Upton Bass String Instrument Co
The Upton Report
Volume 148
April 10th, 2015

Upton Bass
In This Issue
It's TWINS!
MaxBass
Old Yankee Style
UB Archives

Upton Bass Barn
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$500 OFF!


Have you noticed that Gary has kept the $500 off Standard Laminated & Hybrid basses in place?  With fast lead times...you could be playing an Upton faster than you think!

"Talking Hands" performs at the 2013 ISB, Rochester
Comprised of John Clayton, Martin Wind, Lynn Seaton (playing Max's beautiful Concord!) and Rufus Reid. Bill Mays joins them on piano for this excerpt from a Pat Metheny medley.

 

Take the Concord Tour!
 
How To Drive A Double Bass
"How To Drive A Double Bass" is arriving at the Upton Bass Workshop soon! Reserve your copy today.

 



Stunt doubles aren't just for movie stars these days, as we've been commissioned numerous times to build them for our customers. In reference to a double bass, a stunt double is often a "simplified" version of your existing bass, or a copy optimized for travel. Whether you are seeking a travel double with a removable neck, a copy of a priceless relic, or a custom double bass designed just you--Upton Bass can make it happen. We are not limited by what you see on our website.

 

Give Gary or myself a call and let's talk about custom building a bass that complements you and your style. We love what we do, and we'd love to do it for you!

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Eric
Upton Bass String Instrument Co.
A Tale of Two Concords
UptonBass.com
In this video, bassist Max Murray shares his impressions of his two Upton "Concord" basses, one fully carved and one a fully laminated stunt double - "The Ploncord!"

Max commissioned his first UB "Concord" model in early 2013, and took delivery at ISB in Rochester that year. His bass caught many an envious eye there! It is a flatback bass with a removable maple neck, and a fully-carved Sitka spruce top. The custom antiqued brass plates and ebony hat peg style tuners pay homage to Scott LaFaro's legendary bass. Max adores his "Concord," so much so that he has commissioned us to build him a second.

Max is a regularly gigging artist with a busy schedule. He's booked at various types of venues, and had expressed some concern over the safety of his bass. He hates wasting a whole break just to keep a watchful eye on it. So he asked us to work with him on a stunt-double. The result is his "Ploncord," as he jokingly referred to it. A fully-laminated, plywood version of his original instrument that is visually identical. He loves his new bass, and although he just picked it up and hasn't had much time to play it yet, he says it "looks smokin'!"
More videos on YouTube.com

 

Max Murray Bio
Excerpts from MaxBass.com 
Max Murray began making music at the age of four. The son of a professional musician, music was ever-present in his childhood home near Boston, MA. The double bass found him at age 13.

At seventeen Max was accepted into the United States Navy Music Program, and in 1985, he won an appointment to the US Naval Academy Band in Annapolis, MD, where he remained until 2000. During his 20+ years of service he performed a broad spectrum of music, including; top-40, rock 'n roll, R&B, tons of marches, classical literature, show tunes, rap, go-go, country, salsa, big band & small group jazz. 

A studio veteran, he has recorded extensively for jingles, commercials, television and film score.
As a member of Afro Bop Alliance he received a Latin Grammy Award in the "Best Latin Jazz Recording" category. In addition to the brilliant, inspiring & diverse musicians he collaborates with in the Baltimore/DC area, Max can be found teaching Jazz outreach programs by day in Washington DC middle schools with Jeff Antoniuk's Jazz Update, courtesy of Washington Performing Arts Society.
 
Max is grateful for to have studied with, or participated in master classes with some of his musical heroes, including Larry Wolfe, Paul Johnson, John Clayton, Rufus Reid, Glen Moore, Buster Williams, and Lynn Seaton.
More at MaxBass.com

The "Concord" Model
UptonBass.com
The name Abraham Prescott is to double bassists what Stradivari is to violinists. Prescott double basses have been owned and performed on by some of the most celebrated orchestras and bassists in the U.S., including the likes of Scott LaFaro and Arvel Shaw. Highly sought after and prized for their both beauty and tone, Prescott instruments are coveted not just for their name but for the quality of their construction.

The "Concord" Model is UB's take on an Abraham Prescott design with added modern ergonomics. The goal was to create a classic hand-crafted New England style instrument using the finest wood choices from our select stores of old dry spruce and big leaf maple. The result was our first all New England double bass: the UB Concord. It is Old Yankee in both style and build, and made completely in our Mystic, Connecticut workshop: a traditional post and beam barn, raised by our own employees. The "Concord" is the first truly authentic New England double bass we've made. Beautiful sloping shoulders, Busetto corners, Prescott ff-holes, flat maple back and sides with deep outside lined ribs, a deluxe spruce top...all combined with a finely detailed scroll, button, and hand-cut tuners that pay homage to Prescott while keeping with our own highly-revered and uniquely New England tradition of instrument building.
More on UptonBass.com

 

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