| My handmade cellos are entirely made by myself from raw materials using figured English Sycamore for the backs, ribs and head/necks and a variety of different spruces and furs for the fronts depending on availability. I do not intend that the description and order of work that follows is definitive, in the final analysis whatever works, works. This is how I do it; from years of experience as a Cello Luthier/Maker it suits me well and achieves successful results both tonally and in appearance.
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| The head and neck block is prepared, has the profile marked on it and then sawn to outline. This is done well in advance for no matter how dry the wood is such a large section has internal stresses in it and this approach relieves these and adds considerably to this component’s long term stability, photo left. |
| | The top, bottom and corner blocks are prepared and fitted to the rib form on which the ribs will be assembled. With cellos I lightly glue these blocks to the form with pieces of paper in between which aids in the removal of the ribs when finished, photo left. |
| Work continues on the ribs with the preparation of the corner blocks to except the 'C' ribs and after these are bent and glued on, the top and bottom ribs follow, photos left and below. |
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 | The ribs are then trimmed down to the form. Still on the form are put aside until later in the build. |
| | Next both the front’s and the back’s centre joints are shot (planed) and glued together. Once the glue has dried the underside of both are planed flat, this forms in part the surface to which eventually the ribs will be glued. The outline for back and front are marked out and then sawn, photo left. |
| | The outline of the front and back are trimmed to the line and the edges are thinned to their overall final thickness, next the outside of the front and back are rough carved, like this the back and front are now ready to be purfled, photo left. |
 | In the photo left the rough carved front and back have been the purfled. Once the purfling is dry the outside of the front and back can be finally carved and finished off. |
| With the back progressing I turn my attention to the ribs again when they are trimmed off flush with the form and have linings fitted to the back's edge, photo left. The over large top, bottom and corner blocks are shaped and preparations are made to glue the ribs to the back.
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| | In this photo I have clamped the ribs to the back in order to make out exactly where the limit of the carving out of the inside will be. The photo below shows the inside of the back before it is carved out. |
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 | The back has now been carved out and thicknessed, it is now ready for the ribs to be glued on. |
 | With the ribs now glue to the back (left) the linings to the front edge of the ribs are fitted and finished off. The back and ribs are now able to accept the front when it is ready. |
The front was left after the outside was definitively carved. The inside of the front now requires carving out in a similar manner as the back and its thickness graduating. This done the ’f’ holes are cut and the bass bar fitted and finished off. Preparations made, the front is now glued on. |
 | With the body now in one piece I turn my attention to the head and neck. The previously sawn head and neck block is finished to the line- |
| - and then rough carved, photo left. |
| I then form the bevel on the head and undercut the sides. |
 | The fluting of the back of the scroll and cutting out the peg box finishes the head carving. Once the finger board has been fitted the neck is prepared to be set into the cello's body. |
| After the neck is set in in body and final shaped I finish the cello off in the 'white' with the shaping of the edges. The photos left and below show the cello ready to be varnished. |
| With varnish applied and finished off the cello is fitted up. |
The photos below are of the finished instrument. |
 
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