A.  Although pictures can speak 1000 words...pictures do not give you the years of hand & tool skills that must be acquired through professional training and daily practice to complete these repairs.  What we can demonstrate in 100 pictures might actually take a year to complete.  Some key steps are sometimes omitted or shown from distracting points of view.  Not every repair is as cut and dry as we present it...and sometimes we debate as a group the best possible way to achieve the results we are striving for while taking into consideration many different factors.  Our goal with this site is to create an informed instrument owner who is aware and appreciative of the amount of work and training these repairs take, and hopefully to ultimately entrust us with the work they need.

Q.  How can I become a repair & restoration specialist?

A. Upton Bass String Instrument Company is always on the lookout for new talent.  Whether you are a seasoned luthier or an aspiring one, we welcome your resume.  Send your resume here.

Q.  How do I get my instrument to you?

A. We can arrange for shipping on all sizes of instruments.  While violins, violas and cellos are able to ship through UPS/FedEx/USPS, our double bass clientele require a more specialized approach.  We buy and sell basses regularly, so we have extensive experience in transporting them safely.  Contact us about your needs.

Q.  How much to restore my bow or instrument?

A. That really depends on what your instrument needs, and what we find once we get into it.  We are sensitive to budgets, and we often come to realistic solutions.  Contact us and we can begin to take steps in getting your instrument or bow back in working order.

Q. If you specialize in double bass, are you qualified to work on my violin or bow?

A. Yes.  Although we like to say we are a double bass shop that has violins  (Most repair facilities are violin shops that might have some basses),  Our luthier's have been trained in the classical Italian school of violinmaking and the French school of bowmaking.  They have trained under the best accredited schools and with some of the best names in the trade.  They have made violins, violas cellos and basses, and they have restored plenty of them.  We trust you will find our staff to be some of the most well trained, experienced and specialized luthier's around.

Q. Why does your site use pop ups?

A. We felt that the use of picture pop ups was the best way to present to you our work without getting you lost within our site.   We guarantee that no third party advertising materials will show up on your computer while using our site from us.

Q. Why are your pictures so big?

A. The pictures we present to you are HUGE, and high resolution.  We felt that other websites offered such small and grainy photo's that they are hardly worth even showing.  We want you to be impressed with the quality, expertise and scale of the work we are able to perform.  We want you to SEE our work firsthand so that you know how capable we are.  By offering our photo's in such a grand scale, we have NOTHING to hide.  What other shop in the world presents their work to the public (and our peers) in this way?

Q. Why do you use x-rays?

A. X-rays give the ability to see what the eye cannot;  worm damage, micro-cracks, hardware, original material etc.  It's just another tool we use in determining the best course of action in restoring your instrument.

Q. I can't live without my instrument while it is being restored.  Do you rent instruments?

A. We understand that a long or short term repair or restoration can leave a musician with no instrument to practice or perform on.  Many musicians earn a living with their instrument.  It is with this understanding that Upton Bass String Instrument Co. can loan or rent you an instrument for any duration you may require.  Our stock of over a hundred instruments allows us to match you to a similar instrument to that of which you own.