Hi. I've been playing the cello for a few months now and am taking grade one in the summer. I am renting a cello from my school at the moment but I would like to buy a cello in a year or so. How much would I expect to pay for a new full sized one? It dosnt have to be a brilliant one but it is costing quite a lot to rent it. It may seem stupid to ask so far in advance but I need to save up for it!!!

These are popular: http://www.elidatrading.co.uk/gliga.htm

Depends what you're after. What are you playing on now, and are you happy with it, or would you prefer to upgrade? You can pick up a laminate for anything from about £300 - £650. My new Hungarian cost just over £1000 - it's solid wood, lovely finish, great tone. Luthier reckoned that it would get me through to grade 8, fairly safely and possibly beyond (and he's a good luthier - I trust his judgement). As I discovered to my significant cost, you need to buy from a trustworthy luthier. If you buy from a trader who isn't a luthier, remember you'll need to add in set up costs to the price you're quoted online, or in the music shop where you buy it.

That is certainly worth bearing in mind but it does not apply to all of us who are not luthiers. We get ours done as we want them to start with - avoids all sorts of problems.

That said, a beginner could get an entirely adequate cello for a lot less than anything we regularly sell, though we do sometimes have cheaper cellos in, depends how much we can afford to tie up at a time waiting for the slow boat from China!.

Liz