Double Bass New Rosin from Upton

[PBandJazzBass]

I mentioned this in another thread but figured it deserved a thread of its own.

Looks like Upton has formulated their own rosin. For the price, I’d be willing to give it a try. But as a primarily jazz/pizz player, any insight I have may not be helpful. So if any orchestra bassists try this stuff, let us know what you think!

Upton Bass Rosin, Specially Formulated for the Double Bassist

 

[PBandJazzBass]

I went ahead and ordered some.

I really do like them as a company, but I hope they decide to change the quote on the page. Reading it made my eyes roll.

 

[ablumley]

Looking forward to a review.

 

[Martin Beer]

The prose on the page is weirdly repetitive yet lacking meaningful info, I almost wonder if they got ChatGPT or similar to write the bulk of it. I'm sure the stuff's fine, just the website copywriting feels weird.

 

[damonsmith]

It is pretty cool that they decided to use a plastic container that will dry it out fairly soon like Pops, rather than the silicon the new higher rosins use. The dark color is nice.

 

[salcott]

I ordered some, and will keep it in a rosin saver. I've had a cake of Pop's going for almost a year that's still clear and fresh.

 

[PBandJazzBass]

I got back from teaching lessons today and the Upton rosin was waiting for me on the doorstep!

These are my initial impressions, and again I’ll reiterate I’m primarily a pizzicato jazz player. My opinion may change over time, YMMV, this is with one bow on one bass using one set of strings, etc.

As a point of comparison I’ve also used Pops, Nymans, Carlsons, Kolstein Soft & All Weather, Melos (meh), Hidersine #2 and Weidoeft (which is what I’ve been using the last few years). I also cleaned excess rosin off of my bow hair and strings before testing.

First impressions are, it’s somewhere between Weidoeft and Carlsons/Nymans as far as softness and consistency. Less grainy than either Weidoeft or Kolsteins. Not as waxy as Carlsons/Nymans. Visually, it’s like a dark brown Pops but not as dark as Nymans/Carlsons and clear unlike Weidoeft. It didn’t appear to leave too much dust residue on my bass. Peeling back the paper cup, it seems like a good idea to smooth Out the edge before applying to the bow hair. Also, try to do so over a sink or trash can because it was a bit messy!

It has a smooth, clear attack and lots of grab. Though not as much stickiness as Pops and a little less than Weidoeft. Smooth sustain, even on my Spirocore G string. What little scratchiness I heard/felt is probably more attributable to myself and not the rosin.

I’ll have to use it on actual gigs to get a better idea, but I'm excited to try it!

 

[bassically_eli]

The color and description make me wonder if it's similar to Salzman rosin.

 

[PBandJazzBass]

The color and description make me wonder if it's similar to Salzman rosin.

I don’t have any experience with that particular rosin so I can’t comment.

 

[BassFalcon]

Mine arrived earlier this week, but only now was I able to try it. My opinion doesn’t mean much as my work schedule changed and really took a bite out of my practice time, but I really really like it. I should note that it’s been applied on top of a good base of various leatherwoods, but It’s very smooth, sounds great up high, and has a great bite on my B string. Two thumbs up. It’s a strong contender to replace my beloved leatherwood 60. First impression is outstanding!

 

[shepdave]

I got mine last week. I was immediately impressed. I’ve been using Leatherwood 40 and 50 (depending on the temperature) for the past year or so. The Upton felt smoother and less scratchy from the first note I played, yet it grabbed the string well. I will stick with it for awhile.

And the price is certainly right!

 

[salcott]

I started it on two freshly rehaired bows along with a newly-installed set of Passione Starks. So far so good. Next rehearsal (Walton Viola Concerto/Dvorak 9) is the 29th and will be the real test.

 

[PBandJazzBass]

So far, I’m still liking it!

Softer than Nymans/Carlsons (Nylsons? Carlmans?) but not as goopy as Pops.

The biggest drawback I’m finding is it does seem to “flake & break” easily.

 

[PBandJazzBass]

And I’m not a huge fan of the paper cup, a characteristic of Pops I also don’t care for. It just seems to make things more messy.

 

[Bassman415]

I tried a few swipes from a colleague who bought a cake. It sounds nice, has a nice tack for about 5-10 minutes, and then it needs reapplication. Back to pops it is !

 

[Leif Dering]

I tried a few swipes from a colleague who bought a cake. It sounds nice, has a nice tack for about 5-10 minutes, and then it needs reapplication. Back to pops it is !

I've felt this way every single time I've strayed from Pops. Maybe I'm too addicted to the articulation I get with lots of Pops + tight bow hair......

 

[PBandJazzBass]

I haven’t had the above experience as far as frequent reapplication. But it’s also been many years since I’ve used Pops.

 

[T_Bone_TL]

2 hour rehearsal/jam today. Put some rosin on during Saturday's 2 hour gig (5 days ago.) Didn't put any on today, didn't need to. No, I didn't play in between. Not Upton's new stuff, not Pops, not a secret but I'm not going to beat a dead horse about it in a thread about Upton's new stuff, as you can use the search function here and see in other threads.

Whatever works for ya!

 

[Paps]

Come on, what is it? I dont have time to search the many threads about rosin..

 

[PBandJazzBass]

I’ve been using this stuff for a few weeks. Generally speaking, I think it’s a very good rosin. But I’ll probably stick with Weidoeft, largely because it’s less messy and easier to apply.

Though, the Upton rosin hasn’t started developing that glassy “old Pops” texture yet which makes me think it might last longer.