Upton Bass Hawkes Hybrid Review and Pictures

Nick Ioannucci · #1 10-11-2006, 01:42 PM

Ive had my new upton for about 2 and a half weeks now, so i thought id put up a review and some pics. Let me start out by saying, that the service at the shop is awesome, and that gary and the guys are very very helpful in getting what you need and helping you figure out what you need. I purchased the Hawkes hybrid strung with thomastik dominants. It has a huge sound, i mean big. my old bass wasnt all that great, and now matter how hard i pushed it i could never seem to get louder after a certain point, but not with the upton, it projects so well, i really am amazed. its also got a ton of low end, when you play lower notes you can feel it, and so can other people around you, i was playing it for one of my friends who i snow looking to get an upton, and he told me he could seriously feel the thing, it was moving a good amount of air. its also got a nice smooth high end to it, not crass or muffled at all. and from what i understand since this is a carved top it will get even better as i play it in. One of the best parts about this new bass is the setup, its so easy to play. i told gary that i play classical and some jazz, and he took it from there. its go lower action than my old bass, which i absolutely love, it makes the bass so easy to play even up through thumb position. the fingerboard has a great radius to it unlike my old bass, all the the strings are very consistant in feel. i really am amazed at how it plays. all of the above(arco) applies to pizz as well, its got such a growl to it, i absolutely love it. i had them instal a revolution solo 2 as a pickup, which stomps all over my previous pickup(the realist). i was surprised actually, it sounds very good amplified. i am considering adding a mic to this, because the unamplified sound is beautiful. a perk of this purchase is that all of the basses come with free adjustments for 6 months, as well as a 5 year warranty. not only do they make a great product, they stand behind it as well. All in all this is a wonderful bass. it was a good buying experience, great bass and a great store. I highly reccomend them to anyone who is considering them, ive already reffered some friends there that were really diggin my bass. heres some eye candy for ya to close this out(if you want better pics, they have better ones at www.uptonbass.com)

p.s. these pics just dont dont the finish any justice, its beautiful

Greg Clinkingbeard · #2 10-11-2006, 02:20 PM

Sweet !!!!!!!!!!!

Nick, there's nothing quite like a new bass to drool over.
It looks like Gary spent a lot of extra time on your bass that would have been better spent getting mine ready. I trust the guys at Upton will do as nice a job on mine. Maybe sometime next month......

Your review is great and in keeping with everything I've read about the Hawkes. It sounds exactly like I made the right choice. I also bought the RSII to go with the bass. Been thinking about the Dominants also.

Nick Ioannucci · #3 10-11-2006, 05:08 PM

what style do you play? theyre great for jazz and classical, i have brought it out to a bunch of rehearsals already, and it sounds real great in both settings, it bows very well and is easy on the fingers. they sound great on the hawkes. i walked into the shop and played a bass with the dominants on it and i absolutely loved it, so when it came time to pick strings i just pointed.

Greg Clinkingbeard · #4 10-11-2006, 05:27 PM

I play a mix of 18 piece big band down to trio gigs. I did a trio with my plywood Chrissy strung with Spiros on Saturday. The tone just didn't cut it; very simple with no overtones. As I was subbing for an A list guy in town and playing with a drummer I've looked up to for over 20 years, I was overly concerned with my 'sound'. The Christopher is a very dark sounding bass, even with spirocores and it takes a lot of tweaking to make it amplify well. I hope to be able to concentrate on the music more and the sound less.

I'm thinking of trying the Labella black tape strings on the Hawkes. When Jack or Gary and I discuss set up, we'll have to choose.

It is good to hear another great review of the bass. Being 1200 miles away, satisfied players and pictures are all I have to go on.

Tritonis · #5 10-11-2006, 06:15 PM

Killin' bass. I picked mine up a few weeks ago, looks almost identical to yours. I'll get some pictures up soon. I have to say, I'm very very satisfied with it.

Nick Ioannucci · #6 10-11-2006, 07:26 PM

awesome, great to hear other people are satisfied as well. clink gary had the tapes on his personal bass, and i played on a little, i find for me its a real different feel that im not used to, but he played the tapes much better than i did, i guess they take a little getting used to.

Jazzman · #7 10-11-2006, 07:31 PM

That isn't the matte finish is it? It looks to have more shine than mine.

Nick Ioannucci · #8 10-11-2006, 07:40 PM

to be honest im not sure, gary told me it was pretty standard, i told him i didnt really want that new new look and thats what i got. i love the look of it. i can ask him and get back to you on that.

