Yinfente 4/4 5 String Cello Acoustic Model Full size Spruce Maple wood Free Cello bow Bag Sweet Sound

I'm a contrabass player that was looking for a cello sound. This cello is nicely finished and the top is quite resonant. The tuning pegs and tailpiece are really nice quality. Plus, you can't beat the price. Recommended.

This instrument has a really good clear tone and a good volume. It is responsive when played. I play mostly in a community orchestra in which there are about 5 or 6 cellos counting me. I've been playing for about 35 out of the last 50 years and have used a family instrument, which sadly has reached the point that it needs a significant amount of work that I can't afford right now. So, I decided to buy a student instrument, and thought a five string cello would be fun.There are caveats with this cello, though, which explains four stars instead of five:1. Get some good strings. The strings that come with the cello are awful. They're heavy and sound cheap. I bought a set of La Bella Helicore strings which set me back $126 and they were worth every bit. They are lighter in build but the tone is superior and you lose nothing in volume.2. Mine came with a regular bridge for a four string cello. It's too narrow. I took a spare bridge, cut off the very top and spliced on a piece of hard maple and shaped it so that it gave me around 8.5 cm in width instead of 6.5. That's enough to space your strings out a bit more. The fingerboard is wider than on a regular cello so it can handle a wider bridge. Otherwise you're bumping into the adjacent string. Unless you have the skills to work on your own instrument you're going to have to get a luthier do it for you, and also to set the soundpost. If they can't or won't do the splicing you might suggest they use a bass viola da gamba bridge or a baroque cello bridge, either of which is wider. UPDATE: I have bought a bass viol da gamba bridge and will be fitting it soon.3. The "gut" piece that holds the tailpiece is plastic. The threads strip. Spring for one made of aircraft cable that has metal threads. Otherwise the threads will strip and you'll have an explosion as I did. I couldn't keep it in tune, and finally the threads gave way and it exploded.4. This isn't really a caveat, but just a thought. You can string this instrument to have either a high E or a low F. I quickly decided that I would rather have a high E for the tenor and treble clef. Any cello player knows that once you get into the upper range on the A string you have very little to go on for benchmarks. The low F could be useful for hitting the low notes along with the basses, but that struck me as less advantageous.I have seen comments online that a five string cello is going to have less volume because of the extra string, but I have not found that to be the case. With the Helicore strings the high E has a wonderfully clear and sweet sound and lacks nothing in volume. The overall volume of the cello does not suffer either. This prejudice, I believe, is simply that--a prejudice based on assumptions rather than experience. Granted, this is not a Stradivarius or Amati but I can't afford those anyway. For a middle aged guy who finds playing in a community orchestra with friends is a good escape from the trials of life, this is a very good instrument.With the above caveats, this is a good instrument, and putting in a couple hundred extra for better strings and a wider bridge still puts you ahead. I can't wait to bring this to orchestra practice next week and see how long it takes the other cellists to do a double take and ask how many strings it has! UPDATE: Considering this is an inexpensive but still very nice cello, I am going to exchange the scroll for a Chinese carving. It will turn heads! I love it!

Absolutely beautiful cello, both in sound and appearance. I did not think I could find such a nice cello at this price, and I assumed when ordering that I would be disappointed, but it is wonderful. The bridge for mine was fine, but I may have smaller fingers than the other reviewer. Having five strings has really made me improve my technique, which it turns out was a bit sloppy on the A string. The original strings were completely worthless, and likely only included to keep the sound post in place during shipment. I ordered $15 strings, just to test out the instrument, and I have not changed them out yet, because this cello sounds that good. The bow is fun to play with. It has a great feel and balance, and I often use it interchangeably with my braided carbon fiber bow that cost more than this cello. Bottom line: If you want a good cello at an amazing price, buy this cello.

I'm about to spend about half the price of the cello to have the pegs replaced. The pegs do not hold, and several strings broke when I tried to tune them to the correct pitch. I managed to get it in tune, after replacing strings, for a few minutes at a time, but that's all. The cello sounds OK during those few minutes, but as shipped (to me, at least), it's basically unusable.Update: getting it to the point where it could be tuned reliably ended up costing about 2/3 the price I paid for the instrument and shipping. Not good.