September 2022 by Regina Belard
I made an appointment to bring my 25+ year old cello to Mr. Tong. He was waiting for me as scheduled, and I appreciated that. I was hoping to get it back into decent condition for my 11-yr old to start learning how to play. He said that ideally the bridge(broken scroll) , strings(old), pegs(2 were frozen), tailpiece(fragile), and bow should be replaced, but it would be $300+ for all the repairs. But he said that since my son is a beginner, it probably wouldn't be worth the money to do yet and we could get by as is for now if my son is careful. He realigned the bridge, tuned the cello, and wouldn't accept any money for his time! I really appreciated his honesty and kindness, and I will certainly go back to him in the future when needed. Thank you, Mr. Tong!
