I've tried and owned both, played them quite a bit. The maple laminated back and sides of the Sigma actually offers a slightly warmer and even, if more compressed tone than the Gibson which can work in its favour over solid maple, which is often toppy and brittle sounding. Note, the "even-ness" of tone being the key, whereas the all-solid Gibson is livelier. The Gibson projects slightly better with a tad more sustain, but there's not much difference. If it's a particularly dull sounding Gibson (and that isn't unusual), the Sigma would easily win. The roomy jumbo size helps both these guitars in a positive way, the laminated maple body again suffering hardly at all with the Sigma, indeed complimenting it. Construction wise, the Sigma is practically faultless, although it does have a more chunky neck you'd need to get used to, so less good for smaller sized players hands. Make no mistake. The Sigma is no toy or substitute for the Gibson, it's a remarkably good guitar in its own right at an unbelievable price, also a superb instrument for vocal backing. Probably best with Elixir 12's.
@@panayotiscanellopoulos8696 WRONG! I suggest you do your research and avoid confusing people. The Sigma being demonstrated here GJA-SG200 which is solid spruce top, LAMINATED maple back and sides. It's a great guitar, I own one. Sigma have produced a similar, but more expensive model, the SGJA-SG200 which is entirely solid woods, but it is not this. Check your facts.
Both sound spectacular, I really feel like it's a case of individual preference here, my ear slightly leans towards the Gibson but the sigma still sounds fantastic!
Surprised I really prefer the Sigma here over the Gibson. Have listened to other A/Bs of these two guitars where I have much preferred the Gibson. I wonder if it's variation between specimens of the same models or whether it's that different mic'ing setups are more flattering for one or the other, or what. In this demo at least I like the Sigma's tight lows/low-mids and even presence. The Gibson sounds scooped in comparison -- too subby, too brittle, empty in the middle. Played a Sigma 200 in the shop earlier this year and fell in love with it. Action was perfect. Played nicer than even my electrics. Tone was perfect -- really full and even. Went back to buy it and they'd already sold it. They've got another one coming in soon. Fingers crossed it's as good a specimen as the one I wanted. Gibson isn't in my budget anyway, but if this demo is anything to go by, my taste prefers the Sigma.
@@Derek-rv3ee turned out to be a misunderstanding. They have other Sigmas though that I'm considering. Still kicking myself for missing out on that first one though.
I’ve not played the Sigma but I have played a number of Gibson J200s and it is worth noting that I have loved the sound of every secondhand one that I’ve played (varying ages) but have found new ones totally uninspiring. I don’t think that means that new ones are bad , just that, perhaps more than most they need a bit of playing in to sound their best. I have played Sigma guitars modelled on the J45 & Hummingbird though and couldn’t believe how good they were for the price. Vastly better than the similarly priced Epiphones.
Got a chance to try a Sigma guitar the other day. It sounded good for the price. Only drawback was the neck and fretwork. The fretboard edges were not rounded out and a little sharp. Frets were also sharp. Would not recommend Sigma guitar as the neck might affect motive to practice.
I have a Sigma copy of a Gibson CF-100 which is a superb small bodied guitar. I use it for tour dates I have to fly to as I don’t like to fly with my Gibson SJ200, which is my primary instrument. RUclips is a great resource but you really have to hear an SJ200 in person to appreciate just how huge a good one sounds. Mine is a 2015, so not vintage but is very well played in, I’ve played around 800 shows with it and it’s been on four of my records so has earned its keep. I use 13s and tune down to Eb. It is an astonishing instrument with a huge dynamic range. A different right hand approach can make it sound like a Lyre, a grand piano or a rock band. It’s my second 200-my first was a 2003 which I took all over the world over the years and eventually retired after incidents in plane holds etc broke the neck three times…hence having the Sigma to travel with now. Sigma make a very good instrument at a keen price point. They fulfil a niche in the market and do a fine job. If you can stretch to it, though, a Gibson SJ200 is a fantastic creative companion and a deeply inspiring machine. The weight of musical history sits upon its shoulders and you can hear within it the magic that inspired the SJ200 players that went before you. If that doesn’t make you raise your game as a player and an artist, nothing will.
The Sigma sounded more top heavy and the Gibson a bit more tinny and balanced but in a nice way. If I were to get the Sigma then I would change the nut and saddle to Tusq then it would sound closer to the Gibson.
