In the early through mid-19th century, many small American churches used a "Yankee Bass Viol" or "Church Bass" to provide harmonic support for the choir. Despite its name, the church bass is tuned like a cello to CGDA. Church basses were made by luthiers at different skill levels, so the tone and tuning on antique church basses can vary widely. The church bass has a longer body and greater volume that give it extra projection and resonance. Luthier Gary Upton, who makes a modern reproduction of the antique church basses, describes their sound as "substantial" and "grand-voiced."