Upton Electric Bass???

[tb-player]

Earlier this week, Gary Upton announced the Upton Electric bass. In his Instagram video, he stated that “We are not going to be making electric basses. You are. We’re going to be teaching you how to make an electric bass… stay tuned for more information.”

I must admit, I’m at least a little intrigued. I have no interest in building a bass. But I do know their uprights are amazing. Curious to see how this initiative turns out.

 

[Iristone]

We’re going to be teaching you how to make an electric bass…

I don't expect the bass to be anything special, based precisely on this sentence. Except if it REALLY is a DIY kit...

 

[cnltb]

I don't expect the bass to be anything special, based precisely on this sentence. Except if it REALLY is a DIY kit...

I LIKE that...If it's a good Kit, given that a lot (maybe most) of what we pay for a bass is really in finishing touches and fancy finishes- not things that make an instrument actually sound better.
If the kit comes with high quality components and a neck to body that REALLY fits etc wit the final and expensive touches left to 'us'. We can then decide on how well we want that doneand how - given proper instructions on all that also come with the kit.

The one question I'd have....'being taught how to make something by someone who is not known for doing it themselves?'

How expensive can this realistically be?

 

[Iristone]

I mean, I read this sentence as either "we're offering a DIY bass kit to you" or "we're really arrogant and don't care to build a good bass for you".

 

[tb-player]

Here’s a link to the original IG video. According to the text below the video, this will be an online course.

 

[ole Jason]

I like Upton but that's pretty strange. As someone else said, why would I pay someone not known for making electric basses to show me how to make an electric bass?

There's also no way this isn't going to be incredibly expensive for what it is IMO.

 

[40Hz]

If the kit comes with high quality components and a neck to body that REALLY fits etc wit the final and expensive touches left to 'us'.

Look no further than Precision Guitar Kits if you’re looking for a really nice PB or JB.

 

[logdrum]

Fodera has the reverse program, teach you you how to make an upright bass.

 

[Low Main]

A way to coin some money from wood they can't use for uprights and cellos. Well, the maple at least.
From what I've seen in the past, their wood selection for uprights is very good, so that would hopefully carry over to the electrics.
I personally don't want a basswood body with a flame maple top, but that's just me.
Since they're so invested in tutorials now, I think they're selling the course as much as they're selling the kits.
Instead of doing this venture, I wish he would say: "Hey, we're going to be making affordable laminated uprights again".
But then again, back when you could buy a laminated Upton for 2-3000 bucks, I was worried that he was going to go broke doing that.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Translated:"We'll teach you to put together a P-bass look alike"

 

[cnltb]

Maybe them , by the looks of it at least, being based in 'proper' luthiery will bring something to what they are offering?

 

[winston]

I got burned twice by Upton, one time they blew me off for a shop visit when I made it clear I was coming from out of town and going way out of my way, the other time when they did not honor sale price for an item I was charged for (in violation of federal law).

Pass...

 

[DJ Bebop]

I like Upton but that's pretty strange. As someone else said, why would I pay someone not known for making electric basses to show me how to make an electric bass?

There's also no way this isn't going to be incredibly expensive for what it is IMO.

 

[jimburrito]

I’m taking this @buildbass course right now. About halfway through week three of six, and I’ve seen all the content for the course. I can add some specifics on questions being asked and criticisms being thrown around.

As of the time of this writing, the course is $2500. The course is led by Dan Balcom. He built basses a Fodera for 11+ years before recently coming to Upton Bass.

The course is broken up into several parts. The main one is the set of online videos that walk through each part of the build. There’s a private Facebook group where we can ask questions, share progress, and discuss anything else for the course and build. Every Saturday at 3PM Eastern time there is a Zoom meeting where we can go over how the week went, and be able to directly talk to Dan and other course participants.

As for the build itself, as Gary says, it’s not a kit. You get milled wood pieces that establish the start of the build. The course is designed to be as accessible as possible for anyone serious about learning about to build a real, functional, playable bass. This means you don’t need a miter saw, jointer, thickness planer, or table saw for this course. Beyond the core tools and parts lists, you can buy as little or as much equipment as you feel would help you be successful. At every stage, Dan has multiple options for how to accomplish a given task.

One of the best examples of a minimal setup is a student that built the course bass in his New York City apartment. He was actually the first one to finish his bass. He had all sorts of challenges with space, but worked through each of them. On the other extreme, we have at least one other student with an existing workshop. I fell somewhere in the middle - some woodworking experience but had not yet started building out something resembling a garage workshop.

This course is NOT for you if you just want to build or customize a single bass. Go buy a kit or used bass for that, especially if you’re only interested in “finishing touches” as someone mentioned.

This course is for you if you’ve wanted to learn the basics of being a bass luthier, but can’t or don’t want to jump into a year-plus program. Will you be ready to open a business after this? No, but you will be armed with a wealth of knowledge and experience to begin that journey.

I’ve included some pictures that give you a broad sense of my progress in the course. Happy to answer any questions you have.

-Jimmy

 

[jesseP]

Here’s mine at 80%. I just worked my way through the course and loved it. The point is to gain skills - the bass is an expression of the skills.

Totally worth it. Super level of support. Super level of technical instruction.

Jesse P

 

[Tfers]

A little late to the party, but also open to answer any questions. I had zero woodworking experience, and I was able to build a bass (no just assemble parts) in my NYC apartment (it was tough, space and dust were a big issue, but it worked), and while it has some imperfections here and there (patience is something I need to work on), I’m super happy with the outcome:







I personally got a LOT of value from this course and the experience, and I’d recommend it to other folks that have always being curious about building a bass but haven’t taken the plunge.