Student Cello Review: Amazon’s Best Selling Cecilio Student Cello Outfit
I tried Amazon's $269 (best-selling) cello | REVIEW (Spoiler: It came with a major problem!)
One of the greatest barriers to entry in starting to play the cello is figuring out your equipment situation.
Should you buy right away? Rent a cello from a violin shop?
And if you go ahead with the decision to buy a student cello, can you really trust a website like Amazon to provide a legitimate cello to learn on and not a cello-like object that will hinder your progress?
I remember the confusion I had when I was first learning the cello and dealing with all of this.
In this blog I want to share some thoughts on when to buy vs. when to rent, and then proceed with a review of the Cecilio Student Cello Outfit.
So, first things first: should I rent or buy?
My answer depends on your budget. If you plan on eventually spending about $1,200 or more on your first cello, I strongly advise you to rent from a local violin shop or from a violin shop that ships rental instruments.
You will gain more from waiting to buy because as your playing progresses during those initial months, you will come to realize more and more what you need out of an instrument and also what you want your general tone to be like.
Every cello has a timbre that falls somewhere along the spectrum of bright and dark tone, and along the spectrum of direct or diffuse projection.
Finding the right cello will depend on your personal taste and your expectations as a player (will you need to project, to blend in with others, etc.).
However, if you know you only have a total budget of ~$500 or less for your instrument, you may want to go ahead and buy your cello right at the start of your journey.
At the time I purchased it, the Cecilio Student Cello Outfit was $269.99.
For reference, renting a cello will probably cost you $45-75 per month. But, please note that your violin shop may have a rent-to-own program that allows you to apply your rental payments towards the purchase of a cello.
[This review is for the Student Cello Outfit. Cecilio has many levels of cellos at different price points for sale on Amazon. This review is for the Amazon Best Seller at ~$269]
THE REVIEW
The Cecilio Cello arrived in a cardboard box only a few days after I placed the order. Inside the box I found the following items, each of which I will give my opinion on:
Cello stand:
Honestly I would suggest against using the stand unless you place it and the cello in an area where NOTHING will come near it. Someone brushing lightly against the instrument while walking by might cause it to topple over.
It does do a good job of displaying the cello, though!
Cello Bag:
The cello bag seems fine to me. Keep in mind that the padding is truly minimal so I would use this case as a way of storing the instrument at home but I would not expect it to protect the cello in any major way.
If you drive with the cello in this bag, for example, be super careful that it’s not getting jostled around too much.
It makes me think of motorcyclists who wear a leather coat as protection on the highway….better than nothing, but best if never tested.
Cello:
For $269, I’m impressed. The cello feels solidly constructed and feels like I’m holding an actual instrument in my hands, albeit a student instrument.
So how is the price so low? The materials.
The wood is to my eye composite, the fingerboard is not made of ebony, and the varnish is inexpensive albeit effective enough.
UNFORTUNATELY, the sound post was dislodged during transit which essentially rendered the cello unplayable until it was reset by a professional.
Instead of going to the violin shop, I returned the instrument and asked for a replacement. A new cello (with sound post in place) was sent to me and arrived the next day, and there was no problem returning the first one, so kudos to Cecilio for the excellent customer service!
Bridge:
The bridge is technically part of a fully set up cello, but it’s important to note that these cellos are shipped without the bridge in place and so you (or someone) will have to fit the bridge in order to start playing on the cello.
Regarding the bridge, it wasn’t the most elegant bridge I’ve ever seen, nor was the wood very high quality, but what really is of note is that once fitted, I found it too tall for the cello.
This means that the strings for my taste were way too far from the fingerboard and it took extra work from my left hand to play notes. For a beginner, I worry this could lead to learning to play with too much squeezing or tension.
NOTE: On the second Cecilio that came to me as a replacement, the bridge fit much better than with the first cello, so there obviously will be a degree of variation between the components of each cello outfit.
Solution: The easiest solution would be to take the cello to a violin shop and have them fit the bridge correctly and lower its height by simply trimming the top and bringing the string height to the ideal level.
Another solution would be to buy a new bridge.
The cheapest bridge from a legitimate violin shop will probably be two quantum leaps above what’s included here and can improve the sound and performance of the cello.
Strings:
The cello comes with a set of strings already wound around the pegs and also includes a spare set in the bag.
As you would expect, the strings are very inexpensive and have a metallic tone to them. In particular, the A string is quite tinny sounding. The strings seem decently constructed.
Solution: Changing the strings to a medium level string from a mainstream brand (I recommend Jarger medium) would be the single biggest difference you could make in the sound of this cello.
By no means is this absolutely necessary! I think the strings that come with the cello will work fine, but I believe a change to strings like Jargar would be a huge improvement. Even changing only the A string out might be an option to consider.
Bow:
The bow that came with the cello was unfortunately pretty bad. It wasn’t damaged in any way but it was weighted very poorly and felt a little club-like.
This bow would not stop you from learning cello by any means but it sure won’t help you out any.
NOTE: As with the bridge, the bow that came in my replacement cello outfit was weighted much better than the first outfit I received. Go figure.
Solution: The cheapest carbon fibre cello bows, while not made of wood, will likely be well balanced and easier to handle than either of the two Cecilio bows. I would suggest spending ~$70 on a carbon fibre bow, a well balanced bow can make all the difference in developing a good sound with physical comfort.
KEEP IN MIND that there is most likely a large degree of variation with beginner bows made of brazilwood and you may order a cello outfit with a much better balanced bow included.
Rosin:
I can’t say I would recommend the rosin included, but a basic cake of rosin will only set you back $2-3.
HOW IT PLAYS
I can say with honesty that overall I’m impressed at what $269 can get you.
This is as far as I know about the cheapest you can find for an entire outfit that legitimately works.
However, as you might expect I encountered some problems that I believe need to be addressed in order to have the best experience possible and avoid possible issues with tension or injury.
PROS:
Powerful sound when played with a $70 carbon fibre bow I own for outdoor events.
Feels like a real cello when I hold it and play on it.
CONS:
Poorly fitting bridge that raised the strings too high off of the fingerboard. This can lead to tension and possible injury in the left hand if not addressed.
The nut above the fingerboard (just below the pegbox) was also too high which meant that even in half position there is too much distance between the strings and the fingerboard.
The strings sound metallic and the A string in particular created a disappointing tinny sound. I recommend switching out at least the A string with a brand like Jargar.
I wouldn’t trust the cello stand except in VERY peaceful spaces.
So, is the Cecilio Student Cello Outfit worth it??
If your budget is $300-400, I say go for it!
HOWEVER, please consider taking it to a violin shop to have the bridge properly fit (and probably trimmed down) and while you’re there buy a cheap cake of rosin and maybe even a different A string (Jargar medium A strings go on sale for ~$20 on websites like sharmusic.com multiple times per year.
These small adjustments can make all the difference in your comfort as well as in the overall playability of the instrument.
Think about it, the more you enjoy the act of playing and the sound you are making, the more likely you are to grow that interest in learning cello into a lifelong passion!
Here are unaffiliated links to the upgrades I mentioned, as well as the cello itself:
