Guide to Buying a Cello

[@alanrgould]

Linda did a lot of work on my first cello and improved the sound dramatically. She also sold me my new second cello. She’s a great resource - very knowledgeable.

[@kanatsizkanatli]

The exception is if you're lucky enough to find a used cello that someone was throwing out like I did! The soundpost was down and the bridge was bent but the strings were good and for the price i got mine for, I was totally willing to do everything including a new trail piece, work on upper nut ebony, I carved my own bridge (several attempts) and even put up the sound post myself! It by all rights should have been just a fun experiment that sounds like crap but I was astonished that I managed to make it sound so good, or rather lucky that the cello had such good tone. I have since tried cellos worth literally a 100 times what I paid for mine, (including the tools I bought) that simply don't sound as good as this. I've learnt a massive amount too, experimented with bridges to get the balance I wanted, tuned the tail piece and wolf note and quite a bit of experiments with sound post tension and position. I think all string players should be able to service and do basic repairs these days, although I understand if you have an expensive cello, doing what I did would be silly!!

[@higherhz]

That's a great story, and congrats to you!People can have varying degrees of success with this, and I am also a very diy kind of person, so I can dig it. I think you said the most important part yourself, "if you have an expensive cello, doing what I did would be silly!!" Happy playing!

[@Kbo28]

Great video!

[@MsCellobass]

Let’s not get complicated with this: GO TO A VIOLIN SHOP AND RENT ONE! Going to a reputable bowed string shop have staff that are knowledgeable and helpful in getting a properly set up cello to rent. Many, if not all of them have a program of rent to own. This is typically how it works; if you like the cello you are renting you will be able to own it for not to long. And if you want a cello they are selling, they give you credit from the rent money you paid out.

[@newworldrecords777]

Ty brother.

[@higherhz]

You welcome ;)

[@gasparocelloman9852]

Your cello is very handsome instrument. Is it a grand pattern Strad model like the ‘Servais’, or forma B?

[@higherhz]

Thank you! I believe it's strad modeled, but I'm actually not sure. The maker is Marco Maria Gastaldi if you want to look at his cellos.

[@gasparocelloman9852]

@@higherhz thanks!👍🥂

[@AGC828]

Lots of good information not mentioned elsewhere. For complete novices or people who studied cello many years ago and is returning...I'd stick with good names like Eastman Strings or Jay Haide. As Linda said we should be looking for a cello with "good bones". At least an all spruce body. Good warranty. What I'd like to know is what separates a $20000 cello made by a luthier's shop (could be just the luthier "one-man" operation or a team) and an Eastman at around $2500-3000? They have the same parts (possibly the more expensive Luthier's cello might have more ribbing? different shaped? can t he internal bracing be very different?). s If you haven't done a video on this topic...maybe you could talk to Linda again and give us the skinny..

[@higherhz]

Great suggestions, I believe Eastman was a recommended brand in the video too. I think the best way to describe what separates the price tiers is finesse. All that you bring up and way way more goes into tweaking out just the right sound. And not just a general shape, but making decisions based on the exact type of wood and the humidity of the area where it was made etc. As a beginner a $2000 vs $20000 cello won't make a difference, but a $200 to $2000 will make a huge difference. When you develop beyond that there will be subtle things you will want to do but can't, and then a more expensive one will start to make sense - and also be highly personal to the player. Having recently played on a $100,000 bow that was literally everything I described I was looking for in a bow and more, I can say there's genuinely a huge difference. Is that difference worth that much? Maybe not. Is it also an artificially inflated antique trade? Almost definitely. But again, hopefully you didn't take away from this video to buy a $20,000 cello as your first one... Happy playing!

[@MsCellobass]

Huh? A more advanced cello is going to be harder to play??

[@williamjohns9322]

I forgot how bad covid was

[@MsCellobass]

One should be in serious doubt with doing business with this luthier! A good cello will NOT NECESSARILY sound bad because of mediocre strings. I bought a cello because of its nice projection and it didn’t have a good set of strings! Once I changed the strings and paired a bow with my new cello, I was more excited with it!

[@ourmail9044]

As soon as I saw the masks I clicked away.