Sigma Anniversary

1980 anniversary- if you are reading this then you know what these guitars are and I have to tell you that it wan't until I got my 2nd one that I realized what a fool I was for selling my 1st.

better than you can imagine

Japanese craftmanship atits finest. unsurpassed

28 and still going strong

if you can find one, buy it!

beautiful guitar

Great sound, everyone who plays it is impressed with it.

Action is great on this guitar very easy on the fingers. It is my second guitar witch both were given to me. A friend of mine new i was in the market for a guitar and decided to just bless me, and what a blessing it is. Finish is great. One or two dents but being that the guitar was made in 1980, i think that is darn good.

Never goes out of tune. Built to last.

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I've been playing for a couple of years now and this is my second guitar. I don't I could have bought one nearly as good on my budget. If you get one of these don't let it go, there were only 100 made and who knows how many of those are left.

It is almost transparent wood on the body. Sparkles like a brand new guitar, even though it is 27 years old. I show it off whenever anyone comes over. It has everything every one else said thiers has.

Better than my other $2400 Martin! Quiet and loud at the same time. It almost plays itself.

no flaws that i've seen. I have looked close.

This guitar can hold a solid tune for months! I've never had a guitar that can do that. Sounds the best in a room that echos. I don't use a strap. I trust this guitar!

Never had to do anything to it except dust it!

I own two strats a elec. acustic Martin, and some crap string boxes.
Doses anyone know what the value is on this guitar? I love this guitar, second only to my woman, she bought it for me. If it gets stolen which I hope it doesn't, I would look for another one. I've played other sigmas and they didn't come close. I'd put it up ther with a guild!

My guitar is a Sigma model "10" tenth anniversary acoustic guitar. Dreadnaught body shape. The last as I understand of the Japanese-built all solid wood Sigmas. Spruce top, mahogany body. Tortoise shell binding. Beautifully appointed with "snowflake" fret markers like a D-28, with two on the rosewood bridge. Schaller tuners, not sure if they are original, as I bought this used about two weeks ago.

I use Martin SP strings (12's)...
Gorgeous, complicated tone... Very crisp and detailed as a Martin, with an even "smoky" midrange. Bass notes have an amazing snap. A perfect fingerpicking tone for my style (Delicate rolling fingerpicks like Paul Simon, Nick Drake,Bert Jansch, etc.) This is the finest sounding guitar I have ever owned. Records perfectly.

This guitar is a special edition (only 100 were built) and shows it. Natural lacquer all over, with a nice patina from age. Whoever owned this babied it, because the color has deepened the way an old guitar does, but not by very much. Just enough to bring out the details of the spruce. The top is perfectly matched. Perfectly dressed frets, the cleanest fretwork I've ever seen... Perfectly round crowns, very smooth. The fretboard is tasetfully done with maybe a oil finish? Again I'm not sure if this is the way it originally came or someone really spruced this one up... The Mahogany body just glows... The "Sigma Guitars est 1970" in abalone. A very classy, carefully setup guitar down to the last details.

This instrument is of a very limited edition, so I am very wary of taking out to often. I doubt I'd ever find another one! However, for small, "safe" gigs (like an open mic) I'd sure bring it. Built very solid and would be able to withstand a knock or two but I won't let it it come to that :)

I have had no experience w/ Customer Support. I would hope the gang at CF Martin would be willing to help out with this instrument.

The only thing that doesn't make this guitar a Martin is its name. Simple as that. I would put this up against any recent Martin or Taylor hanging up at the Guitar Center. Anytime.
I am considering starting a Yahoo Group to see how many owners are out there on the net. There are only 100, It could be fun!

My Sigma 10th Anniversary acoustic was the first acoustic I ever bought (with my own money!). I have had it now for 26 years and I may have finally just learned to appreciate how good it is. It has been knocked about quite a bit having lived through college, the salad years of living on my own, it travelled to europe with me, and settled down in California where it went unappreciated for a good few years while I drifted away from it focusing on other things. Then one day I picked up this guitar and we fell in love again. I have a Larivee and an Ovation at home now as well, but this old guitar can hang with not only them but anything I have come up against in my amatuer troubadoring wanderings. The finish is faded and a bit peeled and there is a small crack from my young son knocking it over but I can not find one negative thing to say about this guitar. I have replaced nothing on it ever so I would have to say it's features are siuperb!

