Morning folks,

as some of you will know I am saving up for my first Cello, at the rate I was going I could have brought one next month unfortunatley due to many unforseen circumstances(Why do these things all have to happen at once), All my Cello savings are gone

I am really down about it, I think about Cellos everyday, and I have spoken the person who will be my cello teacher and he doesn't have a cello i can learn on in the interim, so I can't even start my lessons. I have considered hiring one but that money could be being saved to buy my own.

I have come up with a solution - make my own cello!

I know this might sound ridiculous but I dont mean the entire Cello, just fashion a finger board out of somekind of cardboard/plastic and my old gituar strings, and then learn from a book.

Is this as stupid as it sounds? - it would just be so I could learn some basic fingering - I wouldn't actually attempt to play it . Its just I feel like whilst I am saving up I could be learning something.

So opinions please - am I mad? Could this work?

I hate when savings disappear like that!

Could you not rent a cello from a music shop just for a short while? That doesn't cost too much and at least it would get you started straight away. Then you could save longer for a better cello.

Good luck finding one.

I think that some music shops or luthieries will allow you to rent an instrument for a certain time period and then, should you choose to buy the instrument at the end, deduct the rental fees from the cost of purchase.

This might be a good half way house option between renting and buying - you would be putting the money you thought of saving into the cello by way of rental fees.

Alternatively, can you consider a small loan from the bank which you can reimburse - that way you would get your cello now and, interest withstanding, save up for it afterwards.

Hope it works out for you and you can start your cello lessons soon.

Allan

The thing is there are no music shops which have any Cellos in stock to rent on the Isle of Wight, I have enquired before Which would mean getting one from the mainland (that big new place with telly boxes, talky sticks and horses with no legs )

Additional cost and hassel. So you think my Cello making is mad


EDIT: p.s i already have a bank loan - so i dont really want another one. Also I already have my eye on a Cello in Wales(privately - not a dealer) - if its still available, so I dont think the rent to buy option is really for me

Thank you for ideas and responses though

Not mad, just likely to lead to even more frustration.

Can you not run to a really cheap one, a couple of hundred perhaps?

Liz

This might be along shot, but does your prospective cello teacher know about your problem? If so, it is just possible they might know of someone or somewhere where there is a sutable cello not being used at the moment. Some schools I teach at have a couple of instruments not being used at the moment (I'm a violin teacher in the middle of the mainland, so no practical help here) and if I knew there was a prospective pupil who needed to borrow an instrument short term I would suggest they approached the school to see if it would be possible to use the instrument in exchange for, say, a new set of strings/bow rehair/ anything else suitable that would also help the school.

I did the same rental thing that Rosfrog described.

Ordered it over the internet and eventually this giant box (looked like two coffins in there) arrived.

I got used to the double bass (and sentimental as it was my first) so kept it. Paid more overall than I would have done just buying one but as I had never played one before, I couldn't be sure I was going to take to the instrument so am happy with my decission.

Edit: incidently, they only charged me like £10 for shipping. Lol.

I have already explaied the situation to my new teacher but he was regretably unable to help.
I did try to contact the councils music department to ask if i could rent one which is used for schools etc but the chap hasn't rung me back i have tried 5 times

Doghouse bass players have a long history of making double basses out of strange stuff - bathtubs etc.

The cardboard ones are interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6cTbaBApM4

http://www.edencompanies.com/bogdon/

Wow thanks rink! I wish these computers had speakers, will have to wait untill tonight to listen. Does it sound good though??

Feel marginally less mad for wanting to make my own. Although I dont think I have the skill to make a whole cello from cardboard

Better than you'd think actually.

I wouldn't slap it too hard though.

hi poor you i knw just how you feel as a child a so wanted a flute and spent many sunday afternoons making cardboard ones ( not a good idea they dont work) but a cello would work. my dad made a bass guitar for himself ( as did brain may of queen from his parents mantel piece which he still uses) so its not such a silly idea

look forward to hearing how you get on ,just i thought what about house clearance companies surely they must come across unwanted instruments in lofts if they knew you were on the look out some thing might turn up

Wow now theres a thought monkey flute - perhaps i should put the word out. Cardboard flute thats fantastic!! At 22 you think I would have grown out of this sort of thing

Well in the meantime i think i might try to make a Cello - I will post some pictures

Did you have a lovely birthday?

Good Intentions...
I know of a shop which lets you rent the cello (minimum rental 1 month), if I look at their cheapest cello (a stentor student II full size) you would have to put a down payment equivalent to 20% of the full value (it is a new instrument) which is £122 then you pay £30 monthly and anytime you want to buy the cello in the first 12 months they will add up all that you've paid so far and take it into account, you pay the difference and the cello is yours (I am sure that other places do the same but I know of this one shop), with this 12 month method the full price for the cello would be £459 (which is approx £78 more than if you bought it outright without istalments). You can of course pay all your 12 instalments and keep the instrument at the end
I can pm you their details, the only thing you would have to do is to see if they can arrange for the cello to be delivered to you or if they would agree that you arrange for a company (ie ParcelForce) to collect it and take it to you.
Pm me if you would like all the details
Jo

ps I don't know how much of a good deal this is, depends on circumstances and what you need/want/can afford

Our local music shop does a 6 month hire for around £54 (on the very cheapest student cellos...and you have to pay about £10 for insurance too I think), if you decide to buy the instrument you can have up to 12 months of rental already payed knocked off....cheaper, but you would have to buy it after a year otherwise you're paying extra rent that won't count towards anything
I can sympathise with how you're feeling...I would really love to learn the cello, but varying reasons have meant I haven't been able to get a job previously to save for lessons, now any money I save is going towards uni savings...so I probably have around 5 years to wait yet! I have decided learning cello is going to be treat for myself once I've got my degree, qualifications and a 'proper' job...though I may have to wait a while to clear some debt first!!

If it's something just to keep you going, have you looked on internet auction sites? I just had a quick peek and there were cellos for less than £100. They're probably not very nice but will serve the same purpose as a cardboard cello and you're less likely to pva your forehead to the fingerboard! You could flog it on the site afterwards too.

Don't supose it'll help much, but I had to wait over 2 years before I could afford to start lessons. In the meantime, I learned as much as I could from sites like this, got to know some of the repertoire and made a start on music theory.