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Piece of junk! Arrived with a broken part. Cheap wood, paint all scratched! Looked like a kid made the thing. My son didn't even take the rest out of the box. I get it that it is cheap but this was definitely NOT worth what was paid for it. Save your money and time to send it back.

Piece of junk! Arrived with a broken part. Cheap wood, paint all scratched! Looked like a kid made the thing. My son didn't even take the rest out of the box. I get it that it is cheap but this was definitely NOT worth what was paid for it. Save your money and time to send it back.

Tuning pegs backwards, bow is a viola bow, not a cello bow; doesn't have a proper quarter inch input for a normal cable. Initial strings very poor quality.

Tuning pegs backwards, bow is a viola bow, not a cello bow; doesn't have a proper quarter inch input for a normal cable. Initial strings very poor quality.

I live in an apartment and got this piece to aid in practicing. I am an experienced cellist. I highly recommend this as a fabulous addition to your instrument collection.Here are some things I recommend to any buyers... first off, don't expect to play the same day it arrives. Be patient and your instrument will reward you.1. Have someone handy carefully oil and maneuver the fine tuners with the strings off.2. re-string the instrument. Mine came with the wrong strings on the corresponding pegs. Obviously it wasn't meant for ready play right out of the box. This is a manufactured item but you need to treat it like a crafted item to get the most out of it. I allowed mine to rest for almost two days, slowly tightening/tuning the strings. I debated purchasing new strings but I'm glad I didn't. See my explanation below. **Putting the bridge up was no problem.3. oil and tighten all the movable parts (support pull outs). Eventually you will want to re-do the screws and washers. This is definitely the part of the instrument that will wear out over time and excessive use. Keep a little screwdriver in the case as they do need tightening from time to time.4. ROSIN that bow! And use a GOOD rosin. It doesn't seem to matter much that the strings and bow hair are cheap, but decent rosin makes a huge difference. If you spend less than $10 online for your rosin you probably are not spending enough. It will be closer to $20 retail. I recommend JADE. And drown your bow in it. The test, run your nail across the base of the strings (by the frog) after applying rosin. You should see a sizeable white cloud float off your bow. Remember not to touch the hair of your bow or the playable area of your strings. The oil from your hands will deteriorate both over time. Use a soft dry cloth to remove rosin build up from strings between practice sessions.5. Invest in headphones. Lets face it, you saved money by going with the Cecilio versus Yamaha models. You can afford to put a little extra into some phones. I spent as much on phones and a small amp as I did on my electric cello. What a joy to listen to though, it's worth making it happen.My experience is that the strings and bow don't have a huge impact on the sound as they would on an acoustic cello. That is actually great news. You get a lot more sound quality and freedom from settings on your amp. Additionally, bow pressure & technique is also not as important. Another nice benefit. The tonality is consistent all the way up the neck. Not always so and not always easy on an acoustic. I feel this is a GREAT option for an intermediate player for this reason. Or someone who wants to play and doesn't have the luxury of honing their skill with hours of practice. The electric is VERY forgiving. :) ** Not a great practice option for someone looking to improve on technique as it really will not have the same requirements. You will think you're much improved... and then go back to your acoustic and be disappointed.I used the electric in the studio recently for some scratch tracks and it was perfect! We did use a much more quality cord for recording and it extended further out the back due to the adapter. During that session I damaged the box on the back. (stepped on a cord and bent the inside... be careful you don't do the same when using adapters) I called cecilio and I was able to get a replacement box for only $25. I'm not sure how difficult it was to install as my husband is quite handy. I believe he had to solder in order to install the replacement.All in all, I'm very please with this item and because it's my secondary, very glad I chose it over higher priced cellos. It is definitely sufficient. I've used mine for practice, performance through a PA system, and in the studio.

I live in an apartment and got this piece to aid in practicing. I am an experienced cellist. I highly recommend this as a fabulous addition to your instrument collection.Here are some things I recommend to any buyers... first off, don't expect to play the same day it arrives. Be patient and your instrument will reward you.1. Have someone handy carefully oil and maneuver the fine tuners with the strings off.2. re-string the instrument. Mine came with the wrong strings on the corresponding pegs. Obviously it wasn't meant for ready play right out of the box. This is a manufactured item but you need to treat it like a crafted item to get the most out of it. I allowed mine to rest for almost two days, slowly tightening/tuning the strings. I debated purchasing new strings but I'm glad I didn't. See my explanation below. **Putting the bridge up was no problem.3. oil and tighten all the movable parts (support pull outs). Eventually you will want to re-do the screws and washers. This is definitely the part of the instrument that will wear out over time and excessive use. Keep a little screwdriver in the case as they do need tightening from time to time.4. ROSIN that bow! And use a GOOD rosin. It doesn't seem to matter much that the strings and bow hair are cheap, but decent rosin makes a huge difference. If you spend less than $10 online for your rosin you probably are not spending enough. It will be closer to $20 retail. I recommend JADE. And drown your bow in it. The test, run your nail across the base of the strings (by the frog) after applying rosin. You should see a sizeable white cloud float off your bow. Remember not to touch the hair of your bow or the playable area of your strings. The oil from your hands will deteriorate both over time. Use a soft dry cloth to remove rosin build up from strings between practice sessions.5. Invest in headphones. Lets face it, you saved money by going with the Cecilio versus Yamaha models. You can afford to put a little extra into some phones. I spent as much on phones and a small amp as I did on my electric cello. What a joy to listen to though, it's worth making it happen.My experience is that the strings and bow don't have a huge impact on the sound as they would on an acoustic cello. That is actually great news. You get a lot more sound quality and freedom from settings on your amp. Additionally, bow pressure & technique is also not as important. Another nice benefit. The tonality is consistent all the way up the neck. Not always so and not always easy on an acoustic. I feel this is a GREAT option for an intermediate player for this reason. Or someone who wants to play and doesn't have the luxury of honing their skill with hours of practice. The electric is VERY forgiving. :) ** Not a great practice option for someone looking to improve on technique as it really will not have the same requirements. You will think you're much improved... and then go back to your acoustic and be disappointed.I used the electric in the studio recently for some scratch tracks and it was perfect! We did use a much more quality cord for recording and it extended further out the back due to the adapter. During that session I damaged the box on the back. (stepped on a cord and bent the inside... be careful you don't do the same when using adapters) I called cecilio and I was able to get a replacement box for only $25. I'm not sure how difficult it was to install as my husband is quite handy. I believe he had to solder in order to install the replacement.All in all, I'm very please with this item and because it's my secondary, very glad I chose it over higher priced cellos. It is definitely sufficient. I've used mine for practice, performance through a PA system, and in the studio.