A comparison of Modern and Baroque Cellos

From initial appearances one would not think that there is much difference between Baroque and Modern cellos. However, before public concerts really became mainstream events in the early 18th century the Violoncello differed slightly in both its characteristics, and its uses in performance. Because the cello was not primarily employed as a solo instrument in the Baroque period there are some significant elements in its setup that cause it to have a much different sound …

…an important issue here as the entire bow seems lighter and there seems to be a more distributed balance of the weight. Finally, the convex shape of the Baroque bow allows it to catch the string better than a modern bow. This is a distinct advantage when playing on gut strings because there is more surface resistance than on metal strings, and dealing with this resistance factor is the key to making a good sound.