Is this Cello restorable to playable condition?
May 29, 2010 7:04 PM Subscribe
Is this Cello restorable to playable condition?
It is up for auction. Is this restorable to playable condition, and approximately how much would that cost? Cosmetics and sound quality don't matter at all - just needs to be able to play well enough to practice on.
It is up for auction. Is this restorable to playable condition, and approximately how much would that cost? Cosmetics and sound quality don't matter at all - just needs to be able to play well enough to practice on.
to do*
posted by bolognius maximus at 7:27 PM on May 29, 2010
posted by bolognius maximus at 7:27 PM on May 29, 2010
So ignoring the body of the cello for now, you'd need a set of strings ($100ish), a bow (at least $100), a bridge bought and cut down ($80?), a new endpin (I think, I can't make out what's up with the weird endpin on that cello, $30-50 installed), one or four fine-tuners ($10-40) or a new tailpiece with them built-in ($50 -- actually, with the solid wire tailgut on that one, you'd want a new tailpiece), a new nut bought and cut and installed ($30), the fingerboard at least dressed ($50-100) if not replaced ($200+).
Now as for the body: the neck has been reset once already and now it needs resetting again, presumably after a break because the original reset seam is still there, there's a possibly-repaired crack along the back seam, a possibly-repaired crack THROUGH the endpin hole, a possible crack along the belly (where the finish has come up along a straight line between the fingerboard and tailpiece). My wildassed guess for fixing all of that would be somewhere in the $100-$500 range depending on how bad some of those "well, that's strange" things are, and how bad the neck problem is.
And then there's the whole business about the condition of the finish and this something-or-other about a screw (although I wonder if that's just the screw protruding from the tuning machine). All of these things mean that the cello wasn't well-cared-for last time around, and so the unasked question is: what will need repairing next week, or next month?
So choosing the middle of those guesses is in the $700 range for an instrument which has clearly seen a lot of abuse and which you won't be able to hear or play for weeks or months, and which you'll be fighting against instead of enjoying.
Or, $700 might buy you a laminate student cello with fiberglass bow, or rent you a solid wood student cello and bow, ready-to-play, for two years.
The cello in the auction is destined to be hung up on the wall in a kitschy restaurant. Pass.
posted by mendel at 8:47 PM on May 29, 2010 [4 favorites]
Now as for the body: the neck has been reset once already and now it needs resetting again, presumably after a break because the original reset seam is still there, there's a possibly-repaired crack along the back seam, a possibly-repaired crack THROUGH the endpin hole, a possible crack along the belly (where the finish has come up along a straight line between the fingerboard and tailpiece). My wildassed guess for fixing all of that would be somewhere in the $100-$500 range depending on how bad some of those "well, that's strange" things are, and how bad the neck problem is.
And then there's the whole business about the condition of the finish and this something-or-other about a screw (although I wonder if that's just the screw protruding from the tuning machine). All of these things mean that the cello wasn't well-cared-for last time around, and so the unasked question is: what will need repairing next week, or next month?
So choosing the middle of those guesses is in the $700 range for an instrument which has clearly seen a lot of abuse and which you won't be able to hear or play for weeks or months, and which you'll be fighting against instead of enjoying.
Or, $700 might buy you a laminate student cello with fiberglass bow, or rent you a solid wood student cello and bow, ready-to-play, for two years.
The cello in the auction is destined to be hung up on the wall in a kitschy restaurant. Pass.
posted by mendel at 8:47 PM on May 29, 2010 [4 favorites]
I would estimate $500 at least for the bare minimum functional repairs plus new bow, strings, bridge, make and/or set sound post--possibly more. And given those weird metal tuning pegs, non-ebony fingerboard, etc. I can't imagine that it's anything other than a cheap 100-year-old student instrument. You can get a beginner outfit for less than that and it will be much less hassle.
posted by drlith at 8:53 PM on May 29, 2010
posted by drlith at 8:53 PM on May 29, 2010
why not take the auction pic of it to your local music shop and ask them to assess it
The owner of my favourite local music shop has a little sign by the till explaining why he will not touch, look at or assist with your internet purchase. Mere setting up is a service he provides when you bought an instrument from him, and it's generally not worth his while to help you fix the crummy purchase you made of some instrument you didn't even play once to try out.