Very close so sound.... both great.....micro-differences...but in VFM circumstances, the Sigma one is the clear winner.....929 vs 4.444 euros (in Greece) is an ENORMOUS Different price!!!!!
Sigma is really good for its price but I can discern that extra coming out from Gibson. I will have guessed that playability will also be slightly different based on the finishing and the cut. If price isn't a concern, I'll propose a Gibson (I own several and I love them except for the pickguard). If money is a concern, I don't think anyone can go wrong with a Sigma (btw, I do own 2 Sigmas, just not the GJA-SG200, and they are wonderful too).
I have a Sigma Grand Jumbo so I'm biased towards it but to my ears there's a slight difference between the two but not in a negative way. I think I paid around $1300 for mine and I simply cannot hear or see how the Gibson is worth $8000 more. Basically you're paying for the Gibson logo on the head-stock I'm an old fart of 70 and I stopped being a brand name snob decades ago. I own a Gibson so I'm speaking from experience. I also own a top of the range G&L ASAT and have owned a few Fenders none of the Fenders came near the G&L which I treasure and will never part with it.
It’s contained in a little pouch inside the body which is a real pain to get to. You can’t access it without removing the strings, or slackening them off enough to be able to push them completely out of the way of the sound hole.
gibson has lower end bass with little to no mid and crispy highs, sigma bass is more middy and not as sharp high end. my heart says gibson, my wallet says sigma
Gibson is much clearer. The sigma is very good and with a more bass tone. My preference is the Gibson. I don't know about costs but I imagine the sigma will be at least half price.
Слушал с телефона. Особой разницы не услышал. Был даже дивлён. При сравнении sigma sdm-18 и martin d-18 , разница в пользу martin более очевидная.. А здесь как-то не особо..
Sigma guitars are garbage. It's like anything else made cheaply. Looks great out of the box but in 20 years will have fallen apart and looks like s***.
@@braderrick In the 70s Sigma was owned by CF Martin and the guitars were made in Japan. They have no connection with the current Sigma brand, which just bought the Sigma name and manufactures them in China I believe.
@@DeltaJazzUK yes I believe that to be correct as well. Further proves my point that you can’t just say “sigma guitars are garbage” because not all of them are.
I've tried and owned both, played them quite a bit. The maple laminated back and sides of the Sigma actually offers a slightly warmer and even, if more compressed tone than the Gibson which can work in its favour over solid maple, which is often toppy and brittle sounding. Note, the "even-ness" of tone being the key, whereas the all-solid Gibson is livelier.
The Gibson projects slightly better with a tad more sustain, but there's not much difference. If it's a particularly dull sounding Gibson (and that isn't unusual), the Sigma would easily win.
The roomy jumbo size helps both these guitars in a positive way, the laminated maple body again suffering hardly at all with the Sigma, indeed complimenting it. Construction wise, the Sigma is practically faultless, although it does have a more chunky neck you'd need to get used to, so less good for smaller sized players hands.
Make no mistake. The Sigma is no toy or substitute for the Gibson, it's a remarkably good guitar in its own right at an unbelievable price, also a superb instrument for vocal backing. Probably best with Elixir 12's.
That's exactly what I heard from this video as well
Sigma is NOT laminated back and sides..... it's flamed maple just like Gibson....
@@panayotiscanellopoulos8696 WRONG! I suggest you do your research and avoid confusing people.
The Sigma being demonstrated here GJA-SG200 which is solid spruce top, LAMINATED maple back and sides. It's a great guitar, I own one.
Sigma have produced a similar, but more expensive model, the SGJA-SG200 which is entirely solid woods, but it is not this. Check your facts.
This is the kind of video I needed. I play my guitar like it's a drumkit, mostly acoustic punk and the Sigma will fit the bill nicely! Thanks
Both sound spectacular, I really feel like it's a case of individual preference here, my ear slightly leans towards the Gibson but the sigma still sounds fantastic!
Taught me some nice new chords shapes with the first chord progression, very nice
Sigma is the Winner 🎸👍
You really do notice the difference in tone between the two. I'm gonna go check out the new gibson g200 too.
I like the sound of the SJ's headstock more. Lol. . . In all seriousness, they both sound and look great.
