Which to Choose?

Which to choose? Many ask the difference between Artist, Virtuoso, and Maestro cellos, and essentially each is designed expressly to be superior to the line(s) before it, in construction and tonal quality.  The Artist is a fantastic beginner's instrument (i.e. for a beginner who is looking for a cello that is easy to play, but also has a rich tone (which is why most choose cello in the first place!).  We use the highest quality fittings and strings we can, to create an instrument that proves to be an incredible value in the market, priced well under anything similar.  (The StringWorks Setup™ helps even more so in this regard).  

Choose the Artist if you are a beginning-intermediate cellist  but still want an instrument that can produce a beautiful sound.  If you want a more highly figured, more tonally capable instrument, take a look at Virtuoso or Maestro.  

The Virtuoso is a pretty significant jump in appearance, quality, and tone, so it's well worth consideration if the budget allows for it.  With the Virtuoso, you'll see beautifully flamed maple, tightly grained spruce that is straight, and evenly spaced, when compared to the Artist.  Higher quality woods, beautifully and tastefully antiqued varnish, and a tone that is powerful, rich, and round - significantly more expressive than its Artist counterpart.  If you want tonal and physical beauty in your cello, choose Virtuoso over Artist.

The Maestro, as easily seen in the beautiful photos, features far more beautiful woods, more highly figured, which are aged longer than in the Artist and Virtuoso.  The varnish is tastefully antiqued to bring out the beautiful qualities in the wood.  Tonally, the Maestro is characterized as richer and fuller than the Virtuoso, with a singing A string that can easily handle the most advanced repertoire.  Suitable for the discerning intermediate player, but perfect for the more advanced player, such as a college student majoring in music education.  The Maestro has a mature, distinguished tone, and is perfect for chamber music as well.  For a more soloistic instrument, take a look at the Soloist (aptly named!)

Feel free to reach out to us, explain what your preferences are and what you are looking for, and we'll match you to the perfect StringWorks cello!