Can You Hear The Difference? | Carbon Fiber vs Wood Cello Comparison 

I'm really surprised that I was able to hear the difference. The CF cello seemed very smooth and rich, and the wooden one has a kind of bright sheen to the sound.

Reading the comments, I see most people thought the wooden cello had the richer, deeper sound. Running a 5.1 surround sound system when I listened to this video, I had the exact opposite experience. The CF cello let the lower register vibrate longer, which gave it a much warmer sound. The wooden cello seemed to better with the higher frequencies. I suspect the longer decay of vibrations in the CF cello was responsible for giving it a somewhat muddy sound on the higher notes, bathing those high frequencies with the longer lasting mid and lower frequencies in comparison to the wooden one. Materials play a huge part in the tonal characteristics of an instrument, and it was interesting to see that demonstrated here.

Great playing by the way! I could completely tell the difference between the two. The Carbonfiber has a deeper bass resonance that sounds unatural and makes the mid bass sound hollow. The highs are shrill and hollow compared to the wood cello. This was my biggest fears on purchasing a carbon fiber cello, wood to me just sounds so much better. The pizzicato was much harder to tell though.

First of all, you are a very talented cellist and I'm so jealous of your skills! With each test I could hear the years of training and experience coming through, especially to have such a full, deep and controlled tone with two different types of cellos is utterly amazing. I was pleasantly surprised about the richness a carbon fibre cello can bring to the table. It's oddly silky smooth and has a dark resonance to it which I love. However, when you played the wooden cello, you can hear more personality coming through which I personally think adds another layer to the pieces you performed. So, I can definitely agree with you about choosing which cello suits which piece to bring out all the colours the best! Best of luck and thank you for this video.

I could hear all 3. The wood is much richer. Deeper and the carbon fiber was much more rigid and tight if thats the right term. The tone didn't reverberate because of the rigidity of the carbon. Still sounded good the tone just doesn't carry the way wood does.

Thanks for the comparision. I had no dificulty hearing a big difference. The Carbon Cello looks really beautiful .

Thanks for this! I found I preferred carbon fibre on the low end, wood on the high end. For the pizz, I noticed the carbon fibre sound lasted longer - but that can be both good and bad, so I'm not sure which I prefer!

Clear classification, precise performance and quality recording, it's no doubt the best comparison on RU-vid. And I highly recommend you changing the original string set to Thomastik Versum. You can get smoother high notes on A string without losing the powerful projection of carbon fiber cello.

On the lower register the carbon fiber is much stronger and it sounds like it would project much further than the wooden cello. The A and D though sound a bit thin and harsh but that could be easily fixed with a set up change or just different strings. Are they both in the same price range?

The Carbon Fiber made by Lewis and Clark (Mezzo-Forte also makes Carbon Fiber instruments, and Glasser makes Carbon Composite instruments too) is a bit louder than an average wooden cello. Carbon Composite/Carbon Fiber is way more beginner friendly cause its smoother construction facilitates good technique.

I have the same carbon fiber cello and you can tell the difference from the sound of when you press on the fingerboard ebony sounds different from epoxy carbon fiber. Also, the carbon fiber cello is incredibly loud especially on the lower notes so you stick out like a sore thumb in an orchestra without even mentioning that it's black. I think it is great for solo performances and anything outside. Everything but the bridge is indestructible.

This was so helpful! My 9-1/2 year old son, who's been playing for two years, wanted to hear the difference between the carbon fiber & wood cello and this really helped! Thanks so much!!! He liked the sound of the carbon fiber.

The first and second samples I prefer the carbon. While I liked the wooden on the third sample.

Interesting. In the first comparison I thought instrument 2 (carbon) had much clearer articulation but both were close. I was very surprised by the second comparison where I strongly preferred the voicing of carbon instrument. Instrument 2 in this comparison had a lack of midrange body that made me suspect it was the carbon instrument but I was wrong! For pizzicato i preferred the articulation and sustain of the wooden instrument. Both very fine sounding cellos.

I prefered the carbon fiber cello for the Brahms for it sounded stronger as well as for the Bach for the wooden cello on the D and A strings sounded a little thin. I would like to know what both cellos are, as well as the bow used (modern bow, Pernambuco wood etc...). Thank you for giving the time in making this very well made, and we'll thought of video.

