I have played the cello for only a few months, through a rental program at a local music store. At the moment they have three full sized ones for sale, all used. One priced at $900/ CDN and two more both priced at $1200/CDN. That is about the price range that I can afford at this point, especially as a begginner. But I don`t really know what I should be expecting for that price. I know that they are made of different woods. Is there any kind of wood that is "bad?" Like I said, I`m just a begginner, but I want an instrument that will take me through the years until I`m good enough to play some really good stuff. What about the fingerboard and pegs, is there a difference between real ebony and immitation stuff in the sound? What about the bow. What is the difference between horsehair and other materials? do they produce different sounds?
Anyhow, I`m hoping that someone can offer me some advice here. I don`t know anyone who plays the cello and I don`t have a teacher or anything, so I don`t really know what to look for. I can see myself getting scammed and ending up with a real piece of junk. Can anyone think of the key things to look for.
I`d really love some help

Thanks in advance
Mandie