Upton Bass String Instrument Company

Recently Made Uptons - A Gallery of Notable UB Builds

“Holbrook” Solid Wood 5-String Brescian

This five-string fully-carved Brescian was built with back and sides of select highly-figured English Sycamore. Check out the back!  Brilliant 5 string upright bass with stunning wood throughout. Antiqued tuners.

“Edgerton” Klotz (Kloz) Model Upton Double Bass

This Klotz copy double bass was custom built with a medium flame maple back and sides and has a warm responsive tone. Tricked out with Sloane tuners, mother-of-pearl dot inlays and hand made rib bumpers for lots of gigging!  

“Dutton” Klotz (Kloz) Model Upton Double Bass

This very special Klotz copy double bass was built with back and ribs carved from a piece of insanely figured big leaf maple from the Pacific Northwest, the same log which was used on Richard Wagor’s 4/4 ISB Concert Special.

“Anderson” Klotz (Kloz) Model Upton Double Bass

John Anderson brought us tracings of a Matthias Klotz (Kloz) double bass dated to the late 18th Century. John had taken tracings of the Kloz instrument belonging to the great Russian bassist (and Eddie Gomez protege) Yuri Golubev over an extended dinner and discussion of vintage instruments.  After years of searching for the right collaborator, in 2012 John commissioned Upton Bass…

“Swift” Brescian Hybrid Double Bass

Here’s a very cool example of an exceptional hybrid. With the medium varnish, the quality of our poplar plywood veneers is clearly seen. A one piece light English Sycamore neck and Irving Sloane tuners are brilliant, tone-enhancing upgrades.

“Murray” Concord Model Upton Double Basses

Back in 2012, Baltimore and D.C. first-call bassist and educator Max Murray commissioned one of our first showpiece Concord models. Built with an adjustable neck, this bass was the first to get Prescott uncut ff-holes, and the first to get hat peg tuners with plates in tribute to the Scott Lafaro Prescott. We featured this…