A Beginner’s Guide to Buying a Cello: Common Misconceptions and How to Try Cellos Effectively
LEFT: A Stradivarius cello at the Accademia Gallery; RIGHT: Trying cellos at Vettori Violins (Florence)
Buying your first cello is a major event.
Yes, you’re spending a lot of money, but you are also symbolically buying into the cello as a part of who you are, what you do! People like us need cellos, because we are cellists.
So first and foremost: Welcome to this group of people who find pleasure drawing sound out of a wooden box with strings!
As you already know, not all instruments are made equal, and while it’s true that a great player will be able to pull a pleasant sound out of almost any cello, I think it’s important to say:
For those of us who are earlier on in our journeys, the right instrument can make learning the cello much easier and thus much more enjoyable.
Hence, this guide. I started my cello journey at 25 with a rented cello at a local violin shop. Renting is what I recommend to most adult beginners.
[Here’s my how-to guide on renting cellos!]
Why?
Renting will allow you to get started quickly since you won’t be as worried about finding the “perfect” instrument.
Along those lines, you won’t be stuck with a cello you liked at the beginning of your journey but “outgrew” a year later.
After renting, you will want to upgrade to a better instrument. I would argue that getting to play and practice on a better quality/better-sounding cello will not only be motivating but will help you progress even quicker.
So, without further ado, let’s delve further into buying a cello!
THIS GUIDE IS DIVIDED INTO THREE SECTIONS:
Common Misconceptions
How to Try Cellos
Details of a Cello to Be Aware of
1. Buying a Cello - Common Misconceptions:
Myth One: “I should buy a new cello if I can; I don’t want something used.”
The truth is you don’t need to buy a new cello.
In fact, contemporary cellos that have a few decades on them and that have also been well cared for will probably sound better and be easier to play than a brand new cello.
Think of buying a brand new baseball glove with stiff, uncreased leather versus trying the same glove after it was properly broken in for two weeks.
The wood and varnish of a cello will change over time to enhance its reverberation and ringing quality. This is a break in period, and we will say that the instrument is starting to “open up” because we can actually hear the change happening.
Interestingly, a cello that hasn’t been played in a long time can “fall asleep” and will have to “open up” again by having someone play on it consistently for a period of days to weeks.
Remember that the wood of your instrument is an organic material and will change (for the better) the more you use it and care for it.
Buying a cello is not like buying a car; it doesn’t instantly start depreciating the minute you drive it off the dealer’s lot.
A well-built (and well cared for) cello can last centuries.
Since instruments keep their value, it is even worth trying out a lower level brand name cello that isn’t brand new. The price might even be the same as a brand new one, but assuming it’s in good condition without any unwanted wear or damage, the older instrument may be broken in already and ready to sing.
Myth Two: “I should buy the most expensive cello I can afford.”
The truth is a more expensive cello doesn’t always equal a cello that is a better choice for you.
There are many factors that go into a cello’s price.
Once you get above $10K, some of these factors include the individual maker, the year it was built, and its country of origin.
This is a beginner’s guide, however, so let’s deal with entry level cellos up to $8K. Often you will find a brand name that offers cellos at different price points.
The higher priced cellos will be advertised to have better materials (at the bottom level is wood laminate, at the top is aged spruce and maple from specific regions of the world), and also a better maker(s) (at the bottom is a workshop cello made by a dozen apprentices, at the top is a cello made by a single maker of good reputation).
In my personal experience, when I try the different levels of these instruments I can often notice an immediate difference in quality, but not always.
It is worth trying everything a shop has in your range, because you truly never know.
Instrument making is an art, not a science, and results can vary.
Also, if a more expensive cello has a great sound but seems difficult to play for you personally (the size is too big, the string tension is too high or too low), you will have to make a tough decision.
You might end up learning how to play the cello and also how to play that specific cello.
I have been in this situation, and I often felt frustrated when my instrument seemed to be fighting me. With that particular cello, I would even hand it to my then-teacher, and he would try to help me circumnavigate my cello’s obstinance.
I kept asking myself what good its beautiful tone was if I could only achieve it in certain registers of the instrument.
I now feel very squared away with my current instrument, and I think the biggest reason is because I found a beautiful sounding cello that was also immediately playable. My previous instrument had felt like a tantalizing Rubik’s cube that rearranged itself every night so that each morning I had a new puzzle to figure out.
Myth Three: “A Chinese cello just can’t be as good.”
The truth is there is nothing wrong with a Chinese cello.
From what I understand, China came very late to the cello making game, and for years the quality control left a lot to be desired.
That being said, I have found that many of the Chinese student cellos I have tried lately have sounded great.
With any cello you are considering buying, I would approach the shop owner (who ideally is also a maker/restorer/string instrument expert) and ask him or her about the instrument in question, specifically the quality of the materials and the quality of craftsmanship.
A real expert can tell you a shocking amount of valuable information just by quickly glancing over an instrument. If you worry that the shop owner is not knowledgeable (maybe string instruments are only a small part of the shop’s inventory), then try to bring someone with you.
This can be anyone from your teacher to a friend whose been playing professionally for years.
Pro tip: If you become friendly with a professional player who also is known to have a number of instruments and bows personally, he or she might be a great source of knowledge. People who collect tend to know what to look for as well as where to look and what the current market prices for certain instrument levels should be.
2. How to Try Out a Cello to Buy
Okay, you’re in the violin shop, you’ve brought a friend or your teacher with you, and you are ushered into an instrument room where eight cellos in your price range wait in wooden stands around a central chair.
