How to Buy a Cello

Although many cellists choose to start off renting their instrument rather than owning outright, at some point you may find yourself wanting to own your instrument. However, if you've never owned a cello before, the process of buying one might seem expensive and tricky. But fear not. By determining first whether or not you should purchase a cello, going to a music store, selecting cellos for testing, properly evaluating a cello, and shopping savvily for a cello on the internet, you can invest in a cello that will last you many years.

Method 1
Method 1 of 5:

Visiting a Music Store

  1. You can either check the phone book, use a search engine with keywords like "string instruments shop near me," or ask fellow musicians or your teacher for advice, but try to find some local music shops that you can visit easily. If you live in a very rural area or a small town where there are few or no shops like this at all, it may seem tempting to get online to do your shopping, but ideally you will want to see and test any instrument you want to purchase first.
    • Make sure that the shop you go to has a good selection of cellos in various price ranges, both for students and professionals, present to try out. [1]
  2. Take your time and visit multiple stores if you can. There's nothing wrong with going to several locations to price compare and make sure there's not some great, undiscovered cello just around the corner. Particularly for such a large investment, you don't want to rush into a decision.
    • Find out what kinds of policies they have--can you rent-to-own? If you change your mind, do they have a trade-in policy in place? Do they allow you to finance or make payment plans? If so, find out additional details about these policies.
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  3. Although you might feel like this is a decision you can make on your own, take your teacher or another trusted expert with you to the store; you will want them to examine the cellos with you, to listen to you play them, and to try them as well, so that you can be sure to pick a good cello. There may be things you will miss that they won't.
  4. Although most students are not aware of the practice, it is traditional within the industry that stores often give teachers a commission based on sales. This matters to you because the commission will almost assuredly be based on the amount of money the instrument costs. It could affect the advice that your teacher might give you for selecting a store or a particular brand.
    • Although there is nothing inherently unethical or illegal about this practice, you still deserve to know exactly what your money is paying for. Especially if you are hurting for money, talk with your teacher to find out if they do usually request a commission fee, and if so, if they'd be willing to waive it.
    • Before you go to the store, call ahead to find out if they participate in a commission fee program.
    • You can request that the store provide you with a written statement that no money or instruments changed hands for a commission so that you can be sure everything was done ethically.
  5. Only after you have thoroughly examined the cellos physically, but before you test anything out and start getting too attached to an instrument, it's time to find out the prices. At the low end of a good cello, you can expect to pay $2000 and closer to $5000 on the higher end for a beginner or student's instrument.
    • Instruments on the lower end of the cost range will usually be shop-made instruments: there's less attention to detail and some or much of the work will have been done by machines on an assembly line.
    • Some parts, like the tops and the backs which contribute considerably to the sound, will still be hand-made.
    • Instruments on the lower end of the scale are usually considered to be good for newer players as the sound is engineered to "pop out." [2]
  6. Especially when you're talking about an instrument that costs thousands of dollars, every bit of money you can save counts. If the store does not participate in commissioner's fees and your teacher does not expect one either, you might ask if they can arrange for a 10% discount with the store.
  7. Once you have made up your mind, you will need to buy some additional items for your cello, because most of them do not come with a bow, strings, rosin, or extra tuning pegs. You will also have to replace these items from time to time as they will wear down from regular use. You may also have to purchase a hard case to protect your cello from potential damage if one is not included. [3]
    • Most cellists find it unnecessary to stockpile extra supplies; having one or two extra strings handy inside your case is usually plenty.
    • If this is your first cello, you may also need to pick up a tuning fork or an electric tuner.
    • Beginning students may also need a music stand, especially if they intend to learn to read music.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 5:

