Epiphone's Futura series introduces contemporary enhancements to classic Gibson models.] - Guitar | Technique

Epiphone has unveiled its all-new Futura series, which gives classic Gibson silhouettes dramatic makeovers and pro-level features, all while keeping prices down.

Teased during NAMM 2026 and arriving as part of Epiphone’s Inspired by Gibson series, the range is being described as “bold by design” and “built for modern guitarists,” with a keen eye on performance and “forward‑thinking features.”

One of the biggest pluses here, before we get into the details of each model, is the Epiphone-first rollout of stainless steel frets – a feature fans have been clamoring for.

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Color-shifting finishes, meanwhile, cast traditionalism aside in a bid to visually underscore how future-minded these designs are. Much of the hardware specs are the same across the lot, as are its new ProBucker Ignite humbuckers, which promise high‑output clarity with bonus push/pull coil‑split and phase-switching controls.

“Every detail is engineered to elevate your sound and your style,” Epiphone says. So, what has it cooked up?

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(Image credit: Epiphone)

Well, it’s launching with seven models – the ES-335, RD Custom, Firebird Custom, Les Paul Custom, SG Custom, Explorer Custom, and a Flying V Custom – as it marries the usual suspects with some rarer picks.

First up, the Futura ES‑355 is a contemporary take on the classic semi‑hollow design, featuring a solid maple center block with a weight‑relief window to enhance sustain, reduce feedback, and lighten the load.

It also sports a fast, modern C-profile mahogany neck and bound ebony, a 22-fret, 10”–14” compound radius fingerboard with medium jumbo frets, and Super 400–style pearloid split-block inlays.

Hardware specs, which appear across the series, take in a LockTone Tune‑O‑Matic bridge with matching tailpiece, Grover Rotomatic tuners, a Graph Tech nut, and Posi‑Lok strap buttons. The ES-335 has a choice of Firestorm Shift, Dragonfly Shift, and Midnight Ember Shift colorways.

The Les Paul Custom’s mahogany body has undergone an “ultra-modern” weight relief, and gets a maple cap for added “brightness to the classic Les Paul midrange punch.” Its mahogany neck is glued in with a long tenon and sculpted in another speedy C-profile with a 10”-14” compound radius and 22 frets.

Seven‑ply top binding and a modern contoured heel also tweak the OG recipe, while the same hardware specs are in place for reliability for the studio and stage.

It’s available in Firestorm Shift, Twilight Shift, and Midnight Ember Shift Chromashift finishes.

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Epiphone Futura Series — (Image credit: Epiphone)

The SG Custom continues the theme. A double‑cutaway mahogany body follows the LP with a glued-in mahogany neck and another bound ebony board, and the same baseline specs when it comes to hardware and playability, right down to its bound Kalamazoo headstock. Choose from Dragonfly Shift, Nitro Shift, and Midnight Ember Shift finishes here.

The Flying V Custom also copies the rest’s homework – a Flying V Chevron string-through-body tailpiece as it guns for “exceptional sustain,” with the Explorer Custom veering slightly out of step with Grover Mini Rotomatic tuners. They offer Quicksilver Shift and Solaris Shift, and Firestorm Shift and Dragonfly Shift paint jobs, respectively.

But for lovers of oddball offsets, a welcome addition is the Dave Grohl and Ghost-approved RD Custom. Said to “distill the spirit of the original Gibson RD into a sleek, modern instrument,” the 25.5” scale build has a sculpted mahogany body with seven-ply binding, a matching fast C mahogany neck, and the same hardware specs for a beast that is meant to be drop-tuned.

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Likewise, the Firebird delivers something a little more uncommon, rocking another sculpted mahogany with seven-ply binding, effortlessly fast playing, and LockTone, Graph Tech, and Posi-Lock hardware. These two offsets both serve up Midnight Ember Shift and Firestorm Shift finishes.