Hi I am wishing to start cello lessons after years of playing the piano and now is researching about suitable cellos to buy. Any of you here have any good suggestions since i barely know anything about cello/strings?

I saw many people suggested to find a dealer to make one for us but would certain makes be a better guarantee? I doubt I will buy one to start with, but when i researched i found Luis and Clark Carbon Fiber Cellos and the comments were very positive but the price was quite expensive - about £5000 converted from USD, however it was very convincing that they are more "easy to look after" comparing to a normal wooden cello..

Anyway, back to my questions how much does a new decent cello normally cost in terms of average/standard? (Since cello is quite a large instrument i guess the price of one would be fairly high to start with compare to violin and viola?) and are there any decent "brand made" cellos that stand out to you within a price that is acceptable within the standard cello prices?

I am wishing to play cello continuously once started therefore I am really hoping to find a suitable one which could stay with me for a fairly long time!

Hi there !

It really depends how you qualify 'decent'. A good enough cello to get you going will only cost you a few hundred pounds (around six hundred will get you a basic beginner's outfit) - that will last you for a couple years if you practise regularly. After a couple of years, it probably won't be responsive enough for you, though.

If you want one that will last you through all your training, then you'll need to pay considerably more, and to be honest, the Luis and Clark cellos are rather cheap for the sound and playability. Modern wooden cellos of similar quality would be tens of thousands more than the Luis and Clark ones.

If you want a reasonable beginner's cello, you could try a gliga gems - they're a brand and are workshop made in Romania. I think the gems 1 outfit is around 1200 pounds and will probably last you for a good few years (if you're thinking of doing grades, it would easily make it to grade 8 I would have thought and is probably a good enough cello for amateur orchestra playing at a reasonably high level). Liz who posts on here sells them and is very honest to deal with. www.elidatrading.co.uk for more info.

One step up from the Gliga would be the Jay Haide antique series. www.ifshinviolins.com

Although, if you're just starting out, why not rent one for a while until you get used to it? Then once you get really good, you could invest in something delicious (you'll also have a better idea of what you want by then in terms of playability, sound etc.)

Good luck !

Allan