A proud new owner adding his good fortune to this sight - Thanks to Sterling Webb for the education I received in researching my purchase. There are a couple of questions for Sterling Webb or any other informed poster to please respond.

1980 Sigma Anniversery Edition Acoustic guitar. Perhaps I overpaid a little at $450 but it made for a content buyer and seller. I purchased from the original owner and workmate, who bought this new for his wife as a gift, and complained because she's only played it about twenty times before finding it's way back into the hardshell case permanently. A few light pickstroke marks across the pickgaurd and perhaps a few about an inch onto the spruce-top finish indicating it those plays. A couple of light scratches only visible on a reflecting light. I would classify the guitar as mint, or near mint. A beautiful guitar and a great sound that carries.

The case was a hard-shell purchased new, but appears to have no brand name associated with the case and no key to lock it.

Identifying marks: Sigma 1980 model Anniversery Edition Made in Japan (stamped Sigma Guitars C.F. Martin & Co, surrounding Made in Japan for…). The number 109 stamped just to the right of this. The 9 was stamped separately than the other, appearing black where the 10 (for model 10) and all other stamping is red-ish brown. Also No S17343 stamped on the same inside cross-brace closer to the fretboard. There is an illegible stamping just to the left of the S (preceding the serial number (could be an N,w/raised o indicating (Serial No), or possibly a capital N, or something else entirely, but I cannot make it out.

There is the numbers 016055 on the inside mahogany woodblock where the fretboard meets the body, with another symbol underneath that looks like the letter K, w/upper & lower V's filled in. 20 frets, solid spruce top, mahogony sides and back (split down the middle/two sections), rosewood fingerboard and bridge with mother of pearl inlays (pointed crosses, alternating square and elongated down the fretboard) w/Mother-of-Pearl Anniversary on twentieth fret, also inlayed crosses on each side of the bridge, with mother-of-pearl inlay also on the end of the string pins. Pickgaurd and binding are tortoise shell and assuming a gloss nitro finish. Tuners are enclosed Sigma. With Mother-of-Pearl SigmaGuitars EST.1970. on the Headstock.

Assuming back and sides are solid Mahogany – definitely the back and sides are Mahogany, just not experienced enough to verify solid versus laminate. I could not get the strap-button off for inspection and the grain inspection matching inside versus out is going to take a another try. The spruce top shows grain wrapping around soundhole – so the top is not laminate. Does anyone know if this is even a concern on the Anniversery Edition?

I read one review that described the Anniversary edition as the marking the end of the solid body tonewoods for Sigma. Are they all solid tonewoods?

Can anyone tell me what the 9 means?

Also will pass along that the dealer told the buyer that this guitar was shipped to the U.S. for assembly. Since I could not clearly make out an N (Nazareth) anywhere I have no way to really know if the dealer was correct.