When Gibson designed a new trio of futuristic-looking guitars in 1957 to bring fresh, modern-looking designs to the product lineup, one of them was the Futura™, which was designed alongside the Flying V™ and Moderne™. While many guitarists may have never heard of the Futura, most are no doubt familiar with its direct descendant—the guitar it evolved into—the Explorer™.

The Futura closely resembles the modern Explorer, but had a somewhat different, more angular body shape and a split V headstock design that was used on only a handful of the earliest Explorers before they transitioned to the scimitar-shaped headstock that the model is known for today. The Futura was never actually released in the late 1950s, with only a handful of prototypes made in that era, and only a few ever making it out into the wild, making them exceptionally rare, surpassed in rarity only by the Moderne, of which no authentic 50s-era examples have ever been located and authenticated.

While the earliest Flying V and Explorer models that were released in 1958 featured Korina bodies, the earliest Futura prototypes were made from mahogany. Mahogany has a somewhat warmer sound than the brighter Korina. Mahogany is also a more readily available wood than the scarcer Korina, and an ideal choice for modern players who prefer a denser, all-mahogany tone for rock and metal.

Gibson Custom now introduces the 1957 Mahogany Futura Reissue, a faithful reproduction of those rare 50s-era Futura prototypes. It features a mahogany body with the original Futura shape made to vintage specifications, a mahogany neck with a 50s Vintage profile, and the original Futura split V headstock design, complete with reissue Kluson® single-ring tuners.

The unbound Indian rosewood fretboard is equipped with 22 reissue frets and cellulose dot inlays. The 1957 Mahogany Futura Reissue is powered by two unpotted Custombucker humbucker™ pickups with Alnico 3 magnets that are hand-wired to two volume and one tone control with CTS® potentiometers and a phone book tone capacitor.

The Antique Natural nitrocellulose lacquer and gold hardware are VOS-finished, giving it the look of a new-old-stock guitar from the late 1950s. A Lifton™ historic reissue brown and pink hardshell case is also included, offering enthusiasts a chance to own an authentic recreation of one of the rarest models in Gibson history.