Thanks for the blind test. I correctly identified the carbon cello 3/3 times on an iPhone’s loudspeakers, so I guess for me it settles the question whether it sounds like a wooden instrument.

Carbon Fiber Cellos actually have geared tuners which makes tuning alot easier especially for beginners.

Great video. Carbon fiber is definitely more harsh under the ear and up close. However, as you get further away from the insturment, as in a concert or ensemble venue, the differences between wood and CF fade away. For the money--and for the uninitiated, $7K USD (for the L& C) is NOT an expensive cello relatively speaking--you cannot beat the CF value for its performance. The CF is world-class in its price range. As well, very robust for outdoor settings and rapid changes in temp. Mine also doubles as a wake board and fishing platform in the summer months. ;-)

Yes, I’d agree the CF cello seems thinner and more focused in its attacks. I’m not a cellist but have a CF violin which I like for its stability in varying temps and humidities, and is good for playing alongside loud guitars and banjos and for amplification due to its better focus, but lacks the tonal color of wood.

Thanks for that insightful experiment. I liked the wood cello better in the first two excerpts, but the carbon fiber better in the jazz.

The CF amplifies the base frequency, or the primary harmonic, which causes the upper range to sound a bit muffled. I think, this can make CF very good as a part of an ensemble where the bass does not need to sound so human. The wood has a weaker primary harmonic, but more third harmonic which makes it to sound fuller. I think thi can make it a good for solo and in recordings. The CF rings a lot, it will be very good in places where there are no walls to provide a strong reverb. The wood just speaks, it will be good in venues where it literally echoes. It would be good also for pieces with long legato phrases which it can literally sing like a human. I listened to this video through my phone speaker, through earphones, and through a big sound system. Phone speaker does not do justice for the CF sound since it it strong in the base frequency. It does not sound well. Earphones amplify a lot of bass which makes the sound so low and so loud for cf. But the sound system (connected to our smart TV) does a lot of justice to make it sound full. I already played some recorded practice recordings on this tv and speakers and they sound closer to what my instruments sound. This makes me believe that the sound of your recording as played on these speakers connected to my TV is closer to the actual. CF sounds generally better than the wooden one.

This was super interesting! The only one I got right was the upper register part. I'm curious in which gigs you use each cello.

I could tell in each excerpt which was which, and I really prefer the sound of the wooden one. It has quite a bit more reverb in the room and even if it may have slightly less projection at times compared to the carbon fibre, you can hear the notes ring longer in a beautiful way. Also, each note had a less aggressive quality, I don't know how to explain hearing wood, but I can hear it vibrating with each stroke and pluck. The carbon really stops those vibrations, or vibrates a lot less. And in the jazzy excerpt, the taping on the wood gave it away right away. That's a lovely wood tapping sound that isn't as prominent on the carbon.

Very interesting comparison. I didn't think even the carbon cello endorsed those performances. In my opinion there is the same difference in sound between a CD and a vinyl record. Thanks for the very interesting video

Both are within the window of appropriate cello sounds. I ended up preferring the CF for all three tests. My reason was that the wood cello seemed to have more of a problem with producing a uniform sound from note to note. In the arpeggios in the Bach there was a note that always sounded like it didn't belong with the others. A sore thumb. Some people will call that "character" or "an idiosyncrasy" but we wouldn't favor that in other instruments.

I guessed all correctly. The cf cello is much more resonant and also has many more overtones. The wood cello is more compressed but also more controlled. At least that’s how I heard them. Thanks for doing this comparison!

That was really interesting. I was surprised that I could tell the difference between them. To me the wood cello had a much richer and fuller sound.

Overall very interesting, very different sounds from each. I’d like to hear an entire composition on each one.

I am not a musician, but even I was able to tell the difference correctly on every single one of the tests. The CF Cello is for me the undisputed winner. The only area where the wooden instrument was marginally better was in having smoother high notes but I doubt this would be noticeable in an ensemble.

I'm a violinist, so I'm very familiar with orchestral string sounds. I got all three correct. To me, the carbon fiber instrument sounds tubby. This is very subjective language, but to me it sounds a little like a bucket. However, I was just listening to Mezzo Forte violins. They sound very lovely. I don't know who made your carbon fiber instruments, but I definitely feel that the Mezzo Forte carbon fiber violins sound better than Luis and Clark's. MF's sound very smooth, rich, and even throughout their range.

you can definitely hear the difference! so beautiful

Thank you so much for doing this! It has really helped me to decide which to buy!

