My son's cello has been written off after an accident during a dress rehearsal last week

We are now urgently searching a replacement. Can anyone recommend any good cello shops in the South to buy a full size post grade 8 instrument?

I can't even imagine how distraught I would be if that happened to Gandalf (my bass), and not to say I would not have £1500 plus to buy another one!
This made me 'think' and perhaps I ought to insure him and my violin???

Hi, I've tried to send you a 'PM' (private message) but your feature is either disabled or your inbox is full and I can't send it.

Try to call:
020 8644 4700
it's a luthier/violin shop where they also sell cellos and basses, they are in Surrey
call and ask what they have in stock

good luck

I'm so sorry to hear that...

I'm intending to contact Malcolm Tysoe, in Farnborough (the one near Orpington, Kent, not the one in Hampshire) when I go 'cello hunting, they're well known for keeping all sorts of stringed instruments.

Ask you cello teacher's advice for starters.

Does your instrument insurance policy cover for rental of a suitable instrument to tide you over in case of damage or loss? Not a permanent solution I know, but it might buy you a bit of time while you look round.

There have been a few threads on cello buying recently (I'm on the lookout for one myself) - someone recommended a shop in Knightsbridge. Might be worth doing a search.

So sorry to hear about the accident. I hope it was only the instrument that suffered and that noone was hurt.

are you sure it's a write-off?
Surprising what can be fixed!

I insured my violin and it cost way less than your bass £350ish, with allianz and it was I think around £30 a year, so not a massive amount, check the cover but I think it covers multiple instruments?

My instruments are not that expensive compared to others but expensive enough for my pockets to replace if something happened. Gandalf is worth £1500 without case and bow, Figaro £700 (violin) so yes, think I am off to get insurance now!!!!!

I use Allianz Cornhill (British Reserve) who do a specialist musical instrument cover. You can insure your cases and bows as well as the actual instrument.

Hope you get the cello situation sorted, frumpybabes. Is there anyone you know who could lend one temporarily?

My piano is with allianz I think you get discount with them for ism membership.


Where abouts are you in the south? There is a small family run luthiers in Tetbury, Gloucestershire where I believe some of the instruments are hand made by the owner, they have 2 shops on the high street one for upper and one for lower strings. Or for more mainstream and cheaper instruments Bristol violin shop is very good, I got my daughters first cello from there, the 2nd an ebay bargain I'm not paying full price again until she reaches a full sized one.

Bristol Violin Shop do the more expensive instruments as well - and are excellent repairers / restorers too. They are run by two properly trained luthiers and have a full workshop team. Don't get them confused with the other violin shop across the road though. Go for Blue shop rather than Red shop!

Actually I'm glad you cleared that up, I drove past the other day and noticed the original one had moved and I got confused!

Actually - it hasn't moved - but it's been refurbished, and the shop over the road very naughtily has an awning outside which implies that it is the Bristol Violin Shop. So - keep with the blue shop (which used to be green), not the red one!

And just to reiterate what someone else said further up the thread, you'd be amazed what can be repaired. I've just had an old violin totally and beautifully rebuilt after someone else said to consign it to the dustbin.

Cello is a most definitely a write off...the neck has snapped off and needs to be re-made... the quote was over £2k+ The difficulty is finding a suitable post grade 8 instrument for a child whose only 12. He's only just grown into the 7/8 in the last 6 mths. Ideally we want to purchase a full size older post grade 8/professional standard for him as he sat gr8 when he was barely 11 and is needs a much better instrument.

Hire is covered by the insurance company which is Allianz Cornhill only problem is that the only cellos on hire are Stentor II or some other student/intermediate model which are totally unsuitable for the concert/festivals he has to play in during the next few days. This is partly due to his size..

I'm guessing the shop in Surrey is MJ Healy's which we've already checked out for bows months ago. We have been window shopping for the final cello for a while now but the search is now urgent...anyone play a Clement and Wise?!

We have already spoken to lots of cello teacher including his own... and tried many shops he hasnt found one that feels right..








We are in West Sussex



It's now empty! I think you're refering to our old friends MJ Healy..

In think if I were in your situation, I would cancel the concerts/festivals and not entertain the idea of buying an extremely expensive instrument in unecessary haste.
Alternatively, you might want to ask at a dealer if they would lend your son a cello for a couple of weeks. As he can obviously play pretty well for his age, they might well see this as worthwhile for future goodwill.

I would be really surprised if this could not be repaired. Snapped necks are not uncommon and the new glues in use today are stronger than the wood from which necks were made. I would try another repairer. That seems a very high price for a snapped neck.

Already had two separate quotes

Is this "shop over the road" Cremona House which has been in its current premises for many many years? My daughter's 3 cellos have all come from there and neither we nor her teacher have had any cause for complaint . I haven't checked out their awning recently, but they've had one of those for a long time too..

Yes. They're perfectly OK, but their awning has confused people, and I know of a number of people who've gone to them, thinking that they were Bristol Violin Shop, and no-one in Cremona House has disabused them of the notion. Personally, I prefer the service and set up from Bristol Violin Shop - also the larger selection of instruments, but obviously when you're buying a pricey instrument you buy from whoever has the one you want! I don't think Cremona House has such a large workshop for repairs either.

