Upton 5 string model

[Rob Sleeper]

Just curious,

Has anyone tried the Upton hybrid 5 string model? How do you think of it? There really hasn't been any reviews on it.

Thanks everyone

[BassAxe]

I was just about to start a thread with the title, "Attention Upton Shoppers!" but, if you don't mind, I'd like to just piggy-back onto this one.

I, too, am considering an Upton 5-string. I'm trying to decide on a laminated (affordable for me) or a hybrid (just a hair over my budget).

Most of my playing and performances end up in fields and barns and porches. Is the hybrid more of a studio and orchestral bass, or would you say it's rugged and road-worthy?

As much as I'd like to get a fully or partially carved bass, I am concerned about ruggedness. But then, the idea of investing so much more for a 5-string (instead of a 4) laminated, I can't help but wonder if I would be short-changing myself on tone, or does the laminated sound damn fine just the way it is?


Right now, I am thinking of ordering an Upton, sight-unseen, because of travel issues. If anyone has had hands-on experience in comparing an Upton 4-string and 5-string, or compared laminated to hybrid, please let us know.

[drurb]

I've played all the Uptons on a number of occasions including recent occasions. I have not played 5-string models. Good as the laminate is, there is just no question that the hybrid is far superior in terms of providing the complexity of tone that is characteristic of a quality DB. In fact, I believe the hybrid is the better value. Of course, you have to weigh all of that in light of the type of music you play and the conditions under which you play it. Speaking for myself, I would not be comfortable dragging a hybrid to outdoor gigs and subjecting it to extreme swings in temperature and humidity. As far as how the Upton laminate compares to other laminates, I'll let the many posts here on TB do the talking. Likewise for the hybrid.

[BassAxe]

I thought I'd do a pre-emptive resurrection on this thread. My new Upton 5-string hybrid is due to be shipped tomorrow. Because of others' stories and experiences I've read here on TalkBass.com, I am going to pick it up with a power drill screwdriver so I can open the crate for inspection before trucking it home. I'll play it for a day or two, and I have a gig around that time, too.

Then, if I can pull myself away from the bass long enough to write a review, I'll do so. I'll even throw in some complimentary bass-porn.

This bass will be arriving a week before I leave for Munich for two weeks and it will be waiting here in Virginia for me until I return. One week to get acquainted after two months waiting for my order!!! At least I get to experience OktobreFest, but I don't know if I can wait to get back.

Edit: Thursday 06 September 2007
The bass has arrived at FedEx. I'm picking it up this afternoon.

[Contrabbasso]

I'm hoping to get a call soon announcing the shipment date of
the new Upton Hybrid 5-string DB I ordered
early in July of 2007. I can't wait!
Because of the special order I think it's production
will take the full time I was told for it's completion.
Talking on the phone with UB I was told it would be a
totally "Built Here" instrument.
They also said that it would be completely left-handed
as opposed to modifying a right-hand bass.
I can't wait!
I am obviously anxious but staying busy with other
tasks that will most likely be ignored after the delivery.
Can't wait!
I chose the "High_C string" version after a reply from a
visiting piano tuner.
His coment reinforced what I had been fighting in my head.
Humm?
I had already ordered the BASS; however, I ordered the
"Lo-B 5'er".
After a few days of not sleeping well and searching
for some satisfaction in my decision I found many reasons
to go with a High-C5er.

I woke early about 5 day's after my first call to UB
to quickly change my order. No problem obviously
wasn't really on the table yet. "Nice people at UB".

For Jazz purposes I thought a "High-5'er" would
allow for other interesting uses. Such as;
-Chords!
-More range before going to "Thumb Position".
-Note Doubling with a tenor/cello/human range.
-Soloing and Ornamentation.

Last and most importantly I realized that playing a 4-string most of my life!
-the- "4th string" was somewhat of a reference point I used while playing.
Maybe a bad habit.
I sometimes feel clumsy using my low-B 5-Str.Electric Bass
in fast jazz passages.
It's easier for me to visualize the neck of a 4-string. I don't
think I'll have that problem using the hi-5.
My thought is - if I have a better sense of visualization
I can learn to sight-read better. I do intend to find a good
instructor.
I can't wait!

P.s .

[BassAxe]

Originally Posted by Contrabbasso

They also said that it would be completely left-handed
as opposed to modifying a right-hand bass.

P.s screw gun .

