About Upton Bass String Instrument Co
 Upton Bass String Instrument Co. specializes in the double Bass. Our focus as a company is making our own Upton Bass double basses at our workshop in Stonington CT and selling other fine and vintage double basses. We also offer restoration, repair, setup and sell a selection of double bass accessories.
In Boston MA and Stonington CT |
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Gary founded Upton Bass String Instrument Co. in 1999. He started the business as a small one-man shop specializing in the sales of unique instruments and offering setup and repair to local Connecticut clientele. A formally-trained and highly accomplished double bass player in his own right, Gary’s overriding concern was to place into the hands of his customers the best instruments possible within the limits of their budgets. Today, with Gary's
supervision, Upton Bass String Instrument Co. has established itself as one of the world's premier double bass specialty shops and as one of America's only double bass production facilities.
Eric,
Vice President of Upton Bass, began his violinmaking studies at an early age. At the urging of his high school's symphony directors, Eric started his lutherie career in the early 1990s in Boston by enrolling at the North Bennet Street School's violinmaking program. There, he studied under some of the trade’s most respected names including: Marilyn Wallin, David Wiebe, Rodney Mohr, and many others. To date, Eric has made a few dozen violins and violas and hundreds of double basses! That’s no exaggeration!
In June of 2009 Eric was awarded the highest medal for Tone with no conditions by the International Society of Bassists Instrument Makers Competition for an instrument he made based on the Gary Karr model!
Aubrey, Gary's wife, is our bookkeeper and runs the office at Upton Bass. Aubrey keeps the often overlooked behind the scenes parts of the business running smoothly. Numbers, billing, contracts, you name it... if it goes through Upton Bass, Aubrey knows where, how much and why!
Jack, a
partner at Upton Bass, began his career as a double bass luthier studying with Eric Roy. Jack also took the opportunity to study with Vladimir Zirinski (Cremona) and the Olmas (Poland). Today, Jack can be found knee-deep in ebony and maple shavings as our Setup Workshop Manager. Every bass that is sold goes through Jack’s able hands.
Chris is our varnishing guy
(we affectionately call him our varnish Guru!) and started at Upton Bass in April of 2008, coming from a finishing background in the auto industry. He hand-applies our linseed oil-based secret recipe varnish to each and every Upton Bass. Be it the traditional brown finish of our UB Laminates, UB Hybrids, UB Professors, and the UB Concert Carved Basses, or the natural finish of our UB SuperSwing double basses, Chris painstakingly varnishes each bass under the watchful eye of Gary and Eric.
Vicky started with Upton Bass early in 2008. She started off by making nearly all the rough parts for Upton Basses and in 2010 became one of our assistant builders. Joining and carving tops & backs, fitting bass bars, assembling bodies...Vicky has her hands on nearly every Upton Bass!
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