During its prototype stage, bearing the name "Futura", it was initially designed as a headless guitar with tuners located at the offset V-cut at the body, as well as a reduced headstock.

The compact headless design was rejected in favor of traditional headstocks, and the prototype remained in the Gibson Vault until 2023.

[1] The production model featured a solid body with an offset V-cut at the tail, which led it to be colloquially known as the "can opener" guitar.

If the guitar is turned sideways,[2] it supposedly looks as if it is the shape of a crow in flight.

The guitar appeared in Gibson's 1982 American Series catalog as "an instrument with a look as daring as it sounds".