Gibson 2014 SG Futura Min-ETune Electric Guitar (with Case)

An incredible value on a USA-made SG, the Futura comes loaded with Gibson's Min-ETune system and coil-tappable BurstBucker 3 and P-90H Sidewinder pickups.

Overall User Ratings (based on 17 ratings)
  • Overall:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    3.5 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(17) (see rating details)
Submitted October 1, 2014 by Irma M

"Gibson 2014 SG Futura Min-ETune"

Overall: 3 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I ordered a blemished Futura and received what had to be a customer return since it was missing parts, and the guitar was crackling when plugged into my amp. zZounds sent me a replacement guitar immediately. I received my replacement guitar just days after I sent the defective guitar back. Great customer service from zZounds as they followed up with me to ensure I was satisfied with the replacement. I cannot see any flaws with this Futura. Every component works fine, the Min-ETune was what I was most interested in, and it works well. The guitar comes from the factory with extremely high action. I will have to take it in for a professional set up prior to really playing this guitar other than in first position. I bought this guitar to try the Min-ETune and thought that the Futura had a lot of options for the price point. I am very pleased with zZounds and how they handled my complaint with the defective guitar, as my first Gibson electric guitar, I am, however, not happy with Gibson setting their SG's so high that anyone beyond a beginner would find this guitar uncomfortable to play right out of the box. Fender, Charvel, Ibenez and B.C. Rich are my other guitars...yes, all Strat bodies, but each was set with low action right out of the box. Why does Gibson not make the same effort?

Musical Background:

Guitar, Piano

Musical Style:

Blues, Rock
5 of 5 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted October 29, 2014 by Randy Riedel in Arkdale, WI

"Great Guitar"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
This is a great guitar, from the many different sound that can be made to the Min-ETune. This guitar does it all, right out of the box!
Sound
There are so many different sounds you can come up with. From the push/pull pots to the 15db switch. This guitar can do so much!
Features
Push/pull pots 15db switch, the neck on this guitar even though it has no binding the neck is super fast.
Ease of Use
This is a quality guitar very very easy to play.
Quality
I have to admit a Gibson for under 1100 I was worried but when I received it and put it in my hands you can feel the quality. Very well made neck set was perfect.
Value
Great Great guitar for the money a Gibson with all these features for the money.
Manufacturer Support
Did not have to use them.
The Wow Factor
This guitar has it all I would recommend it to anyone that is looking for something different.

Musical Background:

I have been playing for 24 yrs

Musical Style:

I play all styles of music.
7 of 8 people (88%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted February 23, 2014 by Patrick W in Riverview, FL

"***Disappointed***"

Overall: 2.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I took my time in purchasing a new guitar. I read a lot of reviews and listened to many of them here on zzounds. So after all of that I decided to order the Gibson sg futura mini tune. I do own other gibsons and have been very satisified with them. I got mine and opened the box. I ordered the bullion gold and it looked exactly as advertised. Beautiful and sounded great. When I started really looking at it I found the pick guard was all scratched up. I ordered "NEW". Not blemished. There were black marks on the face I had to clean off. The toggle switch from treble to rhythm crackles when switching back and forth. I just thought being an 120th anniversary edition Gibson would of used good quality parts. Its just very disappointing to spend almost $1100 on a new guitar and get something scratched up with faulty parts. I'm pretty disappointed in Gibson for letting this get through their quality control. This is no reflection of Zzounds. They did a great job in the shipping and packaging. I will be returning. As for the mini-tune system.....sometimes it takes a few times through tuning to get it perfect. It doesn't do it the first time through. Maybe that has something to do with the new strings.

Musical Background:

40 years. Blue, rock

Musical Style:

Blues, rock
7 of 7 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted November 19, 2015 by Ted Macdonald in Carlisle, PA

"Lots of BANG! for your bucks!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I have lots of guitars, Part of my collection are SG's as they are one of my favorite ever since growing up listening to Frank Marino and Tony Iommi. This makes my 12th SG, Each one is different in a few ways, Cosmetically and most importantly, In the tone they produce. I held off on this model because it got bad reviews in early 2014, I revisited them here on zZounds and saw the reviews getting better so I decided to take a gamble, I bought the last Champagne finish that was a "Blem" I cannot find anything at all wrong with it. I did find that it is a great guitar with tons of tone options and a super neck! The double sideways stacked P-90 pick-up is really nice, Add the very nice sounding bridge humbucker, Coil splitting on both, And a 15 dcb boost switch and this guitar really shines! I will probably remove the mini tune, When you've played guitar for 42 yrs you LIKE to tune it manually! Anyhow, for 800.00 and free delivery (I got it next day) and a nice case, It's a great deal! Thanks zZounds!!! (zZounds is THE place to buy!)

