If you love your Upton fully-laminated double bass but are thinking of upgrading to a hybrid, we now have a new solution – have your existing full-plywood Upton upgraded to a hybrid with an Upton Bass top conversion.  Return your bass to the shop and we will remove the old top, carve and purfle a new bookmatched solid Deluxe Spruce top, install it onto your bass with a new bass bar and match the existing varnish. All work done by the same artisans who built your bass!

Your same bass, with the harmonic complexity and resonance of a solid top, with all the gigging strength and projection of a hybrid.

Turnaround times vary, usually under 90 days. This pricing applies to standard Upton fully-laminated basses, some additional charges may apply depending on condition of bass.

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Upton Bass String Instrument Co. specializes in building award-winning custom double basses and offers accessories for the double bass. Upton Bass also services all instruments and bows of the violin family with world-class restoration and repair, to view our online restoration portfolio visit stringrepair.com

Upton Bass is ready to offer advice and answer any questions regarding the Upton Double Bass Deposit or related bass topics. Please contact UB at sales@uptonbass.com or call the shop at +1 (860) 535-9399. Hours of operation Tuesday through Saturday 10 am – 6 pm. The Workshop (The Barn) and showroom are located in Mystic, Connecticut conveniently between Boston and NYC.

The Stonington Hybrid Double Bass  from $5,500
The same design fundamentals are carried over into the Hybrid version, built with a hand-carved European spruce top with inlaid purfling and slab-cut laminations of domestic poplar on the back and sides (flatback bass). Strong enough for the rigors of everyday use, with the tone, depth, and resonance of a carved top. Upgrade to a Deluxe Top (a $1,000 upgrade) and you have an outstanding modern contrabass with great flexibility, from the string section to the bandstand.

The Stonington Solid Wood Flat Back Double Bass starting at  $7,000
The Stonington Carved Round Back Double Bass starting at $8,500
Deluxe tops come standard on these special builds, designed for optimum tone and great range while retaining the working design aesthetic. These exceptionally responsive instruments feature warmth, projection, and clarity. A fine selection of tonewood is also available for truly unique instruments.

Every Upton Bass Bohemian Double Bass is built by hand in Mystic, Connecticut, USA.  Ask about our simple financing! +1 (860) 535-9399

New to the Double Bass? Check out our Introduction to Double Bass page!

The Ergo also features unbroken corner-less lower bouts and sound ports on the player’s side for acoustic response. This first 2020 Upton-built version is fully carved, with lightly figured domestic Maple back and sides, Sitka Spruce top and a 41″ string length.

This pictured instrument is for sale! Please call the shop with inquiries: +1 (860) 535-9399. 

Here’s Arnold’s build notes on his original award-winning Ergonomic Contrabass: “Conceived as a combination orchestral/solo instrument, it is asymmetrical as a matter of form following function. The upper bout is wide enough to allow for a deep, punchy tone, yet the reduced treble side shoulder provides outstanding access to the upper register. The lower bout of the treble side was enlarged by the same amount as the reduction in the upper bout in order to maintain tonal balance between the treble and bass halves. The back slopes gently up to a thin neck block, allowing the player to nestle closely to the bass, keeping the bow arm in a naturally relaxed position. Along with ergonomic developments, the bass features unique back bracing, top arching and bass bar, all designed to reduce seasonal fluctuations and improve tone. The ff-holes are an aggregate of violin-family and plectrum guitar designs. The shape of the body was conceived to be corner-less – the upper corners are a concession to practicality.”

Upton Bass String Instrument Co. specializes in building award-winning custom double basses and offers accessories for the double bass. Upton Bass also services all instruments and bows of the violin family with world-class restoration and repair, to view our online restoration portfolio visit stringrepair.com

Upton Bass is ready to offer advice and answer any questions regarding double basses or related bass topics! If you are interested in this Ergo Double Bass or any other model, please contact UB at sales@uptonbass.com or call the shop at +1 (860) 535-9399.

Hours of operation Tuesday through Saturday 10 am – 6 pm. The Workshop (The Barn) and showroom are located in Mystic, Connecticut conveniently between Boston and NYC.

