The Gibson Futura was an

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external electric Guitar amplifier, sound amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar. It uses one or more pickup (music technology), pickups ...

that was the precursor of the model introduced as the

Explorer Exploration is the process of exploring, an activity which has some Expectation (epistemic), expectation of Discovery (observation), discovery. Organised exploration is largely a human activity, but exploratory activity is common to most organis ...

. These prototypes, christened "Futura" many years later, resembled the eventual Explorer design, but had a differently-proportioned body, as well as a 'split' or 'forked'

headstock A headstock or peghead is part of a guitar or similar stringed instruments such as a lute, mandolin, banjo, ukulele and others of the lute lineage. The main function of a headstock is to house the tuning pegs or other mechanism that holds the s ...

that survived into the first few production Explorers but was quickly replaced. Gibson obtained for the Futura body shape.

Original design

Gibson's designers made a very few, perhaps 4-6, of these prototypes between 1957 and early 1958, using patternmakers' mahogany at first and then korina ( limba). One of these, a mockup without electronics, was photographed at the July 1957 NAMM trade show. A few prototypes were later acquired by the public.

Explorer production

When Explorer production began, with the final, wider body shape in "korina" or African limba wood, a few very early examples retained the "split-V" headstock.It is also possible that these were late prototypes that Gibson later serialized and sold, a standard practice at the time One of those "transitional" models is today owned by

Rick Nielsen Richard Alan Nielsen (born December 22, 1948) is an American musician who is the lead guitarist, primary songwriter, and leader of the rock band Cheap Trick. He is well-known for his numerous custom-made guitars from Hamer Guitars, including hi ...

. The Explorer offered a radical, body design and golden-blonde korina, much like its sibling, the

Flying V The Gibson Flying V is an electric guitar model introduced by Gibson (guitar company), Gibson in 1958. The Flying V offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Gibson Explorer, Explorer, which was released the same ...

. Its initial run was unsuccessful and it was discontinued in 1959 after shipping fewer than 50; a few leftover bodies were fitted with nickel hardware and shipped in 1963. The Gibson Explorer was reintroduced in the 1970s and is still sold today.

Development

In 1996 Gibson brought out as a limited edition the "1957 Futura Korina Reissue," a misnomer since the unnamed initial design had never been released. Gibson's Custom Shop has occasionally produced Futuras. Epiphone added two versions of the Futura to its higher-end "Prophecy" series of guitars, with ebony black finish with matching hardware.

Corvus Prototype

During 1981, Gibson attempt to enter the headless guitar market, and a prototype bearing the name "Futura" was made by Gibson’s Kalamazoo R&D team, and sent for approval to the marketing team in Nashville. This Futura's body shape was nothing like the Explorer or its prototype, but instead has a "can-opener" body, with its tuners were located at the offset V-cut at the body, and has a reduced headstock The compact headless design was rejected in favor of Futura and Corvus™ models with traditional headstocks, and the prototype has remained in the Gibson Vault until 2023.https://www.gibson.com/en-US/page/GCVP0013-1981-Futura-Prototype The project itself was modified into Gibson Corvus with traditional headstock.

Players

Masayuki Suzuki Masayuki Suzuki (鈴木雅之, ''Suzuki Masayuki'', born September 22, 1956, in Ōta, Tokyo) is a Japanese singer best known as a former member of pop group Rats & Star (previously called ''Chanels''), and for performing the opening themes for ...

Gary Moore Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 19526 February 2011) was a Northern Irish musician. Over the course of his career, he played in various groups and performed a range of music including blues, blues rock, hard rock, Heavy metal music, heavy ...

* Ahmet Efe *

Jared James Nichols Jared James Nichols (born March 14, 1989) is an American blues-rock guitarist and singer from East Troy, Wisconsin, best known for his high-energy " pick-less" electric guitar playing technique. He is rarely seen playing without his signature si ...

(https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJ4uiYMJN47)

Notes

References

Futura {{electric-guitar-stub