Where can i get a beginner cello?

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marshall409

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anyone know a good place to find a cheap beginner cello?

im open to a 3/4 size for now, because thats the only size ive played, and it was a challenge for me.

so, where should i look online?

Adam
 
I would say International Violin would be a good place to buy one wholesale....

They always had a nice selection, they place ads in just about every issue of of acoustic guitar magazine.

Don't buy a cheap one, I work at a violin shop myself, and seem to get a large number of the ebay $399 cellos in for setup and repair, but by the time we get done with the work.... You might as well have spent a grand on one, now you spent a grand on a cello that will never be worth as much as you paid in the first place.... older Kay models can be found in pawnshops sometimes.... If you can get one cheap they are sometimes solid and sound decent.
 
damn....


maybe when i go back to lessons at the conservatory ill see if i can rent one.

thanks anyway.
 
Just an idea, but If you live close to a large city, try calling the "go to" store/company for student band/orch instrument rentals. Sadly, budget cuts have forced the school systems to drop their orchestras and keep their bands. So consequently, there is a ton of rental stock out there sitting in store rooms. You might be able to steal a cosmetically challenged cello for cheap.

I worked at a rental store that went from renting about 1000 orch instruments to less than 100 in about a 5 year period. Friggin disgusting.
 
CHEAP beginners on oo.com.au, directdeals.com etc these mobs sell really cheap chinese - in most senses of the word cheap - 'cellos. You can luck onto a so so one. If you're only testing your interest either hire one or buy a super cheapie. It's REALLY hard to get a good tone from one - but if you're not destined to do well it won't make too much diff. If you have potential you'll grow out of in really quickly but won't have flushed too much.
http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/p/cello-44-full-size-maple-protective-case/
http://www.bestbargains.com.au/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=298
I have a 'cellist friend (very good 'cellist) who bought one to fill in in an emergency & she actually made it sound quite nice - a bit like guitars - a dog is a dog but someone with skill can make it sound like a pet though not a pedigree pooch.
My 'cello isn't too bad, (bought over a decade ago when Korea was the land of cheap) not near top line commercial but my friend made it sound like Jaquie Du Pres was scratchin' at it - me, I make it sound like I'm scratch it.
 
I'd look at something from Eastman, a Chinese company that before they made guitars (I have an 810CE) and mandolins have been making quality student level violins and cellos at an attractive price. Most cellos they make are solid wood, and well set up and will set you back a grand or more but their model 80 is a laminate and goes in the $500 range.
 
you know how we do

I used to play cello. but that was years ago. I wanted to pick it up again, but didn't have the skrilla. But i eventually found a solution.

I started dating a girl who played cello. So I played hers. Then, when we broke up, I wound up with it on semipermanent loan because she went to South America. She's back now but hasn't ask for it back.

Joke's on me, though. She's got all my cool t-shirts (Mr. Airplane Man, Archers of Loaf, Guided by Voices, Ted Nugent etc).

I bought a pickup for it, and plugged it into a marshall jcm800 with an OCD pedal in front. The thing killed like nine babies.

So yeah, my advice is, get a cellist. :cool:
 
lmao thanks starbuck.

thanks everyone for the suggestions.

i was mainly just window shopping....but christmas is coming.


Adam
 
http://www.greatmusicproductsonline.com/products.asp?id=16
I have bought several of these Cellos from a 1/8 to 4/4 and set them up for beginner students who do not have a lot of money to spend on a more expensive Instrument and they play nice. the construction is good however the nut and bridge will need some fine adjustments to make it play really good .
 
http://www.greatmusicproductsonline.com/products.asp?id=16
I have bought several of these Cellos from a 1/8 to 4/4 and set them up for beginner students who do not have a lot of money to spend on a more expensive Instrument and they play nice. the construction is good however the nut and bridge will need some fine adjustments to make it play really good .

Which brand from that site do you think has the best sound to price ratio? I've been wanting to play cello for a while now, but I know almost nothing about them. I want a full size one with the whole outfit (case and bow), but don't really have any other requirements, other than a decent sound, of course. The Cremona Premier "Student" outfit looks nice, but I'm not sure if I want to lay down 3 bens for it.
 