Apart from that, what mendel said.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 10:01 PM on May 29, 2010
The owner of my favourite local music shop has a little sign by the till explaining why he will not touch, look at or assist with your internet purchase. Mere setting up is a service he provides when you bought an instrument from him, and it's generally not worth his while to help you fix the crummy purchase you made of some instrument you didn't even play once to try out.
Apart from that, what mendel said.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 10:01 PM on May 29, 2010
I know nothing of cellos, but I am a guitar guy - if this were a guitar, I wouldn't touch it. Mendel is right that it belongs on a kitsch wall. Visit some pawn shops or look for a cheap student cello from music stores, and you'll have something playable for less than the cost of repairs for this thing.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 10:04 PM on May 29, 2010
posted by Threeway Handshake at 10:04 PM on May 29, 2010
I was a serious cellist, once upon a long time back, and I too would not go near it for any price. You get what you pay for with string instruments.
posted by fourcheesemac at 1:56 AM on May 30, 2010
posted by fourcheesemac at 1:56 AM on May 30, 2010
The owner of my favourite local music shop has a little sign by the till explaining why he will not touch, look at or assist with your internet purchase.
The owner of your favourite local music shop is wise, and this is why I don't encourage students to go spelunking on the internet for instruments until they are pretty advanced (by which point they're not my students).
But I did sneak into a local music shop and let a friend of mine who was their tech do some initial adjustments on a new bari sax from Woodwind Brasswind once. :-)
posted by randomkeystrike at 6:22 AM on May 30, 2010
The owner of your favourite local music shop is wise, and this is why I don't encourage students to go spelunking on the internet for instruments until they are pretty advanced (by which point they're not my students).
But I did sneak into a local music shop and let a friend of mine who was their tech do some initial adjustments on a new bari sax from Woodwind Brasswind once. :-)
posted by randomkeystrike at 6:22 AM on May 30, 2010
If you can't play it or listen to it first, it's DEFINITELY not worth it. There are bazillions of "old" pieces of junk out there and this one doesn't have any of the signs of being a particularly high quality instrument (looks like a two piece front? no purfling I can see?). You *can* get deals, but decent instruments are still expensive to fix up. I got a steal on a mid-1800's Cello back in high school, 'cause it had no indication of who made it. It was around $3K but sounded more like a $20K instrument. My sister's violin was $40K and, again, no label so it was impossible to put a number on. It sounds as almost good as her teacher's Guarneri. That's what constitutes a "steal" in string instruments. This is not one of those instruments. :)
For a hundred bucks plus a thousand worth of restoration, you'll most likely wind up with something that sounds as good as antique $25 Cello from Sears.
posted by pjaust at 7:06 AM on May 30, 2010
For a hundred bucks plus a thousand worth of restoration, you'll most likely wind up with something that sounds as good as antique $25 Cello from Sears.
posted by pjaust at 7:06 AM on May 30, 2010
Response by poster: The prospective purchaser says "Thanks" and "Saved me from making a stupid purchase, it seems."
posted by marxchivist at 11:18 AM on May 30, 2010
posted by marxchivist at 11:18 AM on May 30, 2010
Oh, one thing that just caught my eye now that this specific disaster is avoided -- sound quality certainly does matter if you're a student cellist, because half of what you're going to be spending your time on is learning on how to get a good sound. You're not just practicing getting the notes right.
(So does cosmetics to some extent -- a severely beat-up cello might make you hesitant to join a beginner's cello ensemble, for instance, or at least it won't be seductively calling "play me" from across the room.)
posted by mendel at 3:29 PM on May 30, 2010
(So does cosmetics to some extent -- a severely beat-up cello might make you hesitant to join a beginner's cello ensemble, for instance, or at least it won't be seductively calling "play me" from across the room.)
posted by mendel at 3:29 PM on May 30, 2010
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Depends on what his reserve is, because I would imagine it would be a few hundred to to the bare minimum fixes.
posted by bolognius maximus at 7:20 PM on May 29, 2010