Sigma Guitars - I want one

I have played quite a few, and a friend of mine has the D42 replica. They really sound great. I especially enjoyed an all solid all mahogany dread model. But when we compered the D45 copy to a D28 and HD28, we all agreed that the Martins sounded a bit richer. Having said that, neither of us thought that it was a $3000 difference. I think they are great guitars.

Interesting. Unsure of when they made the name change. Wasn't a big deal with the name back in the 80's.

2007..read the wiki link

It wasn't a name change. The guitars are SIGMA, all over the world except in usa.
.
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.[1]
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.
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I didn't bother quoting this before, because I provided the link.!!

As I understand it.... when the Sigma copyright or whatever lapsed in the US, the company that had acquired Sigma from Martin failed to act on it. St. Louis Music did and now owns the rights to the name Sigma in the USA. St. Louis Music also distributes Alvarez. I do not know if Sigmas are made by the Alvarez folks or not. But St Louis Music distributes both Alvarez and Sigma in this country. The German company that bought Sigma from Martin now distributes worldwide as Sigma, except for the United States, where it is Kindred. The logo on the headstock is the same type of script that Sigma was, and is, for instance, in Canada. That is what I understand and some or all of this may be wrong. I would appreciate correction if so.

Steve

the white on cream is near impossible to see, sorry
But the 2 companies use different logos, so just look at guitar to see which company made it.


Remember AMI has been making Sigmas/Kindreds since 1970. and St.Louis Music  since when? last couple years??....

Well the one that I provided the link for - and actually the only new ones I can find being offered as new in the US - are the ones under the St. Louis link.  If these are legit, then great. But if they are illegal forget it.  This is a bit confusing.   But I surely appreciate all the input.

Edited:  I found this and it explains everything. I am pretty clear now on how Sigma currently stands, and how Kindred came to be.

Convoluted Sigma history