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baroquecello

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Posts posted by baroquecello

  1. The Rib corners look like a built on the back construction method. I'm wondering if the cello has been revarnished as the box shows several dark spots, possibly traces of darker varnish. I find the scroll looks unusually tidy and has no dark spots, so it might not originally belong to the cello. My working theory is that the neck was damaged and replaced, because of the small surface left for the neck construction in BOB instruments, a small top block was installed. The repairman found it easier to revarnish the whole thing than to varnish the scroll similarly to the body. Probably Markneukirchen/Bohemia, 1875 could be right

  2. Looking for old tools at flee markets has become a little bit of an obsession for me lately. I'm having a lot of fun trying to refurbish old chisels and gouges. However, working with stones manually is quite labor intensive, time consuming and hard on the hands, so I've decided I want to get a wet grinder. The best known brand is ofcourse Tormek, and if I get one of those, I'd get the T8 (250MM stone). However, to me 700 Euros for a machine that is essentially just a motor turning a stone in a bath seems a little much, and I'm wondering if any of the cheaper alternatives like GüdeReckordTriton or even the super cheap Scheppach are any good. Does anyone here have any experence with these wet grinders?

  3. Ken, the best budget strings for cello are Larsen Aurora. These are pretty new kids on the block (I suspect the other posters don't kno them yet) and, at around 100 Euros by far have the best price/quality ratio. Practicaly all my students (I'm a cello teacher) that replace strings with these experience a big improvement.

  4. This damage is caused by knock-off Sacconi style tail cords, because they stretch too much while adhering to the surface of the saddle* too much. Replace the cord with an akustikus steel cord, or a kevlar cord.

    Why can't you just glue the saddle* back on? It looks like a clean break...

    *thanks Brad, for the correction

  5. I'm only an amateur, but what you have to me seems a cello from Saxonia, from the Markneukirchen - Kirchbach (nowadays Luby) region. It was likely made at the end of the 19th century or the very early 20th century, as a so called "trade-cello", much like todays student instruments. The general workmanship lik the skewed scroll point in that direction. In particular the length or the rib corner (going almost all the way into the plate corners) and the fact that the ribs were joined with corner blocks (visible in these pictures because of the crack that goes all the way into the rib corner and doesn't halt before where the corner block would be), all point to the way of constructing which is colloquiallly called "BOB (built on the back), which was traditional in that region. The cello would, in a good state of repair, not be worth a lot, depending on the sound somewhere around 2~3000 Euros. In this state, it requiring quite some repairs, it is not very valueable at all. Probably getting everything fixed will cost about as much as the cello is worth, or maybe a little more. If you like the sound and the way it plays, then it may be worth it to get it repaired (But be aware that it will likely change a little or quite some, once the snstantial cracks are repaired). If you are a maker with time on your hands, it may also be worth it, but otherwise not really.

  6. I'm replieing in the capacity of an amateur, hoping professionals will chime in. The photos are not sufficiently good to be able to say anything with certainty. One would need better quality photos, and photos of the scroll throat, and rib corners. But based on these vague pictures, I'd say the cello was revarnished or at least overcoated at some point. The photo of the ribs shows the strange stripy texture of the shiny varnish. Also things like the filled old end pin hole, the bridge feet areas and the seams look as if they've absorbed too much of a varnishing. It looks to me like a cello that could have been produced in the 19th century in Markneukirchen or Schönbach (now Luby). It could be older, but the state in which it is makes it hard to say anything decisive. Someone in the 70ies or 80ies added new pegs of the Patentwirbel type. I see sound post cracks in the top and back, and something like a bass bar crack. All in all, I think the cello isn't worth much, and restoration costs will vastly outsize its value.

  7. 3 hours ago, GoPractice said:

    This is a very friendly strategy for the manufacturer.

    Synthetic bows do not break at the same rate as wooden bows. When a manufactured model starts to fail, the whole series will be done in x range of years given temps and humidity. But for the short term they destruct less.

    I am whole heartedly interested in synthetics. If I could figure out a way to mineralize and texture a nylon thread to become the new bow hair, I would. If I could make epoxy porous, I would. But the back yard experiments have produced gunk.

    Manufacturers measure risk, and that is important to their survival. They are trying and however grateful I might be, get the upgrade path in writing.

    I'm not sure what you are getting at here. Arcus gives you a 30 year warranty. The upgrade option is very attractive and makes buying an Arcus bow more attractive than other CF-bows, because other manufacturers do not give such upgrade options. It really turns upgrading into something relatively cheap. Sure, it is a marketing strategy, but anyone selling has one, so I don't get what the problem is with this one. Your last sentence seems to insinuate that the maker may discontinue this offer at a whim. That is ofcourse possible, I guess. BTW I just tried to find the trade-in option, but cannot seem to find it on the website any longer.

  8. I'm not a fan, but I have to say I'm not all negative. If they are optimally installed, they work ok. Mostly they are too tight and very difficult to turn, but at least they dont slip. And I've never seen a pegbox crack on pegboxes with such pegs installed. In many cases, they are original to the instrument. While I would never get them installed, I don't think I'd get them replaced unless there was a big problem with them.

  9. German democratic republic is the former name for communist ruled eastern Germany. It existed from 1949-1990, so the cello was made in that period. That is all that can be said fro this picture (unless one knows the Eberle factory, which I don't). The price is very low, wether or not it is good enough for your son is something his teacher should be able to answer. Even well made instruments can be terrible to play, so never buy before you try.

  10. I think you likely are used to a Cello with thick plates and a thick bridge made out of bad wood, likely with a heavy tail piece with screwed on fine tuners. Such cellos don't really respond  at all, therefore you can't really do anything  wrong, because you can't do anything right either. Violin players don't know what I'm  talking  about, because the equivalent doesn't really exist. What your new Cello needs of you, is that you let it show you what it needs in order to sound good. Your bow has one central point that is important  for producing the sound (whee hair and string meet), and everything  else needs to be adjusted so that that point is optimally served. If everything in your bow arm is optimally adjusted,  you will be rewarded with good sound. From 17 years of experience  in teaching  the cello professionally I know from a distance exactly what you are doing wrong, but also know it will be very hard for you to grasp, especially  without someone there helping you. I'll make an attempt as soon as I have a keyboard at my disposal. Right now I'm  typing  on a smartphone....

  11. 12 hours ago, Michael Richwine said:

    Even in Kansas City MO, USA, there is a Baroque performing group, and an acquaintance of mine has a few period baroque instruments. He brings his period viola da Gamba to our Irish sessions, so several of us have a pretty good idea what it does sound like, i.e. thin and buzzy, to be brief. 

    This discussion has got me curious. I may just bring in a sample from a Chinese supplier to see how well it's accepted.

    ChinBaroque.jpg

    My partner is a professional baroque violin player. She mainly plays a Yitamusic t-20 baroque violin that we bought more or less for fun 12 years ago or so. After getting it professionally set up, we were astonished that it turned out to outperform most other baroque  violins in much higher price classes, including the old transitional german she was playing at the time. Last month, it performed a brandenburg concerto in the Elbphilharmonie and sounded every bit as good as good as the Testore copy by Hargrave, that her colleague was playing. She has another  one, which is not equally good, but decent nonetheless. It is strung so that it can be used at a=466, which it does well.

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