Hi everyone, this is my first post.

I am here to ask for some help and guidance. I know very little about cellos, however I have wanted to learn to play the cello for many years, but never got round to it. I have decided that now is the right time, but I don't know where to start with looking for a cello. I am a musician (piano/keys, drums and guitar), songwriter and studio producer by trade, so I have the slightly awkward situation of hoping for a cello that will be suitable to learn on, affordable (I am playing off some hefty student debts), yet with a pleasing enough sound so that ultimately I can use it in my studio recordings and song writing. I am aware as a fellow musician that this is an almost impossible task, especially when I say that I'm hoping to not spend much over £500. I am very happy (and expecting) to purchase one secondhand. If anyone out there in the cello community knows of such a cello that might meet my description, then I would be very thankful to hear from them!

Thank you,

Alex

I know you posted this a while ago, so hopefully you've found a cello by now. Just in case you haven't though, you might look into renting one to begin with. Not sure where you live, but in the US, there are companies that rent instruments out, usually to students in school. I rent mine through a company called Music & Arts, and it's been a great experience. It's rent to own, so all the money I'm paying can be put into purchasing the one I'm playing on, or can be credited to a nicer instrument in the future. My instructor encouraged me to rent until I knew I wanted to stick with it (I do) and knew what I liked in an instrument before I just purchased a random one (don't know that yet). I also pay a few dollars a month for insurance, which has already helped me out. This covers any issue with my cello, and comes in handy with 2 dogs and 2 kids in the house.

Hope that helps!