Recently Made Uptons - A Gallery of Notable UB Builds

“Tutu” Spalted Maple Concord Double Bass, Opus 220

Dramatic flame shimmers through the back and sides of this special Spalted Maple Concord (2202022). We bought the entire tree of this lightning-struck Bigleaf Maple from the Pacific Northwest. It’s already resulted in some amazing instruments and this two-piece back sets that bar just a bit higher. Travel neck and a rare last set of…

“Jazz Foundation of America” Concord Model Double Bass

The Jazz Foundation of America was created to bring assistance to musicians needing emergency medical, housing and disaster relief. Additionally, the organization creates dignified paid work opportunities for artists to perform with free concerts at schools, hospitals, and nursing homes. Each year they produce almost 1,000 concerts in 17 states and reach more than 80,000…

Concord Model Double Bass, Opus 219

It’s getting chilly and leaves are turning, how about a nice New England-style Concord Upton Bass, made with our hats tipped to the luthier Abraham Prescott, and his school of double bass making…with maple?

Nicest left-handed Upton bass yet?

Standing back to admire this Brescian model, Eric remarked, “This has gotta be one of the nicest left-handed basses we’ve ever built!” This fully carved flatback will be our current benchmark for sure – not only for its lefty orientation, but as a varnish color reference. Chris amazes again with this beautiful warm amber requested…

Oreste Martini Double Bass, 1925 Gallery

Here’s a gallery of the fully restored Oreste Martini double bass – one of the most thorough projects to date! There are so many elegant and stylish details on this instrument, not a line out of place. Eric has a great post below on all the steps involved in getting this damaged historic instrument to…

Featured Bass: Concord Model Opus 213, 2021

Our Featured Bass is this new Concord Model, a fully-carved, flat back 3/4 size double bass directly inspired by the instruments of Abraham Prescott. Gary Upton and Eric Roy began plans for a Prescott-style double bass in the spring of 2012. Their central goal was to build a Prescott pattern with modern ergonomics from our…

Upton “Bulkin” Brescian Hybrid Double Bass, Opus 769, 2021

This Upton Brescian Hybrid double bass, one of the first of the new year, is built with sugar maple veneers on the back and sides with matching neck. German spruce top. Upgraded tuners and “micro-dot” inlays. Spirocores and a Rev Solo pickup for reinforcement and recording. Somebody’s new gigging partner – what a great list…

“Camp” Brescian Model Double Bass

Yet another amazing Brescian build completed! The “Camp” Brescian double bass features deeply figured Big Leaf Maple and a very special back. One centered piece of this select tonewood makes up the vast majority of the carved back, including nearly all of the arching. Gary thoughts on the Camp Brescian: “This really reminds me of…

Upton Bass Ergo Double Bass by AES

Introducing a new generation of The Ergo double bass! This modern contrabass is a joint collaboration between Upton Bass and Arnold E. Schnitzer, developing his unique Ergonomic Contrabass for production here at Upton Bass. At Upton Bass, we’re always trying to apply tabula rasa, or “clean slate” thinking. That’s exactly what drove our colleague Arnold…

“Bullet” Brescian Model Double Bass

Luthier’s notes from Eric: “Most amazing Brescian yet! Deep ribs (almost 9″!) spalted big leaf Maple that kept ruining blades as it had a bullet in it!” We imagined several stories – was the tree outside Elvis’s window? Was the lumber in the trunk of Steve McQueen’s Mustang? The depth in the wood and pathless…