For sale 2011 Upton Bostonian, Fully Carved, Round Back, Opus 28

I commissioned this bass from Upton in 2011 and it has served me very well ever since. I'm only selling because I eventually realized that I would benefit from a smaller instrument (I'm 5'3"), and I finally found a great small bass. So, it's time for my Upton to find its next owner/player.

Upton calls this instrument a 5/8-size Bostonian, but the name needs some qualifications because the bass was custom-made with some modifications to the typical Bostonian form. The Bostonian model normally maintains a full rib depth all the way up to the neck block. This bass incorporates some geometry from the Karr model, which narrows the ribs at the upper bout, angles the back, and slopes the shoulders a bit more for better accessibility. Though Upton calls the size 5/8, that is relative to their standard-size models, which are quite large. I consider this bass to be a small-ish 3/4. Judge for yourself based on the measurements:

String Length: 41"
Body Length (front plate): 44 1/4"
Back Length: 43 1/4"
Upper Bout: 19"
C Bout: 13 1/2"
Lower Bout: 25 1/5"
Ribs at neck: 5 1/2"
Ribs at widest upper bout: 7"
Ribs at end pin: 8"
D neck

The bass is fully carved, made with a spruce top, poplar ribs, and a poplar round back. It includes several upgrades:
Upton Deluxe spruce top (optimized thinness for better resonance)
Solo ebony fingerboard
Antique treatment on the tuning machines

More recently, I had a Lammax endpin installed by the Bass Violin Shop in Greensboro, NC. This gives you the best of all possible worlds--it includes both a very robust straight endpin and a highly adjustable angled endpin, which is easily removed if you only want to use the straight endpin.

The bass has a big, open sound, with more power than you would expect for its size. It is not a bright bass overall, but it enhances the brightness of the strings, and has a long sustain. It is currently strung with Pirastro Passione Starks, which give the bass a rich, noble bowed sound and a blunted, old-school pizzicato. I also have a set of D'Addario Kaplan Mediums that I you are welcome have if you prefer. These sound bright and lively on this bass, with a complex bowed sound and a punchy, sustained pizzicato.

I take very good care of my belongings, especially my beloved instruments. This bass has always been kept in a climate-controlled home, with a humidifier for the winter and a dehumidifier for the rest of the year. It has barely a mark or scratch on it, and has never needed any kind of repair.

If you commissioned this bass from Upton today, it would cost about $17,000. I'm selling for $14,500. It's available now, without the wait for a bass to be built, and you can play it before you buy. You are welcome to audition the bass at my home near Siler City, NC, or I will meet you within about 60 miles to try the bass.

Thank you for looking. Feel free to contact me with any questions!