| Author |
Subject |
Kmapher
Registered User
(8/14/00 5:36:05 pm)
|
Thanx....Still looking for a bargin instrument...
Thanks for the honesty. I have
checked out the cells2go.com site but I haven't made phone contact
just yet....I keep cruising the Ebay auctions for deals, maybe I
shouldn't be doing that. For isntance I found a cello in the white
going for under $200. Would that be a bargin or a rip? I'd have to
figure out the cost of finishing it.....
|
jekerry
Registered User
(8/15/00 7:38:35 am)
|
Re:
Thanx....Still looking for a bargin instrument...
Do talk to someone at cellos2go or
StringWorks! What is your price range? You should be able to get a
good cello for around $1,000. If you can't go that high, rent one
and start saving. Anything under $1,000 is not worth it in my humble
opinion. I rented a plywood for five years and I'm glad I did. When
I had $2,000 I went shopping and got a cello I really like. I bought
a $250 bow while I was still renting and like my bow as well (you
don't really need to spend $5,000 on a bow -- there are decent bows
for a lot less!).
A bargain cello doesn't exist. Everyone
knows they are worth a lot -- and ebay is very risky. If you've only
got a limited income, you can't afford to take the risk and end up
with something you can't play.
Best
luck,
Jane
P.S. If you do find a bargain, let the rest
of know where!
|
Ellen
G 
Registered
User
(8/15/00 7:44:07 am)
|
OK,
here goes
I'd have preferred to write to you
but there's no e-mail address. I realize some people just don't have
money for a cello and they are lucky to afford ANYTHING, in which
case you work with what you can and make the best of it. There are
also people who noodle around and just want something they can pick
up and toy with for whatever reason. I can't quite tell where you
fit in... I mean your age, what draws you to cello, how serious you
are in starting lessons, that type of thing.
As for Quintus,
I do speak highly of them because they serve a valuable purpose,
which is to protect a very expensive cello from being played at
outdoor concerts and gigs. They are also good for people in the
Peace Corps traveling to godforsaken places. They are also good for
kids who don't always have control over their circumstances, like
having to take their cello on a public school bus or have it in
school where other non-cello kids don't realize you can't kick the
daylights out of one. They are not cheap instruments and sell for
approximately $2500-$3000. Quintus stresses the fact that these are
not intended to be the first cello purchase, but more an
augmentation. In the cello world, there is nothing like wood, and
the better the wood, the better the cello is going to sound. (One of
many factors but we want to finish this post
today.)
Cellos2Go is not a bargain hunting site. If you want
help, it's there for you. My entire goal has been to emphasize the
value of a quality instrument and explain why it is important and
how it helps you in the long run. You can spend money on a cello and
bow that work with you, or save money on el cheapo and keep banging
your head against the wall trying to figure out why you can't make
the progress or get the sound you want despite all the hours of
practice you put in. If you don't intend to take lessons and
practice on a regular basis, then perhaps some of these things won't
matter to you.
If you read any of the posts of people who
have made the transition -- even if it's a better bow with an
economy cello -- you will see that there is merit to the money
spent. If you purchase well enough in the first place, you have a
personal investment that you can enjoy spending time with. Consider
it a friend. It has a personality, needs to be cared for, handled
lovingly. You test its limits, it will test yours. You're building a
relationship with this thing, whether you realize it or not. I'm
sorry for babbling like this. I don't know enough about you. I just
know that you will get out of it what you put into it, and if you
spend $200 on a cello, I don't think your experience is going to be
a positive one. Think about what you're trying to get out of this,
and maybe the answers will be more apparent. Best of luck to you.
Ellen of Cellos2Go
|
vsteele
Registered User
(8/15/00 8:36:11 am)
|
cello
for sale
A friend of mine has a 1992 cello
for sale, that he just posted. It is not plywood and is full sizeed.
