Martin mini dread?

[jbj]

Anyone got one?

I'm trying to made a decent sized dent in next years tax bill so I'm going to buy a 3/4 acoustic (purely for playing in the pursuit of earning money of course )

My brother recently bought a Baby Taylor Koa something or other and it sounds great and plays like a dream - but trying to keep things local, I went to the only family own shop around which obviously limits the choice.

They had a cool looking beat up ibanez thing but it sounded like cardboard and played really cheap.

They had a Sigma something or other. I'd never heard of these guitars but I was really impressed. Came in at under £300 and sound wise you would probably notice when you plugged it in but I could find very little to differentiate it's tone, feel and play ability from my brothers Taylor.

And then they had the Mini Dread which is double the price of the sigma but it feels really well built and the sound instantly took me back to Oasis live in NYC which to me is what an acoustic guitar should sound like.

The play wasn't great on it though but Craig in the shop said he'd set it up for me and get the action nice and low.

Any thoughts? I said I'd give it a few days to think about it (I don't want them to think I've came in to try it then went online or to a bigger cheaper shop) if the Martin had played like the Sigma I'd have walked out the door with it.

 

[Gary Blanchard]

Sigma is (or at least once was) Martin's cheap line, though that may no longer be the case. To my knowledge, the mini-Martins are made somewhere in the East, so there may be little real difference between the two. I think I'd go with the set-up Martin since you seemed so happy with the sound, but I think either one would be nice.

 

[jbj]

This one was tagged in Mexico

The Sigma was China and the guy did say they were basically Martins budget line at one point but he thinks they split. Was definitely a nice guitar either way.

They had an Ed Sheeran one in too which he said sounds great but at's over £600, has a big stupid X on the top you can't remove without sanding, lime green decal on the headstock and it's only 13 year olds that want it so it's sitting gathering dust

 

[Gary Blanchard]

This one was tagged in Mexico

The Sigma was China and the guy did say they were basically Martins budget line at one point but he thinks they split. Was definitely a nice guitar either way.

They had an Ed Sheeran one in too which he said sounds great but at's over £600, has a big stupid X on the top you can't remove without sanding, lime green decal on the headstock and it's only 13 year olds that want it so it's sitting gathering dust

Not surprising about the Sheerean. I had a Sigma years ago when I had Martin lust and it was a nice guitar. Either way, neither was made in the US Martin factory, so I'd say go with what speaks to you. It sounds like the setup was the problem with the Martin, and if they'll fix that, then...

 

[jbj]

Not surprising about the Sheerean. I had a Sigma years ago when I had Martin lust and it was a nice guitar. Either way, neither was made in the US Martin factory, so I'd say go with what speaks to you. It sounds like the setup was the problem with the Martin, and if they'll fix that, then...

Yeah I'm going to call them tomorrow and tell them to get it down off the wall

The Sigma was REALLY nice for the price but there was just something about the Martin that sung to me.

I used to kick around the band scene with the 2 guys who run the shop so as I was picking out a few bits and bobs on my way out I was chatting to one of them. We were talking about the guitars we have and I mentioned I've got 3 really nice electrics that sit and gather dust but I wouldn't sell them and a beat to shit mid range Takamine that I could easily replace with something 4 times more expensive but this thing has done every acoustic gig I've played since I was about 18, it's been around Europe with me when I busked one Summer and I spent my weekends getting ripped on homebrewed wine and recording stuff on it when I lived in Saudi Arabia so I'd never part with it and in fact if the house burnt down, that would be the one I'd miss the most.

He said he's exactly the same, he goes through a lot of guitars but if he finds one that he really connects with he never sells it.

 

[jp_nyc]

I’ve played the mini guitars from Martin and Taylor. They’re nice, and significantly better than Yamaha’s mini guitars (which are terrible). But I prefer the Gretsch Jim Dandy, which is significantly less expensive, and sounds great after a string change.

 

[jbj]

I’ve played the mini guitars from Martin and Taylor. They’re nice, and significantly better than Yamaha’s mini guitars (which are terrible). But I prefer the Gretsch Jim Dandy, which is significantly less expensive, and sounds great after a string change.

Meh I now have a shiny Martin sitting downstairs

It definitely needs a set up - great for big chunky root chords but just now it's a no go zone after the 7th fret. The guy who is going to do it is off until Friday (it was his grandmothers funeral today apparently) but they let me take it home to break it in so I can go back and tell him exactly how I want it set up

Amazing service and they actually turned out cheaper than online if you can believe that.

 

[DFB]

HNGD!
Pix!

 

[irishstu]

Nice one, jbj. HNGD.

I have a Sigma that I got secondhand in 1991 and has been around the world with me. It was made in Korea and I really like it (still my only acoustic). The really good ones were made in Japan before that though. I think after Korea they moved to Taiwan, with a bit of a quality drop, and then to China with another. That said, I'll occasionally pick one up in a shop and they still continue to impress me.

But that doesn't matter now, cos you got the Martin, and I'm sure it's a beauty. HNGD!

 

[Wyatt]

I had to look this up, since I still think of Sigma's Martin connection, and I guess that ended relative recently...

Guitarmaker C.F. Martin & Co., based in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, created a line of inexpensive guitars in 1970 to compete with the increasing number of imported guitars from Japan and elsewhere. The result was Sigma Guitars.

The Sigma line was discontinued by C.F. Martin & Co. in 2007. In 2011 the German company "AMI Musical Instruments GmbH" purchased the rights to the name and relaunched Sigma Guitars again, this time being produced in China.

Since the U.S. rights to the Sigma brand name and trademark had been allowed to lapse by C.F. Martin & Co. prior to selling the brand to AMI, and had since been picked up by St. Louis Music of Missouri, AMI is not allowed to use the brand name "Sigma" in the U.S. for their current line of guitars. They are distributed and sold in the U.S. as Kindred Guitars. The sole current U.S. distributor is now Six String Brokerage LLC, Nazareth, Pa.

Martin just let a trademark completely lapse when they discontinued the line. Unheard of in modern day, when IP is often worth more than prodcut. So, now there is a U.S. Sigma and a non-U.S. Sigma. Sounds kinda like Hiwatt.