The Cello is the second largest member of the String family and along with violins, violas and basses, an integral part of the Symphony Orchestra. It has four strings producing tones an octave lower than the viola and its voice closely corresponds with the human bass voice on the low end. The instrument is commonly associated with classical music, and is primarily found in orchestras and string quartets.

	The cello is made in full and fractional sizes. While determining the appropriate instrument size for violin or viola can be fairly simple, (being basically a function of arm length) proper sizing of a cello is more complex, being a function of arm, leg and body length. Proper cello sizing is accomplished by considering the interrelationship of all the body’s dimensions.
Show me the Sizing Chart for Cellos

There are 3 categories of Cellos:

	These cellos are designed for beginning students and are often produced by machine. Maple is sometimes used for high friction parts (pegs, fingerboard) and dyed to resemble the more expensive Ebony, which is found on most instruments. These cellos are excellent for the early stages of development and are priced to easily fit into most budgets.
	Recommended Student Cellos

	These instruments represent better quality wood and workmanship, most (if not all) of which is done by hand. The result is an instrument that sounds better and will accommodate a player to more advanced levels of play. Pegs and fingerboard are usually made of Ebony. Extensive hand graduation of the top and back of the cello results in a more refined sound. If the wood is good and the maker has paid attention to the necessary details, some intermediate cellos may even approach the professional level of performance.
	Recommended Intermediate Cellos

	These are cellos made from only the finest woods and built with a near fanatical devotion to every detail of construction and appearance. Because of the relatively low number of craftsman skilled at this level, the number of hours required to produce an instrument of this caliber and the cost of select, premium wood, the price of these instruments is considerably higher.
	Recommended Professional Cellos

Other Necessary and Helpful Items

Strings and rosin are a just a few of the items that are needed to play. There are also accessories to properly clean and maintain your cello in good working order.

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There are 2 basic areas of the cello:

• Body – The “box” part of the instrument. The top is generally made of a thinly and precisely shaved piece of spruce, the back and sides (ribs) are generally made of maple. The top and back may be made of a single piece of wood or a bookmatched piece. Because the top of the cello is considerably larger in area than that of a violin or viola, it is also much more susceptible to cracking and damage from impact. For this reason, many cellos are produced with a laminated top; a very thin piece of plywood composed of layers of wood glued together with the grain line positioned in a different direction for each layer. A laminate top is much more stable and damage resistant than a fully carved top from a single, solid piece of wood. This, along with the fact that it is less expensive to produce, makes a laminate top instrument ideal for students.

• Neck Assembly – The structure that attaches to the top end of the cello body. It is generally made of maple. The top-end is called the “peg box” where the strings attach to the tuning pegs. Applied to the top of the neck are the fingerboard (where the left-hand fingers press down to alter the pitch of the strings) and the nut (a small piece of wood that supports and separates the strings just as they pass into the “peg box’).

Parts of the Cello

• Bridge - a specially shaped and fitted piece of hard maple that sits between the strings and body of the instrument and transmits the majority of the string vibrations to the body.

• Soundpost – a small cylindrical piece of wood that is fitted and wedged inside the instrument between the back and the face. Its placement has a great effect of the sound.

• F-Hole – Two holes precisely cut in the top of a stringed instrument to permit the sound to be projected from the interior.

• Endpin – an extended steel shaft located at the bottom of the body of the cello, which is locked into place at various heights to accommodate the size of the player. It also serves the same function as the “button” on the violin and viola, anchoring the string adjuster (tailgut), which is attached to the tailpiece.

• Tailpiece – a long, tapered piece of material suspended above the top of the instrument by the ends of the strings at the bridge end, and the “tailgut” at the “Endpin” end.

• Tailgut – the long strand of material that attaches through two holes in the bottom end of the tailpiece and then passes over the bottom edge of the instrument, looping around the Endpin as its other anchoring point.

• String Adjuster (optional) – a small mechanical device attached to the tailpiece of a stringed instrument to make fine adjustments in string tension.

Our site has a complete and varied selection of cellos, all backed by our 45/45/100 Guarantee. If you’ve got more questions, call and speak with one of our Product Specialists to help you find the cello that’s perfect for you.