I am a party player, but I play this guitar everyday for personal enjoyment. I am a rock/blues/originalstyleallmyown player (I haven't used a pick in 15 years) and it chords well, with no buzz, and the action has never needed to be adjusted in 26 years. The neck is straight and the tone is big and accurate and clean.

I use .11's on it because the action is ight and that allows me to use a heavier string which creates a fuller sound with more robust bass and bottom end. It isn't a Gibson J model but it is loud and clean. Like I said I haven't changed anything in 26 years.

The finish did fade but that makes it look better - like it has been through the wars with me. The neck finish is a bit worn from playing but who cares really. NOTHING on this guitar has ever come loose, been replaced or broken off. Nothing.

This is a typical Anniversay edition as everyone has explained, 20 frets, diamonds, etc. Had it for over 26 years and it plays as well as any guitar i've played.

Sounds like heaven.

Not AN EXPert but it rivals any martin i've played in the past.

Lasted over 26 years and still plays wonderfully.

No experience here.

Been playing for over 26 years, this was my firts guitar and still my only steel string. This guitar has been through many years of play and the sound only gets better.

This Sigma is a 1980 model 10 Anniversary Edition Made in Japan.
It has 20 frets with a solid spruce top which is heavily bear
clawed.The back and sides are solid mahogany.The pick guard and
body binding are tortoise shell and the finish is gloss nitro
celulose laquer over all.The fingerboard and bridge are rosewood.
My understanding is that there were only 100 of these Anniversary
Edetion D18 style Sigmas made to commemorate the end of the solid
wood Japanes line. It has diamond and square fret markers and bridge
decorations with pearl Martin style headstock logo and the word
"Anniversary" inlayed at the last fret. Basically what we have here
is a D18 with D28 HV fingerboard markers.

I play finger style blues, country, and folk. I sing and
accompany the guitar with harmonica. The guitar belonged
to a sailing buddy of mine who bought it new. We would jam
with some friends at the marina on weekends and for years
I couldn't understand why this $200.00 Martin knock off was
having no problem going toe to toe with my 72 Guild. At any rate,
after listening to the great sound of this guitar for several
years I jumped at the offer when my friend asked to trade
the Sigma for a stand up piano that was gathering dust in my
living room. It has volume and clarity, and is one of the best
acoustic blues guitars I have ever played.

I have been setting up my own guitars for years and I have left the
strings on this guitar at medium height. The tonewoods used on this
guitar are superb. There were alot of cheap guitars made 25 years
ago but this is not one of them. The Japanese Sigmas of the 1970's
have gained a reputation of being as good or better than many modern
day Martins. The workmanship is as good as any Martin I have ever
inspected.

What can I say? This guitar has never been treated special. For years
we partied hard together. Aside from a few minor dings that you would
expect to see on a guitar this old she plays like a new guitar with
a 25 year old sound. Nothing has ever broken or come loose. I'm still
on the original frets with no buzz anywhere and she's never needed a
neck reset.

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I've been playing guitar since the sixties and that's alot more
years than I care to dwell on. I also own a Taylor 810 and a Martin
DC Aura and I still find myself spending as much playing time with
the Sigma as I do with the Taylor and Martin. My opinion is this.
If it's built like a Martin, looks like a Martin, plays like a
Martin, and costs you only one old stand up piano then grab it and
be very happy.

Basic quality dreadnought guitar made of good quality tonewoods ( spruce top and Mahogany back and sides I think), ebony fingerboard, and with attractive snowflake and other miscellaneous inlays specific to the Anniversary model. Non branded enclosed tuners which keep tune really well.

I play bluegrass mandolin and backup guitar, and bought this guitar to improve my flatpicking style. I have tried Martins at various bluegrass camps and meetings, and I would have had to spend a lot of money to get a guitar in the Martin range to get the sound that this guitar gives. It has a satisfying range of tones across all strings, but it is particularly bright at the higher range (first four strings) when using a capo. I use d'addario strings, and am still experimenting with different weights, (EJ16 lights at the moment).It produces a good volume and is fine when amplified through a mic. Great value for money in this department.

