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Comment |
Hfarn
Registered User
Posts: 10
(9/8/01 10:21:46 am)
Reply
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Question about
renting a cheap cello
My son (age  started
playing in Jan. and we were able to use a cello provided by the
school for a few months but, now have had to rent one.
The
only cello I could find was one made by a company called
Engelhardt..it is plywood I think and the bow is plastic. I
understand from reading here and other sites that this "set-up" is
about the lowest quailty available and will not produce the sounds
it should.
My question is How bad is it really? I mean to
learn the most basic things on. I myself don't know what a cello
should sound like. My son seems to have no trouble playing it...we
got it last night and as soon as we got home he played for 45mins
after not playing all summer and this morning 6am brought the sounds
of a cello talking into my room. I'm sure you all have heard this
but, I never knew you could make a cello seem to speak in a robot
like voice...very creepy.
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Andrew
Victor
Registered
User
Posts: 400
(9/8/01 10:39:18
am)
Reply
|
Satisfaction!
I think that if your son is satisfied enough to play this much and
if the sound is decent to him and to you, then the equipment is
satisfactory.
If your son has a private teacher - (or perhaps
even the school music teacher) get an assesment of how long such a
cello might be satisfactory. Sometimes the cheaper instruments
exhibit failings as one moves to higher positions - or on the lower
strings, and a knowlegeable teacher should be able to tellyou how
long this cello will be "good enough."
(If by the sounds of a
"robot" you mean the bell-like harmonics that a cello sounds so
clearly - the cello sure can do that like nothing else!)
If
the renter is offering a rebate on your rent toward eventual
purchase, you might want to rethink the whole deal - because no one
here would advise you to buy a plywood cello.
The plastic
bows offered with rentals tend to be the Glasser fiberglass bows.
I've found that on smaller-sizes, they can be OK, often allowing
students to do most of what they need to. Low price alternatives
that can be quite satisfactory (even worth purchasing) are Glasser
Composite and some Asian import composite bows. But you might want a
more expert player to evaluate such bows on their potential to
perform well on other instruments - if that will be a concern. Cello
bows, in particular, are quite finicky that way -- or maybe cellos
are finicky, but the bow can make a world of difference and the
better bow for one cello might not be good at all on
another.
Andy
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TerryM
Registered
User
Posts: 557
(9/8/01 3:29:01
pm)
Reply
|
Regarding Cello
Setup
Although not many participants of this board probably play on
plywood (I prefer the term laminated, as it is not really the same
kind or quality of wood used in common plywood) cellos, I think that
they can be useful and cost-effective instruments especially for
beginners. One of the things that holds a lot of children back from
getting started on strings, especially the cello, is the cost of a
basic instrument. Laminated cellos have their place, they are
rugged, not likely to crack and can take the handling a young
student is probably going to give them.
The problem with a
lot of them is the poor setup that they receive at the factory and
by dealers who don't know, or don't care, about setting them up, so
that smaller and weaker hands can play them. The nut of the cello is
often too high, making it difficult for even experienced players to
play comfortably in the lower positions. The strings are usually of
very poor quality making them sound harsh and nasal. The bridges are
often not fit properly or are too high. Most of these things can be
remedied with proper attention and the cello can be made quite
playable at price that is affordable. It is a shame that many
dealers, who sell laminated instruments, do not take the time to do
a proper set-up. In the beginning stages, the student and their
parents often don't have the experience to know how good or bad the
setup is. Teachers can and do guide their beginning students to get
a properly set up instrument that will help the student to overcome
some of the initial problems in learning to play the cello, without
the instrument being a major limiting factor.
It is true that
they will never be an instrument that an advancing player will stay
with but for getting going they serve a purpose. Once the student
had developed in playing ability and feels the need and their
technique demands a better cello, then, budget willing, that is the
time to move up to a better instrument. Many beginning students do
not make it this far, but I think it is better that they have a
chance to start and to see where it is going to take them. To this
end, laminated instruments, properly set up can be a reasonable
starting place.
Terry
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ruthann
Registered
User
Posts: 583
(9/10/01 1:35:50
pm)
Reply
|
Re: Question
about renting a cheap cello
My first cello was plywood. I do recall that my cello teacher had
my parents take it to a luthier and do something to the bridge and
replace the strings, etc. After a couple years of playing it, people
would always be amazed that the cello was plywood. For a student
instrument it had quite a nice sound. I don't know anything about
the Englehart brand, except that several reputable string stores
sell them. It might be a good student instrument. Do you have
someone you could show the cello to for an opinion?
As for
the "plastic" bow, as long as the hair is, well, hair, and not
plastic, it may be fine. The Glasser bows are not bad at all. Some
of the cheap wooden bows are really junk.
Good luck to you
and your son.
cello_suttonr@hotmail.com |
bridge
Registered
User
Posts: 187
(9/10/01 2:39:42
pm)
Reply
|
Re: Question
about renting a cheap cello
I had one of those for a while. It was good for about 6 to 8 months
and then I outgrew it musically. The best thing I did to improve my
playing satisfaction was to use a $50 brazil wood bow with real
horse hair. It made a very big difference. Also there are cheap
strings, and there are god awful cheap strings.
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