They just don’t standout in any way for me and I used to be a big Chapman and Andertons fan and that has waned over the years. I still tune into Andertons from time to time but Rob kind of lost me as a fan with his behavior the last few years.
No artists, no luthiers among the team, no offices and no production site. It’s gonna be hard to relaunch a brand that’s just outsourcing specs to a manufacturer. A brand based on one’s personality is a difficult endeavor. Good luck to them I say. Hopefully all works out.
Luthiers do not mean a hill of shit in the manufacture of solid body electric guitars, PERIOD. There wasn't a single luthier involved in the Telecaster or Stratocaster. The Les Paul was made by... LES PAUL originally.He had the final say on what a Les Paul was, or would never be. All Chapman needs to do is produce great guitars, first. Second, he has to make guitars in the 21st century, and embrace tech advances, whether it's new transducers, wood treatment, materials, hardware, and the basic physics and mechanics of the solid body guitar. If it's gonna be the "same old, same old", just the highest of quality in the same old package, sure, he'll get some buyers, but there are already big companies doing that with $4000 guitars. Without breaking some eggs, and a lot of new ground, he'll have to decide if he's okay with a small shop for UK-produced, and another to produce budget, or if he is able to risk EVERYTHING
"No artists, no luthiers among the team, no offices and no production site." - You just described how Solar Guitars are being made. But it's not a problem. The only thing is, Chapman have an image problem that is Mr. Chapman. E.g. Rob Scallon also dropped off the roster being endorsed by Schecter now.
@@michaelcarey9359 There's plenty of information proving Les Paul didn't "make" the Les Paul guitar originally. He claimed the credit by not admitting that fact when questioned.
@@michaelcarey9359 Les Paul had absolutely nothing to do with the design of the single-cut arch-top. It was all Ted McCarty's work. Like Leo Fender and Seth Lover, McCarty was not a musician, he was a craftsman, designer and engineer.
I completely understand if I come across as petty and childish in saying this but, the whole drama with Rob a couple years ago still runs me the complete wrong way and turn me off of the brand forever. Not to say the guitars are bad I'm sure they are great, it's just he himself comes across as arrogant and annoying
I agree with your take. I never fully understood the hate. A TH-camr put out a negative video, Rob responded in a defensive manner, like most of us would and the guitar community lost their minds. I own a number of Chapman's. They are my favorite guitars I've played. I have personally had more qc issues with the big brands. But I hope they do well. I don't know Rob, and I don't know the business deals and I'm assuming most who are bashing him don't either.
" I have personally had more qc issues with the big brands" The "big brands " that make guitars in Indonesia, and South Korea, have them built in the same factories that Chapman does. They are made by Cort for those brands. The difference is the way brands like ESP/LTD, Schecter, and other respectable brands treat their customers. They don't insult them, and make excuses for their QC issues like Chapman has. They take care of their customers, and treat them with respect. For the price LTD's and Schecters, are better spec'd, and the customer service is leagues better, especially if you are in the US. What "big brands" did you have QC issues with?
I’ve had minimal interaction with Chapman guitars as a company, but I did purchase a thinline ML3 used a while ago, and it’s an amazing guitar. I’ve played other Chapman guitars, and they haven’t resonated with me as much, but they have all been nice guitars. Hopefully they can keep the quality up through this transition.
I love my ghost fret, plays great well built. I think that people’s dislike of Chapman guitars, centers around a general dislike of Rob Chapman, the person, & it’s being projected onto the guitars
Agreed. I just bought a new Chapman, and plan on another one down the line as well as a Solar. But they could use a better online presence to showcase them a bit more and keep them in the limelight and stay more relevant.
Rob himself isn't pushing content like he used to. I don't know how he's earning a living, but the days of a fresh video from him every day are long gone. Now down to one every two weeks at most, and the view counts are nowhere near what they used to be. He's done and the company is close to done too.
Rob tarnished the name of the company honestly. I still love Andertons and Bea but Rob really ruined the companies reputation. If he had called them anything else they probably would have been fine.
the only thing rob chapman could do to get his name off the guitars he sells, to try to get the people forget the kdh/riff city/"online power"/etc etc stuff.., was to buy another brand and sell those guitars for his own profit which he did recently, he became the owner of the Cerberus guitars brand and guitarmony pickups... will his huge ego prevent him from ruining that other brand ? will he manage to remain discreet, behind the light, during the next namms/etc.. ? we will see, lol..
Chapman isn't really my thing, im more interested in ESP and Schecter. BUT, i want to see good guitar companies succeed. I know about their reported QC issues, not a fan of Rob's behaviour in the past. But i've also heard people say good things about their Chapmans. Maybe a Chapman is someone's favourite guitar and that's cool for that person. Im indifferent, they have some potential and i hope they don't set the bar too high. Good on you for giving a look on both the good and bad and giving ideas about where Chapman could go. Really appreciate the positivity my dude
I think the problem with Chapman guitars is, Rob. He comes across all wrong . I think he needs to step back and let someone else be the face of Chapman. I had a ML2, loved it. I ended up swapping for a thinline Tele, love that more.
Unfortunately for Rob and Chapman as a Brand is that "old school" Rob and his apparent "charm" doesn't really exist for a lot of people now. He comes across as disingenuous after all the BS. TBH, I think he's doing it best by staying away from YT and social Media all together. I don't think too many people miss him online.
