Gibson Moderne
Encyclopedia
The Gibson Moderne is an electric guitar
model first designed by Gibson
in 1957
. It was designed alongside the Flying V
and Explorer
-"Futura"
as part of a stylistically advanced line of electric guitars. However, unlike the Flying V and Explorer, the Moderne was not put into production until 1982.
Because few if any prototypes were made in the 1950s, and no authenticated example is known to exist, the hypothetical 1958 Moderne has been called both the "Holy Grail
" and the "Loch Ness Monster
" of collectible guitars.
filed three designs with the United States Patent Office which would come to be called "Flying V," "Explorer", and (unofficially, by later historians) "Moderne." The design patents were issued on January 7, 1958, however, the Moderne was not put into production and it is still not clear whether any were actually created at that time (there is only a vague mention of "Mod. Guitars" on a shipping list, which some argue applies to Explorers). Sources claim that Ted McCarty said that a handful of prototypes were built, but there is no conclusive proof either way.
They were "re"-issued by Gibson in 1980 at the NAMM show in Atlanta as part of the "Heritage Series" and later produced in Korea by Epiphone. As of 2010, Gibson does not offer a Moderne model.
Stylistically, Modernes are characterized by an elongated lower bass bout (similar to the Flying V), a scooped-out treble bout (similar to a shark fin), an oblong headstock (similar to Gumby
's head) with inverted tuners, and gold hardware: the usual Gibson combination of two humbuckers, adjustable Tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece.
The Gibson Moderne is featured in the PlayStation 2
and Xbox 360
video games Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero 2 in 2006 as unlockables. It was also featured in the Nintendo DS
video game Guitar Hero: On Tour. Because of their very limited production and forward design, Modernes are highly sought by collectors.
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
model first designed by Gibson
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
in 1957
1957 in music
-Events:*January 5 – Renato Carosone and his band start their American tour in Cuba.*January 6 – Elvis Presley makes his final appearance on the The Ed Sullivan Show.*January 16 – The Cavern Club opens in Liverpool, UK....
. It was designed alongside the Flying V
Gibson Flying V
-External links:*, , , , and , from the Gibson website*, a June 2001 article from Guitar Collector magazine*, a tribute site that lists all models and re-issues and most notable players**...
and Explorer
Gibson Explorer
The Gibson Explorer is a type of electric guitar that made its debut in 1958. The Explorer offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its sibling, the Flying V. The Explorer was the final development of a prototype design which years later Gibson marketed under the name Futura.The...
-"Futura"
Gibson Futura
The Gibson Futura was an electric guitar which was the precursor of the model introduced as the Explorer. These mahogany 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...
as part of a stylistically advanced line of electric guitars. However, unlike the Flying V and Explorer, the Moderne was not put into production until 1982.
Because few if any prototypes were made in the 1950s, and no authenticated example is known to exist, the hypothetical 1958 Moderne has been called both the "Holy Grail
Holy Grail
The Holy Grail is a sacred object figuring in literature and certain Christian traditions, most often identified with the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper and said to possess miraculous powers...
" and the "Loch Ness Monster
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next....
" of collectible guitars.
History
By the mid-1950s Gibson Guitar Company had lost considerable market share to rival Fender's Telecaster and Stratocaster models and created three modernistic solid-body guitar concepts in an attempt to strike back. On June 27, 1957 Gibson President Theodore "Ted" McCartyTed McCarty
Ted McCarty was a pioneer of electric guitar design and production. This began when he was chosen as vice president of the of Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1949, then later as president in 1950. He remained president until 1966. This period became known as Gibson's golden age of electric guitars...
filed three designs with the United States Patent Office which would come to be called "Flying V," "Explorer", and (unofficially, by later historians) "Moderne." The design patents were issued on January 7, 1958, however, the Moderne was not put into production and it is still not clear whether any were actually created at that time (there is only a vague mention of "Mod. Guitars" on a shipping list, which some argue applies to Explorers). Sources claim that Ted McCarty said that a handful of prototypes were built, but there is no conclusive proof either way.
They were "re"-issued by Gibson in 1980 at the NAMM show in Atlanta as part of the "Heritage Series" and later produced in Korea by Epiphone. As of 2010, Gibson does not offer a Moderne model.
Stylistically, Modernes are characterized by an elongated lower bass bout (similar to the Flying V), a scooped-out treble bout (similar to a shark fin), an oblong headstock (similar to Gumby
Gumby
Gumby is a green clay humanoid character created and modeled by Art Clokey, who also created Davey and Goliath. Gumby has been the subject of a 233-episode series of American television as well as a feature-length film and other media...
's head) with inverted tuners, and gold hardware: the usual Gibson combination of two humbuckers, adjustable Tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece.
The Gibson Moderne is featured in the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
video games Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero 2 in 2006 as unlockables. It was also featured in the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
video game Guitar Hero: On Tour. Because of their very limited production and forward design, Modernes are highly sought by collectors.