I have recently decided to try a synthetic rosin on my sinphone - mainly to help with issues I have with humidity and temperature changes (I haul this thing around and play in the worst environments, in a tent in a downpour, in a bone-dry hot chapel choir loft, wherever an SCA event might take me).
I am using Super Sensitive Clarity Rosin (violin) and so far have had some good luck with it on a baltic birch ply wheel with no band. I did have to clean and thoroughly scrape the wheel because this stuff supposedly doesn't play well with any natural rosin. It is clear and sort of soft, and it is not particularly easy to apply, but it lasts quite a while between rosinings and it stays consistent, so far, in a wide variety of environments. It isn't cheap but it isn't expensive either, at less than $10 per 'cake'. One thing I do like is that it seems to have a maximum stickiness, if you go a little overboard in applying it it doesn't seem to get any more sticky. I am still new to using it, having only started a few weeks ago, but I think it shows promise. Has anyone else tried this rosin, and does anyone have any comments? Chris Nogy