Selecting Cellos for Testing

  1. It's important that everything about your new cello look, feel, and especially sound appealing to you. If you only test one and assume that it's the perfect fit, you might miss something better. As you go along, do not pay attention to or ask about the price or brand of the instruments (yet!). Instead, ask your accompanying expert what they think of the sound, and try to pick a few that you'd like to physically test later after giving them all a thorough inspection.
    • Have your teacher or selected expert inspect the cellos as well.
  2. Although it might be tempting to treat buying a cello the way you might buy clothes (finding the perfect brand name and sticking with it) this is probably not the best way to go about it. Although there are perhaps some brands that should be avoided, most that you'll find in a store should be generally reliable. Talk with experts you trust, and ask other cellists (who you may know through orchestra or lessons) about which brands they might recommend, but try to experiment with a range of cellos across different brands.
  3. The size of the cello that you will need is based primarily on height: cellists who are 5 feet or taller should generally be able to use a full-size cello, and those from 4 - 4½ feet tall should seek a half sized cello. Those who are in the middle between those two sizes will probably be more comfortable with the smaller cello. [4]
    • Due to the cost of a cello, you may wish to take into account whether or not there is a high likelihood you will continue to grow; most girls reach physical maturity around 15 years old, and boys around 16 or 17, and until then you may continue to grow. [5]
    • To determine if a cello is the correct size for you, sit in a chair from which you can comfortably rest your feet on the floor. Make sure your back is straight. Pull the endpin out a foot in length and allow the instrument to rest at a 45 degree angle against your chest. The top of it should come to the middle of your chest, with the peg for the C string situated near your left ear. [6]
  4. Most shops will have a quiet area for you to test a cello out in, but some will also allow you to take it out of the store to test in other areas. If they do allow the latter, take advantage of this and test the cello in spaces you will commonly play--your home, wherever you take lessons or practice, the orchestra or band hall--to conduct additional tests.
    • You should be on the lookout for good tone and playability that is consistent whether the instrument is directly underneath your ear or all the way across a very large room. Unfortunately, there is no science to this step; you will have to make the choice based on your own instinct and your mentor's advice. [7]
    • One sign of a quality cello is the presence of the occasional wolf note, wherein the vibrations between the instrument and the string itself cancel each other out so quickly and repeatedly that the note stutters as it's made.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 5:

Evaluating the Physical Qualities of a Cello

  1. A cello's varnish is more than just an aesthetic choice; it affects the way an instrument sounds and how that sound will continue to change over the years. If it is applied too heavily, the instrument will be unable to "open up," preventing a musician from making notes that fully resonate and in fact diminish as you play. In this case, less varnish is considered more. [8]
    • The color of the varnish is purely personal preference; there is no agreed upon hierarchy among musicians.
  2. The kind of wood that the cello is made of matters: spruce tops and maple ribs and bottoms will produce good, quality sound. Meanwhile, laminated wood is probably best left for flooring due to its poor ability to conduct sound. [9]
    • Look for good grains: the ebony parts should ideally have very tight grains, so close they might actually appear to be perfectly smooth, and the spruce portions should have a grain that is tight in the center that grows wider toward the bouts.
  3. A good, dense flame (the horizontal bar of contrast underneath the varnish, located in the wood itself) is generally indicative of the wood's expense. Avoid wood that has an iridescent flame, wherein the light and dark bars change when the instrument is moved, as this is a sign that the flame has been artificially created. [10]
  4. These pieces are interconnected, so it makes sense to check them both at the same time. Be sure the fingerboard feels smooth and dimple-, bubble-, and pit-free especially as you play. Do at test to make sure both components are even: with the scroll held next to your chin, look down the fingerboard to make sure the light is even all the way across.
    • A fingerboard that has been planed well will have a scoop at the mid point a string.
    • The neck should be treated with an oil finish instead of varnish. [11]
  5. A bridge should be straight with a slight curve when viewed from the side, and the feet of it should exactly fit the instrument's belly. The cello's strings should fit into the grooves of the bridge, just deep enough to hold them securely without impeding vibration. An ideal bridge will be made of maple, have a tight grain, and be highly flamed. [12]
  6. Be sure that you like the strings of the instrument by trying them out. If you or your mentor feel they're inappropriate, ask to try a different set. You also want to be sure that the strings are approximately .9 mm away from the fingerboard on the treble side and 1mm-1.4mm on the bass side. [13]
  7. The fittings refer to pegs, endpins, and tailpieces as a group. Sometimes less scrupulous dealers may try to pass off an inferior cello by using fittings that look nice but are of poor quality.
    • Your pegs should not be too tight or too loose so that they turn and stay in tune easily. They shouldn't extend too far from the scroll, and the ends of them should be flush with the scroll head.
    • Endpins come in 18 or 20 inch sizes and a variety of metals; be sure yours suits your needs, sets firmly, and retracts without any issues.
    • Preferably you want a tailpiece that is made of ebony (plastic will resound less than it or composite materials) and come with a built-in fine tuner (as this reduces the weight), but the tailpiece absolutely must be the right size for the instrument.
  8. To locate the sound post, you must look through the f-hole. You want to be sure that it's uncracked, splinter free, and positioned correctly. It should be about a finger's width from the bridge, just behind the right bridge foot. It should not distort the f-hole's shape, shouldn't lean, or dimple the top of the cello. [14]
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Method 4
Method 4 of 5:

