By Jeffrey Li, Cellist
BM Northwestern University
MM The Juilliard School
Choosing the right cello can be rewarding or regrettable. Here’s a guide to helping you make the best decision.
Types of Cellos
Cellos can be categorized into three types: contemporary, modern, and antique.
Contemporary Cellos: Made by living makers and valued for their materials and craftsmanship. They generally hold their value if well-maintained.
Modern Cellos: Crafted in the last century by now-deceased makers. They may appreciate in value, especially if the maker had a strong reputation.
Antique Cellos: Over 100 years old, often have the highest appreciation potential. Value is influenced by the maker’s reputation, historical significance, condition, and authenticity.
Determine the Cello’s Primary Purpose
A cello can be valued for its playability, its collectibility, or both. If you plan to play it, focus on its sound quality. If collecting, consider its history, reputation, and condition. In many cases, a cello can serve both purposes.
Choosing a Cello for Playing
When selecting a cello for practice and performance, prioritize one with the fullest sound. Unless you frequently use amplification, rare for classical players, opt for the loudest cello available.
Why?
While tonal quality is important, it can easily be overshadowed when playing alongside other instruments. Sound is measured in decibels (dB), with a 10 dB increase doubling the perceived volume. For example, a violin can hit 95 dB, a concert grand piano can reach up to 110 dB, and a trombone up to 115 dB. In contrast, even the best cellos peak at 80 to 85 dB, which is less than half the volume of a violin. This makes it challenging for the cello to be heard clearly, especially when it’s competing with instruments in both higher and lower registers.
Additionally, the human ear is naturally more sensitive to higher frequencies, typically between 2,000 and 5,000 Hz, which further diminishes the cello's presence in an ensemble. Sound quality is irrelevant if it can’t be heard. If a cello can be played loudly with ease, it already has many good qualities, even if its tone isn’t perfect. Tone can be adjusted through setup changes, such as modifying the strings, bridge, soundpost, bass bar, and even endpin. Ultimately, the audience will adapt to the cello’s sound after a few notes and focus more on the music being expressed than on the instrument’s specific tone.
An Antique Cello for Collection and Resale
A well-chosen antique cello will likely appreciate in value over time. Italian cellos from the 17th and 18th centuries, especially those by renowned makers like Antonio Stradivari, the Guarneri family, the Amati family, and Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, lead the market. These instruments are extremely rare, with only about 600 confirmed
Stradivari instruments worldwide. While you won’t find these masterpieces in a local shop, other fine antique cellos by lesser-known makers also show similar appreciation trends. After Italian instruments, French, German, English, and occasionally older American cellos, like those by Carl Becker Sr., are also valuable.
Antique cellos can start at around $18,000 for a modest instrument and go up to $50,000 for an unlabeled or speculative cello from the late 1800s. Prices rise dramatically based on age, condition, and maker significance. As of 2024, a Jean Baptiste Vuillaume cello from the late 1800s could be worth $500,000 or more, an early 1700s Guadagnini $4 million, and a Stradivarius up to $25 million.
A Cello to be Both Played and Collected
Older cellos often have a more developed and complex sound compared to newer ones. This includes qualities like greater loudness, clarity, warmth, and consistency across all frequencies. Over time, frequent playing and aging can improve a cello’s sound due to changes in the wood's physical properties, though the exact reasons are not fully understood. Krentz String Works in Seattle, WA provides a demonstration on this and offers a play-in service to mimic the effect for newer instruments. When choosing an older cello, also consider its appreciation potential.
Common Damage in Older Cellos and Its Impact on Value
Older cellos often have cosmetic damage, such as scratches or small chips, which typically don't affect their value. A famous example, the Duport Stradivarius made in 1711 formerly owned by Mstislav Rostropovich, had allegedly once come into the hands of Napoleon Bonaparte, who left a visible dent in it. This very cello was valued at $20 million after Rostropovich's death.
Cracks, however, vary in impact depending on their location:
Rib Cracks: These are common and usually don’t affect the cello's value if properly restored.
Front Plate Cracks: Cracks in the spruce top plate, especially near the soundpost, are more serious, but can be managed with restoration. As spruce is a soft wood, to allow for vibration from the strings through to the instrument, such damage is common in older instruments. If restored properly, typically reduces value by no more than 10%.
Back Plate Cracks: Cracks in the maple back plate are the most severe, especially near the soundpost. Maple is a hard wood, and as the back plate, amplifies and reflect sound back out. Even with meticulous repair, soundpost cracks in the back are guaranteed to reduce the cello's value to no more than half.
