Bridge - custom or out-of-the-box

[Karen B.]

Hello All,

I am returning to the cello, after about thirty-five years of ignoring my beautiful-but-impossible-to-tune instrument.  It is a wonderful cello, but the pegs slip and are difficult to turn, and this is basically why I was discouraged and stopped playing.  Should I find a luthier to work on the pegs?  Is this done? I live in the West Palm Beach area, and would appreciate local recommendations.

Also, my bridge is warped, beyond repair, and I don't remember if I need a bridge custom cut, or if I can order one on Amazon, and play it -out-of-the-box.

Please advise, as I am on a tight budget, but would love to begin playing again.

Thank you!

Karen

[Mike Spencer]

If you want to play then you can either get this repaired by a luthier or rent something. A new bridge will need to be cut to fit your instrument.

[deans]

Take it to a luthier for all work.  You probably will also need other adjustments that you don't see right now. As mike said, new bridges need to be fitted.

Perhaps your bridge is savable too. Warped bridges can be straightened by steaming them. Maybe not ideal, but it works surprisingly well and can save a couple hundred bucks and get you back in action long enough to make your next move.

 

[Jeff Jetson]

Greetings to Karen and welcome to Maestronet. What condition is your cello bow in? Maybe that needs some attention and to be rehaired while your cello is getting a tune-up. 

[FoxMitchell]

You might want to look into getting geared pegs for your cello since you're having the pegs serviced. It will make you forget tuning problems are a thing!  

[FiddleDoug]

ALL bridges need to be fitted. They come as blanks. You definitely need to find yourself a good luthier. After 35 years, everything should be checked out. Between a new bridge, peg work, new strings, and any other tweaks, you may be looking at $200+. 

[deans]

37 minutes ago, FiddleDoug said:

ALL bridges need to be fitted. They come as blanks. You definitely need to find yourself a good luthier. After 35 years, everything should be checked out. Between a new bridge, peg work, new strings, and any other tweaks, you may be looking at $200+. 

$200? It costs me that much just to park in front of the violin shop.......

[Alma]

1 hour ago, FiddleDoug said:

ALL bridges need to be fitted. They come as blanks. You definitely need to find yourself a good luthier. After 35 years, everything should be checked out. Between a new bridge, peg work, new strings, and any other tweaks, you may be looking at $200+. 

Where have you been all my life, FiddleDoug? I could spend  $1200 on all that without "other tweaks."

[FiddleDoug]

I really don't work on cellos, so I just threw out a guess, to warn the OP(she did say that she was on a tight budget) that it wasn't going to be cheap. Student grade bridge, student grade strings, lube the pegs. A minimum to get it up and playing.

[Eryri]

Some options....

Various suppliers - Aubert, Teller etc do bridges with feet that are on pivots, so they swivel and fit the front. They're also available in different heights, and are to some extent trimmed, have an ok top curve, and are thicknessed and "finished" something like a luthier fitted bridge. No, they're not as good, but are ok.

If you google there are pictures.

One the right height would be ok to fit yourself - should be between the inner nicks of the f holes, and in line with the fingerboard if you sight down it like a gun barrel. You could measure the height of your warped bridge, and order accordingly.

Pegs...depends if they fit. If they do, dry soap, then graphite, then blackboard chalk will work. If they don't fit - feel as if your turning an egg shaped shaft in an egg shaped hole, or when removed the shiny surface where they've borne on the pegbox is uneven as if they're not round, then lubrication as above won't work.

If you can afford it, mechanical pegs will solve all your problems.

If you lubricate the pegs, do it one peg at a time, as removing all pegs and de/tensioning strings or de-stringing the instrument will very possibly allow the soundpost to fall over with the removal of pressure on the table.

If you can find a friendly luthier, you might explain that you don't have much cash, and would it be possible to bring it in, maybe at a quiet time, and have him do as much prioritised work as he can for, I don't know, $100? We luthiers are a soft touch and susceptible to a heartstring tugging story...I myself have fallen for this one on numerous occasions! No seriously, it is good business sense too - I have several long term customers I first met with jobs like this...