Reddit reviews Cecilio 4/4 CECO-1BK Black Metallic Electric Cello with Ebony Fittings in Style 1 (Full Size)
We found 2 Reddit comments about Cecilio 4/4 CECO-1BK Black Metallic Electric Cello with Ebony Fittings in Style 1 (Full Size). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Size 4/4 electric cello with hand-carved maple wood & black metallic varnish in style 1 (full size)Ebony fingerboard, pegs and tailpiece with mother of pearl inlay and 4 detachable fine tunersPowered by a 9V Alkaline battery (included)Includes: well padded lightweight soft-case, bow, rosin, aux cable, & headphones1 Year Warranty Against Manufacturer's Defects
Rent. Don't buy. If you need to buy, think if you can consider electric. You can find some cheap electric cellos around. I ended up getting one so I could practice at night without waking my family (particularly the children). I ended up getting this one, and after a few trips to the luthier to fix certain things up (bridge was too tall, and the fingerboard needed to be planed), and getting a new bow and set of strings, it gets a very decent sound and does exactly what I need it to for nighttime practice with headphones. Note that in all, this option did end up costing me about $450 with taxes, shipping and extra work, plus the fact that the bow I'm using is a $300 bow I'd already had for my other cello, and that I'm using a $100 guitar amp I'd already had.
I don't think under $300 is really a point where you can get an acceptable sound (especially with an acoustic cello), but if you're only using it for home practice, and can get by using a school cello while at school events, your options with electric instruments are going to be better at a lower price point than with acoustics. You could probably get by pretty well if you up your expectations from $300 to $500-ish with work and other parts.
I'd recommend still renting if you can get away with it. My school when I was going had a rental program that was $50 for the school year, and a $20 summer rental. That's going to be less than you'd spend on that $300 cello for your entire tenure at high school, and will be likely much better quality. If you get a cheap crappy cello, you'll likely have to get a better cello at around that timeframe anyway. Seriously, rent if you can. You'll spend less money, have a better experience, and you'll have the option to spend a little more for a better rental, rather than having to invest a whole lot more to buy a better cello later. By the time you'd want to buy your own instrument, you'll probably have to buy a better instrument if you buy now regardless. Always rent. Only buy if you absolutely need to or if you've already planned it out seriously and are going to drop a lot of money on an instrument that will last you at least decades.
In the under $500 range, you will be unable to purchase a quality electric cello. If it is just for practice and you're planning to perform with a traditional cello, that would be a great choice! But, if you're planning to perform with it, it is important to go with a higher cost, getting a better instrument.
This one looks like a reasonable option for your price range: https://www.amazon.com/Cecilio-CECO-1BK-Metallic-Electric-Fittings/dp/B007ESVCR6/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1503664029&sr=1-2&keywords=electric+cello
I had a Cecilio cello for a short period when I first started. It was really bad but fine for the beginning. I don't know the quality of their electric cellos, though.