Musical Background:

42 years playing, Played Lead in the 80's 90's, Now just collecting and jamming at home with friends!

Musical Style:

Blues, Jazz, Classic rock, Metal, Thrash (Testament/Megadeth/Soilwork/Lamb of God)
Did you find this review helpful?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted June 30, 2014 by C Jones in Southaven, MS

"Happy & sad at the same time"

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
It is a beautiful sounding instrument maybe one of the best ever. But the paint job & the loose pickups out the case was very mind boggling to me. To pay this type of money & to see these types of errors hurt my spirit. Zzounds did a great job with getting this too me at a very quick pace. So they did their job but I will be at an authorized Gibson location as soon as humanly possible.

Musical Background:

5+ years & guitar

Musical Style:

All genres
7 of 8 people (88%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted November 10, 2014 by Tibor Held in Boston, MA

"Great Guitar"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
This is a really sweet guitar. When I got it the action was too high for me, because I like to have the strings close to the frets for shredding. I lowered the action and reset the intonation, and now I can fly on it. The neck feels natural and smooth. I keep the boost switch on all the way, because that sounds chunkier. The split coils are nice, though I rarely use them. I have a Carvin Legacy V300 head, and this axe really sounds good through that on full drive. I also play it through a Blackstar HT Stage 100, and it even sounds better through that! The eTune mechanism works very well, but make sure you have it on full charge, or it can act a little funny. I bought this guitar because I always wanted an SG, and when I saw that it has 24 frets, that tipped the scales in favor of buying it immediately. You won't go wrong with this guitar!

Musical Background:

Shredded an axe since I was 12. I play heavy rock.

Musical Style:

Rock and Metal.
5 of 6 people (83%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted March 10, 2014 by Colton Fulcher

"BIG OL BAG OF SWEETNESS!!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I got the Champagne SG. I body is thin lots of neck weight. Super nice action right out of the box! I am very picky and was rather nervous mot ever playing the model before ordering, and it surpassed my expectations! The Min-eTune works FAST and super accurate!

Musical Background:

10 years live touring.

Musical Style:

ROCK N ROLL
5 of 6 people (83%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted September 9, 2014 by a customer from yahoo.com

"2014 Gibson Futura"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I was always interested in the futura mainly because of the Min-ETune since I play genres that require different tunings. I'm pleasantly surprised about how easy it is to use. The battery lasts a long time and it is easy to take out and charge. I got mine in Inverness Green. It has a very nice finish but it is a little darker than the picture. It's easy to move along the fretboard and it is very versatile with all the sound options it can produce. I will say putting new strings on the guitar can be tricky. It sounded a little weird after first replacing them, but now it sounds fine. I definitely recommend this guitar though.

Musical Background:

3 years experience as a hobby. Guitar, bass, saxophone, and piano

Musical Style:

Blues, rock, r&b, alternative, metal
4 of 5 people (80%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted May 8, 2014 by Jack W in Pompano Beach, FL

"This is GIBSON ,the Top Brand and SG Geat ! "

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
If for a mild inkling , you are thinking on this Guitar 2014 SG Mini Etune, , by all means and ways purchase it. I owned 1 Gibson years ago, a Les Paul ...boy are they' lumber some, and the SG is for more versatile. This one -model -is incredibly tonal, professional loud-if you want it, AND has Aero-Space technology with the E tuner. I got mine in Gold Bullion, because I didn't want to wait to have one that everybody wants and buys out ! And I really think it's color is superb, is vintage late '50s early '60s vibe to it and man oh man it looks like a Gold bar in some light and Bronzes Copper in another, The Guitar is the fastest neck play, of all, in the land!! The only downside is Gibson's lack of quality control, for everything and all manner of manufacture . The first one I got was over cut on the high strings-the nut, and it's neck -which is the body all in one- inverted bowed with NO truss rod play to right it, back it went, only cause , it just couldn't be takin care of, AND I bough it through Zzounds and thatwas very quick exchange , noo shipping costs ! Also I think you're cahnces of having this happen to you are less, cause Gibson has to have heard by now big time. All in all, this is the best electric guitar I ever owned. Buy It if you' re looking !!

