Aurora Acrylic Cello with LEDs, white

Imported from Brazil, the Aurora electric cello by Atelier Audio has an outer frame that's crafted from clear acrylic, making the outline of this cello's body look as if it was carved out of ice. The Aurora is a beautiful instrument, with a sleek, modern look that's enhanced by the built-in light show. Red, green, and blue LEDs can be turned on and off in combination, giving you seven different colors for the light that shines through the instrument, dramatically changing the cello's appearance. There's also a single, button to activate a pure white LED. 'Though most of the body is transparent, the central spine, neck, and fingerboard are made of wood, and painted a satin white color, which reflects the LEDs back onto the clear acrylic body.

Powered by a relatively simple, effective dual piezo pickup system, the Aurora's amplified tone is good; warm and natural. The pickup is passive, so there are no complex electronics to add a possible point of failure. Separate bass and treble pickup volume knobs allow you to boost or cut either, for a wide range of color possibilities. There are also master output volume and headphone output volume knobs. All the knobs have the feel of high quality potentiometers; the tone knobs also have a center detent, so that you can tell when the equalization is flat.

The Aurora has all of the cello's physical reference points right where they should be, so it's comfortable to play. The bridge curvature, string height, and width of the neck makes for a comfortable transition from a traditional acoustic to the Aurora LED cello. This electric cello is easy to play and comfortable --it's a little heavier than some electric cellos on the market, but not excessively so.

We include a Yamaha cello padded gig bag with the Aurora cello, which has backpack straps, handle, and external bow compartment.