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I recently tried a Gibson SG Tribute in a guitar shop. I liked the feeling a lot. The fretboard felt great and the neck felt very comfortable.

However, I have heard many comments from my friends and also read a lot of comments online which warns the potential buyer about the tuning instability.

I usually play fast paced genres such as thrash metal. Although I'm looking to buy a guitar for playing at home, the comments have discouraged me. Naturally, I cannot test the guitar for an extended time period, i.e., for several days and I would like to make a purchase that I'll be satisfied with.

For those who have experience with Gibson SG Tribute, is the tuning instability really that bad, or is it just a hearsay for most people and ultimately a herd behavior?

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    My USA Les Paul Studio G string gets out of tune more quickly than the other strings, but not quickly enough to be a problem. It's still a great guitar. I've never used a Tribute guitar but you might be worrying more than necessary about what is really a minor difference between Gibson and other major brands.
    – Todd Wilcox
    Commented Aug 15, 2023 at 1:08
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    I think the issue (allegedly) is the way the strings bend off to the side as they come through the nut, which means they won't move smoothly through the nut, which can make the string tension uneven on each side of the nut and result in tuning issues once you start playing. The 'solution' (ka-ching) is to install a gizmo on the headstock which allows the strings to travel straight through the nut. I don't have first-hand experience with Gibsons, but I know people who do. At least one of them uses such a device. You could also just try lubricating the nut with graphite if you have a problem.
    – ibonyun
    Commented Aug 15, 2023 at 19:17
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    @ToddWilcox G strings are notorious no matter what the make is.
    – ibonyun
    Commented Aug 15, 2023 at 19:17

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I've had a 2009 SG Special that was great. It wasn't until a friend of mine said he had to change his tuning pegs because they were so sensitive that I realized they were a little touchy. It's not a professional oppinion, just my experience tells me it's not a problem. Stays in tune, sometimes for weeks, sometimes you notice and gotta tune up maybe half way through a set.

I play thrash/progressive metal, also classical and blues stuff, all on heavy elixir nanoweb strings (12-56 I think).

Best guitar is my Cort which was rebuilt by the guitar repairers. I suggest if you have any issue, just take it to somebody good to touch it up. It's really not worth sweatting about if you like how it plays.

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