At Ackerman Music we believe in offering you the best quality instruments at affordable prices. We carry a wide range of cellos from student to top of the range including a selection of top brand cellos from Hidersine, Paesold, Stentor, Zeller.
We have fully equipped workshops which enable us to inspect, setup and repair all string instruments. We employ qualified string technicians and all our cellos are checked through our workshop prior to sale to ensure you receive a cello that is properly setup and ready to play. Our setup and inspection service includes fitting the bridge, inspection and correction, if required, of the top nut and fingerboard. The soundpost is cut and shaped to match the top and back of each individual cello and placed in the optimal position for good tone. We ensure that pegs are correctly fitted and turn evenly to allow stable tuning. We also adjust and correctly fit the tailpiece and the endpin.
Let’s have a closer look at the history of the cello and some of the brands we carry.
History and Construction.
The cello is an established orchestral instrument with a long and fascinating history. When starting to learn an instrument it’s often easy to overlook the fact that it has been developed and played over centuries long before we picked it up. The violin family, including the cello, was first developed in the 1500s. Andrea Amati is primarily credited with the first designs, but it was Antonio Stradivari who developed the cello as we know it today. During the 17th and 18th century the cello became known as a solo instrument. The first major work written for cello was Bach’s six Suites.
Typically made from carved woods a traditional cello has a spruce top and maple back, sides and neck. Other woods can be used for the back and sides including poplar and willow. Fingerboard and pegs are usually made from ebony, but other woods can be used here too. We often see rosewood or boxwood pegs used on cellos. A standard sized cello is referred to as a ‘full-size’ or 4/4 model. Smaller sizes from ¾ down to 1/16 are available for the smaller, younger player.
The cello has warm tones that match the human voice and enjoys a large solo repertoire. Tuned in fifths, an octave below the viola, the cello is most associated with European classical music but also has a place in many modern popular music genres.
Brands
The brands we carry at Ackerman Music have long histories of musical instrument manufacturing.
Stentor
Stentor has been known to orchestral stringed instrument players and teachers for more than 100 years. In 1895, Edward Chapman Doughty, a Professor of Music and composer, decided to form his own company. A range of violins was imported and sold under the Stentor name. Stentor Music Co. Ltd. was formed in the early 1960’s by Michael Chapman Doughty and members of his family and has grown from very small beginnings to become the premier wholesale distributor of acoustic musical instruments in Britain. Since the 1960s, more than one million young musicians have begun their musical careers with a Stentor instrument. Many of these same violinists and string players are now to be found in major orchestras and the teaching profession throughout the world. The Company has always specialised in stringed instruments of all kinds with an emphasis on educational instruments.
Zeller
Andreas Zeller cellos stand out as excellent value European-made student cellos. Made in Romania to Stentor specifications using good quality tonewoods and a high standard of finish and fittings. They are ideal for student players and are available in a range of sizes and are recommended by many teachers who prefer a European-made instrument. The Zeller range has been developed over many years to meet the need for a good European-made student outfit, at a moderate price.
Hidersine
During late 1890 Francis Hirt chose to study the Double Bass and subsequently developed and manufactured his own Double Bass Rosin. This new Hider rosin was designed to be an improvement on the predominantly German rosins available at the time. The company stayed in the Hirt family’s ownership until 1987, when it was bought by Barnes & Mullins Ltd, a musical instrument manufacturer and distributor founded in 1895 in London. Developed by Barnes and Mullins, Hidersine bowed instruments draw upon their years of working with instrument luthiers, learning what is required by players at each level of development and include the Vivente, Piacenza, Preciso and Veracini ranges. These models also led them to develop the Hidersine Reserve range of one-off instruments for the connoisseur. Hand selected cellos from workshops across Asia that represents both incredible value and exceptional craftsmanship.
Paesold
The Paesold company can trace its roots back over 170 years. The experience of master instrument and bow makers has been passed down, generation to generation, to their skilled and dedicated luthiers today who continue to use the skills and knowledge from the past. The family business was established in 1848 by Roderich Paesold’s grandfather, Johann Carl Paesold, who manufactured strings and traded in musical instruments. In 1919 Roderich founded his own company which specialized in the manufacture of bows and the export of musical instruments. Later he settled in the Bavarian town of Bubenreuth and in 1950 he re-established the family bow making business. Due to his skilled craftsmanship and entrepreneurial initiative, the company gained a reputation which went far beyond Germany’s borders. Over the years many important makers have studied or worked in the workshops of Roderich Paesold. Minimization of CO2 emissions and harmful aerosols has been their policy for decades and they only use suppliers who can supply them exclusively with certified wood from the sustainable timber industry.
