This may be the wildest Concord yet! This unique log has gone into several incredible basses, and for our Head Luthier Eric Roy, this Concord revisits a special log not used since the 2011 & 2013 ISB competition basses, resulting in one of the most stunning instruments ever built by Upton Bass.
We got to watch Eric build this instrument, stealing moments and sipping coffee while he steamed and bent the tricky figured Maple into the lyrical Busetto curves of this Prescott-inspired masterpiece. It was created during the process of re-doing this website, and its build is featured in many shots throughout, as well as staring in some breathtaking Instagram shots. The finished whole is somehow still more than the sum!
Eric’s thoughts: “This is spalted Big Leaf Maple from a whole tree Gary purchased that was standing dead in the Pacific North West. We’ve used it three times previously – on the 2011 ISB San Francisco Competition bass, Rich Wagor’s “Super Karr” and a very special Kloz, and its a very challenging piece of wood to work with. I’ve got to be crazy trying to bend those rounded lower corners with such figured wood! I easily broke almost a whole basses worth of ribs trying to get it done. The bark has a burn mark on it from what we believe was a lightning strike, and the wood had a very “cheese like” smell (in a good way!) when cutting on our saws! The bass is sick!!!”
