An inside view of Upton Bass String Instrument Co.’s Instrument Repair & Restoration Workshop. Our sister website, www.StringRepair.com was originally created to communicate with our clients about the progress of their project, as well as to better display our double bass repair & restoration capabilities in conjunction with UptonBass.com. StringRepair.com was launched in 2005 and was one of the first active repair blogs on the web, opening the door to better transparency to the client 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, and our active repairs are showcased below and on the following pages.
While StringRepair.com is not actively updated today, we keep it up as it’s become a great reference source for many workshops worldwide. We hope you enjoy the collection!
As long as we work on double basses, we will regularly encounter the many amazing restorations of Lou DiLeone, the New Haven, Connecticut double bass luthier extraordinaire. Lou had a special touch bringing back many tired or injured basses back to life, often to a playing condition better than new - with modernized geometry, improved playability and tone. He tended to work on early 20th Century Bohemian and German basses, rejuvenating each with a beautiful natural varnish, appropriate updates and masterclass-worthy fit and repairs. His setup prowess was sought out by Gary Karr, Don Palma and generations of NYC pro…
View Full Post
If you're on Instagram, check out our luthier Jack Hanlon's page: @jackhanlonbass - Jack keeps it updated with some of the many exquisite double bass C-Extensions that come off his bench! The Upton Bass C-Extension was conceived and designed to have no structural impact to your scroll. No cuts, no notches, no drill holes. Our low pitch extensions stay securely in place entirely through string pressure and meticulous fitting to the scroll’s contours. We also refined it to be actually comfortable and playable, knowing they often are employed in rigorous playing situations. Whether a new build or your favorite vintage…
View Full Post
Here's studio pictures of the restored Selmer Kay Bass Viol, the thin-ribbed deluxe S-10 model from the dawn of Kay Bass! We set out to not over-restore or "candy coat" this historic example, leaving its cool checked patina while returning structural health and playability to as-new. Learn more about this Selmer Kay bass restoration HERE The Selmer Kay S-10 was a narrow-body Kay briefly produced for Selmer, the band instrument company known for brass and woodwinds. In addition to being a thinline instrument, the S-10 model has the full complement of ornament. The ¾ sized blonde basses sported a carved…
View Full Post
This Selmer Kay restoration began with some fact finding: Selmer Kay? Kay thin body? These early deluxe version Kays are some of the rarest. We've serviced vast multitudes of Kays and haven't seen a Selmer Kay even for a string change. In fact, our friends at the Kay Bass Registry haven't seen one either! We were excited to work on this example in need of restoration. More Kay history HERE. The bass was in rough structural shape. A broken bass bar lead to a partially collapsed top and back and badly deformed ff-holes. This was a perfect candidate for relamination…
View Full Post