glebert

Perhaps not helpful, but can Sterno (jellied denatured alcohol) be substituted for an alcohol lamp?

Why would it have to be in the middle? It seems to me the tailpiece-side face (in compression) is the weak spot, and adding a layer of wood on that side with the grain parallel to the compression might help.

With the size/location of f-holes is this possibly a cut-down?

And in keeping with our work ethic, the scroll fluting stopped at 4 o'clock and went out for watered down beer at a chain restaurant!

I would call up the best violin shops that are within a distance you'd be willing to drive and ask if they do consignment sales. Maybe they can give a rough value that they think it might sell at from pictures, but they will need to have it in hand to really get to a price. If you are willing to travel a bit further try to get into the biggest market you can.

I'm not a professor or a maker, but did start my engineering career doing resonant cavity filters on satellites. My opinion can therefore be taken with a pound of salt, or dismissed altogether, but this explanation to me has never jibed with the fact that wolf notes (at least on cellos) can often be killed by dampening the afterlength of the strings. Maybe I should say the explanation seems incomplete as to how that body resonance interacts with the tailgut, tailpiece, and afterlength of strings. Body resonance alone does not seem to me to be a sufficient answer. To the OP, to me it seems like a neck resonance is going to be dampened by gripping the neck, if nothing else.

This reminds me of the "cellos in the swimming pool" art installation a while back. https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/cellos-in-swimming-pool/

IIRC Stringworks used to have a replica of The King cello (made by someone with access to the original) in their brick-and-mortar store when they were in Wisconsin, don't know if they have any info they would give out on it or if it is at their current location in Illinois.

With Manistee's history of shipbuilding, I would have to assume their cellos and basses are better than their violins.

I have liked every Eastman instrument I've played, but it really doesn't sound like it is going to be much of an upgrade from what you already have. Why are you considering the Eastman? Is your current cello is in the shop all the time for maintenance and repairs?

Kind of off topic, but how long could it take to make a new bridge for a violin? I would be surprised that it takes so long that you would need a loaner or rental. I am not a luthier and I could do a cello bridge "while you wait." Even if a shop has a queue it would seem smart to have some time allocated just for basic setup jobs.

[inside joke]..and while you are there please get some pictures of his dustbin. Better yet, raid it and put the contents up on Ebay as an "attic find" [/inside joke]

David Burgess, David Gusset, and Davide Sora, are you sure this wasn't the museum of guys named Dave (who make violas)?

In that case (sorry for the pun) I would be looking at a good gig bag or a semi-rigid foam case. Sorry to hear about the physical limitations, but I hope cello works out well for you. I love playing cello, even though I am not very good at it.

If this is a cello you will be selling when it is finished I would leave it up to the buyer to pick a case. If the cello is going to be lent out on trial (or shipped on trial) then that may change the equation.