Making a cello Curtis worthy

Andres Sanchez came to me about a year ago as he was readying himself to audition for Curtis. He wanted his cello to sound as good as possible…a big,round sound…..bold/warm/rich….i.e. what every cellist wants…it all! It is a nice cello….but wasn’t particularly distinguished…I took the cello apart …changing the bass bar / raising the neck angle / new bridge & post…and anything else I could do to get the most and best out of his cello.

Well he was accepted to Curtis….and I certainly don’t want to say that his cellos sound  had too much effect on that decision ….but the point I would like to stress is that many instruments are sounding IMG_0123OK ….but with the right drive and a little sense of daring …..things could be happening on a whole other level. It seems to me that life is way to short and players work way too hard to not be getting all the magic they can out of their instrument.

In this visit he brought me the cello with the usual lower bridge due to winter weather… along with the wear and tear of a worn,rutted fingerboard due to countless hours of practice and open seams due to dry winter weather, touch up etc. ( with photos of the bridge in progress.

Andres also mentioned the idea of making the new bridge on the high side to get even more power ….( I’ve never met a serious cellist that thought more power wasn’t a great idea!). By cutting the bridge high you get more tension down on the top and hence more power – (along with a little more effort needed to play)…and of course the reaction was WOW!…..I think that one word sums up mission statement. I also appreciate his determination to pursue better and the willingness to take a chance – which is the soul of the artistic life.IMG_0118IMG_0117

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