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Double Bass Upton Bass Club

#21
Ghost_Note said:
BTW: I didn't want Drurb's bass to go unrecognized. I had seen this beauty earlier in a PM. I showered it with compliments but since those took place in private, I now shall proclaim so in public.


Les, it's a beaut! :D

I've also heard wonderful things from the folks at Upton about you're playing ability.

Guess I better stop now before you blush.

Paul
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Too late!

Link Removed
 
#22
PICT0078.jpg


I captured this image last fall, grouse hunting and woodshedding at my cabin near Little Marais, on Lake Superior's MN North Shore. As a friend at Bluegrass Bass Place said, "wow, a double gun and a double bass"

My Deluxe Hybrid still "growls like Gandhi's stomach". It's amazing how many gigs and projects open up and fall in your lap when you have a good sounding bass.

Shucks, my playing has even improved. "Inspiration, move me brightly..."

Thanks Upton!
 
#23
BPeder said:
I captured this image last fall, grouse hunting and woodshedding at my cabin near Little Marais, on Lake Superior's MN North Shore. As a friend at Bluegrass Bass Place said, "wow, a double gun and a double bass"
Click to expand...

That's a really beautiful picture-- and a really beautiful bass.
 
#28
I shall enter the waters and state recent purchase of an upton professor deluxe. Do any of you upton fans really know the diffrences between the flatback i have and the concert carved round back? Have any of you actually played one? As you can see, these concert basses will soon approach the $20,000 price tag. Even the entry level plain jane concert is $8000. What in terms of sound is gained by 7-10,000? I am not completely sold on the arco range of my new bass.
 
#29
ogre said:
I shall enter the waters and state recent purchase of an upton professor deluxe. Do any of you upton fans really know the diffrences between the flatback i have and the concert carved round back? Have any of you actually played one? As you can see, these concert basses will soon approach the $20,000 price tag. Even the entry level plain jane concert is $8000. What in terms of sound is gained by 7-10,000? I am not completely sold on the arco range of my new bass.
Click to expand...

I have played both and I own an Upton Concert. As I explained here, I originally ordered a Professor. The flatback has a somewhat "focused" sound that some players really appreciate for jazz. Although I play jazz, I always preferred a bigger, deeper sounding bass with plenty of projection-- closer to what many would think of as an orchestra bass. That's the Concert. It is deep, powerful, and projects very well with a full "bloom" to each note. This holds for arco or pizz.

This is not to say that the Professors I played didn't sound rather fine. They just don't have the power and depth of the Concert. So, that's what you get for the extra $$$. It's a matter of personal preference, of course.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say the Concert will soon approach $20k. My understanding is that you can still have a Concert for $8000 and what drives the price up are extra options, more highly flamed/higher quality wood, etc. Mine came in at a bit over $10k.

What is it about the arco of your Professor that you're not sold on? How old is your Professor? What strings are on it? How is it set up? By the way, where do you live?

PM me if you want any more specific info.
 
#30
My very short Upton-trip journal:

My Upton Hybrid:
Misc020.jpg


Me outside the Upton shop last summer:
Misc027.jpg


My girlfriend upon the realization that we missed the last train and are stranded in mystic overnight:
Misc029.jpg


Gary and Aubrey were really, really kind. I called a week ahead of time and asked them if there were any trains going from Boston (where we were vacationing) to Mystic; they said no, but that they'd arrange transportation for us to get there. Sure enough, at the last train station, Aubrey and Kate met us and drove us to the shop, being very friendly and accommodating along the way. May I emphasize that at this point I hadn't even made a purchase yet. I got the whole tour of the place upon arriving, and got to try out a few floor models at my leisure. When it was time to go, Gary drove us back to the train station.

Of course, we missed the last Amtrak train by 5 minutes, and had to stay overnight. We also accidentally booked a hotel in a nearby town called Groton (we thought it was in Mystic), and had to make quite a trek on the highway to get there. Needless to say, upon arriving at the hotel, we had many a drink.
 
#34
Kate is wonderful. She helped me co-ordinate the shipping of my hybrid so it didnt sit in the back of a truck in 20 degree weather over the holidays. And Gary talked to me for 15 minutes on 2 occasions while I was deciding which way to go on a new bass. Gotta love that.
 
#36
jmpfretless said:
Just to let you know that everythings you told me about how my new upright bass would "open-up" as the days go by....well you knew something I did not.....baby....you should hear this thing now...it is like a cannon...and thanks to Gary...those LaBella Black Tape......wow....insane....
Merci Beaucoup
Jean-Marc Poitras
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jean-Marc-- where are the pictures? ;)
 
#39
Hey, Upton owners...

I am just doing my legwork, learning who/what/where about getting an URB - and I found the Upton web site - - it seems too good to be true - US made Basses starting at $1900???

What's the catch? Can one of you good folks tell me what led you to buy an Upton rather than a Shen or any other Chinese bass?

thanks
 

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