Recently, we offered you the opportunity to try out the winning rosin from our Big Rosin Test. Many of you noticed that we pay significant attention to the topic of rosin despite not selling any Warchal rosin. In fact, it's precisely the reason why rosins are the subject of our sincere investigation. If we were to sell our own, we would simply be tempted to promote it. Moreover, any comparison of our own rosin with other brands would sound unreliable.

We are pleased that we have inspired many of you to explore the subtle differences in sound and response that different rosins can provide. As you know, we recommend three products with varying degrees of effect, from the most forgiving to the most soloistic sound. Thank you for all the feedback. Some of you have even expressed unprecedented sensitivity to the effect of rosin on the instrument's sound image. One of our customers has written, for example, "I found that a rosin somewhere between Cecilia A Piacere and Vienna's Best would be working for me.”

To achieve the ideal effect anywhere on that scale, we bring you a few tips:

1. Make sure your bow hair is in good condition. In fact, bow hair doesn't wear out, but it does get dirty and greasy, losing its grip. Cleaning it is possible but requires handling dangerous chemicals, so we do not recommend doing it at home. Also, during intense playing, some hair gradually break, so the only solution to keep its original quality is having your bow hair rehaired regularly. While using the instrument, avoid contact between bow hair and your fingers. Hold the bow only by the stick.

2. If your bow is free of rosin after rehairing, we recommend Cecilia Solo for the first application. Vienna's Best is not suitable for the first application.

3. Before deciding to change rosin or mix them, make sure you are accustomed to applying the right amount to the bow. Too much rosin is not ideal for the sound. Moreover, it requires very frequent cleaning of the strings, otherwise, the response will quickly deteriorate. But only few know that even a lack of rosin on the bow results in a harsh tone. In fact, the tone is not very loud, but it is harsh at the same time. Therefore, we recommend experimenting a bit with the applied amount. It is always better to apply more frequently in smaller doses. However, for Cecilia rosins, it is enough to apply them sparingly (compared to other brands).

4. Despite what the manufacturers claim, rosins are fully mixable, just like individual violin strings can be compatible if there is a reason for such mixing. If you feel you need just a little more attack than Vienna's Best provides, simply apply a little Cecilia A Piacere or Solo and a little Vienna's Best. When combining these two brands, we recommend applying Cecilia first, followed by Vienna's Best.

5. Of course, to maintain good response, do not forget to regularly clean the rosin build-up. Detailed instructions for this can be found here. 

We believe that by choosing the right strings and rosin, you will be able to achieve the desired effect in most cases.

If you feel that the tone, and particularly the response of your instrument, is not ideal despite using Warchal strings and the rosins we recommend, we suggest having your instrument set-up checked by a luthier you trust. The biggest impact is caused by the details that are not visible. For example, you can visually check the position of your soundpost if you have some knowledge, but its length also has the same impact on the sound quality. If your soundpost is slightly shorter, it will result in a scratchy sound and worsened response. Conversely, a too-long soundpost manifests itself with a focused, choked, or even dull sound.

If you have any more questions or need further guidance on perfecting your musical experience, our team is here for you. Feel free to reach out!