HOW IS ROSIN MADE?
The basic ingredient in violin rosin is purified pine rosin, and then comes the step that violin rosin makers will not talk about. Each manufacturer has his own recipe. The recipe is a closely guarded secret. Different resins may be added. Some add beeswax. Others even add gold, silver, lead or copper flecks, saying that it adds to the rosin’s ability to grip the string. The mixture is cooled, and bubbles are forced out. The thick goo is poured into molds to form the cakes. There is an excellent page showing the production of rosin at www.stringsmagazine.com/issues/strings98/rosin.html Is there a Difference Between Rosins? Rosin choice is quite personal. Generally speaking, the darker the rosin the softer it is. Softer rosins tend to be stickier. While stickier rosins produce greater grip on the string, they also produce a grittier sound. Softer rosins also throw off more powder, making things difficult to clean. A harder rosin will not be quite as sticky, and so will not grip the stri
