Eminence Portable Upright Basses

GH Services is the premier Canadian Eminence Portable Upright Bass dealer. GH Services is located in the Niagara Region of Canada, near Toronto and the Canada-U.S. border. Owner Greg Holmes is a long-time musician, ready and able to help you with any questions you have. More about GH Services here.

A Breakthrough In Upright Bass Portability

The Eminence Portable Upright Bass is a breakthrough in upright bass portability.

The instrument has been a steady and reliable tool for traveling musicians for years. It's light, responds like an acoustic bass, and works well in loud, amplified situations.

Developed by two master luthiers, first Scott Zumberg and now Gary E. Bartig, the fully acoustic design of the Eminence features a laminated, arched top of spruce, braced with a solid spruce bassbar and soundpost, and a laminated, arched back made of highly figured curly maple.

The standard 41-1/4" scale is strung with D'Addario Helicore strings, and the maple neck sports an ebony fingerboard and nut. The fully height-adjustable maple bridge on the Eminence features the acclaimed Realist™ pickup.

Included as standard features are the deluxe heavy-duty padded case, the Steady-foot™ anti-rotational endpin foot, a removable waist extension, and professional set up to match your playing style.

Removable-neck Models

The removable-neck models (RN-4 and RN-5) are personal favorites, and they are the only fully acoustic portable upright basses with removable necks. The steel dovetail neck joint is guaranteed forever. And because the strings attach at the tailplate, it takes only 10 minutes to set up and 5 minutes to break down. Velcro straps are included to control the strings during setup.

The included gig bag houses the bass with neck attached or detached. Also included is a smaller bag that holds the neck only. This gives you the flexibility to travel with the neck detached, but get around locally from gig to gig with the bass assembled for a very fast setup time.

The optional semi-hard flight case is actually a golf case. And you'll appreciate that, since it means that the airlines will treat you like a golfer instead of like a musician!

The bass with gig bags and tubular stand packed in the flight case weighs only 37 pounds.

Features & Specifications

Neck: Rock Maple
Fingerboard: Ebony
Vibrating String Length: 41-1/4"
Top: Arched, Laminated Spruce
Back: Arched, Laminated Curly Maple
Air Chamber Depth: 3"
Body Size: 10-1/2" x 31-1/2"
Bassbar: Solid Spruce
Soundpost: Solid Spruce
Bridge: Maple, Fully Adjustable
D'Addario Helicore Strings: 4 or 5
Pickup: Realist
Tailplate: Solid Brass
Fully Adjustable Endpin Length
Total Length: 63"
Weight: 13 lbs (4-string), 14 lbs (5-string)
Padded case, removable waist extension, Realist pickup, and Steady-foot™ anti-rotational endpin foot included.

• Fully acoustic body delivers real acoustic sound.
• Small body size allows the Eminence bass to fit into any conventional car.
• Standard-size neck and scale length for familiar feel and playing ease.
• Fully adjustable bridge height allows personalized action adjustments.
• Professional pickup (Realist) for plug and play versatility onstage or in the studio.
• Optional flight case for RN models fits in overheads or baggage check without oversize charge.

About The Luthiers

Much of the concept of the Eminence Portable Upright Bass is owed to the gifted luthier Scott Zumberg. He made the first acoustic amplified portable bass in 1990. After Scott's untimely death in 1993, Gary E. Bartig (owner of G. Edward Lutherie Inc.) took over development of the portable bass.

Gary's background in music retailing, sound engineering, electronics, lutherie, and as a professional musician was the perfect foundation for the development of the Eminence Bass. As a traditional luthier, he is able to design a professional-quality instrument, while as a musician and recording engineer, he is able to design and assess the sound ultimately produced through the instrument's electronics. Gary's success in designing the Eminence Bass has led him to continue research and development of other fine acoustic and amplified instruments.