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FirstPosition
Registered User
Posts: 3
(5/20/01 4:15:46 pm)
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Looking at a new
Chinese cello to purchase
What do you know about new cellos made in China?. My daughter(14)
has been
playing for 20 months and we're looking to purchase a
cello for her. She's looked at
and played on a number of cellos
in an effort to find the right one for her. Currently
she's
interested in a new cello made in China. It has a bright tone, a
little edge to it
but that we're told will mellow over time(in a
few years?). What do you know about
the quality of Chinese
cellos? It's going for $5000(no case or bow).
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MaryK
Registered User
Posts: 591
(5/20/01 5:32:30 pm)
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Re: Looking at a
new Chinese cello to purchase
Like other cellos, it's going to depend on the quality of that
particular instrument. Have you had anybody else check it out and
gotten his/her opinion re its price/value? I've got a 7/8 Chinese
cello for which I paid a little less than $5K, and like it a lot.
There's a pro who has a Chinese cello who likes his as a secondary
instrument. One of those caveat emptor, you get what you pay for,
situations for you I guess. Does your daughter like the instrument?
What does her teacher say? Good
luck.
Cheers,
MaryK
PS - different strings could
take off some of that bright edge, as could a soundpost adjustment.
Edited by: MaryK
at: 5/20/01
5:33:14 pm
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Andrew
Victor
Registered
User
Posts: 314
(5/21/01 10:15:45
am)
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Re: Looking at a
new Chinese cello to purchase
"Edge" will mellow? My Carl Sandner (German) cello, that had losts
of "edge" when I bought it new in 1963 or 64 still has lots of edge.
If you don't want "edge" don't buy it. On the other hand, if you can
tame the edge with bowing technique for chamber and other ensemble
playing, it can be a handy thing to have later for solo and concerto
work.
I bought a Strad-model Jay-Haide, China-made cello
about 17 months ago. I was happy with it then and still am. It was
listed at $3,200 with some discount for also getting a case and bow.
HOWEVER, at the time I tried 5 other cellos in the shop of "exactly"
the same model, and I preferred this. They also had a couple of Jay
Haide "Montagnana"- models, at about $4,500 - but I thought the one
cello I selected played better than any of the others. I test a
cello carefully - and especially for responsiveness over at least a
4-octave range and two octages up each string - otherwise as your
playing technique and skill develop you may be disappointed if your
instrument prevents further progress. The church-style or
salon-style cello solos one often learns in the first two years
often do not tax the extremes of a cello's quality - on the highest
or lowest notes - or in string crossings in the thumb positions. If
your daughter is not yet ready to test those areas, be sure her
teacher does.
I also tried a couple of older cellos (before I
left the shop with my new Chinese cello purchase) priced up to about
$36,000 - and I was not at all awed in comparison with what I got
for 1/12 the price.
Andy
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bmollon
Registered User
Posts: 3
(5/23/01 3:37:21 pm)
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Re: Looking at a
new Chinese cello to purchase
I strongly suggest you look into StringWorks (www.stringworks.com).
They have some very good quality cellos that originate in Germany
and are finished by them in their factory in the States. Complete
kits are available which include the bow and case for alot under
$5000.00
I recently purchased one of their higher end cellos and
absolutely love it. Their service and treatment was 1st
class.
They also have a trial period. If you dont like what you
get or hear, they will take it back.
Very nice company to
deal with. Please check them out before you buy.
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lblake
Registered User
Posts: 358
(5/23/01 9:55:28 pm)
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Re: "Edge"
mellowing...
When I read the original post, I understood "edge" to mean perhaps
a brightness in the tone. I'm not sure what was actually intended,
though.
The "edge" in Andy's Sandner is NOT a brightness, in
my opinion. I think, Andy, that your Sandner has a wonderful, rich
tone... the "edge" that IT has (and DEFINITELY HAS IN SPADES), I
would simply call volume and projection. 
I
have heard of bright "edges" mellowing some, though. I'd even say
that my own cello has mellowed to a sligtly less-bright tone.
