
I recently tried out some new cellos and had several other people
play on mine with their bows, and was amazed at the amount of rosin
that ended up caked on my strings. I just don't have to deal with
more than a light dusting anymore, now that I've switched to
Liebenzeller (III for normal weather, IV for dry.) I am being very
careful with the cakes of rosin, though, as I've never had any last
too long between me dropping and breaking it and my dog eating it. I
should have tried it the first time I heard it recommended, years
ago.
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Sorefingers
Registered User
Posts: 108
(7/1/01 10:28:10 pm)
Reply
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Re: Agreement on
Liebenzeller rosins
Andy, with your vast experience using the Liebenzeller Gold rosins
- which grade would you recommend for a humid climate - III ?
I'm currently using Bernadel (light) with good results, but
lately my sound is getting growly and harsh, strings are taking a
longer time to react and I'm pressing harder. My strings(Larsen A/D,
Helicore G/C) are relatively "new" - on about 3 weeks, and my
bowhair is in good shape. I rosin aproximately once every 10 days or
so, or whenever my sound seems to disappear, or it doesn't feel like
I have any bite - if you know what I mean. There, I think I've
covered all the criteria for you to make an educated
guess.
I've found the adverse sound changes to be in direct
ratio with the amount of rain and increase in our Florida humidity.
I just thought it was something that I'd have to live with
...
I have been reading and following the Liebenzeller
threads for some time now - I'm ready to purchase a cake, just don't
know which grade would be best for Florida.
Gina
Edited by: Sorefingers
at: 7/1/01 10:29:24 pm
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Andrew
Victor
Registered
User
Posts: 348
(7/2/01 8:32:17
am)
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|
Re: Agreement on
Liebenzeller rosins
Bobbie's answer would seem to be that the Gold-III might be better
for damper weather. I don't really know for sure; our weather in the
San Francisco Bay area is actually quite dry (normally 40% - 60% RH
in my house when warm) except when surrounded by fog, and even then
it is cool so the air doesn't hold much moisture (which is why there
is fog), so - so far for me the Gold-IV has been
better.
There is a "certain fragility" to Liebenzeller rosins
because of the way they are packaged, without an attached cloth. But
they all come glued to a substantial cardboard disk that should
prevent disintegration. What I do with all my Liebenzellers is cut a
out a square of chamois cloth (soft leather at leat 4-inches across)
and glue the cardboard of the rosin cake to center of the cloth.
Then I put the smaller half of original rosin box around the rosin
and (for cello) I wrap the clote around the box and secure it with a
rubber band. This is the rosin that sits in the bag hung from my
cello's neck. It may take a few seconds longer to get the rosin out
when I need it, but I think I've got a good shock absorber system
around it.
Andy
Edited by: Andrew
Victor at: 7/2/01 8:36:02 am
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Bobbie
Registered User
Posts: 509
(7/2/01 8:50:10 am)
Reply
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Re: Agreement on
Liebenzeller rosins
I use Gold III in lower humidity than 40-60% (which we would
consider uncomfortably humid, here). When I say "dry" I mean below
35% humidity, down to about 15%. I haven't had the Gold III in foggy
weather so I don't know how it will perform. Unfortunately with
Liebenzeller we are back into the "expensive to experiment" price
range, but it helps to keep it in perspective to remember one cake
of rosin is about the same price as a Larsen A.
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Sorefingers
Registered User
Posts: 110
(7/2/01 12:39:50 pm)
Reply
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Re: Jumping into
the world of expensive experimentation ...
Thanks for your input - I've got 85%+ humidity on a regular basis.
I've ordered a cake of the III - a little treat for myself, will see
what happens. If the III turns into a gloppy mess, I can save it for
the rare times we do have a chill in the air - when the temperature
drops to a bone chilling 60 degrees. 
Thank
you especially for the info on care and treatment of the cake. It
would be a crying shame to open it up one day and to find a crumbled
mess.
Gina
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AaronReeves
Registered User
Posts: 192
(7/2/01 5:32:16 pm)
Reply
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Alright,
Liebenzeller it is!!
I'll check the weather report on the news tonight for the average
humidity and order some rosin!! (well,
after my paycheck comes in. It's three days late and I have a car
payment due the 5th!)
Thanks everyone.
Aaron
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ruthann
Registered User
Posts: 512
(7/3/01 10:40:20 am)
Reply
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Re: Yet another
rosin thread.
Come on, Andy, 40-60% is dry? You've been out of the desert too
long! Remember those summers when anything over 20% was a humid
day?
About breaking rosin: There is a solution, and an easy
one if you live in a hot climate like Florida, Oklahoma, Central
Valley of California. Put the broken rosin on the dashboard of your
car. It'll melt right back together. I've used a piece of waxed
paper lining an appropeiately shaped container for forming a new
cake. You can easily mend a split cake attached to a cloth by
wrapping it up as you normally would and sticking it on the
dashboard one hot afternoon.
cello_suttonr@hotmail.com |
Bobbie
Registered User
Posts: 513
(7/3/01 11:37:50 am)
Reply
|
Re: Yet another
rosin thread.
Clever idea! And it probably avoids the fumes I got when I melted
it in the microwave. My sister's kids used to melt chocolate that
way on her dashboard...
