Technical data
| Base | Larch resin |
| Metal additives | Gold, silver, copper, meteoric iron |
| Grades | I to VI, hard to soft |
| Manufacture | Handmade in the Black Forest |
Features
- Maker's allocation for gold and silver: violin I or II, viola II or III, cello III and IV, double bass V and VI
In practice
- For solo playing the maker recommends the harder of the two grades named for the instrument.
- The maker attributes different tonal colours to the metal additives.
- What players consistently report is the yield: a few strokes go a long way and the cake lasts a very long time in sparing use.
- Also mentioned repeatedly: little dust and little white residue on the top.
- Before the first application clean the bow with a soft cloth and apply only a little at first. The same applies when switching between grades.
- A note on a common mix-up: we carry exclusively the original Liebenzeller rosin from the Black Forest.
Versions
- Gold I, for violin, ZB-942-I
- Gold II, for violin and viola, ZB-942-II
- Gold III, for viola and cello, ZB-942-III
- Gold IV, for cello, ZB-942-IV
- Gold VI, for double bass, ZB-942-VI
- Silver I, for violin, ZB-942-I-S
- Silver II, for violin and viola, ZB-942-II-S
- Copper I, for violin and viola, ZB-942-I-K
- Copper II, for cello, ZB-942-II-K
- Iron I, for violin and viola, ZB-942-I-E
- Iron II, for cello, ZB-942-II-E
Sound and physics
Rosin (the residue left when turpentine is distilled from conifer resin) raises the static friction (the friction between two surfaces that are not yet sliding against each other) on the bow hair. The bow therefore carries the string along until the string's restoring force prevails; the string then slides back and grips once more.
The difference between static and sliding friction, to which rosin contributes, helps set the minimum and maximum bow force (the pressure of the bow on the string) between which a steady note forms. Within this range the string breaks away exactly once per vibration (Helmholtz motion), and the tone contains the complete series of harmonics (the whole-number multiples of the fundamental).
Frequently asked questions
Why does a bow need rosin?
Rosin raises the static friction between bow hair and string. The bow only carries the string for as long as that friction exceeds the string's restoring force, and the bowed tone grows from this alternation of gripping and sliding.
Do the numbers on rosin always indicate hardness?
That differs from maker to maker. At Thomastik 1, 2 and 3 stand for soft, medium and hard, while Lapella calls its grades Solid, Medium and Soft. Hidersine names its double bass rosins DB1 and DB2 by temperature, for cold and for moderate weather.
Where does the name colophony come from?
From the city of Colophon in Asia Minor. Colophony, or rosin, is the residue from distilling turpentine out of conifer resin.
