Trois6 Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Hi all, Here is two pictures of my Shergol Modulator 4 bass. She is from 1979 exactly and have the module 5 so you have : Volume and Tone for each pickup Pickup selector humbuckin-singlecoil-dephasing selector for each pickup The body is quit damaged, but for a 32 years old bass, it's not a problem (and it's not change the sound !) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Shergolds were my "affordable dream" bass...longer ago than I care to work out. Even today, they still look like an earlier incarnation of a Wal. I know there wasn't really any connection, but there's something about the overall look. Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 That's lovely, thanks for posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trois6 Posted March 23, 2011 Author Share Posted March 23, 2011 You're wellcome ! Yeah it's looks a bit like Wal, maybe the english touch ^^ I will post more photos soon, to watch some details (head, pickups, plexi bridge and module). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Cool bass, I so wanted one of these back in the early 80s when the bass was being played by Hooky (Joy Division, New Order) and the guitar version by whatever-his-name-was in A Certain Ratio. Oh and in my very very young days a certain Mike Rutherford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShergoldSnickers Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Fantastic instrument - the Modulators were a great idea. Mines a lowly Marathon - must post some decent pics some day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmz Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Thanks for posting - wonderful basses. I remember falling in love with a white fretless Marathon in Glasgow in the early eighties. Was lucky to have to have owned a fretless six string Marathon - same colour as your Modulator. One of those instruments you definitely regret selling on..... Would love to get a double neck - will need to update my searches on flea-bay ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 [quote name='dmz' post='1173932' date='Mar 23 2011, 09:38 PM']Thanks for posting - wonderful basses. I remember falling in love with a white fretless Marathon in Glasgow in the early eighties. Was lucky to have to have owned a fretless six string Marathon - same colour as your Modulator. One of those instruments you definitely regret selling on..... Would love to get a double neck - will need to update my searches on flea-bay ![/quote] I recall Scottish prog band Pallas used a twin neck Shergold for a while. From what I recall although it was used on stage by the bass player it was actually owned by the singer (Alan Reed). He's been sacked from the band now so who knows he might be looking to offload some gear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trois6 Posted March 24, 2011 Author Share Posted March 24, 2011 Hi all, Here is more pictures from the modulator. Head : Pickups : Strange and damaged plexi bridge : The recording module (number 5, quiet rare) And complex ^^ The module case, with, as you can see, the system to guaranty the possibility to change your module as you want (on the two sides for the electronics and in the middle to fix each module) : Pickguard : Maple neck with awesome black binding ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShergoldSnickers Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 (edited) Some reasonable photos of the Marathon fretless, I exchanged a fretted Marathon for this in 1980. Non standard - the second Wizard pickup in the bridge position, the control set and the Badass bridge. One of the volume knobs pulls out to mute the bass completely (useful), and the other pulls out to put the PUs out of phase. A three-way switch gives one, the other or both. There is a stereo output that originally sent the coils in the stock pickup to different output jacks. When you open the stock pickup, you see it's similar to a P type, with one coil covering the E and A strings, the other covering the D and G, the rest being unwound pole assemblies. I'm sure I had it rewired to split the output from the two pickups, each going to a separate output, but I'll need to check as it was that long ago. The fingerboard is given a Danish oil treatment every now and again and replaces the lacquer that was originally on the surface. The TI Jazz flats must be at least three years old. Edited March 26, 2011 by ShergoldSnickers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 (edited) Love it SS! Don't normally like a maple fretless board but that goes so well with the black body - and I really like the Marathon design Edited March 26, 2011 by Clarky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShergoldSnickers Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 (edited) [quote name='Clarky' post='1176985' date='Mar 26 2011, 10:19 AM']...and I really like the Marathon design[/quote] I sometimes wonder where Wal got their inspiration. Mind you if someone offered a Wal in exchange for the Marathon, it would be out of the door faster than Coleen Rooney at the Royal Wedding reception. I live in hope. Edited March 26, 2011 by ShergoldSnickers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trois6 Posted March 26, 2011 Author Share Posted March 26, 2011 Thanks ShergolsSnickers ! Very lovefull bass, the body is very different and maybe you have'nt the problem of the "downing head" (don't know how to say ^^). I think it's the biggest problem on my modulator. My favorite detail in Shergolds, is the pickguard placement. Totaly