Then you'll love the latest Upton gig bag! It's zipper is on the opposite side from where every other stringed instrument hard case and gig bag I've ever seen opens. I'm so used to lifting the "player's side" (right-handed perspective) of the bass from the case/bag to the stand, to the playing position and all back again. I mean seriously, someone could post a sticker with an offending message on the opposite side of the bass and I might never know it's there for months. Now I have to get used to extracting and inserting a bass from the opposite side with this bag. It must have been made for left-handers.

This isn't a complaint or a criticizm, by the way. It's just an odd surprise. It'll take some acclimating.

Screw gun, yes. For some reason, they used a few staples, too. I recommend something to gently pry with, unless you're okey with tearing up the wood. Also, everything inside the crate was secured with plastic zip-ties. You'll want a sharp blade or scissors. Luckily, I had some scissors in the truck. If by some chance you feel you need to ship the bass back, stop by a local hardware store beforehand for some massive, honkin' plastic zip ties.

Yes, by the way. I'm home with the bass. I got the bridge on and tuned it up last night. It was all out of tune again this morning, as things stretch and settle. I might be sending the bass back. It's nothing major, but deminishes my overall happiness with the bass. After waiting over two months, I want to play it a bit first in case there's anything else that needs fixing.

[Sam Sherry]

Bass Axe --

Hiya!

Perhaps you should contact the Uptons directly before telling the entire world, via the internet, that you might not be satisfied. That's the same rap I'd give anybody about any retailer.

Your profile reflects that this is the only DB you own. Please forgive me if I'm saying something you're already familiar with: Bass strings stretch a lot when they're new. Some brands stretch a boat-load, especially the rope-core and gut-like kind. That's normal. It's also normal for a new bass to settle in a little bit.

Last but not least, be careful to keep the bridge upright on your bass as you tune it up. They tend to tilt toward the fingerboard and you sure don't want it to fly.

Again, my regrets if I'm pointing out the obvious. Good luck with your new bass and have fun.

[Jeremy Allen]

Originally Posted by Contrabbasso

Apparently there are few classical pieces in history
that score the "Double Bass" to play notes lower in pitch
than the traditional low E-string.

This is absolutely not true. The main reason we even have five-string basses with a Low B and four-string basses with C-extensions (or B-extensions, as Chris Threlkeld is now making) is to facilitate the orchestral repertoire. If you go to an orchestra concert, you will see a back row filled with C-extensions (or, if you're in Europe, you'll see a back row filled with Low B strings on five-string basses). Believe little of what you read on Wikipedia.

Of course, it depends what kind of music you're playing. A jazz bassist probably has little need for a five-string bass with a low string (but don't tell that to Paul Warburton). I will say that I use the C-extension quite a bit in the course of a gig. I think it would be very fun to have a five-string bass with a high-C string and a C-extension on the E string...

[BassAxe]

Originally Posted by Sam Sherry

BassAxe --

Hiya!

Perhaps you should contact the Uptons directly before telling the entire world, via the internet, that you might not be satisfied. That's the same rap I'd give anybody about any retailer.

Your profile reflects that this is the only DB you own. Please forgive me if I'm saying something you're already familiar with: Bass strings stretch a lot when they're new. Some brands stretch a boat-load, especially the rope-core and gut-like kind. That's normal. It's also normal for a new bass to settle in a little bit.

Last but not least, be careful to keep the bridge upright on your bass as you tune it up. They tend to tilt toward the fingerboard and you sure don't want it to fly.

Again, my regrets if I'm pointing out the obvious. Good luck with your new bass and have fun.

Hi Sam,

Thanks for the input. Heh! My thoughts on sending back the bass has nothing to do with the strings stretching!

Sorry if that confused you, and this is my 2nd upright. I don't think to update my profile every time I acquire and sell off gear.

--- RING!---
---15 minutes later---

Okey, I just got off of the phone with Josh at Upton. My "unhappiness" has to do with the color of the varnish. It looks great for what it is, but compared to the pictures on the website, it's not what I was expecting.

The basses you see in the pictures were taken under different lighting conditions than what you are likely to encounter. They have also made improvements in the formula of the varnish since many of those pics were taken. I had fixated on the color of the Professor bass on its side with the blue/grey background. I love the reddish look of it. When I ordered my bass, I referred to that picture when we talked about the varnish.

I only get to familiarize myself with this bass for one week before I leave the country until October. I was thinking that if the color was not a big hassle and could be fixed during my 2 week absense, it would be better to have that done while I am gone instead of waiting until after I get back.

Everything's cool with Upton. My new 5-string hybrid is great, so far.

