What about it?

[mandolinplayingpreacher]

I am looking for information about a Sigma Mandolin. It does not have any stickers or information inside. All I know it that it looks like the wood is Mahogany? I think that it may by somewhere in the late 80's?

This mandolin is an a-style with f-holes. It has the old style tuners on it. It is in good condition. I am trying to find out general information and what it may be worth??

[MandoSquirrel]

Asian import brand for Martin guitar company.
might be worth a couple hundred $ if it's in good shape; might be a good starter or beater.

[AZmando]

FWIW, I have a Sigma bent-top - a copy of the standard Martin A style, oval hole, bent top Mando. #It's really nice - I sold my Martin when I got the Sigma. #Nicer wood on it - really pretty golden hued mahogany and a perfect spruce top. #Workmanship is 10 out of 10. #Zero flaws. #I thought it sounded a bit better than the Martin, so I kept it and sold the Martin!
I don't know about the f-hole carved tops, but the bent tops by Sigma are great if mine is any indication.

[Mikey G]

The very first mandolin I bought was an A model Sigma mandolin that I paid around $200 for. Looking back, it would make a decent beater, but that's about all I could say good about it. It had a nasty buzz on the D strings, and never sounded very good. I had it for a few weeks, and traded it in on an Epiphone, which I still have, although I haven't played it in years.

[gregjones]

FWIW, I have a Sigma bent-top - a copy of the standard Martin A style, oval hole, bent top Mando. #It's really nice - I sold my Martin when I got the Sigma. #Nicer wood on it - really pretty golden hued mahogany and a perfect spruce top. #Workmanship is 10 out of 10. #Zero flaws. #I thought it sounded a bit better than the Martin, so I kept it and sold the Martin!
I don't know about the f-hole carved tops, but the bent tops by Sigma are great if mine is any indication.

I just brought up this old topic to see if anyone else has compared the original Martin to the reproduction Sigma.

I bought a Sigma flat top off eBay for $158, including shipping. It's in perfect shape. It's got a solid top and I can follow grain from inside the back to the outside, so I assume the back and sides are solid as well. The tailpiece is different than the Martin otherwise the looks are the same. The tuners aren't the best, but that can be fixed for under $100 (not with the best------but good enough!!!). It even came with a real mando gig bag, not a tennis racket sack.

I'm especially wondering about the comparison between the real deal and the copy because the same week I got the copy for $160, a real MCCoy sold for $1282 + $35 to ship. That seems very high to me considering recent originals in the $450-700 range.

I would readily expect the Martin to be a better overall instrument than a copy.

But would it be $1000 better?

Thanks.