I agree, though - I wouldn't count on even that kind of
"edge" mellowing much, if at all.
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stringworks
Registered User
Posts: 14
(5/23/01 11:12:35 pm)
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Re: Looking at a
new Chinese cello to purchase
We just added our newest line of instruments, which happens to be
the first Chinese-made line we have. They haven't been posted on the
website as of yet, but the link below will bring you to the
page-in-progress, which is also in the new website design that
should be active by the end of the month.
Best to
all!
http://www.stringworks.com/mall/cellomaestro.asp
Edited by: Todd
French  at: 7/9/01 8:07:12
pm
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cellochris99
Registered User
Posts: 194
(5/24/01 5:17:01 am)
Reply
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Re: "Edge"
mellowing...
I think that the "edge" is just the way a strong projecting cello
sounds under the ear that you haven't gotten aquainted to yet. As
you get use to the instrument and learn how to get more sound and
resonance out of it, the resulting resonation will knock off some of
the edge. Of course, an adjustment of the sound post might be a
solution if it's too bad. But, I wouldn't mess with it until it's
had time to settle in to your climate, and break in for a few
weeks.
Chris
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KYagerma
Registered User
Posts: 2
(7/8/01 7:33:42 am)
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Re: Looking at a
new Chinese cello to purchase
I have heard from several dealers that the wood used in the Chinese
cellos, even if aged, may have serious shrinkage problems. Does
anyone have experience with this in a new Chinese cello? Does the
problem simply require frequent regluing, or is it more complicated
than that? Any other experiences, good or bad, with the Chinese
instruments?
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Todd
French
Moderator
Posts: 212
(7/9/01 8:01:45 pm)
Reply
 |
Re: Looking at a
new Chinese cello to purchase
If the wood is aged properly, it shoudn't shrink as the cause of
shrinkage is moisture in the wood, and the whole 'aging' (actually
drying) process is the how the problem is solved. You have to dry
this wood for at least 6 months, but preferably over a year, and
anything on top of that is cake, so to speak. The more 'aged' the
wood, the drier it is, and the less chance of it shrinking from
moisture loss and therefore cracking. If your instrument does crack
from shrinkage, the cracks are pretty substantial, difficult to
repair, and sometimes deplete value of your instrument. A good
company will back their instruments and replace it if it is caused
by faulty workmanship, so when you do decide to buy an instrument,
play it safe and make sure the people you are buying it from are
willing to back it up.
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oldmancello
Registered User
Posts: 11
(7/10/01 1:13:36 am)
Reply
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Chinese
Cello
I own one of the new Stringworks Chinese cellos (Maestro) which
Todd mentioned. I don't know who the actual maker is, the
Stringworks label is on top of another one (why, Todd?). I am very
happy with it, it is much better than their former non-chinese line-
has a full rich sound, the lower strings are complex and beautiful,
and it looks very good- if anything, it is on the showy side (I can
live with that, though). And the price is below 2k! I live in a very
dry climate, and the wood has held together very well, so far. I did
add a Harmonie tailpiece which, I think, also adds to the quality of
the sound (and no buzz from the fine tuners). I think it would keep
a student happy for a long time. Herbert
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stringworks
Registered User
Posts: 15
(7/10/01 9:31:28 am)
Reply
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Re: Chinese
Cello
Herbert,
We don't know your cello specifically, but there
was one cello done recently that our luthier in Illinois had
mistakenly placed a Michael Todd label in (they are wider than all
our other labels), and instead of scraping the Michael Todd label
out, she placed the Maestro label over it. I would imagine that
since you say you have a label over another label, this must be your
cello.
Here's a crazy tip - the price of our Michael Todd
cello will be going up very soon, and probably will be priced well
above the Maestro, and although the Maestro cello does not look like
the Michael Todd, you can always scrape away the Maestro label
(carefully) and have yourself a Michael Todd for resale! (just
kidding - it might end up back with us at some point and we would
catch it...)
StringWorks
http://www.stringworks.com/
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