It is listed on e-bay right now. It comes with a bow and a soft
case. I was planning on playing it for him soon to give a better
description. Right now it is a very good bargain basement deal for
the price he has listed. Look in e-bay under "Suzuki cello", item
number 405379201
Or you can e-mail me and I will play it for
you and give you an honest, no-sales necessary opinion.
|
Betsy
C 
Registered User
(8/15/00 3:37:48 pm)
|
Amen,
Ellen!
Well put, Ellen! A cello is
definitely much more than a series of wood pieces glued together!
And indeed, one does develop a relationship with a cello over time
and gets to know its idiosyncracies, weaknesses, strengths and that
does become more apparant as time goes on. I have had my cello for
about 11 months now and just now am really finding out what it is
capable of and what the (thankfully minor) shortcomings of my cello
are. It is not an impulse purchase and if I was not as fortunate as
I was to hook up with the cello I got I would have continued to rent
one. My cello is truly my friend (at times we have 'dominance'
issues as I do with my little girl dog!!!) and each time I sit down
to play it is a different experience. No matter how a session starts
out, I always get something valuable from it. I truly abide by what
my teacher said which was basically that the cello is not the
easiest instrument to learn for some folks anyway; why bother
learning on a cello that will fight you every step of the way? I
play for the love of it, not because of any God given talent! I feel
fortunate to have received good advice prior to selecting my cello
which is why I strongly echo Ellen's sentiments. I think that
waiting to get a cello that will be an asset and not an enemy is a
piece of sound advice.
|
Kmapher
Registered User
(8/15/00 6:58:30 pm)
|
I
"need" to learn to play.....
Thank you for the good advice, and
no you did not babble Ellen. You dispensed common sense information,
for which I thank you whole heartedly.
My e-mail is
Kampher@yahoo.com (I screwed up my log on name, sans, "kmapher").
As for my level of interest in playing, I am a Graphic
Designer by day, but all my life I have loved and needed music, and
until about 5 years ago I was comfortable simply listening to others
play. But suddenly I realized that something was lacking in my music
experience, and that is when I became interested in playing an
instrument.
I knew right away that it would either be violin
or cello because these instruments are held close to the body. Its
as if the instrument becomes a living thing or an appendage of the
player, and whenever I watched someone perform, I was envious of
that relationship. When the artist closes his or her eyes and the
motion of the player's hands become fluid and effortless, when the
players body begins to sway gently in time to the melody pouring
from his or her partner (instrument)...this is ecstasy. This is
catharsis. I want to experience this. I have had the willingness and
the inclination to play for a long time...finances and real life
issues just haven't allowed me the time to pursue my secret
love....
So I am 25, and I want to get this learning process
under way while I still have the synapses to do it :-)
I took a
violin lesson, and found myself a little disappointed. I think
holding that thing under your chin for extended periods of time is
the most unnatural of positions. I have much respect for those who
can play hours on end with no folded towel or rest for support.
I
also found that I like the deeper voice of the cello, but I opted
for violin lessons because I could get a good instrument at a
cheaper price, and also I didn't have a car at the time, and the
last thing I wanted to do was lug around something nearly as large
as me on public transport. Now that I have a 4Runner and a full time
job, I think I'm better prepared for this adventure
|
Len
Thompson
Registered User
(8/16/00 6:50:14 pm)
|
Re: I
"need" to learn to play.....
If you do end-up with a cello(and
from the sound of it you probably will)remember, stick to it! It's
all very unnatural at first. I think this is true of any instrument.
If you thought the violin felt unnatural, the huge new appendage
called a cello will feel the same. But with time you will love the
feeling of almost cradling around it. The fingers that feel so sore
and stretched to the limit will begin to feel very satisfied when
they stretch to nail that note perfectly. Commit yourself to it,and
stay with it and the rewards will come, just as you
invision!
Len
|
Kmapher
Registered User
(8/18/00 6:11:55 pm)
|
Re: I
"need" to learn to play.....
Thank you Len for the encouraging
words :-)
Kampher
| |
Email This To a Friend
Topic Commands (Moderator only)