“Don’t let its modest price tag fool you – this charming guitar offers a smorgasbord of contemporary features and tones”: Shergold Provocateur Standard SP12 review

Never ever become aware of Shergold? Well, do not fret, we’ll let you off. While this a little unknown UK brand name was as soon as popular in the late ’70s and early ’80s, it never ever rather ended up being a home name.

Now, that’s not to state these British guitars didn’t have their reasonable share of well-known users, with the similarity Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook of Joy Division popularity counted amongst their dedicated fans.

In 2017, after a long hiatus, the brand name was restored by Barnes & & Mullins with the assistance of guitar-builder extraordinaire Patrick James Eggle. The British luthier was entrusted with revamping the retro brand name’s brochure for a modern-day audience, which’s specifically what he did.

With a modern variation of the flagship Masquerader, a vibrant brand-new take on a T-type with the Telstar and the electrical guitar we are taking a look at today, the Provocateur, Shergold is back with a bang.

The Shergold Provocateur Standard SP12 is the most economical single-cut in the lineup, however do not let its modest cost fool you– this lovely guitar uses a hodgepodge of modern functions and tones.

The strong poplar body homes a duo of Page humbuckers, which are clearly classic in their output. The tone here is finest referred to as woody– and perfect for meaningful blues licks.

Show up the gain and you’ll be welcomed with an amazing rock tone that might rather quickly fill an arena. Punchy, raw and coil-splittable, these pickups definitely took us by surprise.

Naturally, the classic specifications bring their method through to the neck. The strong Canadian maple neck goes with the comfy 625.5 mm scale length with a relatively chunky profile and medium jumbo worries– believe ’50s Les Paul With bolt-on building and construction.

Now, it needs to be stated that the satin surface here is perfectly smooth. This makes the guitar a pure happiness to hold, something that’s remarkable at this rate point. The beautifully dark neck is topped with a similarly shadowy laurel fingerboard to finish the appearance.

Sitting happily at the top of the neck is Shergold’s paddle-style headstock, which gives up the badge logo design of the more pricey version in favour of mother-of-pearl detailing. A good touch is the addition of locking maker heads. These tuners feel smooth and robust and are a great included perk to a currently well-spec ‘d instrument.

Okay, so Shergold might not have the immediate brand name acknowledgment of its peers, however that does not indicate this restored guitar maker ought to be neglected.

Specifications

• COST: ₤ 409
• BODY: Strong Poplar
• NECK: Strong Canadian maple
• SCALE LENGTH: 625.5 mm/ 24.625″
• FINGERBOARD: Laurel
• RADIUS: 305mm/ 12″
• STRESSES: Tough nickel, medium jumbo
• FRET MARKERS: Lined
• NUT: Artificial bone
• NUT WIDTH: 42.5 mm
• TRUSS ROD: 2 Way
• BRIDGE: String-through-body
• SADDLES: 6-Way chrome
• PICKUPS: Page humbuckers (Alnico V)
• CONTROLS: 1x Volume, 1x Tone (push/pull coil-split), 3-position switch
• SURFACE: Strong Mint Green, Dirty Blonde
• CONTACT: Shergold

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I’m a guitar lover– a fanatic, some may state. I’m a company follower that the majority of the world’s issues can be fixed with a Gibson SG and a catastrophically loud amp. As a Senior Deals Writer on Guitar World, I blog about guitars for a living, however in a previous life, I operated in music retail for 7 years, recommending consumers on the best guitars, basses, drums, pianos, and PA systems for their requirements. I likewise want live noise; I’m a totally certified sound engineer with experience working in different places in Scotland, where I deal with my spouse and pet dog.