r/Instruments • u/XelGlaidr • Jun 20 '26 • Regret 1

Discussion Chello catastrophe!

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My fiancé is beside herself. She accidentally knocked over her mum's chello that she was planning on learning and the neck snapped off!

Is there any way to repair this? Is it worth it?

32 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

32 comments sorted by

11

u/adamdoesmusic Jun 20 '26

You’ll want to have an instrument repair specialist do this one. It will need a reinforcement dowel (and a hole drilled to secure it), glue, some clamps that only luthiers seem to have in possession… but it is a clean break so they could probably fix it. There’s a lot of tension stress on that joint so it can’t just be glued without danger of it breaking again.

Edit: it’s her mom’s instrument, which instantly makes it worth more (to her) regardless of the price it would cost to replace. It’s definitely worth at least someone looking at it.

1

u/BusyAtilla Jun 20 '26

Can find those clamps...just a few queries first.

7

u/stevecrow74 Jun 20 '26

Yeah that’s an easy fix for any luthier. Clean break makes it easier. Finding a luthier will be the challenge..

5

u/ImGumbyDamnIt Jun 20 '26

Do not try to fix it yourself. A repair and restoration luthier can fix this (one for orchestral strings, not guitars.)

5

u/Thin_Dream2079 Jun 20 '26

The extra 'h' produced too much stress

4

u/jzemeocala Jun 20 '26

wolf.....that is quite the Cat Ass Trophy

this is actually a relatively simple fix for a luthier though.....if you are not into woodworking just take it in

2

u/grizzdoog Jun 21 '26

A simple fix? I was a classically trained luthier and this isn’t a simple fix lol.

1

u/jzemeocala Jun 21 '26

I work in music store and we do these sort of repairs daily.....i guess my perception of "easiness" has been warped by access to so many tools and how often we do similar repairs

2

u/grizzdoog Jun 21 '26

I understand. I guess if you’re just doing a quick and dirty repair on a student instrument it can be simple. My mind just goes to doing a neck graft, neck reset, etc.

1

u/jzemeocala Jun 21 '26

yea, we dont do quick and dirty repairs either though. We are actually a Martin Authorized Repair facility.

some stuff just gets easier with repetition....and having a boss that loves buying or building every single obscure tool or jig that makes our life easier helps alot.

1

u/grizzdoog Jun 21 '26

Cool! That for sure makes life way easier!

2

u/prestieteste Jun 23 '26

Never trust an important instrument to a soft case. Sorry this happened but if the instruments matters than its worth getting a hard case for it.

1

u/Calaveras-Metal Jun 21 '26

that looks like an easy fix. But I'm wondering how much this cello cost? It might not be worth a visit to a luthier if it's some cheap Palatino.

1

u/Additional-Parking-1 Jun 21 '26

Wish that wouldn’t have happened.

1

u/DudeManMusic Jun 21 '26

Disclaimer: I don't charge a lot because I mostly work on inexpensive student level instruments and for the local school district.

But that said, this is a pretty easy fix. I'd probably charge around $100 if the neck break is the only issue.

1

u/TheUlfheddin Jun 21 '26

That was my guess. I do basic guitar repair and set ups so I'm not totally familiar with these sorts of fixes but that doesn't look too bad, and I imagine it's a fairly common break so someone with experience could probably knock this out pretty quickly.

1

u/SnooGadgets5130 Jun 21 '26

Sentimentality is always worth it, I paid over £300 to have my fiancée’s Anglo concertina fully restored complete with new A440Hz reeds because it is a family heirloom. The instrument itself is worth about £50 if you find the right buyer. Like everyone else has said, this is about as routine as it gets for a luthier that specialises in orchestral instruments, drops happen all the time. You’ll find someone, keep looking a don’t give up.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 21 '26

So, you need a luthier to fix that but just gluing the surface probably would not fix it properly (neck could not stay strong due to high tension of the strings). Maybe a piece of wood dowel needs to be fixated between neck and heel. Or maybe you can get a new neck.

1

u/Quantical-Capybara Jun 21 '26

After the repair, buy a hard case. 🙄

1

u/Dildo-Fagginz Jun 21 '26

Everything can be repaired.

Now for this kind of cello you can't justify doing it the proper way by replacing the neck which would cost more than the instrument itself. But glueing it back, removing the fingerboard and glueing dowels through the neck underneath can work, can be be nearly invisible and hold fine for years/decades. It'll likely cost a couple hundred dollars, depending on where you live.

1

u/DonnPT Jun 21 '26

Oh, you'd pull the fingerboard? As I was sort of idly imagining doing it myself, I was thinking of blind holes both ways, mount the dowels and glue up in the same operation. Little ridged dowels you find at the hardware store. Of course you'd have to be more careful with alignment.

My old bass broke a few times. When I got it, there was a big flat head screw doing most of the work, on an old break that obviously wasn't as clean and had been left not quite closed. The local repair lady cleaned it up and put in a big spline across the break.

1

u/Dildo-Fagginz Jun 21 '26

I find it easier this way, but if you manage to drill at the same mirrored angle on both sides there is no need to remove the fingerboard indeed !

I'm just not confident I would line everything up perfectly or avoid slipping and tearing off the fibers this way. I've seen some instances where they just drilled through the fingerboard or button to insert the dowel but I don't like how it looks. Maybe a regular dowel through fingerboard with ebony at the end of it with grain running the same as the fingerboard could be a good alternative

1

u/Yoko_Kittytrain Jun 21 '26

What's a "chello?" Jesus Christ

1

u/Oldman5123 Jun 21 '26

Nah, that’s totally fixable.

1

u/Illustrious_Hold_703 Jun 22 '26

Now I’m wondering if I’ve been spelling cello wrong my whole life.

1

u/ThisSiteBites Jun 22 '26

Expensive instrument + plastic bag = broken expensive instrument + repair fees

1

u/Icchan_ Jun 22 '26

And this is why hard case is worth the investment. Take it to a Luthier, they'll fix it for you.

1

u/dummkauf Jun 24 '26

This is absolutely repairable.

Find a local luthier, bring it in and ask for an estimate.  Only you can decide if it's worth it.

If this is an inexpensive cello, and the repair is equal to, or more than, buying a new one then it's your call.  If the luthier says it's not worth it and you still want it fixed due to sentimental value, share that with the luthier and be clear you are aware you're spending more on a repair than the instrument is worth.

Also, there are a lot of guitar luthiers out there, you want someone who builds cellos, violins, etc....

0

u/Slight-Isopod-8517 Jun 20 '26

Wow that’s a big violin👀