Wood feature in cello top: Problem or not?

[esvendsen]

A local luthier is closing down, and has offered me an instrument with a very decent discount. It is a brand new cello built by the Hungarian master builder Péteri Károly in 2014. The instrument sounds really nice, but it has this "artifact" on the top:

https://i.imgur.com/OgdMddD.jpg

On the instrument, it is located here:

https://i.imgur.com/Qj94RsY.jpg?1

Does anyone have an opinion on wether or not this is, or can become, a problem?

Thank you in advance for your opinion in this matter!

[Dwight Brown]

It looks like a very small pitch pocket.  I will go out on a limb and say it is a non-issue.  The Messiah Stradivari has one next to the fingerboard on the treble side that is much worse than this.  Stradivari had to patch it.

 

DLB

 

(I will now probably get my ears pinned back)

[Don Noon]

I agree... it's a pitch pocket, and the only problem (if any) is the appearance.

[James M. Jones]

The Messia has one in the upper treble bout. 

3 hours ago, Dwight Brown said:

It looks like a very small pitch pocket.  I will go out on a limb and say it is a non-issue.  The Messiah Stradivari has one next to the fingerboard on the treble side that is much worse than this.  Stradivari had to patch it.

 

DLB

 

(I will now probably get my ears pinned back)

Yup, not a problem, in fact .....helps give a little uniqueness to it I dare say.

[esvendsen]

Thank you all for your replies! I really appreciate it, and it helps me decide wether or not I should purchase the instrument :-)

[edi malinaric]

Hi - interesting bit of "scoliosis" in the upper bout. I'd like to play it and see if it makes any difference when fiddling in the upper registers.

On pitch pockets...

I've watched a maker's reaction as a pitch pocket emerged under his chisel. First the disbelief - "the wood was rated AAA - this can't be possible", then the hope - "maybe it'll chisel away" and finally the resignation, the search for the offcuts from the plate, wielding of a V-shaped chisel - once through the pitch pocket and many, many times in the offcuts - fighting off the steadily rising desperation of ever getting a perfect match - until TARA - Taraaah - an invisible repair.

Then finally the utter disappointment and eternal frustration of never being able to point it out to anyone.

Perfection extracts an excessively high price at times.

 cheers edi

[jacobsaunders]

If you were haggling with the Hungarian or Rumanian maker of the Cello directly, you would be able to successfully demand a discount. Otherwise it doesn't make much difference

[edi malinaric]

21 minutes ago, jacobsaunders said:

If you were haggling with the Hungarian or Rumanian maker of the Cello directly, you would be able to successfully demand a discount. Otherwise it doesn't make much difference

Mmm - In that part of the world I would place money on being persuaded that you should happy not to have been asked to pay more for that special feature. ;-)

cheers edi