From Tree to Bass, PART 2!  In this video, Gary breaks out the heavy equipment to mill down our giant local sugar maple tree trunk into billets that are ideal for drying. These billets will become back plates and ribs for future Upton double basses.

In part one of this series, Gary hand-split the massive log into quarters. This local maple is now being cut into eighths for storage and drying. Each of these billets may look small, but Gary demonstrates that they are plenty large enough for our Mittenwald model double bass, which is a big 7/8ths. Click on the photo link above to hear the whole story.

Did you know that the current home of Upton Bass, the "Big Red Barn," has roots in the milling industry? It's true.

Dating back to about 1907, the T.N. Dickinson witch hazel mill stood and operated on the very same foundation that the UB workshop stands on today. In fact, the current post-and-beam barn is a historic rebuild of the original structure.

If you come to visit our workshop and showroom, you may notice that it is tucked away in a quaint residential neighborhood. But it wasn't always that way. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the historic district of Burnett's Corner was a bustling stop along the old Post Road (now renamed Packer Rd) that was a convenient layover for travelers trekking from Boston to NYC. The small village boasted a hotel, ropewalk, post office, and the Dickinson wet mill.

When Gary acquired the property all that remained of the former mill was its crumbling foundation, but his vision was grand. After many years of doing restorations on vintage and priceless instruments, he viewed this project through the eyes of a historical preservationist. Using the existing foundation, he rebuilt a modern-day equivalent of the historical structure with local timber and traditional post-and-beam architecture.

The "Forest to Stage" concept ties the workshop to its historical roots in many ways, while reflecting Gary's strong commitment to sustainable building practices and inspired hand craftsmanship.

Visit us online or at our workshop, details at UptonBass.com...