I would love it if some of you could give me some advice as to what to look for in a beginner's cello. I've never so much as touched a cello and know nothing about them really, except for that I know I want to learn this beautiful instrument. I have a fair bit of musical experience, having played the piano since I was a child (in my late 30's now). Not that you can compare the two of course, but I suppose any previous musical studies help when embarking on the study of a new instrument. I have a budget of around $500, give or take a couple hundred. Do you think I could find a decent instrument (used of course) at this price? Are there certain models I should look for or stay away from? Like I said, I'm totally new at this so would dearly love your advice!
First off, you'll need to figure out which size is right for you (which I obviously can't help you with, as I don't know your general body structure or your age). Aside from that, the only thing that you need to look for when you're looking to buy a used cello is that it is in decent condition. Things to watch out for are abnormally stiff or sticky pegs, cracks in the bridge, body, and/or neck, splintering edges along the body, holes, flimsy or loose strings that have difficulty being tightened, a crappy or hard to adjust in-pin, and any evidence indicating that the cello has been tampered with or undergone major repair. Especially watch out for cracks around where the neck and body meet (a crack in this area can either indicate that the cello has undergone repair from a broken neck or that the neck is at risk of easily breaking).
I also want to add that because this is your first cello, you shouldn't worry about getting an extremely nice used cello (unless you come across a extremely awesome bargain, of coarse). In my opinion at least, I think that it is easier for beginner cellists to start on used instruments, because you don't have to worry about dealing with the struggle of having to break in a new cello. I hope that you found this information to be useful and I wish you good luck in your search!
Thank you both so much for your helpful advice! I really appreciate it! I'm keeping my eye open for a used cello and when I find one I'm sure I'll be posting back here with lots of questions.
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