Clear difference in the quality of tone. 😊

the wood one sounds richer and more smooth like the notes flow into each other with a warming sound. I can tell even with my Mac speakers. The carbon fiber one sounds crisp and extremely clear almost robotic (describing the best I can) but still good

I've listened to a couple of different blind comparisons. What I hear when the instrument is bowed is that the CF seems to have a slightly greater lower midrange frequency emphasis. It's not bad, but just different. Whether this might also be the case between various wooden cellos might also be true (I would be surprised if all pairs of quality cellos sounded identical). That's what I think I'm hearing anyway.

I'm not a musician, although I played the saxophone when I was in school. I could tell the difference on all three sections. The wooden cello is warmer and has a fuller tone. That said, the cf was still very good. Not sure if I agree with other commenters here that the cf sounded better on the low end. Difference of opinoon os what makes a horse race.

Yup. You can tell the difference almost the instant the second clip is played, however I have some doubt you could reliably pick the actual instrument without a comparison. The wooden instrument sounds like you're listening to it with cotton wool in your ears. I don't see how people think it's got more character/tone/warmth/WHY.

I guessed which cello was which correctly both for Brahms and Bach. I prefer the carbon fiber cello for the lower register and the wood for the higher register.

I got all 3 correct! I can definitely hear the difference though I preferred the wood cello!

So beautiful! I love the cello! Happy to subscribe.

I’m just an amateur guitar player, but I had all three right. The carbon instrument sounds ‘crisp’ or ‘precise’, probably because of the uniformity of the material, but only when you use the bow. In the jazz piece, the wooden instrument was actually the technical winner. In all three, the wooden instrument adds a bit of personality.

Thanks brother that was entertaining! God bless🙏

Fascinating! I love the cello, classical, and jazz. I especially love the blind comparison between the two materials. I guessed the first one right and love the idea of using the carbon fiber for jazz. Neat comparison!

This comment section definitely shows how subjective good tone is haha

I was correct for test 1 and 3. I was wrong on test 2 because my presumption of CF would sound inferior. Between these 2 cellos, I would choose CF to keep. Test 1 was so close. Test 2 CF sounds more pleasant to my ears. Test 3, CF has better boom sound.

The wood one contains the thick, rough and elastic( or sooth?) sound belongs to the wood box. The carbon one's sound isvery direct, cold. Like the fidderence of Hifi SYSTEM between tube and crystal.

For myself, having listened to both instuments, the characteristics are distinct, and depend on the context, each instrument would have its place. As a soloist, the wooden instrument would in the higher registers offer more sweetness and clarity. It does not fare so well in the lower registers, where it was distinctly muddy. So in pieces where such expressiveness in the mid and upper range is key, the wooden cello would be excellent. However, the carbon fibre cello is more an ensemble instrument, because of its cleaness and attack. There was no muddiness down in lower registers, but the cleanness extends throughout its range, which probably accounts for the accusations of tinnyness. Its greater rigidity limits the sound textures it can produce, so whilst its character is distinct, it seems aurally less rich and complex. That is probably a matter of the physics involved with the composite its made from and its construction. It's early days, and more research into modifying the CF composite and/or the physical characteristics inside the instrument may produce a sound warmer and richer tone. Some manufacturers address this by adding wooden soundposts in their violins (mezzo forte orchestra grade) and it does provide more warmth compared to a completely CF violin. More research is required I think.

I am, by no means, a fan of the carbon fiber... Only because it can be mass produced and i feel a little soul and individuality is lost. Honestly though... I was wrong on the sound all three times. For certain i thought the carbon fiber was going to sound more robust and full, but it was actually the opposite. To note: you are a fantastic cellist.

Very good comparison!

Identified each correctly. The sound of CF is distinctive.

The carbon's lower register deninitly seems fuller and the upper sounds snappier? The wood has the earthy smooth sound. :) Or maybe that's just me? Both are great, it's like choosing between your kids. You just can't. :D Thanks for this! :)

You sound great on both

I was wondering which was louder in the upper thumb positions, especially on the A string. CF?

