Gibson '57 Futura Build

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Perry
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Gibson '57 Futura Build

Post by Perry » Mon Aug 01, 2011 8:02 pm

The Gibson '57 Futura is one of the guitars I've had in mind building for some time. For several days now I've been working on the body. First, this is the general goal.

Image

One major consideration is the headstock. I don't really care for the original Futura headstock. If I do a split headstock, the Robin Machete style is more what I have in mind.

Image

I've been working on the body. The wood is cypress (or cedar) and is extremely light. I don't know how attractive it would be in a natural finish, so I may end up painting or staining this one. Here's what I finished with today.

Image

And another photo.

Image

Other specs include:

25 inch scale rosewood fretboard on a maple neck.
Glued-in neck
Two humbuckers.
TOM and stopbar tailpiece
2 vol. 1 tone comtrols with 3-way switch

I'm staying in Taiwan for the summer, so I'll be able to keep a steady build schedule throughout August. However, my workshop is not air conditioned and tempertures/humdity are quite high. I can only work about two or three hours at a time.

Comments and questions welcomed.
Last edited by Perry on Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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duncanjames
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Re: Gibson '57 Futura Build

Post by duncanjames » Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:29 pm

Yikes... If you do go for that headstock, will you redesign it at all? It looks like it's made specifically for tuning problems!

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Perry
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Re: Gibson '57 Futura Build

Post by Perry » Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:45 pm

duncanjames wrote:Yikes... If you do go for that headstock, will you redesign it at all? It looks like it's made specifically for tuning problems!
I think that's the problem with split headstocks and probably the reason why they're not used much. The other option I'm thinking about is to use this headstock or something very similar. The split headstock, however, does have some appeal.

Image

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ForcedFire
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Re: Gibson '57 Futura Build

Post by ForcedFire » Tue Aug 02, 2011 7:40 am

So... you're planning on building every "ugly" Gibson :P .

Kidding! Looks good!

How do you feel about the Gumby headstock like the Moderne's? I guess it has the same problem. I wonder if there's a way to make one with a better tuner layout and use those new firebird tuners (Steinberg I think?) that stick out the back.

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Ceylon
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Re: Gibson '57 Futura Build

Post by Ceylon » Tue Aug 02, 2011 8:08 am

How about making a Les Paul-headstock and then just cutting up a void in the middle of it?
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Re: Gibson '57 Futura Build

Post by funkyeah! » Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:27 am

Ceylon wrote:How about making a Les Paul-headstock and then just cutting up a void in the middle of it?
Image

Aluminum, but similar nonetheless
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Re: Gibson '57 Futura Build

Post by analogsystem » Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:50 am

I like the Dean split headstock a lot. Its symmetrical. Also an explorer headstock would look great with the Futura

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ForcedFire
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Re: Gibson '57 Futura Build

Post by ForcedFire » Tue Aug 02, 2011 12:15 pm

analogsystem wrote:Also an explorer headstock would look great with the Futura

+1

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Perry
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Re: Gibson '57 Futura Build

Post by Perry » Tue Aug 02, 2011 4:28 pm

Thanks for the comments.
ForcedFire wrote:So... you're planning on building every "ugly" Gibson :P .

Kidding! Looks good!

How do you feel about the Gumby headstock like the Moderne's? I guess it has the same problem. I wonder if there's a way to make one with a better tuner layout and use those new firebird tuners (Steinberg I think?) that stick out the back.
That isn't too far off! I did have an idea to build a version of the Corvus. :) (I don't think its that ugly.)

I just realized something interesting about the headstock in the photo below. The guitar is strung "backwards" in that some strings are on the "wrong" tuners. For example, the sixth string is on the tuner that usually gets the fourth string, and the fourth string on the sixth string tuner, and so on. I wonder if something similar could be done with a split headstock to solve any tuning issues.

Image

And speaking of the Corvus, here's a photo of its headstock. Not bad.

Image

And the Moderne headstock, although on the Epiphone version.

Image

And this is an Explorer inspired headstock from the Washburn Stage Reissue A-5, slightly modified because I put a cocobolo cap on it.

Image

Lots of options.

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ForcedFire
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Re: Gibson '57 Futura Build

Post by ForcedFire » Tue Aug 02, 2011 4:36 pm

Yeah the green one is kind of what I was thinking (although not green!). Man the truss rod cover on the corvus looks aweful. They should have made a different shape for it.

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Re: Gibson '57 Futura Build

Post by newdawnfades » Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:26 pm

Perry wrote: And the Moderne headstock, although on the Epiphone version.

Image
i dub the, Gumby Headstock :D
Image

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Re: Gibson '57 Futura Build

Post by andrewdoeshair » Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:33 pm

Perry wrote: Image
Intrigued! Do something whacky with the string layout, like this!
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Re: Gibson '57 Futura Build

Post by Veitchy » Wed Aug 03, 2011 12:34 am

newdawnfades wrote: i dub the, Gumby Headstock :D
Image
It's funny you should say that. That's exactly what they call them on the Les Paul forum.

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Re: Gibson '57 Futura Build

Post by ESKIMO ROBOCOP » Wed Aug 03, 2011 4:48 am

i thought thats what everyone called them.

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Re: Gibson '57 Futura Build

Post by Veitchy » Wed Aug 03, 2011 4:52 am

Tends to be, yeah.

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