You take out the first cello, tune it with your tuner, and then completely lose your nerve.
What the hell do I even play?
You noodle around, try another instrument, then another, and halfway through session, all of the cellos sound the same and you feel lost.
I’ve been there. I’m sure a lot of you have, too.
Instead, when you try cellos, come in with a concrete game plan and control the variables. After all, you are running an experiment to some degree, so that means the more variables you can control, the better your data will be.
Here’s what I do:
PLAY THE SAME PIECES ON EACH CELLO, EVEN IN THE SAME ORDER
It is easier to analyze the tone and quality between four cellos if you’re playing the same exact thing on each one.
USE THE SAME BOW ON ALL THE CELLOS
A great borrowed bow might make the wrong cello sound and feel perfect. It is amazing how much a bow can change the sound and feel of a cello you are playing on!
DON’T CHOOSE TO PLAY PIECES THAT ARE DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO PLAY
For first time buyers: try cellos out with a piece that is comfortable to play technically. If you’re struggling to play the piece itself, that adds a layer of confusion regarding the cello, which is what you are really trying to test.
Here is what I play when trying instruments:
First, open strings, a couple of full bows each to feel the string tension and whether the instrument likes a lighter bow stroke or heavier.
Then I would play a C major scale in 3 octaves and the opening of the Brahms sonata in E minor. The Brahms is a great lyrical piece, but it also traverses a large range of the instrument within a short amount of time (as does the scale). This helps tell me if the strings are well balanced or if certain strings seem to stick out in a bad from the others.
Then I might try a piece of Bach to see how the instrument sounds if I use lighter, more baroque-inspired bow strokes that release a softer, rounder, woodier sound.
Finally I might try the opening of a showpiece or concerto that test’s the instruments tone and volume when I’m really digging into the string and trying to produce more projection.
The whole test might take 90 seconds, which is short enough for me to pick up and play subsequent cellos while retaining clear impressions from the ones I have already tried.
To summarize:
Play the same pieces, in the same order. Don’t choose any pieces that are difficult for you to play.
Play all cellos with the same bow. Use your own bow (if you already have one). You don’t want to introduce another variable!
3. Cello Details to Be Aware of:
There are a handful of things that I personally try to take in visually whenever I physically pick up a new cello.
The first has to do with the instrument’s health.
I inspect the cello visually for any cracks in the wood I might see. Many cracks in the wood, if repaired well, are nothing to worry about, but cracks in certain areas (where the bass bar is located or where the sound post is located, for example) can affect the value of the instrument.
Bottom line is that if there are any cracks or issues with the wood, I want to know about them.
Another thing I look for - mainly on older instruments - is any sign of woodworm damage. This is an issue I had with an earlier cello that I never want to have again. Woodworm damage severely affects the health and stability of a cello and is a major red flag.
On a superficial level, I also examine the color and varnish job on the instrument.
Although I would happily play on a beautiful sounding instrument that isn’t my favorite visually, I like to take a look at the varnish and notice if the maker used a softer varnish or one that dries hard and glossy.
Also I like to see miniature cracks in the varnish (not the wood) on older instruments, because I’ve been told that they are often caused by the vibrations of the cello and can help the instrument resonate more deeply.
Another aspect I like to know quickly is the shape and size of the cello.
There are a handful of common patterns that the Italian masters arrived at centuries ago that are still used by many makers today. The common cello patterns that I personally know of are by Stradivarius, Guarnerius del Gesu, Gofriller, Ruggieri, Guadagnini, and Montegnana.
Each pattern is designed to bring out different characteristics in the cello’s register, but each also feels very different to a player.
Speaking to a first time buyer, my main concern would be making sure that the instrument you buy isn’t overly large or overly small.
An overly large cello can be physically demanding for a player with small/average hands, while an overly small cello, while comfortable to play, might have deficiencies in power that could be problematic when projection is needed.
That being said, if you find a cello that is a dream to play, sounds great, but is unusual in size, you might want to just go ahead if it really seems like the right choice for you.
The last thing I always check out on an instrument right away is the setup.
What kind of strings does it have on? You can tell a string type by the unique winding near the tailpiece and inside the pegbox.
Essentially, I just want to know if it is set up with expensive, top quality strings or with cheaper strings.
String choice makes a big difference in sound so if it’s outfitted with cheap strings, I might be looking at a relatively inexpensive way to instantly enhance the instrument’s sound.
I also look at the bridge and its shape. Does the wood look like high quality maple? Does the bridge look overly thick or thin? Is it a Belgian bridge with longer, narrower feet (used for power and clarity) or a French bridge with lower and wider feet (used to enhance tone)?
I’m not particular to either type of bridge because different cellos need different types of setup to be optimal. But it helps to know because if I really like a cello but find it either a little too bright or on the other side lacking in power, a new bridge might be an easy way to nudge the instrument’s sound more to my liking.
Final recommendations: For my money, if I were shopping in the range of roughly 5K, I would keep an eye out for Jay Haide instruments. They are a cello brand (not a single maker) in the Bay Area of California, and the instruments I have tried of theirs are well rounded and a great value for the price.
Also, if you happen to find an older instrument (100+ years old) with an amazing sound for under 5K, there must be a reason that it isn’t worth more, so make sure you find out what that reason is.
And please start your search off right by going to a reputable violin shop in your area.
Not sure which shop to try? Ask around, most shops have definite reputations (both good and bad) that other players will be more than happy to tell you about in confidence. I’m talking verbal recommendations given in person by someone you respect.
Have fun and good luck!