Shopping Online

  1. Although it is strongly suggested that you buy a cello you have had the opportunity to examine and test personally, you can also purchase them online. Find an internet merchant that sells cellos like Cellos2Go, LindaWest.com, StringWorks, or FineViolins.com. You'll want to make sure that at least one person on the staff is a cello specialist.
  2. There are multiple communities online for buying and selling cellos as well as simply getting in touch with other cellists. Cello.org has a classifieds section, as do Uvcello.org and Usedviolins.com. Additionally, there are Facebook communities like Cello Community International that you can inspect. Be advised that the hosts of these communities do not screen, authorize, or in any way ensure the authenticity of the offers being made. [15]
  3. Auction sites are just about the last place you want to look for a musical instrument. It is much more likely that you will end up buying an item that is misleading and a waste of your money through these sites. [16] If you absolutely see a cello that you are interested in buying on one of these sites, have someone with an experienced eye look at the listing's details, photos, and help you ask the sellers questions.
    • Many of the cheap cellos you might find on these sites are Chinese with setups that more experienced cellists will point out are bad (poor quality strings, improperly made bridges, tail pieces that are heavy and cheap). The listings may also include the words like "master" which is entirely misleading. [17]
  4. Whether you are purchasing from a store website or an auction listing, beware prices that seem too good to be true. Although the exact number seems to be in dispute ($700 or $1000) the general consensus of experts is that the cheaper you go, the more likely you are to end up with a piece of junk that will experience problems down the line.
    • If the wood is uncured, the body could crack, come unglued, or the neck could separate from the body. Damages such as these would render the instrument unplayable even after having spent the extra money it will take to get it set up in a reputable shop, and you will have to pay more money to get it fixed later (if it can even be fixed). [18]
  5. In general, you want to be seek out a cello that has been around for a number of years and has already "opened up" its sound. But it's impossible to tell based on the listing's photos if the item is actually older because these days antiquing methods in virtually every country cellos are manufactured in are good enough to trick many amateurs. They can even put dings and scratches into the surface. [19]
  6. It is vitally important if you insist on doing your shopping online that you look for the information you need to make a correct choice. Find out when it was produced, if it's laminated or varnished, and what woods it's made of (plywood or spruce and maple). You want to avoid anything laminated, made of plywood, or too new; if you can't find the information to make a good assessment, contact the seller for more details. [20]
    • Some appraisers and sellers of violins like Celloconnection.com and Reuning.com will provide certificates of authenticity for owners; ask if the seller has one, or ask for them to get it appraised if they are claiming a special maker. [21]
    • Never make a purchase without knowing all the details. If a seller does not want to be honest about any of those details, you should find another place to buy a cello from.
  7. No matter where you choose to buy from, be sure to check what return policies they have in the event that the item is damaged in transit or, once it arrives, you decide it doesn't suit you. Additionally, you'll want to find out if there is any kind of warranty made by the seller.
  8. Just like when buying in a store, you will need to buy other items like a bow, case, extra strings, and the like for your instrument. Especially if you are seeking the cheapest cellos you can find you should not expect these items to be included unless they are specifically listed on the web site's listing.
  9. After you receive the item, you'll want to check to make sure that it didn't sustain any damages during transit. If any pieces have loosened or slipped off while the instrument was being shipped, be sure to get someone experienced, like your teacher or a shop, to put it together again immediately. You also need to make sure that the soundpost is in the correct position before you attempt to play or tighten the instrument's strings; doing otherwise may ruin the instrument. [22]
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Method 5
Method 5 of 5:

