A cello's varnish is more than just an aesthetic choice; it affects the way an instrument sounds and how that sound will continue to change over the years. If it is applied too heavily, the instrument will be unable to "open up," preventing a musician from making notes that fully resonate and in fact diminish as you play. In this case, less varnish is considered more.The color of the varnish is purely personal preference; there is no agreed upon hierarchy among musicians.
 The kind of wood that the cello is made of matters: spruce tops and maple ribs and bottoms will produce good, quality sound. Meanwhile, laminated wood is probably best left for flooring due to its poor ability to conduct sound.Look for good grains: the ebony parts should ideally have very tight grains, so close they might actually appear to be perfectly smooth, and the spruce portions should have a grain that is tight in the center that grows wider toward the bouts.
 A good, dense flame (the horizontal bar of contrast underneath the varnish, located in the wood itself) is generally indicative of the wood's expense. Avoid wood that has an iridescent flame, wherein the light and dark bars change when the instrument is moved, as this is a sign that the flame has been artificially created., These pieces are interconnected, so it makes sense to check them both at the same time. Be sure the fingerboard feels smooth and dimple-, bubble-, and pit-free especially as you play. Do at test to make sure both components are even: with the scroll held next to your chin, look down the fingerboard to make sure the light is even all the way across.


A fingerboard that has been planed well will have a scoop at the mid point a string.
The neck should be treated with an oil finish instead of varnish., A bridge should be straight with a slight curve when viewed from the side, and the feet of it should exactly fit the instrument's belly. The cello's strings should fit into the grooves of the bridge, just deep enough to hold them securely without impeding vibration. An ideal bridge will be made of maple, have a tight grain, and be highly flamed., Be sure that you like the strings of the instrument by trying them out. If you or your mentor feel they're inappropriate, ask to try a different set. You also want to be sure that the strings are approximately .9 mm away from the fingerboard on the treble side and 1mm-1.4mm on the bass side., The fittings refer to pegs, endpins, and tailpieces as a group. Sometimes less scrupulous dealers may try to pass off an inferior cello by using fittings that look nice but are of poor quality.


Your pegs should not be too tight or too loose so that they turn and stay in tune easily. They shouldn't extend too far from the scroll, and the ends of them should be flush with the scroll head.
Endpins come in 18 or 20 inch sizes and a variety of metals; be sure yours suits your needs, sets firmly, and retracts without any issues.
Preferably you want a tailpiece that is made of ebony (plastic will resound less than it or composite materials) and come with a built-in fine tuner (as this reduces the weight), but the tailpiece absolutely must be the right size for the instrument.
 To locate the sound post, you must look through the f-hole. You want to be sure that it's uncracked, splinter free, and positioned correctly. It should be about a finger's width from the bridge, just behind the right bridge foot. It should not distort the f-hole's shape, shouldn't lean, or dimple the top of the cello.
Examine the cellos' varnish.
Check for quality wood.
Inspect the flame.
Check the fingerboard and neck.
Look at the bridge.
Test the strings.
Inspect the fittings.
Look at the sound post.
{"src": "wikihow-all_test", "title": "How to Buy a Cello3"}