Its round cello 2 much richer and deeper. 2nd round cello 2, was much. Smoother sounding and much less muted compared # 1. Last round not much difference. Very interesting THANK you for sharing this.

What’s the model you have for the carbon fiber cello? Cost?

I got first if 2 right , that the wooden sounded the best . The deepest , the most natural . Granted for a chemical instrument , the resonance is good , but the natural decay , the deepness , you can still hear it ( and that was hearing it through an iPad !

contrary to what people think, its actually hard to tell the difference between the two. While im at it for you cello players out there, try kalimba by mark summers, its a really cool all piz song :D

Dead on! Wood is richer, brighter and amazing resonance.

Incredible that the carbon sounds as good as it does!

I got 1 out of 3 correct, WTG carbon fiber. What pickup would you recommend for a carbon fiber cello? I tried Fishman's piezo on a loaner carbon cello, and it sounded terrible.

Very interesting. The carbon fibre seemed to have a real, almost fluid depth when playing the lower register in both the Brahms and the jazz pizzicato, which I liked better. But the wooden one came out a lot more harmonious in the Bach prelude- something sounded off about the carbon fibre part in that one. Maybe to do with the sort-of uniform solidity of the carbon fibre one as helping to give shape to those lower tones, versus the flexibility of a wooden instrument for the higher tones? Or maybe the structure of the instrument affects the string tension? How long had you been playing the carbon fibre one prior to making this video? I've heard that carbon fibre instruments can take a couple of weeks to play in.

You are a superb cellist who is at the beginning of a technical transition/revolution which is now targeting and challenging a long standing tradition of the masters. I loved both instruments. For me, the artistic content of the piece is more important than the sound cosmetics. The world is changing ... the subjectivity of all our senses is changing right along with it. It is your generation that is in the process of setting the yardsticks for sound quality. How much demand is there today for the authentic sound of the Cretan Lyra? I foresee that piano concerts will be played on digital pianos and all other orchestral instruments being made of the most modern materials. Kawai already has an all digital "Grand Piano" that uses the actual grand piano action where the hammers trigger switches instead of hitting strings. Kawai has already incorporated many wooden components of the action with carbon fiber. I think that future orchestras will be smaller because four 4-5 violinists can be electronically massaged by the computer to sound like a full string section ... minute pitch variations included. Etc. etc. Please don't shoot the messenger. 😄

Definitely I distinguished the sound of the wooden cello, it has a more complex, wider, warmer sound and it vibrates much more. For pizzicato perhaps sounds better the carbon one?

Can someone tell me where 1 gets a carbon fiber cello plz

What company made the carbon fiber cello? Owned a Luis & Clark. Now I have a Mezzo Forte, which I prefer.

THEY SOUND EXACTLY THE SAME IN MY SHITTY PHONE SPEAKER. IN ANY CASE I'D GO WITH THE CARBON FIBER, SO I DON'T HAVE TO CARRY IT AROUND LIKE IT WAS A NEW BORN.

I guessed them all right! But I kind of cheated. I've played on the Luis and Clark violin for years as my main instrument. I've also listened to the instruments creator Luis Leguía play it for hours because he made a great album of Latin American folk music for cello and piano using only the carbon fiber instrument. The instruments do have a pretty bright tone overall. It cuts through timbre wise. So, definitely great if you like something more right. The violin Plays great and I've gotten only compliments overall. The only thing that would annoy me a bit is that the strings especially on cello will slap kind of loud against the fingerboard compared to a wood fingerboard.

I got all three comparisons correct. The carbon fiber has a rounder, richer sound.

재미있고 유익한 영상이네요. 제 귀에는 저음은 나무가 더 풍성하게 들리고, 다른 부분은 카본첼로가 모든면에서 더 좋게들리네요. 연주가 너무 훌륭해요. 두대의 첼로가 같은 가격대인가요? 영상속 카본섬유첼로는 어떤 모델인가요?

Fascinating. I don’t think the wooden cello has too much to worry about! Yikes.

I made a few cf cellos and they are beutiful.

