The Montagnana cello is absolutely fantastic. It has a wonderful tone as my maestro puts it “…as mellow as a watermelon…” the instrument is opening up very well. And it looks wonderful with its antique finish. People have actually asked me if it whether it was a 16th or a 17th century instrument!

Michael Shakespeare who set it up said that it was beautifully made with a sweet tone. He has strung it with Evah Pirazzi strings and a Larsen top string. The sound is indeed very sweet and I would have thought on a level with the good Hungarian instrument. It seems to have a bit more ‘ring’ to it than the Hungarian. So perhaps a little more transparency in tone. It is also easy to play and does not require effort.