I've played on a a very basic student cello up to diploma standard and continually had compliments about the sound I produce on it, although I am aware that it has it's short comings ie projection etc. Recently I've had the chance to play on quite a valuable instrument (just under £10,000) but the tone is much heavier and I think, less clear than my own cello. Projection is certainly much easier but I'm not sure if I can get used to the heavier tone. The cello hasn't been played for ages and it's owner thinks that the tone will improve as it's played in but I'm just a little apprehensive as I do so much playing and I can't afford to have "off performances" due to the cello. I'm not sure whether to just perservere or take my initial reaction and abandon the cello, which seems really silly given the difference in price.

Has anyone had any experience in the heart ache of changing instruments?

I'm not a string player, but if you don't fall in love with a more expensive instrument I definitely wouldn't buy it. No two instruments, even of the same model, sound the same, and they sound different played by different people.

Don't be persuaded to take on an expensive instrument you don't like! When you find the cello for you, you won't give your first instrument a second glance, you'll so desperately want the new one. It doesn't matter how big the price tag is on a cello - if you don't enjoy playing it, you won't like to own it.

I'm looking right now....it's a nightmare, finding a cello - worse than finding a husband! (not that I have experience in that one...)
I've tried about 50 i think - been looking for a couple of years now.
I fell in love with one, at Beares. Utterly, head over heels.
Unfortunately, its price tag was £200,000. There was obviously no way. But - ahhhhh.
I'm looking at a couple at the moment. One that I really like, but I think might be a little big for me...
It's heart-wrenching, you're absolutely right.

I don't know that I am particularly qualified to give an opinion but I think occasionally you can get student instruments which are, by some fluke, better than average. I had a cheap 3/4 size Chinese violin many years ago and my violin teacher bought it from me for her own daughter when I grew out of it. Her daughter was playing grade 8 pieces by the end of primary school so she was a good violinist (much better than me!) and my teacher thought my cheapo violin had a tone as good and sometimes better than any of the much more expensive 3/4 sizes she had tried.

My violin was only £500 (though im pretty sure it's worth more - it was a sort of 'deal') but it's gorgeous. It's very old so has a mature sound and i'm amazed at how much better i sound. The other day someone even said when i was playing 'usually its like eeeek to listen to violins but your playing is really nice to listen to'. Of course that's also complimenting my playing but i reckon a lot of the sound is down to my nice instrument i'm not being modest - i dont sound very nice when i go back to my stentor 2
My violin has a deep full tone and is very powerful, whereas my old stentor makes a horrible thin flat sort of sound.

You're not seriously thinking of spending 10k on a cello that you're not sure you like???

Thanks for your replies. Just to clarify though, no I'm not considering paying anything. If I like the cello I can have it on permanent loan, which in some ways complicates the matter.

Cellocase - you're so right - choosing a cello is far more difficult than choosing a husband - I've managed to choose a husband!!! I hope you find a cello soon. It's just so important that it makes exactly the right sound for you, which of course makes it such an individual problem.

Kerioboe - I think that's my problem. My own student cello seems to be far better than the average student cello and was actually hand picked for me when I first started playing at 12. But, by the same token it hasn't got the projection that I need.

And I so agree with Berkshire Mum - although I haven't played my own cello since getting the more expensive one.

I think the big question is just how much and how quickly does a string instrument mature by playing it and also, having played on a student cello for, well, more than 30 years is it a case of me just having to adapt to the bigger but possibly heavier tone. I certainly won't just accept it because it's free, hence my dilemma.

From your post it sounds like you are just trying to force yourself to fall in love with an instrument which you aren't really sure about. When you find the right instrument you'll know!

It might be worth considering trying some less expensive cellos than what you are currently looking at to see what you think of them such as the Gliga cellos and i'm sure there are many others. Just because the instrument has a huge price tag, it doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be a good instrument.

Er, no Matthew - I think it's quite the opposite. I really don't have a problem with handing the cello back if I don't like it. There's absolutely no pressure whatsoever to keep it. Some would question my sanity at handing back an undoubtedly good cello I could loan for nothing in favour of a cheap Chek student cello, that's all.

I wasn't actively looking for a new cello cos I can't afford to buy one at the moment but when someone hands you a nice cello to try and permanently loan then I have to take that seriously.

Well then surely the solution is simple. Borrow it, try it for several weeks and see how you get on with it. If you don't get on with it, give it back.

Liz

Funny you should say this, but my teacher says she's always amazed at what a good tone my £200-for-the-whole-outfit Stentor Conservatoire viola sounds, and that's in a living room with NO acoustics (carpet, 2 lots of curtains, soft furnishings and about 600 books - literally!). So, I think you could be right about some student instruments being surprisingly good. I daresay I won't be able to get a 'better' instrument 'til Kingdom come!

Would you be responsible for insuring it... I've no idea what the cost of insuring a £10,000 cello would be but if it's a significant annual sum, it might be better to put the money towards a new cello of your own, particularly if you're not particularly enthralled with this loan one

How long is it since the loan cello was played..... and, more importantly, how long is it sonce it had a good service, new strings and setup?

Stringed instruments can sound and perform surprisingly differently depending on the setup. It is also possible that if the instrument has not been played for a while and, maybe not stored in the best possible location that either join may have started to come apart slightly or that any old repairs may have begun to open up. Do you have a good luthier in your area who could have a look at the instrument for you and suggest what, if anything, may need doing to the instrument to enable it to play to it's full potential?

My violin cost £300 and has only recently started opening up its sound and I thought yahoo, about time. My teacher always quotes a story about a famous violinist, which I can never remember properly. But in summary, this violinist when asked how come his violin made such an amazing sound, said that it was the violinist who made the violin sing (it makes more sense when my teacher says it ).

If you're happy with your current cello, stay with it. You have absolutely nothing to lose as the new cello is on loan but you make the cello sing and go with what you are comfortable with.

Well, I think I've got my answer sooner than expected. I was rehearsing this afternoon with a conductor I haven't worked with before and during rehearsal he actually commented on the really nice sound that I was making (it was only 1 cello for the continuo parts). That's the sort of feed back that I would have normally received on my own cello so I guess I am coming around to thinking that it is the player that produces the tone but a really nice instrument helps too. I think I just had a hang up about not being able to produce a really nice tone with another cello. So, I'm happy to be patient now and wait for the cello to play in and for me to get used to the brilliant projection and bigger sound.

Thank you all of you for your comments.

If the cello hasn't been played for a while it might take a few weeks for its true sound to come out again. I don't know where you are in the country but if you can get to Ely it might be worth taking it to Robin Aitchinson for a string trial. My son loved his cello but wasn't convinced that he was getting the best sound out of it. We took him and it to Robin last year He changed the set up and let my son try lots of different strings and it came back a totally different sounding instrument. My son didn't stop smiling for days. Take advantage of the loan option for a few weeks and then make the decision.