Musical Background:

lbertHobbyist, mediocure Player , and Cumlative member of Music as Universal Science

Musical Style:

What ever I can play , or hear would like to play. Not big on, NOR Against Christian music. But reggaeton chillwave ROCK N ROL
7 of 9 people (78%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted March 8, 2014 by Craig H in Jackson, CA

"Awesome guitar!!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
It plays like butter, what else can I say? Action was perfect out of the box, the 15db gain switch is a great feature, as is the coil tap feature on both PUs. Came with a Gibson USA hard shell case, although product description reads gig bag. Excellent guitar.

Musical Background:

34 year veteran guitar player. Play professionaly.

Musical Style:

Rock, blues
2 of 3 people (67%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted February 25, 2014 by skip andrews in HUNTSVILLE, AL

"SG Futura"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Veru nice guitar it seems to fit me just right.I like the sidewinder pu and the boost switch, never had one before it works great.

Musical Background:

I been playing off and on for about 20yrs

Musical Style:

ii play mostly at home and a few blues jams.Blues and classic rock
3 of 4 people (75%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted December 26, 2013 by Ed Raynie in Staten Island, NY

"Beyond expectations"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Probably the last I needed was ANOTHER guitar, but between the nostalgia, features, color, price and 0% financing I didn't stand a chance. What most impressed me about this purchase was that I made it on 12/23 and it arrived on 12/25. Simply amazing. Really a beautiful guitar both visually and sonically.

Musical Background:

If I were a golfer you would call me a duffer.

Musical Style:

rock, blues and more rock
6 of 10 people (60%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted February 9, 2014 by Jim E in Bentonville, AR

"Fantastic guitar with great, new technology."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Got mine in Inverness Green. A little darker than it appears in picture, but otherwise wonderful. I got this for the minEtune as I like experimenting with alternate tunings, but don't like trying to figure them out. This does everything it is supposed to do and couldn't be happier!

Musical Background:

Over 30 years on guitar. Also play bass, some piano and harmonica.

Musical Style:

Rock, blues, country, jazz.
2 of 4 people (50%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted May 30, 2015 by mike gangloff in san jose, CA

"Had 40 guitars in my 50 years of playing"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
1000 dollar guitar my second SG same as the first very very nicely built and finished. Very versatile. My first was a 1984 standard it was lighter in fact too light but a great guitar non the less. The only reason I would not buy it again is because I have never replaced or purchased the exact same type guitar twice.
Sound
Very versatile> I really cant imagine a type of music it wont do.
Features
Etune is nice. Quality parts all around.
Ease of Use
Its a guitar
Quality
It will endure
Value
Good value but almost all guitars are over priced.
Manufacturer Support
Gibson and ZZounds are both great.
The Wow Factor
Should bind the neck

Musical Background:

50 years all styles mostly rock. Pro.

Musical Style:

All mostly rock.
of 1 people (0%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted March 20, 2014 by Tod M in Thetford Center, VT

"Does The Job But Not For Those Who Think That They Are Buying A Quality Gibson"

