Anyone take the plunge on an Upton Mittenwald yet? Been thinking about one since I played one at the isb. That bass ended up going out of my price range but I'd like to know how the base carved and/or hybrid came out.
Thx
Dave
Hi Dave,
I own what is *technically* a stripped-down Mittenwald Hybrid. It's actually an unofficial model called the "7/8's Bohemian", as I wanted a 7/8's sized instrument for use in an orchestra, but wanted both the affordability and durability of laminated back and sides, as our orchestra plays a number of outdoor "Pops" performances as well throughout the year. The bass uses the Mittenwald body shape, but with the Bohemian f-f hole pattern...
...if anyone from Upton reads this, does that make my bass a "Markneukirchen"? Just wondering!
I have had it for almost 4 years now (wow, it's been that long?!?), and don't regret it for a second! Its voice is maturing very nicely and is easily the biggest-sounding instrument in my section. There were a couple of very minor hiccups in the ordering process, but, overall, I felt I was treated fairly by the Upton crew and will gladly do business with them again.
Just a quick note-- if you talk to Upton and they let you go this same route, the Deluxe Carved Spruce top, which I think is standard on the Mittenwald, was a $1000 option on my bass (which, again, was priced as a "Bohemian" instead of a "Mittenwald"). If you can afford it, do it. Worth every penny. Even with this option, the "out-the-door" (including strings, case, shipping, and shipping insurance) of my instrument was barely over the *base* price quoted on the website for the Mittenwald Hybrid model.
Again, that was 4 years ago, and I don't know if they still do this or not, but if they do, I think you'll get the instrument you're looking for at a very reasonable price point.
