Being a small shop in a red barn in New England, we at Upton Bass have always felt a special connection to Abraham Prescott. He was one of the few renowned American bass makers of the 19th century, and his instruments have found their place alongside Italian classics in major symphony orchestras.
We love his basses. Bold, busetto-cornered giants with the sound to match. So it’s only natural that we would carry on the legacy and create our own interpretation.
Chris recently completed a stunning new Prescott-inspired build, and we are very proud of it. This bass placed in the Top 5 in the ISB Sound-Off competition. It’s based on the measurements of two vintage Prescotts, and incorporates modern Upton refinements to bring it into the 21st century, without losing its soul.
This instrument features sapele back, sides, and neck – a nod to Prescott’s use of mahogany. The purfling along the sides is a reference to his unique edgework.
The tailpiece is made from ebony, sapele and maple to bring it all together.
It’s a thunderous performer. At ISB, it drew constant attention and repeat visits:
“Where’s that huge Prescott?”
“Can I play it again?”
And yes, it sounds like a Prescott, with pipe organ thunder and projection. It feels surprisingly nimble for its size, with a 42″ string length and a well-balanced neck. This bass is as much at home in a symphony section as on the jazz stage.
We’re already building another one like this. And we’d love to build one for you.
Do you need it to be a tad smaller? We can scale it by 7-10% to make it a 3/4 size. Do you want to customize the look or explore other tone woods? Let’s talk. While this first model is highly tailored, we’re also planning a version with conventional tone woods and more standardized solutions, which will bring it down to that $20,000 sweet spot, where you get tremendous value from us at Upton Bass.
If this is your dream bass, or if you have anything else in mind, let’s make it happen.
