Overhauling My Cello: Stage One

For a while now I've been thinking about upgrading and overhauling my cello.  My cello is a 1987, Model 360 Erich Pfretzschner.  It was made in Romania when Romania was the China of Europe.  So yeah, it's not the $5000 cello that they "recommend" for beginners, but most of my orchestral classmates played on what could only be described as "glorified cardboard."

Aside from one other cello, mine was the best of all my classmates for the entirety of my junior high and high school years.  So I'd like to thank my parents for indulging a twelve year old's music career.  I don't know too many other parents that would have done that.  

In fact, over the years I've kept up with what they are selling for on the used market.  It turns out that they have been losing value as time has gone on.  I'm guessing fewer orchestra players and the flooding of Chinese instruments has lowered the value on all the violin family of instruments.

Still, it's been the only cello I've ever known.  It was set up by a great luthier, William Walls of Tampa, Fl.  My cello is still equipped with the bridge he made for me, as well as the endpin.  So I really haven't planned on buying another cello.  I just want to make sure this one is set up and upgraded.

Here's a photo of me playing it back in 1988.

So I have a three part plan on upgrading my cello.  Or maybe it's a three stage plan?  I used the word "stage" in my title.

Step/Stage/Part One:  I have replaced my tailpiece with a harp style Tailpiece.  If you look at the photo from 1988, you'll see the original tailpiece.  In all honesty, it was garbage.  The second tailpiece, as you can see in the top photo, was gifted to me by my private cello tutor Laura Smith of the Florida Orchestra.

This one has served me well for over 30 years.  However I thought it was time to upgrade to an ebony harp style tailpiece.  Harp tailpieces are supposed to help cancel out wolf whistles.  If you've ever heard a squeaky violin you know what I'm talking about.  So I bought an ebony tailpiece from where ebony is grown, India.  Thank you E-Bay.  It cost me all of $12.

I bought gold fine tuners for it off E-bay as well.  So I put it all together, and put it on my cello and noticed a problem.  The tailpiece's edge came out too far.  It wouldn't let the fine tuners adjust.  So I thought about it for a while.

Finally I said to myself, "Hey, I'm a luthier.  What if I just take it to my belt sander and sand the edge back?  Then it would let my fine tuners move freely.  I didn't immediately take photos.  It wasn't until I had started sanding that I thought about grabbing my camera.  Here's a photo after I had sanded a bit of the edge off.

Then I got to thinking again.  I know, I talk to myself all the time.  I just don't shut up.  But I said, "Why take off just enough?  If I take off more the fine tuners will have even more room to move."  So I took off some more.

Now this works.  I have to say, I'm glad I took more off.  The tuners have a lot of room to move now.

So now it was time to string it up.

Now this is progress.  I had to remind myself that not all universal parts are universal.  But when you learn to work with what you have that's when you start to become great at what you do.  It forces you to think outside the box.

So stay tuned for Stages two and three.  Stage two should be soon.  The part I have ordered for it is located here in Florida.  So it shouldn't be too long before it gets underway.  Stage three may be a month off.  I had to order parts from China, and they can take a while to get here.  Sometimes it can be as soon as ten days.  Other times it can take six weeks.  So stay tuned.  More to come.