In the event of a soundpost crack in the back, for contemporary cellos (by living makers), arranging to have the original maker replace the back plate might be the only option to preserve its future value, as it would still be widely accepted as original work. For modern or antique cellos, restoration by a reputable luthier can salvage its playability somewhat, but will significantly lower its potential as a future antique.
How much can I expect to pay for a cello?
Here are approximate price ranges for full-size cellos:
$100 - $1,000: Factory-produced cellos often sold online. These are generally not worth playing.
$2,500 - $10,000: Contemporary, mass-produced cellos suitable for casual learners, but lacking the quality needed for serious performance.
$10,000 - $20,000: Contemporary or modern cellos with good qualities for serious study. Some lesser antique cellos may also fall into this range.
$20,000 - $50,000: Instruments from leading contemporary makers and some antique cellos with good sound quality from lesser-known makers.
$50,000 - $150,000: High-quality modern and antique cellos. Many professional cellists find instruments in this range suitable as primary or secondary options. Playing value here starts to plateau, with antique value becoming more significant.
$150,000 - $250,000: Primarily antique cellos with historical significance. These are expected to appreciate slowly, often in line with inflation.
$250,000 and up: Top-tier collectible antiques with rare attributes. Playability is less of a focus, and appreciation tends to rise more sharply over time.
Despite the allure of antiques, they may sometimes play poorly, while some contemporary cellos offer exceptional performance. For example, a contemporary American cello valued at $35,000 might outperform many antiques priced between $50,000 and $100,000. Conversely, a c1790 unlabeled English cello with a $70,000 appraisal could surpass even high-value antiques in volume and sound quality. It’s worth noting that even exceptional cellos priced between $10,000 and $20,000 generally do not match the performance of higher-priced instruments.
Summary
Inexpensive cellos lack the qualities of more expensive ones. Expensive cellos offer superior sound and potential future value. Very expensive cellos are priced high due to their expected future appreciation. Generally, as the price increases, the likelihood of further appreciation also rises.
How to Test a Cello: Pre-work
To exercise good judgment when choosing a cello, follow these steps:
1. Decide on Budget
Set a firm maximum budget. This will help you focus on cellos within your financial limit, regardless of how good a particular instrument might be.
2. Gather Cellos
Source as many cellos as possible within your budget from various sellers. Testing a broad range will increase your chances of finding the best option. Consider visiting multiple violin shops and auction houses for a thorough search.
Violin Shop
Violin shops, which handle the entire violin family, often offer free trial periods for instruments. They might provide home trials and may even ship cellos out of town, though this can involve additional logistics.
Auction House
Auction houses operate differently from violin shops. Auction houses like Tarisio, with locations in New York City and London, offer instruments for online bidding and in-person testing at their showrooms. Instruments are listed as-is, some needing significant restoration, though condition reports are provided. If you spot something interesting at an auction and have prior experience working with a luthier, you may be able to call them to help assess potential issues of a prospective instrument.
Auction deadlines are pre-determined, with some some instruments having reserve prices needing to be met. Unsold instruments may either be de-listed, re-listed at a future auction, or sold privately, at the current instrument owner's discretion.
Auction houses also typically do not allow for instruments to be removed from their showroom. Testing and comparisons, if allowed, would have to be conducted on their premises. Tarisio welcomes outside instruments to be brought in, and their NYC facilities include a large room to simulate a performance hall, and small practices rooms for different acoustic environments.
3. Gather a Test Audience
Making an informed decision relies on input from different perspectives. Be sure to gather at least a few people, ideally fitting into the categories described below.
A Formidable Cellist: Have an experienced cellist play the instruments to assess their potential from the player's and audience’s perspective. Ideally, both you and the cellist should alternate playing and listening to provide diverse insights.
A String Instrument Luthier: A luthier's expertise in instrument restoration and setup is crucial for optimizing sound. A trustworthy luthier can provide valuable insights during your selection process. Since shops are often run by or partnered with luthiers, they should be available to offer advice and may even negotiate setup and repair costs into the purchase. While it might seem counterintuitive to rely on a luthier who also acts as the salesperson, following a rigorous testing procedure, described below, can help ensure an unbiased evaluation.
A Non-Musician: Include a non-musician to gauge the instrument’s appeal to the general audience.
The Purchaser: If you are not the primary buyer, involve the person funding the purchase to ensure they are informed and comfortable with the decision. They may also reconsider the budget after testing several instruments and learning more about the process.
