Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I read all the reviews about this cello and went ahead with my purchase to try it out myself. I've got 19 years playing cello and needed my own "rough/bumming around" cello for going to bars or practicing. Let me break this down.... --- The quality this has is actually insanely impressive, and I mean that different ways/reasons. The body is sturdy, the neck and pegs are strong wood [rosewood, spruce, standard] but to have the feel of a $1300 cello in a $300 purchase, great feat. The sound, holy heck the sound. Just what i had hoped for. Living from homes to apartments, neighbors to consider with the full bodied instruments. The sound in this thing is just superb. It does not carry the bass like a full body would, but do not take that as "there will be little to no sound" the sound is great for apartment living/small spaces. --- The bridge OF COURSE does NOT come pre-installed. I had read a comment or two about how mad the customer was that had to install the bridge... OK.... Take one look at any stringed instrument and ask "would you ship it that way?" No. No you wouldn't. On that note, the strings came already set and pegged for any beginner to have little to no struggle with. Keep the tuners {the silver twirlies near the bridge} loose and not the pegs; you'll unravel a string and have to feed it through again. This is a given at any time with the instrument so you'll want things tight after you've set. Slip the bridge under the strings and place on the rubber pad provided, then just suspend the loose strings on the bridge. The fatter space on the bridge is left for the G string, or the fattest string. Otherwise noted the logo, "Cecilio" should face AWAY from you. When you've placed the bridge, you'll have to switch between tightening the tuners and placing the pegs. You'll slip a string occasionally, it'll just happen. Wood and friction, humidity and temperature, things will happen, so just try and palm/push the wooden pegs [where the strings wrap around] to press the pegs into the cello a little harder/further. This will more/less help to keep the pegs in place and prevent slippage. Go to youtube, tune a cello and tighten it up by turning tuners or pressing pegs. It'll take tiiiimmmmeeeeee. Don't force the cello. Work it into tune. Do it right? You'll have strings that possibly last a decade and a cello that stays most often in tune. It'll jus sit there, set and ready to play. --- The Bow. Cheap and not cheap at all. Very impressed by the quality they've sent along. Shorter, heavier, though a great bow to work the form and muscles of the hands and wrist [for beginners]. Others will most likely have this bow as only a back up or maybe practice. --- If you have never rosined a bow before..... Here's some pointers: Do NOT touch the bow hair directly, do not let others or anyone touch the bow hair directly. Your oily greasy fingers will tarnish and deplete the sound and ability of the bow. Do NOT over tighten the bow. Here's a good way to avoid doing just that: If you have a moment of "Gee, I wonder if this is too tight" it probably is, so loosen it. You should be able to tap or bounce the wooden part of the bow on your palm and see *some* movement or "slack" in the bow hairs. Be sure to loosen after use. This is your chance to play around and after no time at all you'll feel/hear the difference with your playing of tight or loose bows. ----- To rosin, remove the entire bit of rosin from container, should have a hole underneath to help pop out and should be covered in cloth; again stressing the "do not touch the rosin or bow with your bare fingers" routine. ****TAKE A PAIR OF SCISSORS*** or say a screwdriver, anything sharpish and hatch the rosin. Just "#" sort of thing, just scrape right onto the rosin. Yes, the rosin is pretty as it is, Yes I mean it to just tear right into the pretty rosin. It is a type of activation and helps spread and cover the bow. Then just rosin the bow. Go all across the hairs, go by preference. Go multiple layers. Through my years I've done the sides and in between [the wood and the hairs] to rosin a new bow. Then thru time you'll just apply as needed or pending on your amount of play time, before each play. --My Overall, If I knew I could have gotten this instrument sooner in life I would have. If I had this as a kid I can't tell you where I would be now. I had auditioned for many spots and a lot of my practice was prohibited by apartment living. Impossible to play anything on a rented loud full body cello in an apartment. If you have kids, if you have someone interested at all, definitely if you have interested kids, find some way. If you're concerned, there are SO many more options for rentals than you can guess. Try that out for size, hear the loud bass and see if the kid actually gets into it. Then I would say, don't hesitate with this instrument. This is a phenomenal deal for any age or use.