An inside view of Upton Bass String Instrument Co.’s Instrument Repair & Restoration Workshop. The workshop was created to communicate with clients about the progress of their projects and to better showcase our repair and restoration capabilities. Launched in 2005, we opened the door to better transparency for clients from the back room of the workshop.
Today, Upton Bass String Instrument Co. continues to offer world-class repairs of all instruments in the violin family. We repair upright basses, violins, and cellos, ensuring each instrument receives the attention it deserves. Our active repairs are showcased below and on the following pages.
Our commitment to transparency means you can stay informed about the progress of your project every step of the way. But don’t just take our word for it—check out our reviews here and see what our satisfied clients have to say!
Click here to read about our story!
Oreste Martini (1893-1957) learned his craft from the great Mantuan maker Stefano Scarampella. After his tutelage under master Stefano Scarampella, beginning at age 14, Martini was producing his own instruments by his early 20s. He began his career with a focus on double basses (reported to be a double bassist himself) but went on to craft many violins, violas, and cellos (He is credited with more than 300 violins, 10 violas, 50 cellos, and 45 basses). While other pupils copied Scarampella's works, Martini adopted his own artistic flair. He received medals for his work in Cremona, Padua, and Paris and…
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#TBT correcting the sins of past "luthiers" who cut into the scroll to mount an extension.
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THIS IS AN ACTIVE REPAIR, BE SURE TO CHECK BACK OFTEN! This is one of the great Mittenwald basses we have had through the shop. The varnish is to die for, and tone is even better! But, these things we like to haul around are BIG and AWKWARD, and sometimes you bump it on things. This one took a little bump and got a rib crack...so the owner, a dear friend of the shop, brought her in for a patch and since we would have the top off, let's reglue that upper brace that's been working itself loose. When tops come off...that usually…
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This American Standard double bass came in with a "loose" bass bar and arching deformations around the bridge/soundpost as well as the lower bout. Upon an internal inspection, the bass bar had not let go, the laminations had failed. We took off the top and were able to easily remove a layer of wood. Testing a few areas, we decided that just the one layer had failed and the others were holding. American Standards use fewer layers, but thicker layers, than other vintage laminates and even our own newly made laminated basses, so we re-laminated two thin layers into the…
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