Sam, thanks for pointing out that I should express any dissatisfaction directly with Upton before spreading it all over the internet. I only brought that up because of the tie-wraps. I had to cut them to get the bass out of the gig bag. If there was some reason to send the bass back, you'll need new tie wraps on hand. The lack of new tie-wraps and the fact that Upton was closed for the day led me to decide to bring the bass home instead of shipping it back. I also wanted to play it a bit and make sure there wasn't anything else that might need fixing.

Final Word
The guys at Upton will work with you on any issues.
If the bass isn't damaged in transit, take it home and get familiar with it.

So far it's a great bass, but I just got it last night. If anyone around my neighbourhood (Culpeper, VA) ever wants to come by and try it out instead of making the trek to Connecticut, feel free to drop me a line.

I'll be posting a more coherant review after the bass and I have gotten to know eachother.

[BassAxe]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Allen

. I think it would be very fun to have a five-string bass with a high-C string and a C-extension on the E string...

I can't say that I am a fan of extensions, but this idea does sound like a great compromise over a 6-string bass!

[MingusAmongUs]

Originally Posted by BassAxe

Okey, I just got off of the phone with Josh at Upton. My "unhappiness" has to do with the color of the varnish. It looks great for what it is, but compared to the pictures on the website, it's not what I was expecting.

This is something that I've been finding as I go from browsing online to actually seeing instruments in person. The varnish color is always much different than it appears on the screen. I don't think it's deceptive on the part of the dealer at all, and in fact I would guess it's not even intentional. But obviously the dealer wants to show the product in the best possible light, but it's difficult I guess to get a truly representative photo. I think natural sunlight is the best way to go for certain kinds of photography. I personally am not a photographer and don't have good lighting in my house so if I'm selling something on ebay or whatever I will always take photos outside if the weather cooperates.

[Contrabbasso]

[quote=Jeremy Allen;4643463]
This is absolutely not true.
Believe little of what you read on Wikipedia.
QUOTE]

Funny that after reading your quote I went back to Wikipedia
to reread the article about the use of other pitch
tunings and the use of an "Extension or 5-String".
To my amazement it was different.
The page had been changed.
I had posted my comments at 3:59 AM 09-07-07.
The Wikipedia article was modified at 7:41 AM 09-07-07.
Somewhat of a coincidence to say the least.

I found a better reference to the topic of string tuning
in the book "Anatomy of the Orchestra" Norman Del Mar.

It states the historical use and problems of Dbass tunings.
It also gives a few good examples of the composers that
wrote music lower that the conventional low-E.
Bach, Mozart, Cherubini etc.

Personally I haven't seen any scores with notes lower than
low-E written in the stave of the Double Bass parts of
any orchestral works.

Is there a term or symbol in conventional "Music Notation"
that directs the DB player to apply or release the "Extension"?
Haven't run into that before.

I like the "lower pitch range" for the obvious reasons.
After deciding to purchase a DB hi-5'er I asked if it
could have the low "Extention" added. I was somewhat led to
believe "no".
It sounded to me like they thought the combined tension of
the 5-string and the "Extention" was extreme.

The concept of both "hi-5'er W/lo Extention"
makes me think that in this case "more is better"; however,
lighter less-damped 4-string designs most likely are less restrictive,
more subtle and easier to control.

I am left-handed and have not played yet seen a LH Dbass.
There's quite a bit for me to learn and experience ahead.
I will be happy with my choice of purchasing a 5'er DB.

[BassAxe]

[quote=Contrabbasso;4644833]

I am left-handed and have not played yet seen a LH Dbass.
There's quite a bit for me to learn and experience ahead.
I will be happy with my choice of purchasing a 5'er DB.

As I was looking over my 5-string Upton hybrid, I was noticing how asymetrical are the fingerboard and bridge radii. I was wondering, with the complexity of the curvatures, if Upton was flexible enough in making the same instrument for left-handed players. A few friends of mine are left-handed bass players. They are often frustrated by how little is available for them.

Kudos to Upton on being inclusive of "South Paws."

[Contrabbasso]

I'm hoping they will take extra time with the setup. I'm
not in that big a hurry to get it. It must be a little more of a
challenge to setup the lefty version. Maybe they can get
someone at the shop that's left-handed to try it out first.

[Jeremy Allen]

Originally Posted by Contrabbasso

Personally I haven't seen any scores with notes lower than
low-E written in the stave of the Double Bass parts of
any orchestral works.

Is there a term or symbol in conventional "Music Notation"
that directs the DB player to apply or release the "Extension"?
Haven't run into that before.

