Shergold Custom Masquerader 12-string

The Shergold Custom Masquerader 12-string is a 12-string solid body electric guitar from the Masquerader series, produced between 1975 and circa 1981. Unlike most Shergold guitars, guitars from this series had a double cutaway which was more accessible to musicians.

Peter Gabriel himself has owned a cherry-finished Shergold Custom Masquerader 12-string guitar for a long time. As per a 1977 news report, Peter originally ordered for a custom Shergold - specifically a 12-string version of the Modulator double necked guitar built for ex-Genesis colleague Mike Rutherford. But Peter's guitar turns out to be the Masquerader model, rather than the Modulator model he was hinting towards. Peter's Masquerader looks like a 1977 Shergold "Traditional Custom" variant anyway, with the pickups mounted on a scratchplate and a nailed-on plastic shield logo with the "Custom" label on it.

The Shergold's only confirmed use in a live setting was when it was played by Sid McGinnis on Peter's first solo tour in 1977 through a Marshall amp stack.

This particular guitar was used on Peter's most commercially successful record, So. Guitarist David Rhodes talked about playing the Shergold on "Red Rain" although it is significantly buried in the mix: generally with 12-string guitars he'd EQ them to remove the high end so they produce a very tinny sound and take up less space in the mix. Daniel Lanois probably also played the Shergold 12-string in a few places.

To this day the Shergold is still in use (at least) at Peter's Real World Studios.

Sources/further info

 * Enjoy the Music.com Review Magazine on Peter Gabriel's Real World Recording Studio
 * Guitar Player, September 1987
 * 1977 news report of unknown source
 * Peter Gabriel So classic albums documentary
 * Shergold models & variants
 * 1977 Photo of Sid McGinnis playing Peter's Shergold 12-string