The cello is a very fine instrument - just ask Yo-Yo Ma - but it has some fundamental weaknesses. The most obvious one is that there's no way to play more than two of its four strings simultaneously.

Over the years, Michael Duff has learned a lot about what makes a good bow. His business, Berg Bows, has created viola, violin and cello bows that have become favorites with musicians across the world ...

One curious design innovation on display today through October 23 at K 2013, the world’s largest plastics trade show in Düsseldorf, Germany, is a prototype for a cello that looks like the 23rd-century ...