Surprised I really prefer the Sigma here over the Gibson. Have listened to other A/Bs of these two guitars where I have much preferred the Gibson. I wonder if it's variation between specimens of the same models or whether it's that different mic'ing setups are more flattering for one or the other, or what. In this demo at least I like the Sigma's tight lows/low-mids and even presence. The Gibson sounds scooped in comparison -- too subby, too brittle, empty in the middle.
Played a Sigma 200 in the shop earlier this year and fell in love with it. Action was perfect. Played nicer than even my electrics. Tone was perfect -- really full and even. Went back to buy it and they'd already sold it. They've got another one coming in soon. Fingers crossed it's as good a specimen as the one I wanted. Gibson isn't in my budget anyway, but if this demo is anything to go by, my taste prefers the Sigma.
Did you buy the one coming in?
@@Derek-rv3ee turned out to be a misunderstanding. They have other Sigmas though that I'm considering. Still kicking myself for missing out on that first one though.
I’ve not played the Sigma but I have played a number of Gibson J200s and it is worth noting that I have loved the sound of every secondhand one that I’ve played (varying ages) but have found new ones totally uninspiring.
I don’t think that means that new ones are bad , just that, perhaps more than most they need a bit of playing in to sound their best.
I have played Sigma guitars modelled on the J45 & Hummingbird though and couldn’t believe how good they were for the price. Vastly better than the similarly priced Epiphones.
Got a chance to try a Sigma guitar the other day. It sounded good for the price. Only drawback was the neck and fretwork. The fretboard edges were not rounded out and a little sharp. Frets were also sharp.
Would not recommend Sigma guitar as the neck might affect motive to practice.
Price never lies!😂😂
I really like sigma guitars but the Gibson is simply ALIVE & clear winner, not that i'd ever pay for one
I have a Sigma copy of a Gibson CF-100 which is a superb small bodied guitar. I use it for tour dates I have to fly to as I don’t like to fly with my Gibson SJ200, which is my primary instrument.
RUclips is a great resource but you really have to hear an SJ200 in person to appreciate just how huge a good one sounds. Mine is a 2015, so not vintage but is very well played in, I’ve played around 800 shows with it and it’s been on four of my records so has earned its keep. I use 13s and tune down to Eb. It is an astonishing instrument with a huge dynamic range. A different right hand approach can make it sound like a Lyre, a grand piano or a rock band.
It’s my second 200-my first was a 2003 which I took all over the world over the years and eventually retired after incidents in plane holds etc broke the neck three times…hence having the Sigma to travel with now.
Sigma make a very good instrument at a keen price point. They fulfil a niche in the market and do a fine job. If you can stretch to it, though, a Gibson SJ200 is a fantastic creative companion and a deeply inspiring machine. The weight of musical history sits upon its shoulders and you can hear within it the magic that inspired the SJ200 players that went before you. If that doesn’t make you raise your game as a player and an artist, nothing will.
Sigma is really good for its price
The Sigma sounded more top heavy and the Gibson a bit more tinny and balanced but in a nice way. If I were to get the Sigma then I would change the nut and saddle to Tusq then it would sound closer to the Gibson.
I'm thinking just a string change could make the difference ?
@@Randysax1955 not really
Very close so sound.... both great.....micro-differences...but in VFM circumstances, the Sigma one is the clear winner.....929 vs 4.444 euros (in Greece) is an ENORMOUS Different price!!!!!
Sigma is really good for its price but I can discern that extra coming out from Gibson. I will have guessed that playability will also be slightly different based on the finishing and the cut. If price isn't a concern, I'll propose a Gibson (I own several and I love them except for the pickguard). If money is a concern, I don't think anyone can go wrong with a Sigma (btw, I do own 2 Sigmas, just not the GJA-SG200, and they are wonderful too).
Gibson is unmatched but so is the price. Even from the Iphone speakers can immediately tell the difference in tone and dynamic range
Tone wise I liked the Sigma better, but the Gibson has more depth or “3D” low end… if that makes sense.
unbelieveble
you cant go wrong with Sigma here...they sound almost identical with Gibson
No se justifica el valor de gibson ....solo pagas historia y estatus...ambas suenas igual de bien....
For triplex wood soung pretty good to me
SJ 200 is the winner.
no
@@andreasfetzer7559 I'd say it most certainly is. The Sigma sounds lifeless in comparison - imo. However, the SJ200 price point is actually insane.
Hello, may I ask? What mic are you using for this Video?