Honestly, I think this just means that you haven't played much orchestral material. I'm by no means an orchestra bassist, but off the top of my head I can think of quite a few pieces that call for notes below a low E in a part written specifically for the double bass (and not simply doubling the cello, which accounts for the low notes in Bach etc), including: every single Beethoven symphony except for No.2; the overture to Der Freischutz; numerous works of Wagner including Das Rheingold and Tristan und Isolde; Ravel's orchestration of Pictures at an Exhibition; Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra...Also works of Berlioz, Mahler, Bruckner, and anything post-early-20th century are likely to have lower-than-E ranges.

Of course you don't see any indication in the score to "apply the extension," as if that would be necessary. The means of obtaining the lower notes has not always been the same--when Beethoven was writing, the number of strings in use on basses varied from country to country (three, four, five), and in places like Italy the lowest note on a bass was an A. There were different ways of getting the low note--scordatura tuning, tuning a four-string bass in fifths, and using five string basses tuned down to low B. By 1905, the entire bass section of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw was using five-string basses to cover the low register.

You naturally still see four-string basses in orchestra, but it has long been standard for orchestral bassists to plan on some way of getting below E, whether by extension or an extra string, because the repertoire calls for it.

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Just a friendly reminder to keep it clean, fellas.

[Contrabbasso]

BassAxe!
question for ya.
How big is the "crate" from Upton?
Does it fit in a pickup easily?
Are there any handles to pick it up?
To play it how much assembly is needed?

As for the left-hand design concept
it would be interesting to see there
methods. I'm sure it will be a great
success for Upton.

I called some other bass shops a while back
to see about left-handed double basses.
One guy said,
"Why not just learn to play a right-hand bass right-handed."

I have been told this since 1967.

Well after a number calls I decided
to go with Upton Bass.

I would assume a luthier building lefty anything really!
knows what's going on. Upton may put
some pic's on there site.

It obviously cost more for the lefty but it will
be rare.

As I said early I'm happy with my decision to go with the hi-5 (C).
I was incorrect earlier about the Historic use of lower notes in orchestral works.
I need to refresh my history studies.
Looking at the first measure of the classic: "The Firdbird"
I see Stravinsky using C-b. pitches lower than "E".

anyway! I guess I can detune the "5th (E)string"
of my bass. It was a hard choice over a low-B or high-C.

It will no doubt be fun for me
to study about orchestral and jazz
technique,standards and practices. I am mostly
self taught but looking forward to finding a school
or teacher that will be the best for me.

Bottom line question; "How's your new bass".
Let us know more of your thoughts.

[BassAxe]

Originally Posted by Contrabbasso

BassAxe!
question for ya.
How big is the "crate" from Upton?
Does it fit in a pickup easily?
Are there any handles to pick it up?
To play it how much assembly is needed?

1) The one I got measures 3'x2'x7' That's 91.4x61.0x213.4 cm for folks who use Metric.

2) That would depend on the size of the pick-up. I have a 1989 Ford Ranger and had to leave the tailgate down. Special note: Stay in the slow lane. If you get in the fast lane, you are more likely to be tailgated by other drivers, even if you are passing someone in the right lane.

3) No handles. It's very light. It's just big.

4) They have an instructional video on their website. Once your bass is ready to ship, they'll send you the link.

[Contrabbasso]

Thanks for the info. The link
to the setup was good. Seems to
be some what easy to get up
and pluckin'.

Did you do this upon delivery or
did you just visually check it out
when you pick it up?

[jrlynch]

a couple of added thoughts about the "upton experience":

. yes, a pair of wire cutters or something would come in handy for cutting the massive plastic terrorist ties they use to hold the bass in place. fortunately, the nice fedex man shared his leatherman with me (in a nice way. upside: the bass ain't going anywhere with those ties!

. they use drywall screws which are pretty much a breeze to unscrew, even by hand.

. a side effect of waiting for weeks or months for your particular bass to arrive, is that you are naturally eager to get it setup and good2go. problem is that rushing and the setup process is not in your best interest, nor that of your new shiny bass. i thought all the upton setup instructions, etc., were very thoughtful, but you really needed to take the time to read and think.

. also with upton it is really in your best interest to give lots of thought to *exactly* how you want your instrument. if you have a specific idea of the kind of finish you want, email them a pick of a bass you love the finish on. i did, and it looks fab. same goes for setup issues, etc. the more info you give them, the better the results. it is all a good thing.

. we just had some dear musician friends in from europe for a visit during their american tour. the bassist was blown away by the quality, sound and consistency of the upton, particularly for the price. he expected the cost to be $13,000, not $3,000.

mine keeps sounding better each day ... i'm sure there are other more wonderful basses out there for double or triple the money, but at the pricepoint, upton really does kick ass.

jeff.