Harley Benton HBCE 990AM Electric Cello

Nightmare to keep in tune.

This cello sounds excellent and is very comfortable to play, however the tuning pegs are somehow EXTREMELY stiff while simultaneously slipping down to completely slack between uses require a complete re-tune every time I play it. The fine tuners are also very cheap and difficult to manipulate.

I own several Harley Benton instruments and have found most of them to be very well made but this is a big exception. Their electric violin has similar issues as well.

I cannot recommend this for beginners or professionals.

Such a nice instrument for hobby or beginners

This cello is wonderful for beginners or for those like me who has music as a hobby! The sound is incredibly audible although it is an electric instrument, one can hear it in the entire house, I had do buy a mute for it hahaha

When using the amplification (either a box or a headphones) the sound is amazing! I do recommend this cello! It is also very light to carry away and to hold. I haven´t found negative points about this instrument yet.

Very useful for beginners

I have some musical experience on electric guitar and bass and this is my first time to start to learn cello.

PROS:

* The finishes are good. Painting is beautiful

* The bow and pitch are of good quality.

* Microfiners do the job

* Tuning remains accurate after a couple of trials

* It is very practical to carry on with you. Assembly is very easy

* The amplification is really good, the bass is preserved in good tones.

CONS:

* The big problem with this Electric Cello are the knee pads. They are uncomfortable. If you are already used to the position on an acoustic cello, I do not recommend purchasing this one. It takes a little time and patience to get into a really comfortable playing position.

* The strings are of poor quality. Even so, they maintain correct tuning

* The cello I have arrived with a slight scratch on the upper part of the body, next to the neck. Even so, it does not affect its operation.

In conclusion, it is a good instrument for what you pay. If you really want to sound like a pro, I don't recommend getting this one. It is rather to practice without disturbing your neighbors and small concerts.

Excellent value for money eCello

Bought this to give cello a try without investing hugely and with a view to practicing quietly. The HB990 is a very impressive looking instrument. Lovely gloss amber finish. Strings set up to the correct height and aligned on the fingerboard properly. Good solid end pin (no rattles). Supplied bow seem fine for starting out. Gigbag is well made. Stock string are OK - I changed to Spirocore and that improved the sound and playability quite a bit. One word of warning - the holes in the tuning pegs are very small. I had to srill them out with a 2mm drill to thread the ends of the Spirocore strings through. Otherwise. A fine start instrument.

A solid instrument for this price

I bought this electric cello to give the cello a try without much reservations. I had played a cheap Harley Benton Stratocaster and based on this experience, I was sure that I'd get an affordable yet well-built instrument.

I wasn't disappointed. This electric cello sounds surprisingly good and is actually rather loud even when played without any amplification - to the extent that I opted to buy a mute for it in consideration of my dear neighbours. It is a solid choice for a beginner or someone (like me) who wants to try out cello without spending a fortune on it.