Moore Guitars × Jared James Nichols
Gibson built a handful of these in the 1950s and never released a single one. The Custom Shop has finally brought it back, and we are giving one away, fitted with a custom black pickguard signed by Jared James Nichols, to the player who does the best job over his single "Way Back."
Free to enter. No purchase necessary. Open to US residents 18 and over.
Entries close [close date] at 11:59pm Central.
Jared James Nichols with his Futura
The prize
In 1957 Gibson sketched a radical new shape and built a small number of prototypes. Perhaps four to six exist. Then they shelved it, reworked the body, and the world got the Explorer instead. The Futura became one of the great what ifs in guitar history.
Those original prototypes were mahogany. When Gibson revived the shape as a Custom Shop model years later they built it in korina. This reissue goes back to mahogany, which makes it the version that finally gets the original spec right.
Two unpotted Custombucker humbuckers with Alnico 3 magnets, hand wired, Antique Natural nitrocellulose over a two piece mahogany body, aged gold hardware, VOS treatment, and a Lifton historic reissue case.
And one thing no other Futura has. Jared runs a black pickguard on his own mahogany Futura, cut for him by a maker in Nashville. We have had the same maker cut one for this guitar, and Jared has signed it. The winner gets both guards, so they can run it exactly like his or hang the signed one on the wall.
| Finish | Antique Natural VOS |
| Body | Two piece mahogany |
| Pickups | Unpotted Custombuckers, Alnico 3 |
| Hardware | Aged gold |
| Case | Lifton historic reissue |
| Pickguards | Stock white, plus a custom black one signed by Jared |
| Retail value | $5,499 |
How to enter
Play like you play. You do not have to copy Jared's solo or anybody else's style. That is the whole point.
Name and email, about twenty seconds. That is your entry. We will email you straight back with a link to submit your video when it is ready.
Put "Way Back" on wherever you already listen, film yourself playing over it, and post it publicly on Instagram, YouTube or TikTok. Tag @mooreguitars and @jaredjamesnichols, with #WayBackChallenge and #contest in the caption.
Come back and paste the link to your post, or just click the button in your confirmation email. If we do not have your link, we cannot judge you.
Our YouTube handle is different from our Instagram one. On Instagram and Facebook we are @mooreguitars. On YouTube we are @MooreMusicGuitars.
What you can win
| Prize | How it is won | How many | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibson Custom 1957 Mahogany Futura Reissue VOS With the stock white pickguard plus a custom black one signed by Jared |
Judged on your video | 1 | $5,499 |
| Seymour Duncan JJN P90 Silencer pickup | Judged, second and third place | 3 | $149 ea |
| Signed copy of Jared's album Louder Than Fate | Random drawing, everyone who registers | 10 | |
| Moore Guitars store credit | Every verified video entry gets one | All entrants | $25 |
You do not need to post a video to be in the drawing for a signed album. Registering is enough. The guitar and the pickups are judged on playing, so those need a video.
How it gets judged
We shortlist the top 30. The community votes those down to 10. Then the judges pick the winner from the final ten.
Does your solo actually say something over this particular track.
Sound like yourself. Copying Jared note for note is not what wins this.
Attitude, touch, and commitment to the take.
Audio we can hear and video we can watch. A phone is completely fine. This is not a production contest.
The judges: Jared James Nichols, a representative from Moore Guitars [+ VG Mag if confirmed]. Judges score independently before conferring, and Jared has the final say on any tie.
Enter
Takes about twenty seconds. Fill this in and you are entered.
No purchase necessary. Free to enter. Void where prohibited. By entering you agree to the official rules and our privacy policy. Message and data rates may apply if you provide a mobile number.
Follow along for entry highlights and the winner announcement.
The fine print
No. Entry is completely free and no purchase is necessary. Stream "Way Back" wherever you normally listen, on Spotify, Apple Music or anywhere else. You do not need to buy it.
Please do not. Thirty percent of the score is originality, and copying the original solo is a good way to not win. Play like you play.
Whatever you own. A phone camera is fine. Presentation is fifteen percent and all that means is we can hear you and see you. Plenty of great entries get filmed in a bedroom.
US residents aged 18 or over, or the age of majority in your state if that is higher. Employees of Moore Guitars, Gibson, Seymour Duncan and their families are not eligible, and neither are any players we invite to post demonstration entries.
Entries close [close date] at 11:59pm Central. Finalists are posted [finalist date], community voting runs for [X days], and the winner is announced [announce date].
One video entry per person. Duplicate registrations are removed. If you post more than one video, tell us which one is your entry.
By entering you give Moore Guitars and our partners permission to repost, edit and use your video in marketing, including paid advertising, and to feature you in the entry gallery. You keep ownership of your performance. You must be the person playing, it must be filmed by you, and it cannot contain anybody else identifiable without their written permission.
Yes, and it is easy. Include #contest near the start of your caption alongside #WayBackChallenge. That is a legal requirement for contests like this, not just a preference, and entries without it may be disqualified.
Your post has to be public for us to see and judge it. If your account is private you can make the single post public, or switch your account to public for the entry period.
Yes. The guitar has a retail value of $5,499 and prizes of this size are taxable income. We will issue the required tax form and the winner is responsible for any tax owed. We recommend speaking to a tax advisor. The winner will need to complete a W-9 and an eligibility affidavit before the guitar ships.
[Official rules to be drafted by counsel and linked here before launch.] They will cover eligibility, entry period and time zone, judging criteria and panel, odds for the drawing, the content licence, publicity release, prize conditions and substitution, liability, governing law, dispute resolution and the winners list.
Sponsor: [Legal entity name], 301 N Royal Ave, Evansville, IN 47715. This promotion is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram, Meta, YouTube or TikTok.
Put the song on, play something that sounds like you, and it could be sitting in your room.
Questions? Call us at (888) 794-8482.
