SIGMA Σ Guitars

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Sigmania

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Edit: It looks like Martin may have sold the Shenadoah brand and possibly the Sigma brand sometime in the early 1990s to Kurosawa who then contracted with Terada to build high spec torch in lay Martin clones labeled as Shenandoah and Sigma?



Just wanted to start a thread to document some of the more interesting Sigma guitars out there.

Would welcome comments on who made what. It is all more than a little mysterious as Martin has historically been very secretive about overseas contracts.

I've read plenty of stuff out there about Sigmas that I know is wrong. Like all Sigmas have laminated bodies. Or all Sigmas were made by Tokai.

I’m hoping to instead see what other members have been able to learn over the years through their experience.

For example, I was told by a Sigma collector a while back that the paper label Sigmas with gold metallic print on the label, where it says “CF Martin & Co”, were made by Terada....

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No one else has said that to me, and now I can't find his contact information, but every one of these guitars I have seen have been high end and very well built.

I can’t find any information about these guitars on line and nothing about Terada making Sigmas so hopefully someone reading this may know something about it.

Also, the ones with these labels seem to primarily be in Japan. Maybe they were never made for export?? They would have been stiff competition for Martin guitars, laminate or not.

Again, if anyone knows anything please share.



Timeline:

1970 Brand established in Japan
1972 Martin Japan formed and run by Tokai
198x Production moves to Korea
xxxx Production moves to Indonesia
2007 Production ends in Indonesia
20xx Production resumes in China
 
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Edit: 1992 Terada build?



I believe this style paper label with the floral border and gold lettering for “CF Martin & Co” (see first picture) is from the period where Terada possibly built some Sigma guitars?

My belief is that Terada made these in the late 80s and early 90s, though that needs to be verified

Very well built.

This one is marked as a SIGMA S00045V. So SIGMA version of a Martin 000-45 with Jacaranda back & sides.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sigma-Guit...-/265199797212?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

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I am wondering if the case with the previous guitar was a mismatch? The label on the case looks a lot like a Cat's Eyes type case label? Which is a Tokai build. The label on the guitar looks like a Terada build. Wondering if they got switched?

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Compare with this Cat's Eyes label.

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And this unusual Terada built (?) Dreadnought. The owner is calling it a "Clarence White model" which is a first for me to see a CW/Tony Rice model made by Sigma. I do see the enlarged sound hole. Would love to know if that was done in the factory. Amazing piece if it was.

Additional info from the web site:

HD-28LSH, Serial #S073037

TOP: SolidSpruce
BODY: Rosewood
FINGERBOARD: Ebony
HEAD INLAY: AbaloneTorch
BodyPurfling: Herringbone

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http://hakueda.web.fc2.com/vg/gvg.html
 
And an earlier Sigma from the mid 1970s. A Sigma DT22 with flamed maple back & sides, maple three piece neck with diamond volute, and abalone inlay logo with SIGMA symbol (or sideways M). Purple label.

I once owned this guitar but sold it years ago.

FWIW, Wikipedia says the body wood is Asian chestnut. Obviously wrong.... This is clearly maple.

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And here it is being sold again on Reverb....

https://reverb.com/item/3378921-sigma-dt-22-1972-natural-figured-maple
 
Another guitar I once owned, a Sigma S2000.

So it has an “S” model number but does not have the paper label with the Martin logo in gold. Instead it has the football or oval brand on the inner brace that says Made in Japan.

I was told when I bought it that it was a prototype and was used at guitar shows to show the workmanship, etc.

I eventually sold it due to the clouding in the finish. Seems others from this period have that issue. Not sure if it can be fixed?

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Here is another Sigma with the paper label with the metallic gold ink.

It is a guitar I once owned. An SMC-68.

Maple body. Cutaway. Oval sound hole.

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Never owned any Sigma guitars but they look fantastic; they must be great guitars if they were made for CFMartin.

Great thread you have created. 8)
 
Thanks. I would love to get more information, especially on those paper label models with the gold Martin logo on the paper. I'm starting to think that there is a strong possibility they were not exported, or that if they were it was in small quantities. Would love to know more.

The Sigmas we most commonly see in the US are definitely budget models, designed to not compete with Martins and offer a budget alternative (laminated bodies, etc.).

However, there were some that were great guitars. Some had solid bodies, although it can be really tricky to tell because Japanese luthiers were so good at matching grains, the inside and outside grain can look very similar even on a laminate guitar.
 
I wanted to also say a word about laminate guitars.

My understanding is a big reason many Japanese guitars were made with laminates, besides the cost, is how they respond to changes in atmospheric conditions.

Japan is on an island. Changes in humidity between indoors and out. Cold and warm.

Solid pieces crack or shrink more easily as a result of atmospheric conditions.

Just throwing that out there since I had heard that elsewhere.
 
I assume you mean “solid top” re: Les Pauls? One of the best guitars I ever had was a 1981 LS120 with a veneer flame top. Amazing guitar.

With acoustics the top makes a big difference since the sound travels through it and out to the listener. All of the ones I posted have solid spruce tops. The back and sides filter tone and throw it back out. Veneer bodies can sound amazing.

There’s something I can’t put my finger on when the whole thing works.

I once had an early James Goodall guitar. I loved the tone of that guitar, but I was getting string buzz and the action was super low. I had it set up by a local luthier and when I got it back it wasn’t the same guitar. The mojo was gone and I sold it soon after. I don’t understand it.

For me, I know it when I hear it. How the guitar responds and resonates. I have described it as though it almost plays itself. But it’s fleeting, and maybe it’s my imagination.

I had it once with a 1930s Martin D18 I was looking at in a guitar shop. I still regret not finding a way to buy. And I have it with my LS100S.

Maybe it’s all just my imagination. 8)
 
I was referring to acoustic guitars. Woods are so variable and affected by local weather conditions too! I heard good and bad with both solids and laminates. You just have to go by sound and feel and if it suits you, grab it and run 8)
I did a setup on two acoustics for my ex Prof that I worked with until retirement in the middle of last year. The Tokai middle range model was laminate top, the other was a Martin D28 with a solid top and broken but repaired headstock (he bought it cheap in Canada because of that break) the Tokai was the better overall finished guitar and the neck and playability was way better, even after setup. I managed to get the Martin closer to the Tokai in setup, which is what he asked for. Slight difference in tone and the Prof prefered the Martin for tone and the Tokai for playability. The Martin neck wasn't as nice as the Tokai and its shape restricted the setup being closer to the Tokai. I liked both sounds but preferred the feel of the Tokai but I'm no acoustic player at all, so what do I know. Both guitars were from the mid 90's era.
 
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/turquoisemoleeater/More%20Guitars/SigmaTele_zps3207ea1c.jpg
 

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