Shergold Electric Upright

[godathunder]

A couple of decades ago my family bought this bass for my father with the promise that the tailpiece would follow. Inevitably, it never did and the bass has sat in a dark corner gathering dust ever since. Emboldened by my recent experience of butchering (the easier bits of) donna lee on a fretless and possessing a couple of old miles davis albums, I quite like the idea of bringing it back to life and expanding my palette with a bit of upright action.

 

I'm told that the bridge is still around but now lives in a box somewhere in the recesses of the attic. This hopefully just leaves a tailpiece, a set of strings and a setup missing. I'm a complete novice in the dark arts of the doghouse so is there anything I'm not considering and just how many shekels am I likely to have to splurge on it's revenance?

 

I'd be grateful for any advice given and also grateful if anyone has any further info on these basses, the article below was the only thing I could find:

 

https://shergold.com/uprightbass.html

[TheRev]

 

The tailpiece in the Shergold article looks quite small compared to the bridge so I'm guessing it might be a cello tailpiece?  New tailpieces are pretty cheap and if you have the bridge, then all you need is a shout out for a set of used strings and you could be up and playing for £100.  I'd leave getting a setup until you're sure you can tune it up without it folding in half.

[alyctes]

If you need a DB tailpiece I probably have one kicking about.  I'm away at the moment so it might be a couple of weeks before I can find it.

[JoeEvans]

I removed the tailpiece on my db and replaced it with four loops of spectra cord - I posted about it on here, will try and get a link. Might save a bit of mucking about if the bass needs a non standard size of tailpiece.

[JoeEvans]

https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/474391-experimental-tailpiece/

 

If you do go down that route, you need to use a water knot to tie the loops of cord, as other knots will slip under the tension.

Edited September 7, 2023 by JoeEvans

[godathunder]

On 05/09/2023 at 22:31, TheRev said:

 

The tailpiece in the Shergold article looks quite small compared to the bridge so I'm guessing it might be a cello tailpiece?  New tailpieces are pretty cheap and if you have the bridge, then all you need is a shout out for a set of used strings and you could be up and playing for £100.  I'd leave getting a setup until you're sure you can tune it up without it folding in half.

Ive just popped a measuring tape on the photo in the article and at 41" scale length it looks as if the tailpiece is around 9.5/10" so I think youre spot on about it being a cello tailpiece - looks as if I can pick up something decent enough for sub £50

 

13 hours ago, alyctes said:

If you need a DB tailpiece I probably have one kicking about.  I'm away at the moment so it might be a couple of weeks before I can find it.

Thank you very much for the offer, it looks as if Im looking for a cello rather than db tailpiece now though

 

1 hour ago, JoeEvans said:

I removed the tailpiece on my db and replaced it with four loops of spectra cord - I posted about it on here, will try and get a link. Might save a bit of mucking about if the bass needs a non standard size of tailpiece.

I read your posts on this a few weeks ago when I first gave thought to restoring it. Great idea but Im far too lazy given the low cost of a cello tailpiece......

 

 

So, hopefully that just leaves strings - I take it that db strings come in a variety of tensions and given the unknown integrity of the instrument a low tension set would be more sensible (for my fingers too - I prefer heavier strings and a medium/highish action on my electrics but I get the feeling this will be a bit more of a workout for them)

 

The bass is in my parents house in wales but I live in ireland so its going to be a couple of months before Im back there to make any progress with this

 

Thanks for your help chaps

Edited September 7, 2023 by godathunder
sppelingg

[Marc S]

Sorry to be late to the party, but wow - that looks unusual. I didn't know Shergold made an upright.

You might want to consider getting an adjustable bridge - as this will allow you to "tweak" the string height yourself. I recall a few years back, when as a beginner myself, the second upright I bought had an adjustable bridge, and for me at the time it was a real boon. It meant I could get the string height I was more comfortable with really easily. Good luck with this project. Nice to have a bass with a family link  

[Grahambythesea]

Would that the Shergold was still available at £430, they wouldn’t be able to make enough!

[Marc S]

Just zoomed in on one of the photos a bit closer. It appears from the wire in the middle of the body that it's hollow - just wondering if that's correct? @godathunder?
I'd be interested to know what the bass sounds like, as a chambered body would have an effect on the sound. Following this with interest, as I'd like to see this restored  

EDIT: If it is indeed hollow, it seems a shame not to incorporate some F-holes in the body

Edited September 20, 2023 by Marc S

[godathunder]

This is from the article:

 

Constructed with a birch ply back and belly, that bass features a centre core made of obeche wood and has two hollow chambers to help obtain the acoustic tonal qualities of the double bass.

 

There is a hole where the pickup sits but it seems a little small to work as an actual soundhole.

 

Unfortunately my time was mostly spoken for while I was at my folks so I didnt have much time to do more than take a cursory glance and take some photos.

 

@Marc S I see that you're in south wales, I'll be back over at some point in the next couple of months. The bass is in the rhondda so if thats anywhere near you and a mutually inconvenient time is available Id be happy to pop the kettle on for you.

[Marc S]

1 hour ago, godathunder said:

This is from the article:

 

Constructed with a birch ply back and belly, that bass features a centre core made of obeche wood and has two hollow chambers to help obtain the acoustic tonal qualities of the double bass.

 

There is a hole where the pickup sits but it seems a little small to work as an actual soundhole.

 

Unfortunately my time was mostly spoken for while I was at my folks so I didnt have much time to do more than take a cursory glance and take some photos.

 

@Marc S I see that you're in south wales, I'll be back over at some point in the next couple of months. The bass is in the rhondda so if thats anywhere near you and a mutually inconvenient time is available Id be happy to pop the kettle on for you.

Hi @godathunder,
I'm down the road a bit from the Rhondda - not too far away. Thanks for the offer - it would be interesting to see the bass  

[angletone]

The article on the Shergold website first appeared as a review in the Melody Maker in May 1983. I kept a copy the article as I was interested in buying one but I never heard of the bass again.  Then 20 years I later found one for sale. It turned out to be the actual bass in the photographs you see on Shergold's web page, though the pickup had been changed.

It was a pretty nice bass which I used for a while before upgrading to an Eminence EUB. It's constructed like an acoustic bass in the sense that it has a standard shaped bridge and smaller tailpiece. It's possible it was a cello tailpiece though I'm not sure. I can't remember the make of pickup I used with it but it can be seen in the photos. The design allows for most standard double bass pickups to be used. 

Mine didn't have a hole near the bridge. As it was the bass used in the original review, I've always suspected it was a prototype so maybe production models were different.  I uploaded a few photos which may help as a reference in restoring the bass. 

[godathunder]

thanks @angletone

thanks for the photos, thats great to see - there are at least two in the world then.

unfortunately Im not likely to make any progress with it for a little while, pesky life getting in the way as ever