Cecilio CCO-500 Ebony Fitted Flamed Solid Wood Cello with Hard & Soft Case, Stand, Bow, Rosin, Bridge and Extra Set of Strings, Size 3/4

I knew the limitations and potential flaws of an instrument claiming these features at this price point, and since I had some experience tinkering with violins to adjust sound and make small modifications, I considered this a good value instrument for the price. I had no idea how to play the cello and wanted to learn, so I considered this a very entry level instrument to make sounds on and see if it was something I'd be interested in pursuing going forward. Those who aren't as handy should know that in order to get the most out of this, you'll need to take it to an experienced luthier, who will need to adjust several aspects of your cello. So, without further ado, let's get to the meat of the matter. br>br>Finish: br>br> As a next step, this does not claim to be hand rubbed oil CCO- Even though the 600 model claims to be an oil varnish, it isn't. The instrument will have a polyurethane finish that is clear or slightly tinted. An oil varnish will have a scent of pine resin even after it has fully cured, whereas a spirit varnish will not layer as thickly as what you'll find on this instrument. On the neck joints, you can clearly see spray and tape patterns, and the top coat has a poly finish thickness to it. It's not bad, but it's not great either; there will almost certainly be bubble marks and some warping where the finish was rushed. br>br>"Flamed Maple" is a term used to describe a type of maple tree that has a flaming appearance. As a result, this was probably the cello's biggest flaw. I honestly hoped there was no "flame" on the instrument's back plate or ribs because it was almost certainly a fake. Brushing on tea stain in a flamed pattern creates the effect of a flame. If a lot of time and effort is put into matching the characteristics of a flamed maple piece of wood, this can look very realistic. The grain characteristics of maple are exposed when the wood is cut in a specific way, which results in the natural flamed effect. Rather than purchasing a bulk side of meat that hasn't been cut, consider cutting a steak to reveal the fat marbled through the muscle. This characteristic is not present in all maple, and it is not present in the natural wood of this cello's back and ribs. The effect is ruined by the fact that it is a factory instrument with too much tea stain applied to certain parts, giving it a tiger stripe effect instead of a deep flame luminescence. You can see how the wood was cut and shaped through the F holes of the instrument with a flashlight, which is matched on the back plate but doctored to look different. If this is an important feature for you, don't buy it because you'll have to gamble on whether the worker was skilled enough to apply the coloring convincingly. br>br>Fittings: br>br>Fittings: br>br>Fittings: These all appear to be solid ebony; I couldn't find any indications that they were low-grade wood, and since ebony isn't a completely black wood, it's dyed to some extent. The important thing is that it lives up to its claims on the label, and you get what you pay for. When not secured in the peg hole, the pegs are not well shaved and have a roll to them. You can fix it yourself if you know how to use a peg shaver and a reamer. I have no objections because I intend to install geared pegs in this area. br>br>Features that have an impact on the sound: The sound post does not follow the contours of the instrument very well. Because sound posts are the devil and I have terrible luck getting them set right, I may need to take this in to have a new one fitted. The bridge is a basic stock blank that appears to have been carved with a jig; I'll have to do some sanding, carving, and filing to get the string height and thickness just right. The nut is a little high, so it will need to be filed down a little to get the string height at the head of the neck right. br>br>Sound: I'm unable to comment on this at this time due to my complete lack of skill on the instrument, as well as the fact that some of the previous issues affecting the sound have yet to be addressed. If that makes sense, I'd describe the sound as having a very sharp characteristic. For a guitarist, it's similar to the difference between listening to solid state versus tube distortion. In the higher frequencies of the overtones, there appears to be an edge to the solid state. Many cello recordings that I consider to have a warm sounding tone seem to have characteristics that are present more in the mid range of the frequency spectrum, which reduces the sharpness. If you haven't played with a guitar before, listen to something with the treble cranked all the way up and then back it off to about the mid to third position to get a sense of what this sounds like to me. I believe the strings, in combination with the density of the bridge and tailpiece, are turning up the volume on the higher frequency overtones (spinal tap). br>br>When I've finished making the changes and figured out how to play this thing, I'll update this review with a sound section. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope it has aided you in making your decision.

