Ktaxon Acoustic Cello

Craftsmanship is a little here and there, but over all I didn't end up needing to replace anything and it sounds great, a little hard to tune as someone who does it frequently, lots of little adjustments to the bridge, but otherwise great!

I purchased this cello as a practice instrument for teaching purposes, but the bridge came with almost no curvature. When bowing, two strings sound together constantly, especially on the G and C side. This is not normal for any cello -- even a low-cost student model should allow you to play each string individually. I contacted the seller, explained the issue in detail, and even sent photos showing the flat and asymmetrical bridge. Instead of acknowledging the defect, they insisted that the bridge was “normal” and told me that even if they sent a new one, I would need to “polish it myself.” This is not an acceptable response. A properly cut bridge is basic to making the instrument playable, and it should not be the customer’s responsibility to fix defective manufacturing. In the end, the seller tried to argue that all cello bridges are “one side high and the other low,” which completely ignores the problem I clearly showed them. This was disappointing and felt dismissive. I would not recommend buying from this seller. Even for a budget instrument, quality control and honest customer service should be the bare minimum.

I think this cello has fantastic tone, as others have said. Very beautiful sound. Also, very beautiful fit and finish. A great alternative to expensive rentals for students. I didn't mind it is basswood, I know that is a recognized "tonewood" in the guitar world, and the sound confirms it. A novice at cello, but the playability seemed fine to me, strings at right heights, etc. Importantly, it holds its tune well. One thing to consider, I'm fairly certain it is made in a laminate style - though still "solid" wood. That does not bother me as the sound is hauntingly beautiful and I have read laminates can be stronger, more resistant to cracking. Plus, it helps provide the low price. Setup was fairly easy and everything worked great. The only thing I'd like to improve would be the fine tuners someday, but, they work fine and do their job. I would definitely recommend this fine instrument for the price! In fact, I liked it so much I bought their other full ebony version, which is also fantastic. Great job Ktaxon!

My previous experience with string instruments is a year or so with a Viola some 50 years ago, so I'm not a great judge of Cello quality. But it seem to me that Ktaxon has done a great job with this Cello. The finish is immaculate, and it sounds good when I don't screw it up. However, I think the bridge isn't curved enough (that might be me), and it's missing the tiny plastic bridge protector on the A string that keeps the string from slicing thru the bridge. I'm also not sure the Bow is high quality, but again, that might be me. Am I satisfied with the purchase? You betcha! It sounds good, and it's probably loud enough to annoy the neighbors (Bonus!). When you buy the Cello, and I urge you to do so, buy a mute with it. Edit after a few weeks with this Cello: I still like the Cello, but I've noticed a thing or two that needs to be addressed. If you look at the third picture on it's website, you can see the Nut (the part on top that the strings rest on) is huge. This matters because the A string is a thin steel wire that seems like it will slice your finger in half if you have to press very hard. And because the Nut is so high, the force you have to use is significant. Ouch. I took the Cello to a Luthier (stringed instrument tech/artist) to get it lower, and now it's much better. It looks like Ktaxon put a Nut that tall on because the Fingerboard is angled a bit too high, and it needed the clearance at the bottom. My second issue - which is too expensive to fix - is the Fingerboard is too high at the bottom, which requires the Nut to be high and the Bridge to be the maximum height. With the Bridge this high, the D and G strings need a good bit of precision on the Bow hand to avoid playing 2 strings at the same time. Which I don't have, but I'm getting there. My third and last issue is the strings. When I got the Cello back from the Luthier, I asked for a candid, no BS opinion on the Cello. He said the strings where "Terrible". I think that contributes to the issue with garrote-like tension of the A string. So, here's my 1 month-ish evaluation of this Cello: I still like it. I'm practicing with it almost every day, and I expect to keep practicing with it until I decide I need a better instrument, which I expect to be pretty soon. If you want to dabble in "learing" the Cello, this works, but expect to upgrade to a better Cello, or spend another $300 or so more to make this one worthy of an advanced beginner. Note on repairs: The Luthier charged me $70 to modify the Nut. I expect new strings to be between $100 and $200 dollars (Cello strings are expensive). Replacing or modifying the Bridge will be in the neighborhood of $170. And fixing the Fingerboard won't ever be worth it. Last note: Would I buy it again? Yes, I would. If you don't know how long you're going to mess around with Cellos, buy it, and mount it on your wall when you're done, it really is a beautiful piece. I wanted to start with the cheapest instrument so I could appreciate the better ones, and despite my criticism, it's been good to use it, curse it, and enjoy it.

I purchased the Ktaxon Full-Size Beginner Cello 4/4 Acoustic Cello Set with Portable Bag, Bow, and Rosin on January 1, 2024, with high hopes of starting my cello journey. However, my experience with this product has been nothing short of disappointing. The most glaring issue with this cello is its inability to hold tuning. No matter how carefully I tune it or how many adjustments I make, it loses its tuning within minutes of playing. This constant need for retuning makes practicing an exercise in frustration rather than an enjoyable experience. To alleviate the problem, I even purchased additional tuning accessories, but to no avail. The cello continues to exhibit the same persistent tuning issues, rendering it practically unusable for any serious practice or performance. Furthermore, the overall quality of the instrument leaves much to be desired. The construction feels flimsy, and the sound produced is lackluster at best. It's clear that corners were cut in the manufacturing process, resulting in a subpar instrument that fails to meet even the most basic expectations. Overall, I cannot recommend the Ktaxon Full-Size Beginner Cello to anyone looking to start their cello journey. The constant tuning issues and poor quality make it a frustrating and ultimately disappointing investment. Save yourself the trouble and look elsewhere for a reliable instrument.

Très bien conçu le son est super et c’est facile à assembler,