The project began with the idea for a collaboration at the 2015 ISB show in Rochester.  Victor asked to bring us his 18th Century instrument labeled as a Vincenzo Carcassi, a stout wide-ribbed 5/8ths double bass. Victor loves the sound and feel of his Carcassi and hoped we could capture that in some new basses.  The resulting removable-neck fully carved and fixed neck hybrid versions are fantastic smaller instruments – if this recipe sounds like the right fit for you, give us a call to discuss your own! +1 (860) 535-9399.

Wooten “Carcassi” 

Upton Bass Victor Wooten Double Bass: “Carcassi” Copy:

We were honored to be asked, and we set out to build a very special, 50th Anniversary bass that Gary could use exclusively for 2017 ISB concerts throughout the week.

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Gary Karr plays this ISB Karr Model for the first time, as builder Eric Roy looks on

Build Notes:  When you set out to build a special Karr model for the use of Gary Karr himself, you dip into your reserve stock of woods!

Highly flamed Ash from Germany was used for the fully carved back and sides, not only for its dramatic aesthetics, but for the warmth and depth it lends to the low end, letting everyone know this is a bass that can sing solo or anchor an orchestral section with grace and ease.

A fine grain German spruce top was selected, and what was a pinpoint of a knot in the edge revealed a knot shadow in the re-curve like Marylin Monroe’s beauty mark.  Who’s to argue beauty?

A removable/adjustable neck was incorporated in line with Gary Karr’s thoughts on bridge adjusters coloring the tone in an unfavorable way.  Accents of Black Walnut were used in the heel & button, as well as the custom tailpiece.

Varnished to match our Montagnana cello and polished out to a natural sheen, the bass invokes the feeling of a bass made centuries, not days, before its inaugural performance.

This, our finest Karr Model double bass to date, is available for your audition, with 10% of the sale proceeds being donated back to the ISB.

Setup:  This bass was solo tuned during the ISB week and set up to Mr. Karr’s specifications:  41.75″ string length and Eb neck BUT being a removable neck instrument, a D neck could be crafted.

Currently tuned to Orchestra Pitch and strung with with Evah Pirazzi Mediums.

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In competitions past, “Team UB” has been Gary and Eric, but we decided to change it up a bit this time around. This year Eric and Chris have paired up to build this experimental concept based on a model by Giovanni Cavani, generously proportioned from the original to a big 7/8ths.

It’s interesting to note that this model for ISB exists in many ways because of ISB. A few years ago we met Marc Ramirez at an ISB convention, and he commissioned us to make a travel version of his c1870 Giovanni Cavani double bass. The travel model was a success, and was essentially a scaled-down version (with our patented adjustable neck) of a true “violin makers” bass.

This new design for the 2015 ISB Maker’s Competition came about when Gary envisioned a larger scale version of Marc’s bass. The intent was to capture the needs of orchestral musicians with the ergonomics, playability, and impeccable tone expected from an Upton Bass. Each detail starting with the top-grade German Maple and Spruce selections, the inlaid purfling, ff holes, to the ebony fingerboard and tailpiece was designed in our workshop and hand carved by Eric and Chris.

Upton Bass is proud of Chris and Eric’s accomplishment, and we invite you to take a look at their work yourself. Stop by our showroom and experience “award-winning” tone and playability for yourself, or scroll through the high resolution photos that show every exquisite detail.

Upton Bass String Instrument Co. specializes in building award-winning custom double basses and offers accessories for the double bass. Upton Bass also services all instruments and bows of the violin family with world class restoration and repair, to view our online restoration portfolio visit stringrepair.com

Upton Bass is ready to offer advice and answer any questions regarding this Upton Bass Cavani double bass or related bass topics. Please contact UB at sales@uptonbass.com or call the shop at +1 (860) 535-9399. Hours of operation Tuesday through Saturday 10am – 6pm. The Workshop (The Barn) and showroom are located in Mystic, Connecticut conveniently between Boston and NYC.

Upton Bass String Instrument Co. specializes in building award-winning custom double basses and offers accessories for the double bass. Upton Bass also services all instruments and bows of the violin family with world class restoration and repair, to view our online restoration portfolio visit stringrepair.com

Upton Bass is ready to offer advice and answer any questions regarding double basses or related bass topics. Please contact UB at sales@uptonbass.com or call the shop at +1 (860) 535-9399. Hours of operation Tuesday through Saturday 10am – 6pm. The Workshop (The Barn) and showroom are located in Mystic, Connecticut conveniently between Boston and NYC.