I'm considering learning to play the cello this summer (or as soon as possible), and I was wondering what I should look for when buying/renting a cello. Does anyone have a preferred make/model, and any technique books to suggest? I don't know of any teachers in my area, so teaching myself might have to be a possibility (but I doubt it). Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Well, as far as buying/renting a cello, try a store in your area and see what they have. Even general music stores have a decent selection for beginners. Just try them out and see what you like best within your price range. They also might be able to help you find a teacher if there are any in your area. If you live near a college/university/music school, the students will often give pretty geeod lessons for a cheaper price than a professional.

As for books, I'd reccommend Essential Elements, especailly if you teach yourself. It's got illustrations and such and explains everything to you pretty clearly. It's the book I learned from. Suzuki is the standard. I taught for one summer for this book and I didn't like it by itself. I taught two kids, and it seemed to never explain things (still fine with a teacher, but if you're teaching yourself, it could be frustrating). Also, the rate it goes is a bit faster. You really need to master one piece before going to the next one, and practicing the same thing over and over was making the kids really bored. In Essential Elements, there's usually two pages mastering each skill, instead of one-half. The Suzuki pieces, however, I like better. There's a bit more actual songs, instead of little four-measure melodies. For this reason, I like using them together. These are the only two I'm familiar with, and the people at the store may have their own reccommendations.

Hope this helps!