From Upton Bass: The UPTONe Bass Amplifier was designed from the ground up specifically for the double bass. After decades of building instruments and working closely with bassists in orchestras, jazz groups, bluegrass bands, and acoustic ensembles, Gary Upton set out to create an amplifier that simply lets the instrument sound like itself.

This project represents more than two years of development, involving extensive testing, redesign, and listening. Gary worked meticulously through every stage of the design – refining the crossover, EQ section, cabinet response, and custom driver configuration – to produce an amplifier that delivers clarity, power, and musicality without fighting the natural voice of the instrument. Every aspect of the UPTONe has been shaped through countless hours of research, testing, and real-world playing situations.

At the heart of the UPTONe is a 200-watt solid-state power section driving a 4-ohm, 600-watt RMS speaker, providing substantial headroom while maintaining warmth and detail. The cabinet weighs approximately 25 pounds, making it easy to transport while still offering the structural integrity required for serious acoustic performance. 

The cabinet itself is built entirely in our shop from marine-grade plywood, not MDF or pressed composite materials commonly used in many amplifier cabinets. This construction provides durability while contributing to a more natural and responsive sound. Internally, the cabinet has been carefully engineered to reduce standing waves and control resonant frequencies, allowing the speaker to reproduce the bass with remarkable clarity and balance.

While we are not an electronics manufacturing facility, we build as much of the amplifier as possible in-house. Where specialized components are required, we work with trusted US vendors and manufacturers to supply parts that meet our standards.

In developing the UPTONe amplifier, we studied many of the great acoustic bass amplifiers players have relied on for years, particularly the Acoustic Image Contra, known for its clarity and practicality. Our goal was not simply to replicate that idea, but to build upon it, refining the cabinet design, control section, and responsiveness so the amplifier works more naturally with modern upright bass pickups and playing styles.

Although the UPTONe was designed specifically for the upright bass, it functions exceptionally well as a compact amplifier for any bass player who wants a tight, clear, and full sound in a gig-worthy portable rig. A direct output is included for situations where the amplifier needs to feed a house system or larger PA.

The input stage is designed with high-fidelity piezo transducers in mind, providing the proper impedance needed for the most transparent reproduction of modern upright bass pickups. The amplifier is also fully compatible with electric basses and other pickup systems with lower impedance requirements. Players have also used the UPTONe with cello and other acoustic string instruments, with excellent results. 

Early users have consistently been blown away by its clarity, responsiveness, and ability to faithfully reproduce the voice of the instrument. Like the basses we build, the UPTONe amplifier reflects a simple philosophy: thoughtful design, careful craftsmanship, and a deep respect for the instrument it serves.

*Impedance describes how the signal from a pickup interacts with the input stage of an amplifier. A useful way to think about it is like the diameter of a pipe—the wider the pipe, the more freely the signal can flow. The Uptone Bass Amplifier features a high-impedance input stage measuring greater than 1 megaohm, specifically designed to accommodate modern upright bass pickups and other piezo transducers.

Piezo pickups require a sufficiently high input impedance to reproduce their full tonal bandwidth and dynamic response. When the input impedance of an amplifier is too low—as is the case with many electric bass amplifiers, mixing consoles, and general instrument inputs—the pickup becomes electrically loaded. When this occurs, the transducer cannot operate within its intended electrical environment and is therefore incapable of reproducing the full spectrum of the instrument.

In practical terms, insufficient input impedance often results in a loss of low-frequency depth, reduced harmonic detail, and an overall constrained sound. This is why piezo pickups plugged directly into many mixing boards or amplifiers with input impedances below one megaohm frequently sound thin or lacking in body. By providing an input impedance greater than 1 megaohm, the Uptone Bass Amplifier allows upright bass transducers and other piezo systems to deliver their full tonal range while remaining fully compatible with lower-impedance sources such as electric bass pickups.

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