Determining if You Should Buy a Cello

  1. However skilled a very young musician may be, they are not the ideal candidate to buy a cello for. Young children are known for going through very rapid growth spurts: as elementary school students, they'll grow about 2½ inches in just a single year. [23] Part of what determines the cello you should buy is your size, and fractional size instruments are notoriously difficult to resale.
    • To avoid having to buy a brand new cello again within six months or a year, consider renting a cello instead for those who need anything up to a ¾ size.
  2. Are you brand new to playing the cello? Are you sure you plan to continue playing the instrument in the years to come? Will playing the cello be a hobby for you, or do you have plans to pursue it professionally, or even semi-professionally? If you aren't sure if you will continue to play the cello for many years and do not intend to take it at least semi-professionally, then you may be better off renting a cello until you're sure.
  3. Cellos are extremely expensive: for a good fractional, teachers advise students spend no less than $700; a good, full-sized cello for an adult will be at least $2000. [24] Anything less expensive than that is not a good instrument and should be avoided. If you cannot afford to spend that much on buying a cello, renting is the better alternative.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    What is the monthly cost of a cello rental?
    Community Answer
    This depends on the company or store that you're renting from and what category of cello you are trying to rent; student cellos will be cheaper to rent than a master's instrument. You can expect to pay in a range of $30 to $45 per month for a student cello, $50 to $62 per month for an advanced cello, and $65 to $78 for a master's cello. Some places make insurance an optional extra and others include it in the total price already. Note that these prices may or may not include taxes, and there could be an additional deposit to put down first, as well as a required minimum number of months for a rental.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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  • Question
    I am thinking of asking my parents for a cello. If they say no, is it wise to ask them if I can get a violin or viola until they see I am fit for a cello?
    Community Answer
    I think you should try asking if you can rent one first, if you are not already doing so. If you play it for a year or two and you like it, then they will be more likely to commit to buying you one.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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  • Question
    I really want to play cello. However, cellos are very expensive in my middle-class bottom. So, I'm thinking of resorting to a $50 cello. Is there any other way to get affordable cellos?
    Community Answer
    Do not buy a $50 cello! I would recommend instead renting a good cello, looking for someone willing to lend one to you, but definitely do not get a $50 dollar cello. You get what you pay for so if you cannot afford a decent cello, save up and wait.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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      References

      1. ↑ http://www.cello.org/heaven/advice.htm
      2. ↑ https://www.johnsonstring.com/cellos-facts/CelloPricesSpecs.htm
      3. ↑ http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-to-Buy-Your-First-Cello-/10000000177633737/g.html
      4. ↑ http://www.cello.org/heaven/advice.htm
      5. ↑ http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/childs-growth.html
      6. ↑ http://www.cello.org/heaven/advice.htm
      7. ↑ http://stringsmagazine.com/how-to-shop-for-a-cello-priced-under-5000/
      8. ↑ http://stringsmagazine.com/how-to-shop-for-a-cello-priced-under-5000/
      9. ↑ http://stringsmagazine.com/how-to-shop-for-a-cello-priced-under-5000/
      1. ↑ http://stringsmagazine.com/how-to-shop-for-a-cello-priced-under-5000/
      2. ↑ http://stringsmagazine.com/how-to-shop-for-a-cello-priced-under-5000/
      3. ↑ http://stringsmagazine.com/how-to-shop-for-a-cello-priced-under-5000/
      4. ↑ http://stringsmagazine.com/how-to-shop-for-a-cello-priced-under-5000/
      5. ↑ http://stringsmagazine.com/how-to-shop-for-a-cello-priced-under-5000/
      6. ↑ http://cellofun.yuku.com/topic/9962/Do-be-careful#.WAQO3vkrKUk
      7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc__YVrwBVM
      8. ↑ http://cellofun.yuku.com/reply/128396/buying-a-Chinese-cello-on-ebay#.WAQX9fkrKUk
      9. ↑ https://www.johnsonstring.com/cellos-facts/CelloPricesSpecs.htm
      10. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc__YVrwBVM
      11. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc__YVrwBVM
      12. ↑ http://www.reuning.com/certificates-of-authenticity
      13. ↑ http://www.cello.org/heaven/advice.htm
      14. ↑ http://www.babycenter.com/0_growth-spurts-what-you-need-to-know-ages-5-to-8_3658977.bc
      15. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc__YVrwBVM

      About this article

      Article Summary X

      When you’re buying a cello, though it may be tempting to order one online, try to visit a string instrument shop instead. That way, you can test out the cellos, inspect the quality, and make sure they’re the right size. When you’re looking at cellos, make sure they’re made of high-quality wood with a tight grain, instead of laminated wood. When it comes to size, if you’re over 5 feet tall, you should be able to comfortably use a full-size cello, while shorter cellists might be more comfortable using a half-size cello. To learn which other supplies to buy alongside your cello, scroll down!

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