Carbon fiber is pretty stiff as i recall, the sound should be brighter... Greetings from Mexico Caleb I can also note the composite cello is louder than the wooden instrument, i knew that from the classical guitar world in which you can get a guitar with carbon and balsa and the instrument is super loud

What brand and kind of strings did you use on each cello?

I don’t play cello but I could tell the difference… the would one sounded more organic, like it had a soul. The CF was very clean sounding, kind of too clean.

my approach was less about "which one was which" but rather "which one do I LIKE?" Result: I think i liked the richness of the lower range on the carbon fiber cello, but preferred the wooden one in the upper range. just my subjective opinion.

I got it right the first 2 blind as for jazz im not sure what I'll hear. But as far as sound qulity the low notes sound better on the carbon fiber. But on the wood instrument thd upper register sounds more real wile the carbon fiber has some mechanical noise. If anyone finds a way to get both togather then it would be more like a million dollar wood instrument thats highly prized for its tonal qulity. Im going to bet the jazz sound better on the carbon fiber instrument now ill go listen and see if I'm right. Yep got number 3 right, the carbon fiber just has a tone thats slightly off. Picking the strings show its weaknesses. Some day somone will figure out the secret.

Got them all correct. Wood tones are hard to replicate with CF. Still performe technically but lack soul.

I prefer the lows on the carbon fiber, and given its versatiliy, I like it all around, the highs are different, not what one expects from a cello, but I wouldn't say they're bad at all, just a different instrument

The carbon fiber cello sounds much more clear especially in the lower notes. The wooden cello really shined in the jazz piece.

카본 첼로 연주와 나무 첼로 연주 다 맞추었습니다 너무 뚜렸하게 카본과 나무 첼로 소리가 구분이 되는군요.

For me, always the Carbon Cello definitely sounded better (in the upper and deeper register), although it was always changing the numbers :o)! May I ask, is it from Mezzoforte or Louis and Clark? Which luthier made your wooden cello and from which country is it? Thanks for answering my questions and best wishes, Marta

What is the name of that exact cello you're using?(the carbon fiber)

Even holding my phone while each cello played you could feel the difference. The carbon fibre didn't resonate the body of the phone by a fifth the amount as the traditional cello. Wood sounded better, though I suspect the sound is truer with the carbon fibre.

Huge difference! I much prefer the wooden cello and after the first comparison was revealed I could easily spot the cf and wood in the next two. I do think cf could be better in some situations though, such as when part of an arrangement that called for a less warm and rich sound for fear of dominating the mix.

the pizzicato was 10 to 1 for the wooden one.

thank you for video 👍👍👍👍

somehow the wood feels both bigger and warmer than the carbon down below: I find the wooden one less tight at the lower end, and tighter at the higher end.

1st excerpt: Prefer cello 1. 2nd excerpt: lean towards cello 2. 3rd excerpt: cello 2. Hmmm... seems I prefer a wood cello over a carbon fiber cello.

One thing must be taken into consideration when recording the Luis & Clark cello: this cello projects it sound at a 60° angle (according to Luis Leguia himself)…THEREFORE…you should use a different mic setup. That’s why most recordings made with Luis & Clark cellos sound like they were made with a low quality cello.

I could tell the carbon fiber cello because its tone reminds me of people using PVC pipes as horns.

How Mutch does the carbon fibre one cost you

You play beautifully. Thank you for presenting this interesting example. I was able to tell the difference the first time in the lower registers. The wood one seemed more interesting and alive sounding. However, my ear or computer ability isn't fine tuned enough to tell the difference on the higher strings or when you do pizzicato.

Excellent video. Got all 3 correct (phew, I’m a professional so hope my ears are up to it). The carbon fibre is fine, but just sounds a bit synthetic somehow. Wood just sounds so much better, resonant and real.

Test #3 cello #2 punctuates better

i preferred the carbon fiber cello on every test

Many factors must be considered... Really, we are not talking about "big" instruments, both instruments lack brightness and color, perhaps the wooden cello sounpost is a little loose, as well as its location in relation to the harmonic bar and the foot of the bridge. The bridge could perhaps have a little more wood. I apologize for the honesty, I wouldn't use a fiber cello for serious music...

I prefer the sound from cello 1. The sound is more clean and clear like a crystal. Cello 2 sounds more muted.

I feel crazy

Cello #2 seems softer on test #2

Cello #2 has better clarity on test #1