Speaking of humidity, we are
suffering from high humidity today. It was actually 74% at 5 AM
yesterday and might even top 20% this afternoon when the temperature
hits 109. If it hits 40% we will all be moaning and groaning,
especially the people with the rotating outages (I, however, am in
Rotating Outage Block 50, which means we never go out because of
proximity to something like hospital, fire department, police
station, etc.)
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ruthann
Registered User
Posts: 517
(7/3/01 12:13:28 pm)
Reply
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Re: Yet another
rosin thread.
Sometimes I think you can melt steel on my dashboard! I ruined a
paperback book by leaving it on the dash for an hour while driving
with the AC going. The glue in the spine just melted away.
We
had 116F yesterday with 20% humidity. The swamp cooler could only
get the house down to about 90. I actually rained for about five
minutes yesterday evening. But it was one of those microburst things
where only you and three of your neighbors saw rain. The low last
night was 83. We don't get monsoons like AZ and NM deserts, just
occasional high humidity days which drive us all crazy with
heat.
Some people here have both a swamp cooler and an air
conditioner, saving the AC for the high humidity days when the swamp
just doesn't work. But since we've all received an electric bill
with that retroactive rate hike, most of us will just tough it out.
What I can't figure out is how anyone could have lived out here
without some type of cooling.
This weekend we are heading up
to the Oregon coast for two weeks of reasonable weather and
lighthouses. I am counting the days.
cello_suttonr@hotmail.com |
Bobbie
Registered User
Posts: 514
(7/3/01 12:25:58 pm)
Reply
|
Re: Yet another
rosin thread.
One summer, after a long, hot July heat wave, I headed up to
Washington, stopping in Eugene to visit my sister who was almost
nine months pregnant. (That would make it 13 years ago.) It was
about 80-85 in Eugene and she was moaning and complaining even
though I don't think her house got over 70, and I was sitting around
in sweats freezing. That always adds to the enjoyment of a NW
vacation- hearing the locals complain about the "heat."
I had
a swamp cooler when I first moved here but it was usually too
inefficient to be comfortable. (For the unenlightened, a "swamp
cooler" using evaporation of water to cool the air, but the air
outside has to be quite dry in order for the evaporation to be
efficient, plus the swamp cooler adds humidity to the house. Good
for the cello, but not so comfortable.) Anyway, my electric usage
was half what it was last June, so I'm not going to worry too much
about staying comfortable. By the way, Ruthann, what is the baseline
electric allowance for your area? I cut my use in half and it was
still 130% over baseline.
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ruthann
Registered User
Posts: 518
(7/3/01 4:11:37 pm)
Reply
|
Re: Yet another
rosin thread.
How on earth did you cut your usage in half???
I've given
up my clothes dryer. Things dry really fast (and crunchy) on the
outdoor clothes line. Almost all the lights in the house are
flourescent. We put in a new thermostat for the swamp cooler. We
wanted to put up that "low-e" film on the windows, but the
manufacturer wouldn't advise it on double pane windows subject to
extreme heat.
I don't know off the top of my head what the
baseline is - I know I've never been under it. I think we run about
150%, and we are pretty frugal. Someone told me that the baseline is
half of what the average use is for your zone. I'm not sure that's
true.
cello_suttonr@hotmail.com |
AaronReeves
Registered User
Posts: 195
(7/3/01 4:27:48 pm)
Reply
|
Humidity
Alright, now I am utterly confused. Is it more
humid the lower the percentage is or more humid the higher the
percentage is?
Aaron
(by the way, I live in Oklahoma,
and I totally understand what you mean about cars being that hot. )
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Bobbie
Registered User
Posts: 515
(7/3/01 4:47:00 pm)
Reply
|
Re:
Humidity
Higher percent humidity means more humid.
High humidity
makes hot air feel much hotter because the rate at which your
perspiration evaporates slows down and your body doesn't cool itself
as efficiently. Very dry air is much more comfortable at the a given
temperature than humid air at the same temperature.
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Bobbie
Registered User
Posts: 516
(7/3/01 4:55:40 pm)
Reply
|
Re: Yet another
rosin thread.
Well, I don't know. I'm not sure I believe we did. I think PGE
might have made a big mistake but I'm not going to tell them if they
did. We used so much AC last month it is hard to believe. But I cut
the pool pump to half the hours. Since that runs the chlorinator, I
had to supplement the chlorine. I switched only the lights I use a
lot to flourescent except my reading light. I unplugged the TV we
don't use. I turned off the monitor when I turned off the computer
but didn't cut down on hours of use. I hang the laundry out but
fluff it in the dryer, and anyway that is gas. I didn't raise the
thermostat as we never set it below 78 anyway. I airdryed the dishes
but I only run the DW once a week or so, anyway. I turned lights out
a lot and since I live here alone that means only one or two lights
on at once. I turned the stereo power off when I wasn't using it.
But I still think with all the AC use it should have been almost, if
not as much as last June. Not half. I even checked the meter reading
to see if it was wrong, and it did not appear to be. I think I made
up for it in the last 24 hours, anyway!
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Manolian
Registered User
Posts: 29
(7/4/01 9:14:30 am)
Reply
|
RE:yet another
rosin thread
I live in South Florida =very humid
and using Motrya Gold rosin
works best .
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