Amazing to see that this thread is still running, some six years since the Sigma brand ended! What is it about this mysterious brand? My experience is limited to just one, a Taiwanese made DR-28 from c1995. It's still just about my favourite all-rounder guitar.

I bought my DR-28 new from Hanks in Denmark Street W1 in '96 or '97. It was my first "half-decent" guitar so I didn't know anything about the make or the woods etc. The sales guy asked me what I wanted and I said that I want a Martin dreadnought but couldn't afford one. He immediately pointed me towards the Sigmas (as well as a few other similar priced guitars), and this DR-28 just rang out louder and clearer than any of the others (including a Sigma DR-28H) so I bought it for the asking price (which was <£300). They also threw in a hard case.

This guitar has been a mix of good news and bad news:

The good news is that, 15 years on, this guitar sounds bigger and better than ever. I know I've upset a few Martin players (particularly those with new Martins) because it sounds better than the DR28s Martin are currently selling (I appreciate that this could be an "age" thing). Strange thing is that I still envy them their Martin logos (silly old superficial me!). I recently replaced the plastic saddle with bone and the pins with ebony, and it now sounds even better. I've also fitted a K&K pure western mini pickup which replicates the acoustic tone faithfully.

Now for the bad news: how do I upgrade from here? could I be happier with anything else?

Since my playing has improved over the years (and my bank balance) I felt it was time to get a "really decent" guitar. I spent many hours playing new Martins and Taylors up to the £1500 range, but none of them came close to the sound of my Sigma. Again, perhaps this is because they were all brand new, or maybe down to the horrible habit that guitar makers/shops have of putting coated strings on their stock guitars. Either way, it was terribly disappointing (I still really wanted CFMartin on my headstock, even if it cost me more, but not at the sacrifice of tone and sustain).

In the end I bought another far-east made guitar (a Freshman FA500 GACED) which is a very lightly braced, highly resonant, Cedar/Rosewood tone machine that is great for fingerpicking Celtic style music and is a great addition. It will not, however, replace the Sigma.

My most recent acquisition is a beautiful, hand-made, custom Brook Tamar. For about the same price as a new (production line) Martin D28. This has at last satisfied the itch for a high-quality, well made, guitar that represents the best of the Luthier art/craft. It has a wonderful tone that sings out even though it's still less than a year old. It even gives the Sigma a run for its money, although the Euro-spruce, claro walnut combination of the Brook provides a very different tonal palette.

Anyway, my points are: you don't have to spend a lot of money to buy a great sounding guitar; spending a lot of money does not guarantee a great sounding guitar; buying an iconic "name" does not guarantee even a "half-decent" sound.

I still regularly gig with my Sigma, it's perfect for that Neil Young sound, and I'll never part with it (except to hand it on to my daughter when the time comes). I've dropped it several times, and it bears the scars of battle with pride.

If I sold it now I would never get its true value. If you can find a decent one (of any period) grab it, it will be a bargain you will never regret.