Tritonis · #9 10-11-2006, 08:00 PM

I love the finish on mine too, they gave me exactly what I wanted. It's much darker than the standard finish.

robgrow · #10 10-12-2006, 11:46 AM

Congratulations! That's a great looking bass. I am absolutely delighted with my Upton Hawkes Hybrid. These basses are pretty amazing, especially when you consider the very reasonable price. I've had nothing but compliments on the sound of my UB hybrid.

5stringDNA · #11 10-12-2006, 05:54 PM

Nice! I got a call from Jack today and he said my Hawkes is going into a crate monday, so i should be seeing it in a week or so.. the wait is brutal!

Nick Ioannucci · #12 10-12-2006, 06:22 PM

awesome, im sure youll love it, they make a solid product. im in love, im not gonna lie

drurb · #13 10-12-2006, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5stringDNA

Nice! I got a call from Jack today and he said my Hawkes is going into a crate monday, so i should be seeing it in a week or so.. the wait is brutal!

They say the anticipation can be more exciting than the realization. Not so with that bass. I predict you're gonna love it!

Jazzman · #14 10-12-2006, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clink

I'm thinking of trying the Labella black tape strings on the Hawkes. When Jack or Gary and I discuss set up, we'll have to choose.

You should try the Innovation Upton Bass Blacks that Gary developed. I wasn't totally happy with Spiros on my bass, but I put these on and it was heaven. These strings on the Hawkes Hybrid is the exact tone I have always wanted. These strings are so thick and warm sounding, yet with nice definition. The "oomph" is outstanding. Gary also has them on his bass for those of you who have played it.

drurb · #15 10-12-2006, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazzman

You should try the Innovation Upton Bass Blacks that Gary developed. I wasn't totally happy with Spiros on my bass, but I put these on and it was heaven. These strings on the Hawkes Hybrid is the exact tone I have always wanted. These strings are so thick and warm sounding, yet with nice definition. The "oomph" is outstanding. Gary also has them on his bass for those of you who have played it.

Hmm. I'll have to try those next time I'm at the shop. Right now, I'm in love with the Dominants.

Greg Clinkingbeard · #16 10-12-2006, 09:49 PM

The strings on Gary's bass look like Labella 7710's to me. The silk looks different from the Upton Blacks. Of course, this is all from the web site.

I like the Spiro sound, but would like a softer feel. Also, it's important that the bass speak quickly. I'll talk to Gary or Jack when we get to that stage.

drurb · #17 10-13-2006, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clink

The strings on Gary's bass look like Labella 7710's to me. The silk looks different from the Upton Blacks. Of course, this is all from the web site.

I like the Spiro sound, but would like a softer feel. Also, it's important that the bass speak quickly. I'll talk to Gary or Jack when we get to that stage.

Consdier the Dominants.

robgrow · #18 10-13-2006, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drurb

Consdier the Dominants.

Interesting. I would have said that Dominants feel stiffer than medium gauge Spirocores.

Incidentally, on my Upton Hawkes Hybrid, medium gauge Spirocores feel almost like Weichs. For whatever reason, the strings seem to have a little less tension than on most other basses I've played with a 41-42 inch string length. I'm using a Spirocore Stark for the E string on my bass, and I'm really digging it. It's very powerful. BTW Perhaps because of the lower tension, Spirocores bow amazing well on this bass.

drurb · #19 10-13-2006, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robgrow

Interesting. I would have said that Dominants feel stiffer than medium gauge Spirocores.

Incidentally, on my Upton Hawkes Hybrid, medium gauge Spirocores feel almost like Weichs. For whatever reason, the strings seem to have a little less tension than on most other basses I've played with a 41-42 inch string length. I'm using a Spirocore Stark for the E string on my bass, and I'm really digging it. It's very powerful. BTW Perhaps because of the lower tension, Spirocores bow amazing well on this bass.

Well, that's the thing. They say Dominants are stiffer but are of lower tension. To my hands anyway, they feel easier to play (softer?) than Spiros.

uptonbass · #20 10-13-2006, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clink

The strings on Gary's bass look like Labella 7710's to me. The silk looks different from the Upton Blacks. Of course, this is all from the web site.

Those red ended strings were a prototype set of the UB's Blacks now the real product is all Black on both ends.

For the record they are NOTHING like the labell 7710