Kamilah Gross

| Mar 25, 2021

This is an examination of the CCO- I got 600, but I got both the CCO- and the CCO- CCO-500 and CCO-500 (returned) 600 I'll include a comparison of the two, as I couldn't find any when I was looking through reviews for these instruments. br>br>As retirees, we bought the Cecilio CCO- My wife, who is learning to play the cello, will receive 600 dollars. It's a lovely instrument, both in appearance and sound. We started with a CCO-100. There were 500 people in the group, some of whom were not members of the group. Due to shipping damage, I decided to buy the 600 after speaking with KKMusic (who offered to replace the 500 with another). The 500 was also lovely and sounded great to our ears, but the 600 had a richer sound with more projection - From a short distance away, I could feel the vibrations of the C string in my body. KKMusic provided prompt and friendly customer service. br>br>Both the 500 and 600 were examined and played by a cello teacher. While he was impressed by CCO, he was less so with the rest of the group. He paid $500 for the item and thought it was beautifully made, according to the CCO- In comparison, the 600 was far superior, with the 500 being referred to as a "student cello. " The top, sides, and bottom of the 500 have a shiny heavy finish that looks nice, and the wood used for the top, sides, and bottom is beautiful. The "flaming" is painted with tea stain, which is different from the real flaming on the 600, but it looks great. The cello had a rich, deep tone. br>br>The wood used in the 600 was clearly hand-picked, with close graining in the center and wider grains on the sides. The flaming on the maple sides and backs (real flaming where you can see the shift from dark to light to dark when you move the instrument in the light) is stunning, and the oil finish adds nothing to the instrument's beauty. br>br>Minor imperfections were present on both cellos as a result of hand carving and possibly post-production handling - On the 600, a sliver of one of the bout's corners has been glued back on, but you'll have to look closely to see it. We returned the 500 because it had a deep 3 1/2" scratch and a bridge that was cut a little too short. Both cellos had the bridge down and were tied to the neck with a ribbon, as stated in the item listing. After watching a video by Linda West (-), I found them to be simple to put together. There's a video as well as step-by-step instructions. On the page are step-by-step photos and descriptions. The sounding pegs on both cellos were in place and upright. br>br>Both cellos, one shipped via USPS and the other via UPS, arrived in perfect condition. The packing process appears to have some inconsistencies: The CCO- Only a few wadded up heavy plastic wads and nothing else were available to pack 500. In the hard (cardboard?) case with the cello, there was no additional protection, and the bow was in one of the case's bow holders. The CCO- The box was lined with 1/2" thick styrofoam, followed by a mixture of bubble wrap and air pillows, according to 600. The cello was protected by more bubble wrap inside the fiberglass case, which was encased in its own sleeve. The cello bow was wrapped separately in bubble wrap and placed outside the case in a box. br>br>We did spend $20 at a music store to have the 600's bridge footing sanded and fitted properly because it didn't fit completely flat to the cello's body. I figured it was worth it to hire a pro for $20. br>br>Once I set it up, the bridge footing on the 500 fit perfectly. I'm guessing the 600 didn't go through the full set-up procedure. Cecilio's California office will finish the process before sending it out. The nuts that held the fine tuners to the bridge were loose, and the cello's strings appeared to be strung in a haphazard manner. So they don't cross themselves in the pegbox, I have to unwind and rewind. The strings on the 500 were perfectly wound, and the fine tuner was securely fastened to the tailpiece. These were minor issues that were easily resolved. br>br>I recommend buying the cello from Amazon because you won't be charged anything if you return it (at least if you use Prime). Cello returns are $69 plus return postage, according to KKMusic's website. There are a few more knick-knacks on the KKMusic website. You might want to look at both sites because the price of CCO-Knicks is the same. 600 is now $999 on Amazon. 99 dollars, and $899 dollars on KKMusic. 99 - I paid this price a few days ago on Amazon. br>br>The fiberglass (or ABS) case that came with my 600 had a built-in handle on the head of the case for hauling around if the case was being dragged by the wheels. This handle is visible in the Cecilio video, but not in the images on Amazon or KKMusic. My 5' 3" wife finds it difficult to lift the case into and out of the car because it is quite heavy. br>br>The 500's hard case is made of heavy cardboard with a plush red interior and is covered in simulated leather vinyl. Both the 600 and 500 hard cases appear to be made of the same interior material. br>br>When speaking with KKMusic's Customer Service (which is Cecilio's distribution arm), After checking with someone else, the rep told me that the wood used in the Cecilio cellos was aged between three and five years. The wood is said to be at least 7 years old in the 600 description, so her information could have been for models below that. Even after speaking with a supervisor for 20 minutes, no one was able to provide me with a definitive answer. The 600 certainly uses a better grade of wood all around, but there is no way to tell actual aging of wood used in any instrument. She offered to contact the people who would know, but that would still be someone's word; the 600 certainly uses a better grade of wood all around, but there is no way to tell actual aging of wood used in any instrument. The fit and finish of the 600 we received exceeded our expectations - I walked over the instrument inch by inch. inch, with the help of a magnifying glass on occasion. br>br>I believe either cello would suffice for a beginning student. I chose the step-by-step method. So that we wouldn't have to look for something better in a few years, we built it up.

Weston Walter

| Feb 25, 2021

Horrible! PLEASE READ PRIOR TO PURCHASE. If you take this cello to a luthier (a professional stringed instrument repairè), they will tell you that it is MESSED UP. Because it was manufactured in a factory, it is all warped. You can't see it, but it's there once you take it to a music store and have it measured. The sound post falls over because it's the wrong size, there are scratches all over because it's a hunk of linoleum, and the neck doesn't fit properly. This was a terrible purchase; I ignored the reviews, which was a mistake; please proceed with caution when reading this. Make sure you don't make the same blunder that I did. However, after I returned it, I received a complete refund.

Gabriella Maxwell

| Oct 26, 2021