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Double Bass Experience with upton bass?

I'll just say that I'm a To Be owner of a Brescian hybrid. It's going to ship here soon and I can't wait.

However, on the customer service side, Upton has been nothing other than great to deal with. They've answered all my questions, and been fairly communicative. Probably not as communicative as I'd like - but that's because they're busy building basses, and I'm idling here, impatiently waiting for mine :P

Anyway, I look forward to giving a review once I've got the bass in my hands.
 
I've had 2 weird dealings with Upton over the years.

First time, they cancelled an online string order after it was paid for, claiming they had advertised the wrong price on their site and didn't want to honor it. This left a really bad taste in my mouth and was probably illegal.

2nd, I was visiting my folks out East, called the shop and made an appointment to look at basses. Drove about 60 miles, I showed up and no one was there. Oh well, I had $5K to spend, their loss.
 
Hey Damon and Tom...

Why did you “like” the previous post?

Do you enjoy other people bashing a company you do t seem to like? Does this one story help support your world view? So childish.

This may upset you but, I tired to buy an Upton bass stand and the email they sent still had the old price but when I went to the website, the new higher price was there. I contacted Upton about the discrepancy and they gave me the stand for the original price.

The data speaks for itself. There are more positive stories about Upton than negative one. Please stop supporting a false narrative.
 
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Hey Damon and Tom...
Why did you “like” the previous post?
Do you enjoy other people bashing a company you do t seem to like? Does this one story help support your world view? So childish.
This may upset you but, I tired to buy an Upton bass stand and the email they sent still had the old price but when I went to the website, the new higher price was there. I contacted Upton about the discrepancy and they gave me the stand for the original price.
The data speaks for itself. There are more positive stories about Upton than negative one. Please stop supporting a false narrative.

neddyrow, winston's post as I read it was merely relating two negative experiences he had. Is that any less legitimate than relating positive experiences? Why is that a false narrative? And why shouldn't someone "like" either one?
 
I didn’t even mention Winston’s name. I respect his post and input. I am commenting on people liking a negative post.

All I am saying is that Damon has been asked to stop posting his opinion on this thread due to the fact that he has never played an Upton, only basing his opinion the fact that they are not the “premier builders” that he prefers.

Now to see him “liking” the negative posts is just sour grapes.

I get it. Uptons are not the best basses out there but they fill a niche. Damon’s opinion is a thinly veiled brag on himself because he has a superior instrument and obviously superior playing to us and honestly I’m sick of it.

I’d like to discuss basses not read Damon’s latest diatribe.
 
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It doesn't matter whether we are talking Upton Bass or Downton Abbey: neither positive nor negative viewpoints on TB are going to provide a sufficient sample number to establish either thumbs-up or thumbs-down. Opinions will be formed case by case, and opinions will vary.

As someone who is drawn to a good argument in the same way a fraternity boy is drawn to a keg of beer, I am less concerned that Tom and Damon gave "likes" than to why they gave likes; the reasons carry more weight than the conclusions.

And believe it or not, in my four and a-half years on Talkbass Damon actually has mellowed a bit. He still holds strong opinions, but he expresses them more moderately; and I value his insights because he inhabits a world I know I can never enter, and I find that world very intriguing.

And there are others whose world I appreciate being give a glimpse of: @james condino, not just for his knowledge and skills but also for his iconoclasm, which allows him to not only push the envelope but sometimes to tear it; @KUNGfuSHERIFF for his knowledge, which he sometimes delivers in the most delightfully snarky manner; and for @Chris Fitzgerald for his patience and graciousness in putting up with us all.
 
Agreed.

All opinions are welcome. This is not an attempt to silence opinions.

And thank you for listening to my opinion.

I too have been snarked at and put in my place when I am out of order.

I just don’t agree that is the case here. When Damon puts his hands on an Upton and then comments on it, then his opinion will have some weight to it.
 
I went back and reviewed the thread (not all the posts), and post #3 suggests that Damon has had his hands on at least a few Upton basses. I also noticed that the thread pretty quickly swerved and slithered between Upton products and Upton business practices and back and forth, which really introduced a lot of mischief. OP wanted opinions on Upton basses as candidates for purchase, and he got a few; but he also got a lot of complaints about the business practices, which in this thread would have to count as noise, not signal.

But in the main, I believe you and I are pretty much in agreement.
 
I liked a post that had an experience closer to mine. I've commented on the fact that most have had a positive experience, however, it is by no means across the board. The narrative I support is most people have had a positive experience, however, there are some negative experiences out there that are no less real.
I am not at all upset by your experience, and you shouldn't be upset by mine.

Hey Damon and Tom...

Why did you “like” the previous post?

Do you enjoy other people bashing a company you do t seem to like? Does this one story help support your world view? So childish.

This may upset you but, I tired to buy an Upton bass stand and the email they sent still had the old price but when I went to the website, the new higher price was there. I contacted Upton about the discrepancy and they gave me the stand for the original price.

The data speaks for itself. There are more positive stories about Upton than negative one. Please stop supporting a false narrative.
 
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In the privacy of our own dwellings, I'll guarantee that Damon and I have uncensored special nicknames for each other based on our wildly different opinions on many subjects.

Almost all of my heroes have been outspoken, outcast, downtrodden, imprisoned, suppressed, tortured, and assassinated for speaking fearlessly from their heart regardless of the consequences that disagreeing parties would impose. I'll be the first in line to stand up for and defend Damon's right to those opinions, regardless of my agreement with them!
 
When Damon puts his hands on an Upton and then comments on it, then his opinion will have some weight to it.
I've played at least three, I was unimpressed with all of them. The ones I've played seemed under built and sounded just OK. I've heard others play Uptons and sound good.

I live in new England and everything here is over-priced. Upton is no exception.
I think the prices are probably totally fair in terms of parts and labor. I think in terms of what is on the market at any given time you can get a far better bass for the money.
Initially, the rehair prices set me off, I had hoped I'd be more impressed with the basses, I was not.
 
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Reactions: neddyrow
Hey Damon and Tom...

Why did you “like” the previous post?

Do you enjoy other people bashing a company you do t seem to like? Does this one story help support your world view? So childish.

This may upset you but, I tired to buy an Upton bass stand and the email they sent still had the old price but when I went to the website, the new higher price was there. I contacted Upton about the discrepancy and they gave me the stand for the original price.

The data speaks for itself. There are more positive stories about Upton than negative one. Please stop supporting a false narrative.
Another true story about Upton Bass: When my invoice didn't include part of the original agreement -- a fifth string - Upton sold me the bass at the 4-string price. Their customer service is as good as any, IME.
 
I've played at least three, I was unimpressed with all of them. The ones I've played seemed under built and sounded just OK. I've heard others play Uptons and sound good.

I live in new England and everything here is over-priced. Upton is no exception.
I think the prices are probably totally fair in terms of parts and labor. I think in terms of what is on the market at any given time you can get a far better bass for the money.
Initially, the rehair prices set me off, I had hoped I'd be more impressed with the basses, I was not.

I wish this was your first post in this thread. For, I too, would not have been set off.
 
My current take away from my experiences and this thread is that they want to sell the basses they make and not be a general full service bass shop.
All the positive experiences are around the basses, whether bought direct or not. They will take on these extra duties like repairs, shifting your old bass, selling you strings, etc. as long as it relates to one of their basses getting sold.
If you like their basses, (and I'm saying "if") then by all accounts you are going to have an incredible experience!

They don't want to rehair my bow or sell Winston strings. That is totally fine, but, in the end it is better not to offer services your heart isn't in.
It opens an otherwise good business up to legitimate criticisms that probably are not worth it in the end.