Trying to date and identify Sigma Acoustic - Tokai Copy?

guitar333 · Plucker Joined: 16 Oct 2008 Posts: 4

I have a Sigma Acoustic that looks nothing like a Sigma! I would really like to confirm the model number (tokai model perhaps?) and appr. year of make of the guitar (I think it dates anywhere from '79 to '84). It has the body of a Martin D-28, the guitar is stamped inside with "Sigma guitars made in Japan for Martin Co", but the headstock does not have the sigma 'logo', it has a "Cat's Eye Design". It also has inlay around its body and around the sound hole. The markings inside are S2000 (original warranty paper says this is the model number) and serial No which is 1390581. It is a solid top, but I have yet to confirm if the sides and back are solide rosewood (the guitar shop where I purchased it says they are). Any information you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

I have not figured out how to post pics yet - but I will.

Pierre

guitar333 · Plucker Joined: 16 Oct 2008 Posts: 4

I won't be able to post pics, so if anyone wants to see pics of the guitar please provide your email and I will send pics.

Thanks!

Pierre

stratman323 · Guest

Try using a free photo hosting site like www.photobucket.com

Mike

guitar333 · Plucker Joined: 16 Oct 2008 Posts: 4

Hi Mike, thanks, but the site asks for credit card info - so I would rather not use it. If anyone wants to see pics of the guitar, please let me know and i can email a few pics.

Thanks,

Pierre

Kenmac · Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 3:15 pm Post subject:

No, you can set up a Photobucket account for free. I just clicked on the link and saw a big green button that said "Join Now, it's free".

leadguitar_323 · Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 5:42 pm Post subject:

Yep, photobucket is definitely free.....

Mick
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so many guitars....so little money...

guitar333 · Plucker Joined: 16 Oct 2008 Posts: 4

stratman323 · Guest

Sorry, can't give you any information, acoustics are not really my area, but it looks nice. In fact it has a few similarities to my Yasuma, about which nobody seems to be able to tell me anything.

http://s183.photobucket.com/albums/x153/stratman323/Yasuma%20WG130%20acoustic/

Leifhackman · Plucker Joined: 01 Feb 2009 Posts: 1

Could be a "practical" joke kind of thing too. The body of this guitar looks like Sigma DR-41. The fret board and head stock inlay?s really doesn?t look like anything like Sigma. So... could it be a Sigma body where some one has changed another neck with these inlays? I have had this kind of "fetish" in my mind too... to "pimp" a laminate cheapo with solid top etc. to make it a really good player and sound good too

Another possibilit could be that only the small part of support list between the 2 braces that show from the sound hole has been taken from a Japanese made Sigma and put in some other guitar.

Yet one possibility is.. that the manufacturing factory where Cat?s Eyes guitars are being made has been negotiating with Martin about making Sigma?s and they have made some sample guitars with what ever labelled and inlayed parts they happened to have at that time.

leadguitar_323 · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 8:34 pm Post subject:

With MIJ guitars anything is possible.....

Mick
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so many guitars....so little money...

bluejeannot · Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 4:41 pm Post subject:

Well I thought it had pretty well been established that tokai assembled Martin parts in Japan as a kind of joint venture betwen the two companies.Tokai also produced the early M.I.J Sigmas for Martin hence the similarities between them. I suspect also that Tokai produced the Shenandoah model Martins for both U.S. and world markets.Gabe.
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bluejeannot

BlueThird · Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2009 12:47 am Post subject:

I'm pretty much with Leifhackman and bluejeannot on this. The look of the guitar is obviously based on a Martin D-41, as you can see from the image below. And the Cat's Eyes headstock motif is just as obviously meant to suggest the CF Martin logo that you can see on the D-41.

Don't know this for sure, but it's very likely that there was a Sigma DR-41 and that would have been based very closely on the appearance of the D-41. The Sigma DR-28 is certainly an analog of the Martin D-28.

Have heard several times that Sigmas were actually made by Tokai during the early eighties, and I'm guessing this one is the victim of a mix up in the factory. Someone used the wrong stamp for the headstock, or vice versa. Every Cat's Eye guitar that I've seen on eBay and the like, or in Tokai catalogs, has clearly been based on a Martin.

Have to say that I've always particularly liked the idea my Sigma DR-28 was made by Tokai, largely because I bought it just a few months before my Springy Sound. It's hardly proof, but from what I can see of the structural details in guitar333's photos, there's a marked similarity to my 28. And the Sigma stamp is identical.

BlueThird · Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2009 1:04 am Post subject:

Incidentally, the marker inlays on that particular D-41 aren't the only ones you see ? there's another example below ? and I'm pretty sure that the Cat's Eyes name is taken from this style of twelfth-fret inlay. (Apologies if I'm just regurgitating something that I've read elsewhere on the Tokai forum.)

Sigmania · Posted: Mon May 14, 2012 7:39 pm Post subject:

Amazing. I have guitar333's guitar now. Seems to be a very rare Sigma S2000.

It came from Canada and I was told it was taken to trade shows for years. As far as I know it was a one off. Solid Indian rosewood back & side. A bench mate no doubt of a Cats Eye CE2500.

http://www.t-shiga.com/sub1-6-71.htm

I think you were close Leifhackman:

Sigmania · Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 6:04 pm Post subject:

Pics of the S2000.

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Regards, Geoff