How to Test a Cello: A Process of Elimination
To test cellos fairly and efficiently, follow these guidelines:
Reduce Bias
Use the same bow for all instruments.
Avoid discussing prices, details, or other identifying information before testing.
Test each cello from the same room position.
Test each cello with the same excerpt.
Ensure the test audience faces away from the player to focus only on sound.
Testing Procedure
Pair and Compare: Test two cellos at a time. Play a single test on each, then have the jury vote on their preference. Repeat for each test to tally votes. After all tests are done between the two cellos, eliminate the less favored cello, noting its setup for potential future reference. Keep the favored cello and pair with the next cello to repeat the series of tests and votes. Continue this elimination process until only one cello remains.
Handle Ties: If a tie occurs in any of the tests, repeat the test using a decibel meter to measure maximum sound intensity to select the objectively louder cello. Decibel meters can be downloaded as mobile phone apps.
Assess Setups: For losing cellos that still had qualities that won significant but insufficient votes, consider examining the instrument's setup. The most significant factor limiting a cello's sound may be the bridge. French bridges greatly diminish performance compared to Belgian bridges. You may still consider a losing cello that had a French bridge how it may perform with a Belgian bridge installed. Consult with the luthier and your formidable cellist friend what they believe the instrument's sound potential could be. Cutting a new bridge is common but a non-trivial amount of work, but may still be worth consideration if all other aspects of the cello align with your goals.
Suggested Tests
Scales, to be played slowly at fortissimo volume
Low Range: 1 octave D major scale up the C string, 1 octave A major scale up the G string.
Low-Medium Range: 1 octave G Major scale up the D string
Medium Range: 1 octave B major scale the A string
Medium High Range: 1 octave D major scale up the A string
High Range: 4th octave E Major scale
Selected Repertoire:
Low Range: Brahms’s E minor cello sonata opening, Shostakovich Cello Concerto no. 1 third movement opening, Lalo Cello Concerto first movement opening.
Low-Medium Range: Elgar’s Cello Concerto opening, Beethoven’s A Major cello sonata opening.
Medium Range A String: Dvorak Cello Concerto first movement opening, Elgar Cello Concerto fourth movement opening.
Medium Range D String: Dvorak Cello Concerto second movement development, Schumann Cello Concerto second movement opening.
High Range: Shostakovich Cello Concerto first movement development, Prokofiev Sinfonia Concertante second movement slow theme.
Testing in Different Rooms
A string instrument takes on the characteristics of the room it is played in. To be thorough, test cellos in various environments to assess their performance potential:
Small and Dry Room: Provides an honest representation of the cello's sound, similar to a practice room.
Small Recital Hall: Represents typical audition and competition settings.
Large Concert Hall: Ideal for evaluating how cellos perform in larger venues. Consider local churches, colleges or universities for access.
If you find a cello you love, negotiate the final price. If not, you may need to start the search anew or choose a reasonable cello with plans to upgrade in the future.
Time to Buy: Negotiating with an Instrument Shop
When negotiating with a shop, it's important to understand the different types of instruments they sell and how this affects pricing.
For consignment instruments, the shop acts as an intermediary between the seller and the buyer, earning a commission, usually up to 20%, on the sale. However, for higher-end instruments, this commission might be reduced, often due to the higher value of the instrument and the potential for a quicker sale. Consignment prices generally reflect the original price the seller paid, plus any increase due to the instrument's market appreciation. Any additional repair work or setup done by the shop is typically factored into the sale price and comes out of the shop's commission, which can sometimes leave room for negotiation.
Additionally, some shops sell instruments they’ve purchased outright or that were made by luthiers affiliated with the shop. In these cases, the shop has more control over the pricing, and there may be flexibility to negotiate, particularly concerning the instrument's setup or included accessories.
Understanding these dynamics can help you negotiate more effectively and potentially secure a better deal.
Violin Shop Trade-Up Policies
Violin shops often have varied trade-up policies. Some offer partial or full credit for instruments previously bought from them, which can be directly applied toward a new purchase. This option is useful if you find a decent cello that doesn’t fully meet your needs but might be upgraded later. It prevents the risk of the cello being sold or removed from consignment before you’re ready to purchase a better one. Always check a shop's trade-up policy before buying and ensure it's documented in a written agreement if you plan to use it later.
Summary
Cello prices vary widely. Below $50,000, focus on playability. Up to $100,000, consider both performance and antique value. Above $100,000, view it as an investment. To make an informed choice, test as many cellos as possible in various situations. The best cello will be the loudest one and the one you enjoy playing the most. Good luck!
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