Advice on recently restored cellos

[maxocello]

Hello! I was wondering if I could get some advice on the following: I’ve been trying and thinking of buying this English cello that was recently restored—soundpost crack patch and new bass bar—and I’ve been pondering on how the instrument’s sound will change/or if in your experience it doesn’t particularly go through a period of change. My first thought was that after these big changes and adding new wood to the instrument, it might take a while for them to “break in”. Please let me know your thoughts! 

[baroquecello]

When I had a cello extensively restored (New top block, bass bar, sound post Patch in the back) it didn't take long for the instrument to settle. I'd guess it depends on many factors.

[Mark Caudle]

I think it takes about a day for the loose bits - soundpost, bridge, strings etc to bed in but the parts that are glued in should be good from the start.

[David Burgess]

Yes, the cello will probably change. How much and over what period of time is anybody's guess.

[maxocello]

@baroquecello thanks for that! Are there some specific things about the sound that changed in the days following when you got the cello back? Trying to figure out if the upper register will improve in a few days as the bass bar breaks in or perhaps the sound post is a bit too tight(or both!): thanks for the advice 

[Randall The Restorer]

22 hours ago, maxocello said:

Hello! I was wondering if I could get some advice on the following: I’ve been trying and thinking of buying this English cello that was recently restored—soundpost crack patch and new bass bar—and I’ve been pondering on how the instrument’s sound will change/or if in your experience it doesn’t particularly go through a period of change. My first thought was that after these big changes and adding new wood to the instrument, it might take a while for them to “break in”. Please let me know your thoughts! 

The relative humidity in the luthier’s workshop may have been different from the RH of pre and post repair locations.

Try to establish optimal RH in the instrument’s usual location then give the wood time to acclimatize.

Regards,

Randy

[baroquecello]

I picked the cello up about two weeks after it was restrung, as the lutier doing the work was 500 km from my hometown. We did a bit of sound post fiddling around, and that was that. It sounded great from the start and didn't need any extra changing of sound posts since. It has its occasional season related post position change but nothing like a new Cello needs.