useless, but very beautifull ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmz Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I wonder if anyone would get around to making these beasties again. I'm sure marathons could be made very inexpensively - maybe your man who gets Burns guitars made in the far east could be persuaded ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sambassman Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Hiya all my friend owns one of these beasts i dont know a right lot about shergold but. . . its a double neck bass and guitar heaviest thing in the world haha is this rare? ill try get some pictures up of it sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trois6 Posted April 7, 2011 Author Share Posted April 7, 2011 Shergold made many doublenecks (they are well known for that (Genesis bassist had a bass and 12 string guitar). I think it is really and very rare, your friend can sale it for a lot of money ^^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uke Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Here's mine, very early 76 Marathon with the hole on the headstock as I think they were still using Hayman necks then! Just love the laquer crazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettsguitars Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 seems to be a definate wal similarity. even in the headstock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbluestew Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 In the mid 70's I had a green Shergold Meteor bass............liked it well enough but remember the G string used to slip off the neck. Sold it when I saw Mr Rutherford using his - not good for a spotty 15 year old Mod ! Shortly after that my mates mum ( who was the local church warden ) donated a black back full of clothes and shoes to a Church Sale of Work ( two suits and a coat, two pairs of shoes ) that I had bought in a charity shop and had spent a fortune getting dry cleaned and the shoes resoled etc. I had left them at my mates to show them off to the rest of the band, his mum thought they were rags someone had donated. She was much more embarrased than I was was angry. Poor woman. S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 (edited) Hi all, just acquired this lovely 1980 Marathon. Been looking (on & off) for a sensibly priced, decent Marathon for a long time.... so when this came up on BC, I had to have it. Got a few dinks & the usual crazy lacquer cracking, which I personally love, but its in pretty good nick for its age. Needed a couple of turns on the truss rod (previous owner had not touched it from buying bass new), and after lowering the the action a bit & restringing with a fresh set of DRs, it really plays like a dream. The jacksockets are a bit dicky, going to to rewire & replace with a mono switchcraft, and probably going to rewire the pickup in series (currently wired parallel) along with upgrading the slightly crackly 100k(?) pots to CTS ones. Edited February 4, 2012 by nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Nick kindly brought his new found Shergold round for quick looksy last night. I must say, it has a lovely neck and an even better sound! Really nice bass and far, far better than my (rather) distant memories of them would have suggested. I just hope there are no fretless ones popping up for sale over the next few days. Thanks Nick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowend Stu Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Up in my attic I have a lefthanded twin neck fretless/8string Marathon bass originally finished sunburst now metallic mid blue I must get it restored as I`ve had this from new the it has a great sound but boy is it heavy!! try and get some photos soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIKEMARSHALL Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Hi Lowend Stu, Do you have any photos of your Shergold Custom Double neck 4/8. If you were thinking of getting it restored or serviced, there is only one man called Scott Baldwin, who rebuilds, repairs, makes replica parts including pickups,bridges,bridge covers string retainers, scratchplates, Modulator modules.strap buttons,He is currently building an 8 string Modulator bass, Check his website out, its full of Shergold guitars basses and custom jobs He is also an active member of the Shergold Guitar Forum. www.grubersaberhagen.co.uk regards, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIKEMARSHALL Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 (edited) SHERGOLD MARATHON BASSES EVOLVING 21st CENTURY STYLE.......ENJOY!! Mike [attachment=113996:GSHmar4b.jpg][attachment=113997:8sn5body.jpg][attachment=113998:8sn7body2.jpg][attachment=113999:MAbody3.jpg] SHERGOLD MODULATOR (Demountable) 12-4 and SHERGOLD CUSTOM DOUBLE 12-4 [attachment=114000:GSH12-4.jpg][attachment=114001:GSH12-4C.jpg][attachment=114002:GSH4+12.jpg][attachment=114003:GSH12-4custom.jpg][attachment=114004:GSB12-4m12-4c.jpg] Edited July 25, 2012 by MIKEMARSHALL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowend Stu Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 I had a l/handed marathon 6 string bass finished black back in the early 80`s, I too have a rather rare l/handed 8 string and fretless 4 marathon twin neck which I`ve had from new, it`s currently in bits up in the attic but all complete I`m hoping to get it restored soon! it weighs a ton mind, you could`nt use it for a compete set thats for sure! try an post some pic soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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