This week we’re talking restorations, starting with a quick update on a project some of you have seen in its pre-restoration state: The red Minwax‑painted Juzek.
A beautiful older instrument was buried under a hardware‑store type varnish job that could make you wonder: “Why even bother?”
Because underneath that mess is something worth saving.
Dan and Chris said that the paint almost works like a tracer coat, forcing you to chase every last bit of it off the wood and get back to the original material. This one is a full refinish with no shortcuts. Neck grafted, new back, new blocks, new board, corrected overstand and projection, but original ribs, top, and scroll. It’s getting everything done to it that’s necessary to make it a working bass player’s professional instrument, while we’re keeping all that’s worth preserving.
| The client is excited, and so are we. Projects like this show what’s possible when you let us bring an old bass back to life. More updates soon. |
| We have a number of “dead bodies” in the show room, and we love bringing them back to life. Sometimes that process is so involved that we think of it as “building an Upton from old parts: The Juzek Master Art. Let’s take a look at one of those: a full Juzek Master Art restoration that has been with its new owner for a while now. These instruments often arrive as boxes of parts, and leave the shop with $10k+ of structural and tonal work invested. New blocks, rebuilt ribs, reattached back, regraduated top, bass bar, cleats, varnish, neck graft. Everything. This one is one of the sought-after Juzek Master Art with the red crest on the label, classic Prague styling, hat‑peg tuners, and a rope‑flame effect on the scroll. The sound is throaty, punchy, with the tight German clarity players love. It’s easy to amplify and easy to gig with. |
We’ve got several more like this in the pipeline. If you want the vintage feel but with Upton reliability, this is the path.
Still in the showroom: This one looks a bit scary, but is a quite straightforward project. It’s an old mid‑1800s bass, built in a Klotz tradition.
The ribs and back are original, but a bunch of work has been done to it over the years. The neck has been replaced along the way, and the top was replaced 10–15 years ago. We have the original top, and it’s absolutely fixable if a future owner wants to go that route.
This bass sounds great, even as is with the big hole in the rib. Big bottom, clear response, and a jazz‑friendly voice. For the right player, this will be a very good bass.
This is classic pre‑restoration bass for Upton Bass. Come see it as it is, and you will have lots of influence in the restoration process.
Explore restoration options, browse pre‑restoration instruments, or start a conversation about your own project.
