Sigma DM5S

I bought this guitar new in 1980 and it has been my practice guitar at home. It has lived throught all frustration, happines, and created great music for me for the last 25 years.

After 25 years I started to think about this guitar and found some information about it. The reason is that it is so hard to find a better one and I really thought this was a cheap guitar with laminate woods and stuff. Then I found the same guitar in a shop and they took 450 dollars for it, used. Got me thinking that maby it isn't that cheap and crappy. With this new information things come together. I also found some informatiion on the Internet and man, was I suprised. This is a high quality guitar with nice woods and very nice built during the Japaniese copy era when they made almost as goos copies as the original. This is a japaniese version of a Martin guitar and even owned by Martin Co. And to straight, even better than the Martins I have played on.

This is a nice guitar with sunburst finish and dreadnought body style. The neck is medium thick. The tuners is crap, cheap japaniese, I guess something has to be cheap on this guitar because everything else on the guitar is high-quality. It has a solid bruce top and I guess solid mahogny back and sides. The fretboard is rosewood.

The sound is among the best sounding guitars I have ever played on. Rich bass sound and high ends. I have always compared every guitar with this one and this one has always won. I bought a real expencive Takamine guitar to have on the road and thought that finally I found a better sounding guitar. Sad to say, not this time eather.

A play all kind of music and are playing full time in a coverband. Mostly rock but also some Irish trad. music.

I remember the factory set up being quite good. I had to lower the string action though, but after that it has been great.

This guitar has lived throught beach parties, gigs, practice, frustration and still is holding on very well. I didn't have any gigbag for it until now. I thopught it was a cheap guitar and didnt take care of it at all. Somehow it was the guitar I never sold. I sold my Martins, Takamines and other brands but this one was always the one I hang on to.

Don't know.

Well, with this guitar there is no reason to buy a Martin. The quality is as good and the sound problaby better. Save some money and buy one of these on ebay. I saw one the other day for 400 dollars.

1980 Japan-made model, 21-frets, laminated top, dreadnought, rosewood neck, inlay in back.

My grandfather gave my brother and I this guitar about 10 years ago to begin learning guitar on. My brother is the metal guy, I'm the acoustic guy, so this became my first (and, so far, only) 6-string guitar. I love this thing. Last year, my grandfather was in town and after playing a little for him, he said it sounded better now than when we got it. It has a deep, full sound. In fact, one of the reasons I've not bought another guitar is because I can't find one to match the bass on this one. It has absolutely spoiled me for bass. It responds beautifully to Elixir strings.

The action was a little high for my style of playing, so I had it lowered, and it helped out a lot, although low E does tend to rattle (esp. with D'Addarios). Everything else about this guitar is great.

When I got it, it was in great shape, and continues to be, and look, great. Despite its fair share of bumps and falls, it only has a few knicks. I did have to replace the nut about two years ago, as it came unglued. The pegs are a little problematic in that they fit too snugly, so changing strings is sometimes a chore. I've never had anything suddenly break or fall off. It stays in tune pretty well for living in the South, even when I put the windows up instead of using the air. I plan on polishing and thoroughly cleaning it up in the next week to see if that restores some of the look and sound (only because it's 26 years old now), but otherwise very sturdy guitar.

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I've been playing this guitar casually for about 10 years, and have never had need for a new one (although now that I have more time and money, I'll probably buy a couple of new ones). I will NEVER get rid of this guitar, for both sentimental reasons and because I know that in 20 years, this guitar will still sound great. Hopefully, this will be the guitar my children learn on. Except for the nut coming unglued, the pegs being a little cumbersome, and the action being a little too high (more a personal pref. I guess), I've been more than pleased with this guitar.

1975 Japanese Martin dreadnought clone with 21 frets a flamed mahogony laminate top. The tuners on the cheap side but they hold tone perfectly well. Rosewood fretboard.

Excellent sound. It has the best sound of any guitar under $500 I have ever heard. Much better than any of the new plastic guitars. Not quite as good as my Martin DM but then again....

Factory set up ? Who remembers? Still a beautiful guitar after 30 years of playing it. Action is a little rough but could probably use some set up work. Finish is still fantastic.

I have played this guitar for 30 years. Everything on it is original and still works great. I have used it without backup for 28 years. I just upgraded to my Martin DM and my DM5S stays next to my computer in a stand just for grins.

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I love this guitar. It is my oldest intimate relationship.

1980's Japanese model, 21-frets, laminated top, dreadnought, rosewood neck, inlay in back.

I got this guitar from my uncle and he got it new. It amazes me that this thing is 15+ years old. The sound is rich and I've had friends comment on how they wish their Alvarez or some other such sort sounded as good. I have used an acoustic pickup and the guitar performed nicely.

No idea how well it was set up at the factory. The tuners are crap, and the bridge is plastic. Easily replaceable, though. They work just fine but feel cheap, you know?

This thing was blown off of a table and landed on concrete about a week after I bought it. It has fallen over, been used as a table, and lived through extreme temperature changes.

It still sounds very good.

There is some buzzing around the 13th fret but I do not complain. This is a workhorse

I've been playing for 15 years and this guitar has stood up to me strumming on it with a piece of cardboard to my current fingerpicking style. I've thought about replacing it but at this point it is an old companion that has served me too well to chuck it in favor of a solid-top, tinny new hottie that could turn out to leave me broken hearted. You gotta stay true to those that love ya.