Nice one Rogue, I'm looking at their acoustic classical guitars, any ideas of what their best price range is?

are the cheapest fine? -$120, that's the price range I prefer because this would be only a secondary instrument for me. I can replace the nuts and saddles myself (would anyway, with bone)
 
I guess I got lucky with my cheap eBay cello... well, the second one. The first one had a gash on the front where something had pierced the box in shipping. They sent a call tag for the bad one and shipped me a replacement. :)

I had to put on some strings that didn't suck donkey balls, as the stock strings were complete garbage (the top one snapped bringing it up to pitch... on both cellos, IIRC). I put a set of Pirastro Aricore strings on the thing, which mellows the heck out of the tone; compared with the strident screeching of the stock strings, that was a welcome improvement. :D

I have one peg hole that ideally should be reamed and the peg replaced---it is scoring a ring into the peg because it wasn't reamed at quite the right angle---but with a little peg dope, it is usable. If I ever get around to it, I'll carefully ream the outer part of the hole wider with a round file and order a new peg, but it isn't annoying enough to deal with it right now....
 
As Roguetitan rightly says you'll need nut & bridge will need work. The nuts on the cheaper models tend to have sharp edges & bust strings easily & prematurely. Neat, tidy, tiny sanding/filing as in a guitar nut will make a load of difference. I'd suggest getting the bridge set up professionally - it's not expensive - as it is crucial to the thing working - whilst getting that done I'd also suggest getting fine tuners installed - also not expensive.
Bow, peg grit, spare strings - all essential.
 
As Roguetitan rightly says you'll need nut & bridge will need work. The nuts on the cheaper models tend to have sharp edges & bust strings easily & prematurely. Neat, tidy, tiny sanding/filing as in a guitar nut will make a load of difference. I'd suggest getting the bridge set up professionally - it's not expensive - as it is crucial to the thing working - whilst getting that done I'd also suggest getting fine tuners installed - also not expensive.
Bow, peg grit, spare strings - all essential.

I guess I got really lucky.... My low-end cello one came with fine tuners. I wouldn't buy a cello without them. I did have to put some graphite on one because it was sticking pretty badly near the center. Beyond that, though, no problems there.

I've had the Pirastro strings on it for two years (occasional playing), and they haven't broken yet, so I'm not worried about my nut. Ideally, yeah, it probably should be rounded a little more, but it isn't sharp enough to make it worth the effort of filing it down.

The reason my factory A strings broke is because they A. came with a fairly significant bend in them from the factory, and B. were single, unwound steel strings, about half the thickness they should have been. Yikes! When I say the stock strings are crap, I really mean it.

I replaced the snapped string (which snapped while bringing it up to pitch) with a Thomastik from a local store and the tone was so many orders of magnitude better that I decided to replace the whole set. I chose the strings I did because they were inexpensive and more mellow than the Thomastik (which was a little bright for the instrument).

The stock bow was functional, but a little on the light side for my taste and the hair didn't hold rosin well (maybe synthetic?), so I upgraded that with an inexpensive carbon fiber bow with better quality hair. I don't known what kind of ultra-light wood they used for the stock bow, but the carbon fiber bow is heavier, which I like. :)
 
Which brand from that site do you think has the best sound to price ratio? I've been wanting to play cello for a while now, but I know almost nothing about them. I want a full size one with the whole outfit (case and bow), but don't really have any other requirements, other than a decent sound, of course. The Cremona Premier "Student" outfit looks nice, but I'm not sure if I want to lay down 3 bens for it.

Product ID: SC-0
Cremona Premier "Novice" Outfit- Cello 4/4-1/4- W/Bag & Bow

is the one I would recomend. when recieveing the Cello play it a little while with the setup it has and the strings that came with it for a couple of months
then take it to a Luthier to have the Action adjusted by having the bridge fitted and a bone nut installed and have the Cello restrung with D"Addario Helicores. this will cost in the neighborhood of $175.00 total
but you will be amazed how much better the Cello will sound and how much easier it will play with a good setup and good strings.
 
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