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Double Bass Blast Cult or Upton?

David661

David661

Guest
May 25, 2015
2
0
40
Palmdale, CA
#1
Hi my names David, from Palmdale, Ca, Ive been lurking on this site for years, but finally decided to purchase a bass. Ill be switching over from guitar and starting up a 3 piece country western/rockabilly band, no bowing, with my buddies. Probably using amps occasionally. I try to do a decent amount of research and try to only buy the best instrument I can afford at the time and keep as long as possible, Ive had same guitars for over 10 years. So I kind of narrowed it down to the Upton Standard or Bohemian Laminate or the Blast Cult 145, Luckily I can currently afford these but just thought Id ask because this is a big purchase to me, and wanted to hear what your thoughts were for basically a beginner at double bass to just jump in to one of these models and what you prefer personally. I also found this locally [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] but have read bad reviews about Engelhardt, that quality is lacking. Any advice is appreciated.
 
#3
DOnt know the Blast Cult, but I have had my Upton Std laminate for 6 years now. Wonderful sound for ply and very stable. The folks at Upton are awesome to deal with and stand behind the product....but with the Blast Cult, you can stand ON the product!
 
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#6
I think you'd only want a Blast Cult if the bass needs to put with up with extreme rigors of certain styles of music (Rockabilly, psychobilly, etc.) I've only seen the BC basses on Youtube. They look extremely tough but the natural tone they get seems less than a regular bass. It won't matter if you're playing very high volumes (think rock concert).

Otherwise, if you're just going to do some chill music and don't plan to stand on your bass, the Upton will give you a quality sound and be plenty good.
 
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#8
Thanks for the feedback guys
Yeah im gonna go with the Upton than, me and my buddies like to play acoustic a lot so that tone is important, and yeah i probably won't be standing on the bass ,looks fun though. Good point about the glue too.
arnoldschnitzer said:
Open your mind and forget about brand names. Find a good bass that speaks to you and have a good player help you pick it out.
Click to expand...
I hear you but i kind of live in the boondocks, and don't really have anything local anymore, all closed down, except guitar center and they don't carry anything.
 
#9
David661 said:
I hear you but i kind of live in the boondocks, and don't really have anything local anymore, all closed down, except guitar center and they don't carry anything.
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An hour and a half away from LA is the boondocks? I think you have a ton of places to shop for a double bass if you're willing to drive a bit. Lemur Music is only a two hour drive from Palmdale.

- Steve
 
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#11
David661 said:
Thanks for the feedback guys
Yeah im gonna go with the Upton than, me and my buddies like to play acoustic a lot so that tone is important, and yeah i probably won't be standing on the bass ,looks fun though. Good point about the glue too.

I hear you but i kind of live in the boondocks, and don't really have anything local anymore, all closed down, except guitar center and they don't carry anything.
Click to expand...

I don't think your making a bad choice at all, and I'd be the first to tell you Gary Upton makes a great bass, but it might be a good idea to visit a few shops first just to see what your getting into. There are lots of choices, and finding the right bass makes all the difference in the world IMO. I've owned three bases so far in my lifetime. The first was a brand-new Engelhardt S9. It was a beautiful blonde with a nice skinny neck which gave me lots of hand cramps, and back pain. This inspired me to quit after six months of trying to play it. The second was a lower end Christopher which was not a bad bass, but it never really inspired me to make any serious attempt at playing, and again I made a feeble attempt for about six months. Finally after two bad experiences due to my haste I did some serious research, decided to take the plunge, and purchased an Upton. Between the fine craftsmanship, and Gary's ability to size up my needs over the telephone they produced an instrument that works perfect for me. After almost five years I am extremely happy with my purchase, and would love to order a fully carved Brecian, but I digress..
Have you read the newbie links? They are very informative, and are a great resource for beginners.
Additionally, you may want to develop a relationship with a luthier, and one of the best around is Lisa Gass in Los Angeles. I know she carries a line of Eastwood basses, is honest, and she does top notch work.
 
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#13
arnoldschnitzer said:
Open your mind and forget about brand names. Find a good bass that speaks to you and have a good player help you pick it out.
Click to expand...
I think that's the right approach when buying upper-level instruments. When it comes to laminates, however, as I see it, there are precious few new instruments that are worthy of purchase. IMO, paying close attention to brands and brand-reputations for such basses is a wise approach.
 
#14
+1 on a BC145. I have one and love it.

Jason at BC is cool and you can go down to his shop and have one made to order. Upton is on the east coast so you'd be buying sight unseen. Worth the drive from Palmdale to the OC to check out a bass from an awesome builder like Jason IMO.
 

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