Cecilio CCO-100 Student Cello with Hard & Soft Case, Stand, Bow, Rosin, Bridge and Extra Set of Strings, Size 4/4 (Full Size)

the reviews for this cello were so mixed, I was afraid to buy it. but, the price difference between buying this one and buying one at my local shop was so extreme that I figured I'd try this one out. it arrived quickly, in one piece. the bridge was secured onto the instrument with no problem. the hard case is fantastic. the whole cello and case are very light. that was good for us as we were taking it with us overseas. I put the whole case with the cello inside into a big duffel bag and since it didn't weigh very much, I was able to stick a whole bunch of other stuff around the cello case to make the duffel bag weigh 50 pounds. the cello looks very nice, well varnished and a pretty color (totally irrelevant, I know, I'm just describing it.) the sound is very nice. my daughter is 10 and this is her 3rd year studying the cello. she is pretty petite but I think she'll be able to use this cello for the next 3 years or so. all the accessories are useful- the stand, the extra strings, the bow. overall an amazing deal. I totally recommend this cello!

I read a lot of the reviews for the 4/4 cello and was worried about this purchase, but was pleasantly surprised with what came out of the box.First of all, everything advertised as included was included. Second, though the quality of some of the items might be on the low side, they function as they should. And for the price I have no complaints. Thirdly, the sound post is rolling around the bottom of the cello, so that must be taken somewhere to get set up...not a big deal.* The cello stand: Sturdy. Small. It folds up, which is nice when it's not being used.* The soft case: it's a large bag. Larger than I thought it would be, and it seems like the cello is too small for it. But I have nothing to compare this to, no reference points, since this is my first cello and maybe the bag is supposed to have a little wiggle room. There is a front pocket, which fits the rosin and the strings (probably other things too). There is also a back pocket, which I am assuming is for sheet music or a couple of music books. It's backpack style which is nice. The straps are adjustable and everything. There is also a pocket for the bow.* The bow: It looks like the hairs are glued and it's shorter than I expected. It's not bad though.* The rosin: In a plastic case with some cheap, fuzzy fabric stuff attached. The rosin is okay - I don't know how to tell if the rosin itself is cheap. I didn't need to use much for the bow.* Extra strings: They are included. That's nice. So far, I haven't needed them.* Hard Case: I think it's really sturdy. I also thing the flaps to pu the bow in are really strange. The hairs of the bow caught on the velcro of the flaps.* The Cello: for the 4/4 cello, there were a lot of complaints. I remember people had problems with tuning it, and the strings hitting the fingerboard (I think 'vibrating against the fingerboard' would be more accurate) when they played. I found solutions to both of these problems as I also encountered them with the 3/4 cello. As far as the cello not being able to hold a tune (this was blamed a lot on pegs slipping in the 4/4 cello reviews), I looked at the way the strings were wrapped around the pegs and noticed there was a lot of slack. I mean a TON of slack. I decided to completely unwind the strings then wind them again. I was careful to get rid of as much slack as possible. I tuned the cello, and other than minor adjustments here and there (which is not terrible) I haven't really had to tune it at all. Some people stated they had to tune every few minutes. Before blaming it on the pegs, check how the strings are wound around the pegs first. As far as the strings hitting the fingerboard when playing - if this happens, move the bridge to the right (or more toward the C string side). It probably just means the bridge is not in the correct position and I found that moving it helped a lot. I still have trouble with the string vibrating against the fingerboard, but that's because when I'm not playing an open string (my finger is pressing down somewhere), I've actually shifted the string while holding it down. My fault.I'm quite satisfied with this purchase. For the price, it's a good quality instrument. Good enough for a beginner, I'd say.

We bought this to replace a cello that was on loan from our son's school that got knocked over by the dogs...It arrived in good condition but had to be set up by the local music store ($65...) The music teacher insisted be send it back - the quality and sound was unacceptable to her. A poor quality instrument will simply not sound good - even in the hands of a pro, and that could torpedo a novice just beginning to play. We ended up buying a decent quality used instrument at a similar price - much better sound quality, and acceptable to the music teacher.

First, note that this is a 3/4 size cello! I failed to notice this when I bought it, but I ended up liking it all the same.I'm giving this five stars because, for the price, this is an excellent purchase and because I don't want to make the overall rating of this product any lower than it is (because someone gave it three stars!). There are a few minor issues with it though. 1) it does not come with instructions of any kind! For traveling purposes they leave all the strings slack and the bridge is taped to the cello. If you've never tuned a cello before be VERY careful tuning it and be sure to watch tutorials on youtube first. I found it annoying that I had no guidance from the cello maker about how to rosin my strings, tune my instrument etc. Look on youtube for guidance. 2) My primary interest in purchasing this was to get a half-decent cello, so I see the cases as bonuses. That being said, they are very cheaply made, so don't hold any great expectations for them. 3) the black stain on the neck has come off on my fingers exposing more or less bare wood. People may find this very annoying. At first I did, but I ended up finding it helpful in the long run because being new to the cello it was helpful in establishing correct finger positioning. Also, it makes the cello a lot older than it is which is kind of cool.This cello does not come with a tuner so you will want to by a tuner for it. For those of you with a kindle fire (or hd or hdx), I recommend this app: http://www.amazon.com/Tunable-Tuner-Metronome-and-Recorder/dp/B00C1040TO/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1397823299&sr=1-1&keywords=tunableIt keeps real time with your playing, so you can tell when you are playing a note to high or too low (sharp/flat). Also, once you understand that the cello strings are tuned C,G,D,A (from biggest to smallest string), its fairly easy to use this tuner to get you there. Don't leave your bow rigid!

As an absolute beginner (never used a cello before), but someone who has wanted to learn for decades, I figured I'd start with an entry level cello - I didn't want to spend more than about $1000. For the price, the is exactly that. Entry level. Considering this was only $400, I figured it was a bargain.When I had it delivered, I had two different luthiers take a look at it, and immediately he suggested many fixes - replace the strings, replace the bridge, change the tail piece, replace the fingerboard. Yikes!So I had that work done - totaling $460. Well, it was still under $1000, and to be honest, the teacher was shocked that it was as inexpensive as it was.So while it is not the BEST quality, with the changes I made, still keeping it within my original budget, it will do for now.My one complaint is the bow. I ordered a full size cello - but I wasn't sent a full size bow (the quality of the bow is also not fantastic). I didn't realise that until I had my first lesson today. Soooooo - I'm disappointed about that. I now have to go purchase a better bow that is a full size.

An excellent deal for the quality of the cello (great for beginners) and the number of accessories that come with it (e.g., two cases - one hard, one soft).

Super

This is perfect for the beginner, sounds great, nice case, some basic instruction would be nice, but I guess that's what google's for.

Bought for son for Xmas. Great product for the price!