Can Rosin Damage My Instrument Or Bow?

The short answer is yes! 

If rosin isn’t regularly cleaned off the body of your violin, viola, cello or double bass, it can become embedded in the varnish and cause irreversible damage. Excess rosin left on an instrument will also dampen the sound of you instrument, making it less resonant, and in some cases cause a ‘buzz’.  

The same goes for your strings. If rosin is left to build up on the strings, it will decrease their resonance and affect the tone colour of your instrument. Essentially, your strings will start to sound ‘duller’. Rosin build-up can also decrease the strings response time and generally decrease the longevity of the strings overall.

To avoid damage to your instrument, and to increase the longevity and playing qualities of your strings, wipe down your instrument and strings with a microfiber cleaning cloth after each use. If your rosin is particularly sticky, or if it has been left on your instrument for some time, there are products that can help remove the rosin. For the body of the instrument, we use Petz Rosin Remover and for strings we use Royal Oak String Cleaner. Always use sparingly and never use household cleaning products to clean your string instrument. Click here to view our video on how to clean your instrument.

In terms of the bow, rosin with metal additives such as gold flakes are more abrasive and can cause your bow hair and strings to wear out sooner. If you want to get the most longevity out of your bow hair, we suggest choosing a rosin without these additives. It is also possible to over rosin your bow, which will create a scratchy sound and cause more dust to fall on your instrument. Be sure to read through to our section on how to correctly apply rosin.

Next: Can I use violin rosin on a cello or double bass bow?