That is a top tip, thank you Flossie - I think I need to get on to this sooner rather than later especially after a near miss with a feisty Bengal cat and my cello whilst practising last night

Re the snapped neck. The quote it seems is for a replacement neck, which depending on the quality of the instrument is really the wisest way to go. Snapped necks can be re-glued and fixed, and the end result can be quite solid. However, the neck is under such a massive amount of tension from the strings that it is quite probable that it will come away again at some point in the future.....Maybe in the middle of a performance!

Sorry I can't help you with a luthier local to you. If wiling to come up to London however, you could try 'phoning Bridgewood & Nietzert or Guivier's to see what they have available. (Both have websites)

Good Luck.

I'd second that. Beg, borrow or steal a cello for the summer, but don't buy a professional standard cello in a rush. It is both a huge financial and emotional investment and the cello has to be right for him. I assume with him being a good player you move in musical circles, there must be players and teachers around with a decent second cello lying around at home that they may be willing to lend.

I took insurance our on Friday, £4 per month for both Bass and Violin. The cover automatically covers for 'accessories' (including bows) up to £250 and as my bows are not worth more than that then I was ok, if not I would have had to insurance the bows separately.

Are you sure he is really ready for a full size cello - I may have misunderstood, but if the neck that's gone was on a 7/8ths I really would think twice about moving up to a full size now unless he really has grown into it comfortably. At his level he should be developing the technique that will see him through to beyond Grade 8 level and unless he is definitely adult-sized himself already you could do more harm than good by getting a full sized instrument now.

I don't know if you are eligible but it might be worth contacting Benslow to see if they have anything available that he could borrow short term.

With regard to a temporary substitute cello on insurance, I think they're trying to pull a fast one on you! No professional (and many of us have our insurance with Allianz) would settle for a Stentor as a temporary substitute and i'm sure that if you speak to them again and say that say that this is for a Grade 8 cellist (DON'T bring your son's age into it - they will only be sidetracked!) you should get a much more helpful answer.

! don't envy you - good luck. Hope it all works out.

Totally feel your pain...been down that road all too recently...

We also had to replace a full-size violin in haste (teacher declared it unplayable for other reasons) and haste really is pressure you don't need, especially with a young teenager who will be hesitating between pursuing his ideal sound and not putting too much pressure on your purse, without having an adult sense of what is a reasonable/unavoidable amount of money to spend.

In addition, if your son is 12 he is JUST going to start growing at a phenomenal rate! Starting this summer, I would guess . I really think you should do your utmost to rent a cello at first, as even a few months will make a big difference, first to hand (and foot) size, and then to height.

Not sure about cellos, but 7/8 sizes tend to be less uniform than other sizes, so it's possible that a full-size would be OK for him. Viohazard moved from 3/4 to full-size violin well before he was 12 (gorilla arms).

I second DiscoPants' idea of asking a dealer about a temporary loan...this kind of loan goes on all the time through our local shop, though admittedly usually with older teens and adults.

On the other hand, I've decided that buying one full-size instrument to last a lifetime post grade 8 might just be a myth for a younger advanced player - even if they have a good ear, their tastes and their demands on the instrument (as the type of music they play changes) inevitably change. If you have to buy in haste, maybe abandon the attempt to buy "THE instrument" right now, and get a secondhand solid midrange instrument with good resale value.

Sounds as if the neck got smashed or crushed as well as snapped? Hardly want to think about it...

Hee hee you don't just feel my pain! This is exactly how it is

7/8 are definitely non-uniform....and yep the growth spurt has already started in earnest so a full size is what he is rapidly growing into.

We are intending to buy an interium instrument as in a pretty decent post grade 8 instrument but that could last him forever but know that there will be at least one further upgrade when he's a little bit older (17/18yrs)

He is a talented musician..but still very young, much as he loves his music he has no intention of taking music further when he leaves school despite having one grade 8 under his belt. He will take grade 8 piano this afternoon and then take up his 3rd/4th study (drum kit/perc/keys) again ater a year break with the intention of starting a 5th (sax) Much as he needs a post grade 8 instrument that sounds good to him... his needs really are not the same as someone much older. We are not rushing into anything but feel that he deserves something that sounds good that he can still have fun on without worrying too much about damage!

Wise words, Frumpybabes. Sounds like a sensible way forward. Good luck.

Suddenly occurred to me reading this again - frumpybabes, have you tried contacting Benslow?

I know this is kind of an unusual situation and not the kind of thing they usually deal with, but in my (admittedly minimal) experience, they are sympathetic and helpful as far as they can be. They are the one place that just might have a suitable cello in a suitable size. The more popular instruments like cellos tend to be more difficult to get really good ones, but an unusual size (if a 7/8 would still work for him) might be less in demand. They are also generally helpful when it comes to growth spurts and having to change an instrument.

My experience of them has mostly been through others, though I did meet Louis Carus through work (I had to return a viola to him for a friend at one point which is one of my few contacts with Benslow) and even the patrons seem very enthusiastic and friendly about helping as and when they possibly can, and regretful if they cannot. My general impression from mine and my acquaintainces experiences is that if they can help you they they will try to.

Obviously if you find one he likes enough to buy then yay, but it just occurred to me that if you find yourselves really stuck then it would at least be worth contacting them. http://www.benslow.org/instrument-loan-scheme.php

Good luck with it, whichever way you go with it!