Student Cello Review: $269 Eastar EVC-1 (Amazon’s Choice)
Amazon's $269 Choice Cello Reviewed | The good and the bad!
Today we’re going to review Amazon’s Choice Student Cello, the Easter EVC-1. As with the Cecilio cello I reviewed previously, the Eastar EVC-1 was $269.99 when I purchased it on Amazon.
I should reiterate that while my usual advice is to rent equipment first when starting on your cello journey, there is an exception under which this instrument falls.
If your final budget for your first cello is going to be somewhere in the $300-500 range, then my suggestion would be to go ahead and buy an instrument right off the bat.
Most violin shops have a rent-to-buy option that allows you to apply some of that rental money towards your first purchase.
However, most violin shops I know of won’t have a cello for sale as low as $269 (or $799 for that matter), and so in this case you might just want to go ahead and buy without wasting any money on a rental.
Keep in mind, $269 is an incredibly low price for an entire cello outfit, so I’m taking the price tag in to account in my review.
As with the Cecilio cello from the last blog, I was pleasantly surprised in many ways with what $269 can get you these days.
THE REVIEW
After ordering it on Amazon, the cello arrived at my doorstep 6 days later.
Scissors in hand, I sliced through the clear tape and pulled everything out of the cardboard packaging.
Below is a list of contents with my opinion on each item:
Cello Stand:
As with the Cecilio cello outfit, this Eastar EVC-1 comes with a simple cello stand so you can store/display your new instrument instead of returning it to the soft case after practice sessions.
My gripe remains that because the back of the stand meets the cello at such a low point on its body, the whole situation feels dicey and insecure.
A slight bump or nudge in the wrong place seems like it could send the cello toppling over onto its side.
If you use this stand, I recommend somewhere with essentially zero foot traffic.
Cello bag:
As part of an outfit costing $269, I think the bag is fine.
It is lightly padded and has a built in sleeve to hold the bow as well as a pocket to store rosin, extra strings, etc.
While this soft case will do a good job of preventing scratches and nicks in the cello’s wood, it will not protect it from harm if the instrument is dropped from a short height or made to endure an overly bumpy car ride.
You should always be extremely careful with a cello no matter what case you are using, but all the more so with a thinly padded soft case.
Cello:
For the most part I was impressed. The cello felt solidly constructed and I felt like I was holding a real cello when I tried it out.
The wood of the body is pretty clearly made of wood composite and has been painted with a matte finish as opposed to the more glossy, shellacked looking finish of the Cecilio cello from my last review.
Notably, the fingerboard on the Eastar EVC-1 has circular inserts inlayed into the fingerboard that are designed to help the player learn the location of particular the notes in first position. I’m not a fan, for a couple of reasons.
First, I prefer the use of tape because with a small strip of tape I can feel the location of the note without having to check it visually.
Secondly, the goal is to progress so that eventually you are playing in tune on a black ebony fingerboard with no additional aids. If you were to ever use this instrument in public for performance as part of an ensemble, these permanent pearly dots on the fingerboard will be screaming, “this is a beginner cello!” to anyone in the know.
Bridge:
The bridge that came with this particular cello had been thinned down pretty brutally, to the point where I think a replacement bridge might be the best idea.
With bridges, luthiers will thin the wood out towards the top to help with resonance, but in this case there is a lot left to be desired. I also found the bridge height too high for the instrument when I had finished fitting it.
Strings:
The cello comes equipped with a set of strings already wound into the pegs, as well as an extra set of strings in the bag.
While they seem decently constructed, I found the strings, especially the A string, very tinny sounding.
This is to be expected with inexpensive strings, and for that reason I recommend replacing them -if it’s in your budget- with a mid level set by a known manufacturer like Jargar.
At the very least I heartily recommend replacing only the A string with a Jargar medium, which goes on sale for ~$20 on websites like sharmusic.com multiple times a year.
Bow:
I was pleasantly surprised by the bow that came with the Eastar EVC-1 outfit.
It feels decently balanced and constructed. When I say well balanced I’m talking about how it feels if I hold it in my right hand with a cello bow grip.
A bow that feels feather light at the tip will often make it difficult to sustain an even sound throughout, while a bow that feels “tip heavy” often ends up feeling clunky and tiring in aspects of playing such as string crossings and spiccatto.
At the end of the day, however, I still would recommend purchasing a $70 carbon fibre bow that will be correctly balanced and on which it will be much easier to learn.
Rosin:
I can’t say I would recommend the rosin included, but a basic cake of rosin will only set you back $2-3.
HOW IT PLAYS
As with the Cecilio Student Cello Outfit in my previous review (but not to the same degree), I was somewhat pleasantly surprised with the overall sound I got for $269.
This is as far as I know about the cheapest you can find for an entire outfit that legitimately works.
However, as you might expect I encountered some problems that I believe need to be addressed in order to have the best experience possible and avoid possible issues with tension or injury.
PROS:
Powerful sound when played with a $70 carbon fibre bow I own for outdoor events.
Feels like a real cello when I hold it and play on it.
CONS:
Poorly fitting bridge that raised the strings too high off of the fingerboard. This can lead to tension and possible injury in the left hand if not addressed.
I’m not sure the white dots on the fingerboard would be particularly helpful, and to me they scream “hey I’m a beginner!”
The strings sound metallic and the A string in particular created a disappointing tinny sound. I recommend switching out at least the A string with a brand like Jargar.
I’m not a fan of the cello stand’s construction.
So, at the end of the day, is buying the Eastar EVC-1 worth it?
If your budget is $300-400, I would say go ahead…if I had not just tried out the Cecilio Student Cello Outfit at the same price.
I directly compared these cellos in another video and declared a winner. Which one did I pick?
However, if you do decide on the Eastar EVC-1, I highly recommend taking your cello, once you get it delivered, straight to the violin shop to have the bridge fit properly and possibly trimmed down to achieve the correct string height.
While you’re at the violin shop, go ahead and pick up a cheap cake of rosin for $2-3 bucks and maybe even treat yourself to a new A string.
I recommend Jargar medium. A top level A string will cost roughly $50, and while it may sound even better than a simple Jargar medium, I think the cost is too high given the price point of the cello outfit itself.
Yes, I am recommending you spend even more money than the $269 you are already shelling out for a beginning instrument.
And yes, I agree it seems like a waste to start off by replacing one or more new strings with another brand, but I want you to get the most value and enjoyment out of your first instrument.
The more you enjoy yourself, the more likely you are to stick with your dream and make it to your final goal.
AND, in this case, upgrading to more expensive strings will not only sound better but also be easier to play.
Learning to play the cello is a wonderful and complicated journey. If a few small upgrades can help you along the way and are within your budget, I think you owe it to yourself to make them!
Here are unaffiliated links to the upgrades I mentioned, as well as the cello itself:
