Industry Musical instruments Area served Worldwide | Founder Rob Chapman | |
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Key people Rob Chapman, Lee Anderton | ||
The chapman guitars factory tour day one
Chapman Guitars is a guitar company established in 2009 by Rob Chapman, a guitarist best known for his informative videos on YouTube. The company claims to be the first to design its guitars "collaboratively", and the design, features and specs of new models are selected by the votes of Chapman's YouTube subscribers in online polls on his website.
Contents
- The chapman guitars factory tour day one
- The chapman guitars expedition to thomann in germany 2015
- Production models
- Standard Series
- Signature Series
- Special runs
- Bass guitars
- References
Chapman used to manufacture their guitars in notably small, cheap production runs. The ML-1 was initially limited to a run of 500 guitars, although a second batch was produced when the factory which supplied Chapman offered more at a discounted price. The ML-2 was limited to 250 pieces.
The chapman guitars expedition to thomann in germany 2015
Production models
The company's first production guitar was the ML-1. In order to make the best guitar for the lowest initial outlay, Chapman chose a design philosophy by which any compromises would be reflected most in the parts which would be most likely and easily replaced later by the owner. Thus those components of the ML1 which were not so easily replaced could be of the very highest quality that the limited budget allowed; the ML-1 featured a solid mahogany Fender Stratocaster-style body, a maple neck and an ebony fingerboard, but the pickups (according to Chapman on his YouTube channel) were sourced from a factory located in USA. The ML-1's body and distinctive reverse-style headstock had a simple, black finish. The ML1 was priced for the entry level market when it initially retailed for £299, but the second batch allowed its price to be reduced even further to £199. The ML-1's second batch suffered from further decreased quality control, with some customers complaining of sharp/unfinished fret work and generally poor craftsmanship. This deviation in quality control was a deciding factor for the manufacture of Chapman guitars to be moved to World Musical Instruments, South Korea. In 2013, South Korean crafted ML-1s, ML-2s and signature guitars for Rob Chapman, Rabea Massaad and Lee Anderton began shipping. At NAMM 2017 Chapman guitars introduced Standard and Pro series of guitars, including new pickups, new colors, ML-1 with 3 single coil pickups and collaboratively designed ML-V. Since the rosewood situation, Lee Anderton signature ML-1 CAP10 and Blackout version will be fitted with ebony instead of rosewood fingerboard. Also, long waited Rabea Massaad ML-3 BEA's "Evil Twins" in T-shape, with Wilkinson tremolo instead of Floyd Rose, in HS (technically it will be single coil sized humbucker) configuration with Seymour Duncan pickups. Another "Twin" will be baritone guitar with same specks, but fixed bridge and longer scale length.
Standard Series
The Modern features a HH pickup configuration on a carved sapele mahogany body with a recessed bolt on maple neck, and is available in Satin Black and Natural Mahogany finishes. It is targeted more at those in pursuit of a T-Shape guitar, but with an alternate layout and pickup configuration.
The Traditional uses a stacked single coil for the bridge pickup and a regular single coil for the neck pickup (unlike the dual single coils on most Fender Telecasters) on a two piece carved swamp ash body, again, with a recessed bolt on maple neck. It is available in either Natural Swamp Ash, or Satin Blue finishes. The Traditional, as the name suggests, is designed for people looking for a more traditional T-Shape guitar.