I bought this guitar second hand knowing it to be 24 years old, and it has the marks one may expect at this age. It has a smallish crack in the top but this has not affected the sound or playability. The general quality of the fit and finish is great and has stood the test of time. The colour of the wood has mellowed in a way that only age can acheive, and it still has real guitar smell about it. Knowing how easy it is to get little knocks and dings in guitars, especially down at a crowded pub on a music night, I would be paranoid about my guitar if it was a 2 grand Martin. A few hundred pounds for a good secondhand guitar is a real bargain. Quality woods, inlays tuners etc make for a pleasing guitar to own and show to others.

This guitar when new would have been top quality in its price range I've no doubt.

This guitar is 25 years old and looks and feels as though it could see its golden jubilee. I would take this along to any venue and be confident it would stay in tune, not buzz etc. It has reasonable volume but as any guitarist knows, playing in a big pub session etc can be challenging.

No experience of Sigma / Martin.

Been playing many years now and this guitar is the best I have owned. I would not want to spend thousands on a guitar as I feel they are too easily damaged, being relatively large instruments, ( I would spend a lot more on the right mandolin, but they are easier to look after).

Anyone looking for a good guitar should consider this (and other early Japanese made instruments) rather than buying a cheaper Martin just for the name. You have to spend a lot to get a good played-in Martin, and then spend a good amount of time worrying about it being damaged.

Overall a very good guitar and excellent value.

This is a Sigma Anniversary model made for their 10th anniversary in 1980. It is a very nice version of the Martin D-28. The guitar has 20 frets with an inlay that says Anniversary at the 20th fret. The inlays are small crosses with pointed tips. And the string pins have mother of pearl inlays. It is a very attractive guitar.

Sound is wonderful, deep with crisp top tones. The low end is strong and the overall tone nice and warm. I have a lower end Martin (DM 15) also and this guitar actually sounds better.

Set was great when purchased and I haven't changed it in twenty plus years. No fret buzz, nice med-low action. Its clear these anniversary models received above average care and attention. Inlays are perfect.

Guitar has been great for 20+ years of casual playing and home use. Finish has developed a wonderful patina while the actual surface itself has remained flawless. Polished up it looks even better than new. Not a crack or flaw anywhere.

Never needed.

I am a basic strummer as a guitar but I love finely crafted guitars. Now that I'm a big boy with a little cash to spare I've acquired almost 20 guitars. All types from Epiphones to Fenders to Gretschs to Rickenbackers to Martins. With all of these guitars I still find myself going back to this Sigma on a regular basis. Its just a great sounding instrument.

I could not find any information on this guitar by serial number S16334 so I must rely on the sellers information at the time I purchased it in 1982. He had it for about two years. He explained to me that it Sigma was licensed to make this Anniversary guitar model after the then popular D-28. Since Sigma Japan began manufacture in 1970 I assume that this unit was made in 1980.
It has 20 frets, solid spruce top, mahogony sides and back, rosewood fretboard with mother of peal inlays at the last fret inlayed the word Anniversary, Dreadnought I believe, Tuners are Sigma. Neck is fat and fingerboard is slighty ovaled.

I could not find any information on this guitar by serial number S16334 so I must rely on the sellers information at the time I purchased it in 1982. He had it for about two years. He explained to me that it Sigma was licensed to make this Anniversary guitar model after the then popular D-28. He was sell it because a friend of his had given a gift of the real thing (Martin D-28). Having both there to compare was quite an experience. The Martin was different not better. Both the sell an I agreed on this. The Sigma seem to have a little better responce on the high strings than the Martin.

This is a well made Instrument. Side by side with my eyes closed, I could not distinquish the Martin from the Sigma. Everything about it indicated the it was made with care by a master instrument maker.

Solid is the only term to use. I have played it for 20 some years and it feels sounds and plays as it did on the day that I purchased it for $200.00.

I belive a read in a review here about Martins that there a good sounding one and not so good sounding one. This sigma put out as good a sound and any good Martin. Would I trade it for a Martin probably not. Would I buy a good Martin D-28. Yes if the price is righ and the sound is good. One can not have to many GUITARS. Of course my wife would not agree!!!!