Pulcinella is a type of cello,which we developed together and the only one we share in making.
By 2009 we had collected about two dozen models of revered and stage worthy cellos.While copying is an important practise, blind reverence for anything famous or Italian is simply decadent. Deeper insights can be attained through juggling and recomposing the elements according to intuition and experience
II love playing outside (weather permitting) .I need a comfortable string length.What I wanted at the time was a simple,elegant, compact cello with a sturdy, focused sound. Additionally it was my wish to make it ,not cheap -this is impossible, but more accessible price wise. I designed the “figure 8” or corner less cello .The simple guitar shape is of course noting new-Stradivari made such a violin and many others have since.
Tongue in cheek I call the model Pulcinella. Admittedly an Italian name draws more attention than “figure 8”or “cornerless”.Pulcinella ,the prankster of the Commedia del Arte can be mean , which I hope my cello will never be. However I do like it to be able to zing and growl.
The sound expectation was inspired by the materials, especially “Liriodendron tulipifira”, which we use for the back.Searching for Poplar years earlier, a specialty wood dealer sold us a trunk full of this ”yellow poplar”. I was disappointed at first. The greenish wood was heavier than poplar and smelled of swamp.But the ugly duckling turned into a swan, when we tested it out on violas. There is something peculiar and intriguing about the sound.We soon sourced boards large enough for one piece cello backs. The tulip tree is the largest North American hardwood ,native to the Carolinian zone.Combined with Engleman spruce for top plates and finely worked hard maple for heads and ribs the all native material is capable of an iridescent sound.
How did the corners reappear? Eventually a prodigy playing the cello on stage complained, that he had nothing to hold onto when bowing.While I love the elegant simple shape, which has internal corner blocks, we have made more cornered versions.
Are you curious if such a cello is a good fit for you? You may make an appointment to try it. If you love it, you are in luck. This cello is half price. It can be ordered with a string length of 675mm or 685mm ( a large 7/8th size or a small full size) with or without corners.