Timely thread as I'm considering getting our daughter a cello to replace the rental one she has been playing. Her cello teacher recommended getting "the oldest cello you can find. preferably from the 60's or before" because according to him, the old wood cellos are much better than the new ones.

The electric cellos are nice, especially the Yamaha, but her teacher recommended learning on the acoustic cello, then switching to the electric after she is thoroughly familiar with the acoustic. Just my .02 worth...

I have an electronic drumset, the Roland TD10 and it's very nice and convenient (volume knob!!!), but it's a completely different instrument than the acoustic drumkit...

Well I rented mine before I bought one. But is a rental really a gift?

Schumi, Go acoustic they are not at all loud. And trust me a learner screeches ALOT! Full size for sure. And the bow makes a big difference with regard to weight distribution.

RENT ONE!!! and then buy her a lesson pack from some old spinster. (not some hot male cello prodigy with long flowing locks..jus sayin). i bet you could buy something like 10-20 lessons from the OLD LADY.

wrapping that thing is gonna be a beotch!! (not the old lady)

i went over my handlebars several years ago, when some HOT young asian girl pulled her cello out of a cab near the SF symphony hall. she was absolutely stunning. i was staring at her and hit a corner of a stairway..right over the bars.

she laughed at me..and i replied.."dont laugh, that was completely your fault" only real time in my life i wished i was really really good looking :)

schumi..this is a great gift idea...but rent.

+1

I was a cellist for 9 years, then switched to the contrabass. Renting is the way to go. Almost all adults will get a 4/4 regardless of their size, and if you are really that worried about the noise you can get a mute or use a rolled up dollar bill at the bridge. One of her first lessons will be in controlling volume so this is not really a concern IMHO.

We have rented our daughter's cello for over a year and it's not loud at all, but then again I'm a drummer! We have a baby grand piano, several keyboards, two drumsets, 4 guitars, mandolins, ukelele, etc... in the house, so the cello is just another sound, very pleasant (mostly).

I could build you one if you don't mind waiting about a year and paying me for a couple hundred hours of labor. :D

FWIW, you will be spending thousands vs hundreds for anything other than a cheap piece of crap if you go with a cello. You might be better of looking for a viola as it is easier to store/transport and you can probably find a half way decent student model for under a grand.



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I'll weigh in.
I've played violin for the last 30 years or so. Member of local symphony (until back in grad school and blessed with second kid - time sort of dried up at that time).
First -
Go with a "traditional" instrument. The electric would be a fun toy once she's learned on the real thing.
Second -
Buy something relatively nice. Shouldnt set you back more than a nice set of Fuchs. If the instrument is truly something decent, it won't depreciate. If your significant other decides that this isnt the thing for her - you will be able to recoup a sizeable amount of your investment. Music stores are o.k., but find one oriented toward strings - not the local shop that hawks guitar and drum lessons. They won't know what they're doing. If you find someone (local teacher, orchestra member, etc...) that plays - they should be able to direct you to a source. Don't go nuts on the first one, but make sure it's solid and servicable.
Third-
The bow is REALLY important. More so than the instrument itself, in some cases. If you have to chintz out somewhere, this isnt it. Go with a wood bow with real hair. They make something called a "Glasser". Avoid that like the plague. Fiberglass is good for lots of things, but stringed instrument sticks and hair ain't it. The tone, not to mention feel, starts with the bow. Good quality hair is important. Strings are fairly important, too. I've always used a brand called Thomastik, and the specific model of string was called "Dominant". They're a pretty good price point also.
Finally-
We take for granted the time we used to have (when we were younger). Consider that a typical junior high school student can spend an hour per day practicing. Just make sure your (her) expectations are in line with the amount of time and patience she has. I remember spending 25-30 hours/week playing while in high school (individual practice, lessons, group class, youth orchestra, theater pit orch, and the local symphony). Those young prodigy students get there through lots of uninterrupted work. She (your girlfriend) probably can, too - but it will take a considerable time investment.

Good luck, and best wishes to her!

I've used this guy for guitar repair. Very good and always has violins, cellos and various stringed instruments at his place. He does a lot for the L.A. Philharmonic and various symphonies. He's a good guy and could probably give you some good info and possibly has something laying around he might sell for a decent price.
His name is Nick Roubas, maybe you can pick his brain, he's well connected in the L.A. string instrument community. Nick Roubas, Violuthier

For answers to your questions, go here and talk to these people. They are very knowledgable and will stock, I should think, most anything you might want. And I agree with some of the others, if you're going to do this, go for a student-grade 4/4-sized instrument.

Italian Violins, Violas, Cellos, String Bass, Sheet Music, Repairs, Rentals, Bow Rehairs

Oops - I see that nostatic has posted the same information. An endorsement, you might say.

Good Lord, Tim, is there anything you DON'T do? :eek:

Go with the cello. You need to know now if she prefers THAT between her legs over you.

I definitely want to buy her one, not rent her one. I, thankfully, can easily to afford to buy one outright, even if she only plays it once, I don't care.

I'll have to go check this shop out- I wanna pick one up soon... cause I kinda wanna play it a bit before wrapping it up and hiding it. :)


A viola would make more sense to me, it would seemingly match her better IMO... but she has specifically mentioned the Cello, and only the Cello. So Cello it is.

How do you plan on hiding a cello? They are pretty big....

Cello is a great instrument - my favorite string. Violins are the product of the devil. Violas are cool but are the red headed step child of the string section.

Just go to Metzlers and see what they say.

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Cellos rock!

...just sayin'... :D

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Randy

With instruments, wood is good, plastic is spastic.

That said I played graphite neck basses for about a decade...

I've heard a CF cello played in concert, sounded mighty good to me...

Plus, when playing rock cello, it looks cooler. :D

One Daughter plays Violin the other plays Cello the word is that a entry level one is a about $ 3K we rented until she committed to the instrument after two years lessons.

This company was recommended to us we have purchased a couple instruments from them with good results. Yea you get what pay for.

1970 911S equivalent Cello = $25 K + :eek:

Make sure she is committed to the instrument, the secondary market is not so great for resale. You want to stick a toe in the water on this.


Shar Music