Color is beautiful, the sound is deep and warm and the cello is light weight. The shipping box was good and the cello was well padded. Paid @35.00 to have strings put on. There is a visible stain on the interior of the cello from the original varnish... This was not a big deal to us. I would recommend the Cremona brand cello to others.

Student loans are killer, and I needed a cello that was within my price range (eyeroll at teacher salaries). I was looking for something visually appealing that was crafted well-enough to have potential in chamber/quartet settings as well as in the classroom and private lessons. My personal preference in timbre for cellos is a clear and concise upper register for melodic lines with a bold and powerful lower register for chords and pieces like Elgar's cello concerto, or the Brahms sonata. Being an Amazon cello, I was expecting the worse. However, I was pleasantly surprised.

The cello arrived in a soft case with foam blocks holding it in place as well as the finger-board and tailpiece wrapped in tissue paper to protect the body from scratches. I have not found so much as a single scratch or blemish on the entire instrument and I am thrilled about that considering this shipped directly from China (all the way to U.S). While the varnish is glossier than I would have liked, it is still pretty accurate to the photos advertised. Keep in mind though, this instrument will be shipped with the strings lightly tightened across the body with the bridge in the front pocket of the case. I am glad they did this for the protection of the instrument, but note that you will have to go to a luthier to have your soundpost setup (rolls around inside as there is no tension holding it up without being strung). In terms of packaging and appearance, I am very happy.

Sadly, I cannot give an accurate review of the sound due to the soundpost not being setup (yet). What I can say though is that the upper register has a lot of clarity and I believe it will be even better with better strings (comes with D'addario Preludes, not bad strings but nothing special). The lower register is currently coming across to me as congested and shrill, but I guarantee that will improve once the soundpost is setup.

Overall....this is a bargain. And a good one. This cello far outcompetes Cecilio, Shen, and any other mid-range company/model. This cello sounds far better than any Ted Brown "professional" instrument, and costs half the price. The only downside to this is you will have to setup the soundpost and bridge before being able to properly play, and I know not everyone is a string specialist than can do that on their own!

This cello has successfully busted the myth that all Amazon instruments are terrible. I took a risk and am VERY happy with the results! If you decide to also purchase this instrument, I recommend upgrading to D'addario Helicores, or D'addario Kaplan if you can afford it. I would even be willing to put Larsens on this cello and feel like a baller on a budget.

I hope this helps!