Official Luthiers Forum!

I was passing a goodwill store and they had in the window a "martin" sigma guitar for $100.00 . not in bad shape just a bowed neck . does anyone know how how these were assembled? was it with separatable glues? does it have a dovetail ala martin ? justwondering If I should have bought it or if I did the right thing in passing it . Jody

I own a Sigma... It's called a Martin Sigma and carries a lifetime warranty. I've had mine repaired under Martin's warranty program for free.

I doubt you can get that if your not the original owner. The big issue with mine is hummidity changes where the back/neckblock swell change the overall neck angle. When they repaired the guitar... the neck was reset. The guy that did the repair is a friend of mine who is the local authorized Martin repair guy.

Sadly... after about two years of the guitar being playable... it has returned playable in the summer and not playable in winter.

well thanks for the reply, if martin is giving a lifetime warranty.. it must be repairable, which is what I wanted to know .do you remember what you paid for it new? thanks Jody

It was a gift... but I think they were about $350.00 back in 1985. They are not bad guitars when they play well. I used it for many years (15) until I bought my Taylor... and built a bunch of my own. The are clearly Martin knockoffs and I suspect they use all the same basic construction techniques. I beleive mine was built in Singapore... and I suspect the wood was not dried completely... and over the years they dry down to the point of being unplayable. I actually store the Guitar today in a humid environment... but every winter as it get drier here in the Midwest... my Sigma's neck moves around to the unplayable state. It plays perfect in the summer... and I often use it when I have a gang of players over and we all want to jam.

I know here in the north east where dryness is a problem in the winter, some people will have a "summer" saddlr and a "winter" saddle , to make up for movements in the top, I prefer to humidify my storage area , but this is a problem when I go play somewhere the iar is dryer than my area . Jody