Customer Comments: Soloist Cello

"I don't know how to start this, but, last Friday around 5:08 pm an UPS truck pulled up to my front door. My heart started to thud because I knew what it was because I had been tracking it every hour of it's trip to little old South Carolina. I hurriedly open up my door to pick up the large package. As I pick it up to carry it inside I'm surprised at the low weight. By then I had rushed the package to the living room of my house and get the scissors out to cut the binds that kept my precious trapped in that box. I begin to scoop the seemingly endless packing peanuts to the side to revel a dark blue Cello case and a draw bag marked, "CodaBow Colours". I pick up the case and the bow and set it on the floor immediately. I open up both to reveal works of art in their own respects. I pick up the bow and I was immediately impressed by the speckled look of the finish on the bow and as I pass it under a lamp it goes from red to green to gold. I'm in awe by the weight of the bow as it is perfect. Next, I open up the case to display what is comparable to the works of the finest painters and the greatest sculptors. I see my new beautiful Soloist cello. The pictures of the website don't do the cello justice for it is beautifully antiqued, and the color is to die for. The quality of the wood used is amazing and is easily noticeable. After sitting there looking at this work of art I decide to pull up a chair and start to play Brandenburg Concerto No. 2. The only thing that can beat the beauty of the Soloist is the brilliant sounds that are produced by this superior instrument. I am in awe over the vast improvements over many of the cellos I have heard (including the $10,000 dollar cello of our principal cellist) and it is the difference between night and day between my trusty old plywood cello that lasted me the many harsh years of middle school and the first part of high school. I am positive this cello will last me throughout college. Thank-you StringWorks for providing me with a cello that has exceeded all expectations. I look forward to showing this to my orchestra conductor and showing it off to all my other cellists. I was definitely weary at first about ordering off the internet, but you put all my fears to rest. Thank-you Erik for all your help and giving me updates about the shipments coming in. I want to thank everyone that set up the cello and made it as beautiful as it is. Thank-you so much StringWorks!" - E.B.

"Thank you all for your thoughtful and insightful comments on purchasing and evaluating a cello. I have used the knowledge gained here and on the ICS discussion boards to become a better informed consumer. As my son said after leaving one violin shop, " Wow dad, you really sounded like you knew what you were talking about!"  My son has been playing the cello for two years in school orchestra and recently started private lessons. He will be playing for at least the next 5 years until he graduates from high school. We wanted an instrument that would carry him through this period without restricting his growth. With these few requirements and our budget in mind, we started to look for an instrument. Talking to Erik on the phone it was decided that a Maestro would be a good choice for us, however my son really wanted a dark brown one, so I decided to order the Soloist with a Krausch bow. After waiting a week for it to be setup, the instrument arrived undamaged at the expected time, and as depicted on the website, it is a beautiful deep brown with a subtle reddish tint. My son really likes the looks and sound of this cello. The next test would be an evaluation by his school and private tutor. I told them we had this out on a trial basis and wanted their expert opinions on the relative value of this potential purchase.  At school, the head of the performing arts department who teaches orchestra, is also a cellist. She inspected and played the Soloist and said that it's a very beautiful instrument, easy to play very resonant and that the sound will improve and mature over time. She said that the pegs, tailpiece, end pin, fine tuners, and strings are of good quality. She did not like the Krausch bow however, she said that it was too floppy for her taste. Other than the bow, she said that it is a very good deal and although she had never heard of StringWorks she will be checking out the site. His private tutor is a cellist with the city symphony. She said it was well setup, played easily, and that there was nothing locally that compares to the Soloist in that price range, and that the closest in tone and playability was a $3,500 instrument (plus tax) that was a little better in her opinion. (She had been checking out instruments for a couple of her other students the week before) She also said that it is a very good instrument for that price. Bottom line is that at this price point, there is nothing we can find locally that compares to the Soloist in looks and sound, even taking into account the cost of shipping. The instrument is not perfect, there are a few cloudy spots in the finish, the fingerboard was inked or stained and not wiped completely clean, and there was a small gouge in the back, (That Erik agreed to discount the price for) but then again we are looking at a $2,000 instrument, not a $24,000 master crafted Italian cello (That was perfectly made and sounded really good). So I think that the Soloist is a great value and we will not be sending it back....." - S.K.

"You know I had no doubts that you were a reputable company, but the big risk was to buy (my Soloist cello) sound unheard.  I felt nervous because I wasn't even sure I knew what you meant when you described "bright", "dark" "open" "clean".   The most astonishing thing is how you managed to get me a perfect match.  Apart from your absolutely wonderful customer service - I've never experienced anything like it in all my life - your ability to match a client with a cello is uncanny. She's so much better than anything I tried out here.  My teacher came and played it and she said exactly what you said about it: open, clean sound, balanced over the strings, easy to play.  She also says it has lots of colors.  She's says it's got a strong voice but not overwhelming  THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!" - K.V.  -   for a colorful account of this cello 'saga', click here