Bella/Linda.💓✡️✡️✡️✡️✡️✡️
The difference to me is night and Day with Gibson reinging supreme.
I have a Sigma Grand Jumbo so I'm biased towards it but to my ears there's a slight difference between the two but not in a negative way. I think I paid around $1300 for mine and I simply cannot hear or see how the Gibson is worth $8000 more. Basically you're paying for the Gibson logo on the head-stock I'm an old fart of 70 and I stopped being a brand name snob decades ago. I own a Gibson so I'm speaking from experience. I also own a top of the range G&L ASAT and have owned a few Fenders none of the Fenders came near the G&L which I treasure and will never part with it.
Sigma much nicer, warmer in the high register.😊
💚👽
Does Sigma GJA-SG200 need 9v battery for pickup?
yes!
It’s contained in a little pouch inside the body which is a real pain to get to. You can’t access it without removing the strings, or slackening them off enough to be able to push them completely out of the way of the sound hole.
@@PaulWilliamGibson I tried this sigma. Gibson eats it and chews snd spits it alive.. even lower budget ones
@@igorperic5232 I own the Sigma, it’s my main gigging guitar, I’m very happy with it.
Different strings account for a lot of tonal difference.
Exactly. I don’t know why anybody would do a comparison with different strings
What really sucks is this guy is doing an awesome style of comparison other people to comparisons and it drives me crazy long delays etc.
sigma 👍
sigma has some of epiphone tone,but better
I would use the sigma as firewood
You must love feeding your fire expensive food!lol
I like the Sigma better.
시그마는 모방을 잘하네요
You could've used the same strings, regardless of the guitar price
Gibson is more opened than Sigma and has a clearer tone
SJ200
Gibson's tone sounds better to me
I know who wins the resale value
Sigma
Ruecker Mission
SigmaGibson
gibson has lower end bass with little to no mid and crispy highs, sigma bass is more middy and not as sharp high end. my heart says gibson, my wallet says sigma
Gibson is much clearer. The sigma is very good and with a more bass tone. My preference is the Gibson. I don't know about costs but I imagine the sigma will be at least half price.
It's a quarter of the price.
other guitarbuilders and players would say, the sigma is much fuller in sound.
929 vs 4.444 euros in Greece..... that's not so much difference in sound quality.....
pas de grosse différence dans le son la Gibson est quand-même un peu plus claire en acoustique ..
Слушал с телефона. Особой разницы не услышал. Был даже дивлён.
При сравнении sigma sdm-18 и martin d-18 , разница в пользу martin более очевидная..
А здесь как-то не особо..
Только в живую можно реально оценить и услышать... С гитарами вообще всё не так просто... Они живые, (особенно те кто из массива) они все разные...
@@ОООДмиТРойл уверен что можно как sigma найти с более крутым звуком так и gibson. покупал как то epipone 200 в магазине 4шт все звучали по разному.
비교 상대가 안됨.
Gibson is Better
Sigma wins.
56982 Assunta Glen
03711 Jabari Bridge
Who in this world still thinks, that a chinese cnn mashine or plek mashine works different in the usa or china?
both new ones sounds terrible boring , they has no personality not compare with my vintage early fifty SJ 200 and by the way too much overprized
Compared to 1960's Gibson, they both completely suck.
Sigma guitars are garbage. It's like anything else made cheaply. Looks great out of the box but in 20 years will have fallen apart and looks like s***.
Have you not seen any of the good early 70s sigmas around? Still sharp and very nice guitars. Almost triple the amount of time you’re talking too.
@@braderrick In the 70s Sigma was owned by CF Martin and the guitars were made in Japan. They have no connection with the current Sigma brand, which just bought the Sigma name and manufactures them in China I believe.
@@DeltaJazzUK yes I believe that to be correct as well. Further proves my point that you can’t just say “sigma guitars are garbage” because not all of them are.
@@braderrick Agree, too much headstock snobbery talked about. Proof ultimately in the sound and the Sigma is no slouch.
and you know that...because?
That's the first time I hear this.
I rather think your post is rubbish
Bonjour, la Gibson sonne beaucoup mieux
Oui mais la sigma coûte 3 x moins cher et s'en sort vraiment bien. Sinon je suis d'accord, la Gibson originale sonne mieux.
Hello, the Gibson sounds much better
Sigma