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A Look at the Struna Maestro Cello

The Struna brand is synonymous with Richard Bodinnar and that nameless, but amazing Chinese luthier whose identity is as closely guarded by Richard as the secrets of the Mona Lisa. Well, one cannot blame the co-owner of Whitehorse Music for zealously guarding the master luthier’s identity because someone just might poach the incredible craftsmanship of this string instrument maker. Through the years, their partnership has produced cellos and violins of superb quality, sound, and beauty.

All Struna models, across all brands, are extremely well-made with the Maestro carrying the prized tag of being personally made by the master luthier himself. Richard, for his part, goes to the Chinese’s little shop to give his inputs about thickness and varnishing. The result is a cello that can provide the needs of intermediate students and even young professionals.

It should be noted that string instruments that are made in China no longer carry the dubious distinction of being haphazard copies of old masters. Although there are still those sub-standard cellos made from China, it cannot be said for all China-made cellos, let alone the Struna Maestro.

The undeniable quality of the Struna Maestro starts with the woods being used. Top quality Italian spruce makes up the top while a well-flamed maple from Bosnia is used for the back, sides, and neck. Ebony of high quality constitutes the pegs, fingerboard, nut, and other areas. The varnishing is where the best of both Richard’s and that Chinese’s Luthiers talents and skills are impressively shown. They combine spirit and oil varnishing to bring out the best features of the woods. The impressive varnishing application not only showcases the finest qualities of the timbers, but it also allows the woods to vibrate the way they would want.

When it comes to aesthetic appeal, close to 85% of cellists would always opt for cellos that resemble the appearance of old masters. They would usually go for the cellos that have a faded look that captures the best features of a 300-year old cello. It is in the antique appearance of the Struna Maestro where the unique varnishing does another superb performance. The varnishing allows the Maestro to really project the image of a well-worn, often-used, and incredibly old cello. Minus the wear and tear of the centuries, one can really see the kind of antiquing used in the Struna Maestro.

Sound quality is another guaranteed feature of the Struna Maestro. If Richard and his team spend hours in making other cellos sound amazing, they definitely do more tinkering with the Struna Maestro for the best sound quality possible.

One thing that stands out with the Struna Maestro is the kind of power it brings. Power, as the experts say, is the biggest characteristic that can be truly measured from a string instrument. It is safe to say that the cellist would have no trouble getting his sound across even a huge concert hall. As such, it would be a fantastic option for budding soloists.

The Struna Maestro is also extremely playable which should really help students and young professionals. This is a really good cello that would even be greater in the hands of the right cellist.