Uptom Hawkes??

[Rock-N-Dawg]

I found a Upton Hawkes bass i might want to buy. The label states it's a 2006 and says "handcrafted in the workshop of: upton bass strings instuments co, mistic connecticut" which makes it sound like it was made in the USA...but some of the info i found says Upton didn't make USA basses at that point in time, but imported them from Romania????? Are these US made! Main reason i ask, i have already bought a used Upton Medio Fino Hybrid thinking it was made in the USA and it wasn't...and i don't want to make that mistake again!

[jayscheuerle]

Email Upton! - j

[drurb]

How many turns are there on the scroll?

USA-made scroll looks like this:

[Eric Hochberg]

Originally Posted by Rock-N-Dawg

i have already bought a used Upton Medio Fino Hybrid thinking it was made in the USA and it wasn't...and i don't want to make that mistake again!

Just curious, why was that purchase a mistake? If you like the bass, why do you care where it was made? If you're committed to buying "made in USA", then I understand, but if it was used...

Pretty scroll, DRURB!

[iiipopes]

And also look at the offsets on the tuners. The Upton basses have the G string tuner closest to the nut, not the E string tuner.

[Roger Davis]

Originally Posted by iiipopes

And also look at the offsets on the tuners. The Upton basses have the G string tuner closest to the nut, not the E string tuner.

Now you're confusing me. I had just got used to mine being a European Upton (from the scroll) and now I see that my G tuner is closest to the nut. Oh well........................

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

I bought one in September '06 that was made in Romania. The tuners were offset like in Drurb's pic.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by iiipopes

And also look at the offsets on the tuners. The Upton basses have the G string tuner closest to the nut, not the E string tuner.

Originally Posted by Roger Davis

Now you're confusing me. I had just got used to mine being a European Upton (from the scroll) and now I see that my G tuner is closest to the nut. Oh well........................

Yes, he is confusing you. The configuration of the tuners is not the identifying characteristic for the USA-made basses. Rather, it's the number of turns on the scroll. Even with the European imports, the tuners were fitted in Mystic, CT.

The "mirror-image" tuner setup is the arrangement that Gary Upton has preferred for some time and it was adopted in order to decrease the break-angle of the E-string past the nut and into the peg-box. There's a number of separate threads on this practice.

Originally Posted by Eric Hochberg

Pretty scroll, DRURB!

Why, thank you!

[Don Higdon]

Originally Posted by Rock-N-Dawg

I found a Upton Hawkes bass i might want to buy. The label states it's a 2006 and says "handcrafted in the workshop of: upton bass strings instuments co, mistic connecticut" which makes it sound like it was made in the USA...but some of the info i found says Upton didn't make USA basses at that point in time, but imported them from Romania????? Are these US made! Main reason i ask, i have already bought a used Upton Medio Fino Hybrid thinking it was made in the USA and it wasn't...and i don't want to make that mistake again!

Just curious, how is that a "mistake" that you "don't want to make" again?
Again, if GM assembles a car in a US factory, and the engines were built in Canada is it an American car?

[Eric Swanson]

As ever, Don, wonderfully thoughtful question.

In my bass' case, what do we call a Hungarian bass, somewhat reworked in Brasil, that is completely rebuilt and re-assembled in the USA? Using materials from all over the world?

I personally do not care where a bass originates. I care how it responds, how it plays, and about its' health.

Just my 2c.

[Eric Hochberg]

Originally Posted by Eric Hochberg

Just curious, why was that purchase a mistake?

Didn't I already ask that?

[Rock-N-Dawg]

OK, I didn't word that quit right. And of course how it sounds and plays is more important than where it's made.
It's just when you have made your mind up what you exactly want, save for it and than your all excited you found one for a price you can afford...your all happy after you buy it...but than you find out it's not what you thought...even though you really like it, it's a semi let down! It's my fault for not doing the research up front. That one was a semi no brainer that it wasn't a USA model. This one is not, and I'm finding conflicting information.
I just want a USA made Upton, and would prefer not to buy another non USA model, and I'm not sure what is wrong wanting to make sure i get a USA model if that is what i want?
I figured with all the Upton guys on this website someone could help. So far it's got a tag saying made in the USA (which my Medio Fino does not!) but the E tuner is the closest to the nut (not the G) and it doesn't have a scroll with less turns.
Thanks for the information by the way, pretty intresting stuff!

[davpal]

I have an Upton Hawkes hybrid that I ordered and purchased new in 2007. The label is printed "Handcrafted in the workshop of Upton Bass String Instrument Co., Mystic Connecticut".... so it really doesn't state made in the USA. Since they finished this bass to my specs I was asked if I wanted the tuners installed in the conventional manner (E string peg closest to the nut) or in the fashion that Upton preferred with the G tuning peg closest to the nut. When the reason of the less acute angle the E string would take with the Upton method I opted for this approach.
I have been very happy with my bass and have received nothing but compliments on it's sound from other musicians. It seems to respond best from low tension strings and currently have a set of Animas fitted.
Play the bass...if you like it, buy it... don't worry about where it came from. I am very pleased with mine and do not regret my choice in the least. Good Luck!

[drurb]

Originally Posted by Rock-N-Dawg

I figured with all the Upton guys on this website someone could help. So far it's got a tag saying made in the USA (which my Medio Fino does not!) but the E tuner is the closest to the nut (not the G) and it doesn't have a scroll with less turns.

Okay, let me try this once more.

Originally Posted by drurb

The configuration of the tuners is not the identifying characteristic for the USA-made basses. Rather, it's the number of turns on the scroll.

It is a USA-made Upton in the sense that the wood parts were made/carved from lumber in Stonington, CT if, and only if, the scroll has fewer turns. Doesn't have fewer turns? Then it's not a "USA-made" Upton in that sense. It may still have been "hand-crafted" in Mystic (Stonington) and have been "made" in the USA but with parts that were shaped from lumber in Europe. Scroll has fewer turns? Then the body, neck, etc. were all carved/shaped from lumber in Stonington.

IIRC, the Medio Fino models were delivered to Upton with necks set and finish applied. On those basses, the setup work (fingerboard, bridge, etc.) was completed in Mystic. Later, the basses were made according to Upton's own design in Europe. They weren't delivered as completely built and finished instruments. The next step was when Upton took to building their own design (now designs) from the ground up in Stonington. This could exlain why the Medio Fino would not be labeled as "Made in the USA" while later European imports were. Eric Roy could confirm/correct any of this.

Now, unless having the full-tilt USA-made version is a matter of principle for you, which is certainly your right, I echo davpal's advice:

Originally Posted by davpal

Play the bass...if you like it, buy it... don't worry about where it came from.

[Don Higdon]

Bottom line: Nobody comes to hear your label.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by Don Higdon

Bottom line: Nobody comes to hear your label.

As usual, right to the point! Well said.