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
This is one of the hardest gear reviews I have ever done because I bought it and I think I am going to keep it but my recommend is highly conditional.
Sound
Sounds Good, If Not Downright Great!. I was hoping for something that tonally sounded a bit more like my ESP XTone, that I hot rodded with Duncan P-Rails and coil cut switches. It doesn't but it does sound good and gives me a similar versatility. That versatility and the Min E-Tune were the main draws for me here and it delivers big time. The DB Boost Switch is also very nice. No noise in any of the switching either.
Features
Well, obviously, the Min E-Tune is amazing. People who don't like this probably have failed to read the instructions and exercise patience. Is it perfect? No, but if you need to change tunings on stage a lot and don't want to lug an arsenal of guitars, I highly recommend it. I really can't say enough about the switching options and the boost switch. Really nice touches. Oh, and the case. Very Nice!
Ease of Use
Like I said, the tuning will take some time, and you will have to spend some time getting the hang of the switching, if you have never driven a hot rod before but, very well laid out and thought out.
Quality
Now there's the rub. Gibson really should be ashamed of themselves on the fit and finish portion of this guitar. I knew I was buying a Gibson that cost less than $1200 with all of these features but still.... It's pretty sad and bringing a vastly more acceptable product would have cost next to nothing. Fret ends that aren't finished off well, and just a sub par finish over all. It's not terrible on the body, mind you. The back of the neck is orange peeled so bad as to give it a texture. BAD FORM!. I am a coatings professional so I know what went wrong here. It's over-spray from shooting the paint and lacquer sloppily. It can be corrected with some very fine (0000) steel wool. But really, I shouldn't have to. They could have bugged this out in the shop, if anybody had bothered to pay attention to it before shipping. It's going to look great on stage but if you get any closer than 5 feet, you are going to say "Gibson... Really? Is it made in China or something". Actually.... I apologize to the Chinese. To be clear, the setup is nice, the neck straight and true and the electronics seem to be very solid. So let's be honest, they got the most important things right, But if it weren't for the Min E-Tune, I would have put this right back in the box and returned it.I typically buy Korean made guitars (or do/purchase custom builds) because they are on par with American made and far less expensive. This is my first US made, factory built guitar and my ESP LTD XTone, came out of the box, blowing this guitar away, in overall quality.
Value
That's kinda tough. For me, it's a good bang for the buck because for a few $ and not a lot of effort, I can whip into shape to be a good workhorse. But I am just short of being a luthier. I have built a fair amount of electric guitars, do my own setups, most of my own electronic repair and done auto body and paint work, years ago. But for the average buyer, looking for a real quality Gibson, you
Manufacturer Support
I have not spoken to them yet but I am tempted to, if for no other reason than curiosity, to see how they respond. If they make a bunch of excuses connected to the price point, it will be the last Gibson I ever buy.
The Wow Factor
From 5 or more feet away, WOW!To hold in your hands... Not so much.

Musical Background:

Longtime Pro

Musical Style:

Rock, Blues, Pop, Country
16 of 17 people (94%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted October 12, 2014 by Tod M in Thetford Center, VT

""Does The Job But..." Follow Up"

Overall: 2.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I was one of the first reviews on this thing, when I just had it a couple of weeks and now that I have had it a while (and learned more) I wanted to do some follow up. Mainly in regards to the Min-E Tune. (You can read more about the rest of the guitar in my earlier review). Basically, I cannot recomend any guitar with a Min-E Tune system or the system itself, unless you are - like me - a guitarist that needs that sort of open tuning change on the fly sort of thing. Other than that.... Really.... Buy a nice tuner, and train your ear. It's not worth the trouble. With that said, here is what I leaned/some tricks to make it more usable and reliable - I had a very hard time keeping mine in tune, especially with the amount of string bending that I do. It got much worse when I changed the strings, which takes me to Tip #1 - Read the manual carefully. At the very end of the tuning session it says to wrap the top three strings two times instead of one. DO IT. Also use a penny or dime to tighten the locking nuts down on the strings harder, as shown in the manual. Tip #2 - Check to see that strings aren't hanging in the nut. When I pulled the strings off for the second change, I noticed that all the unwound strings had to be pulled free of the nut. REALLY? Well, explains a lot of my tuning issues. Did a little nut filing and made a huge difference Tip #3 - Every time you retune on stage, when it involves changing the overall guitar tuning (such as Standard to Open E), stretch the strings and tune again. I know it's an extra 20 seconds or so but if you have followed the other tips, you will find your tuning rock solid with this method. If you don't, you will be retuning for the next two or three songs. Once I did all of these things, it made my guitar much more usable. and stable. Again, it is beyond stupid of Gibson to put us through all of this and should be a deterent for most people but if you need that tuning change on the fly, right now the Min-E Tune is your best option so.... Hope this helps

Musical Background:

Full Time Pro

Musical Style:

Rock, Blues, Modern Rock, Indi
6 of 6 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted July 5, 2015 by patty zellner in leoti, KS

"great"

Overall: 1.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
great guitar gold finish is awesome, knobs were loose ,little disappointing from gibson, but guitar is awesome gibson just needs to do better job at qc, great player

Musical Style:

rock, blues
Did you find this review helpful?
Thanks for your opinion!
Please wait.