Interesting video. I live in the UK and whilst I haven't ever owned a Chapman guitar I've watched the development of the brand, which appears to have been inextricably linked to Rob Chapman, his relationship with Captain Lee Anderton and Rob's talented protege Rabeea, 6-8 years ago. Undoubtedly Rob's moving - or being removed - away from the Anderton's channel together with his YT activity and fallout with Riff City Guitars has damaged the brand. A look at Chapman Guitars Ltd's company accounts which currently cover the period to February 2022, would indicate may be a 50-60% fall in sales over the past three years... and the growth in more powerful competitors such as PRS (SE line) and Harley Benton hitting the same SE Asian manufacturers will have impacted them, driving up quality (PRS) and driving down retail prices (Harley Benton). Lee Anderton - who along with Rob - is a major shareholder must also be under considerable pressure, as he can't be seen to be both poacher and gamekeeper in promoting Chapman when he has core-relationships for Andertons with Gibson, Fender, PRS etc. It would seem that Rob moved to Malta some time ago, so I can only assume that relationships with Rabeea and Lee must have been strained. Taking everything in to account, Rabeea would be mad to not capitalise on his success and garner equipment deals from Fender, Gibson, PRS etc. and my guess is that this will be the death-knell for Chapman Guitars, who appear to be winding things down. 2023 accounts are not due out until the end of October but the downward trend is there for all to see.
Yep, Chapman jumped the shark in 2018-19 and that killed the brand stone dead. Too much ego and ambition, not enough decency or loyalty. It could so easily have been so different, Riff City would still be in business, and Chappers would still be the loveable rogue I laughed myself silly at back around 2015...
When Rob left Andertons, it was doomed to happen. We all bought them because of Rob and Cpt Lee and sometimes Rebeah. When they split, Chapman guitars was doomed to fail and especially when I went to being a posh, upmarket brand was way too soon. They're fine, but just another brand without Rob AND Lee or AT LEAST Rabeahr and Lee lost the magic entirely. I don't think a comeback is even possible without Rob and Cpt Lee getting the band back together. That ship had well and truly sailed and the magic has gone. It's just another Chinese guitar brand now with,likely exact clones being rebranded by Chinese manufacturers coming soon. Their time has passed and ists just a downhill slide from here, but on the brightside. Lee probably made a few million pounds off of Chapman for Rebeah.
@@PaulCooksStuff Correct. Also Lee is still co-owner of Chapman guitars with Rob. Rob has never left Andertons because he never worked for Andertons. I don’t know what this comment is about…
The thing is Rob used to pretty good on Andertons and it can't be argued he has a lot of experience with gear etc. But the last few years he appeared there regularly it was like he was just turning up for a cash grab and become unwatchable. I prefer the channel without him tbh.
@@PaulCooksStuff China would probably be better than Indonesia. I watched their Indonesian "factory tour" which was basically talking heads yapping and stuffing their gobs with food, very little of the factory was shown at all, apart from final assembly. Was there something to hide? I've had some dealings with Indonesia being from Australia and it was and is a very corrupt country. I'd be very surprised if at least some of the wood used isn't obtained via dodgy means with false paperwork, that's just their style.
@@Tim_Duran Rob was under contract as an independent marketing and media promoter for Andertons. He pioneered the whole TH-cam guitar thing way back when this platform first started, and he approached Lee with the idea of doing a TH-cam review series at Andertons. Lee agreed, Rob was put on a salary or retained, and the videos initially got put mostly on Rob's channel (there wasn't really much of a thought-through brand strategy), until it was decided that Andertons needed to grow beyond the Chappers and Captain stuff and Andertons TV launched.
Company hasn’t been the same because people don’t see Rob the same anymore. Since the fallout from the KDH video, Whatever you thought of it, Rob’s reaction video did not paint him favourably (something I believe he has since acknowledged and regrets posting that video) but people won’t forget. There was another video in particular where he put the boot in on Reverend guitars and in particular the use of a standard neck plate on their bolt on guitars rather than sculpting it. That left a sour taste in a lot of peoples mouth’s a number of years ago now as it was just uncalled for to be so harsh on a brand. I do feel he was having an off day, but it’s still on TH-cam for posterity. Rob will turn it around, I have nothing but good vibes for him as he has shown growth on a personal level and is willing to learn from his mistakes. He’s just become part owner of two other brands so he can’t be this evil human that some corners of the web would have you believe he is. As for Bea, dude is a total legend, one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and he will go from Strength to strength. A genuine, salt of the earth dude. I seem to say that on many videos regarding him haha.
"He’s just become part owner of two other brands so he can’t be this evil human that some corners of the web would have you believe he is" I'm fairly neutral about my opinion of Rob, so I'm not saying he *is* evil or anything, but that's a massive non sequitur lol. Him starting/becoming part owner/whatever of new companies does not prove or disprove his "evilness".
yeah, his reaction to the KDH video did nothing but harm Rob's reputation and elevate KDH's (Kalen?) channel. IMO acting like a dick is not an accident...it's who you are. We got a glimpse into who Rob really is with that video.
I work in psychology and you nailed it. Tho, start a guitar company requires a strong belief in one’s self. Ie. PRS or Brian Wampler (threw a pedal on stage to Brad Paisley ha) The difference is those guys believed immensely in their product and worked their ass off. Chapman has always been about Rob’s personality…and the support of his friends. After Andertons, he got lazy with his image and let himself go. Then became highly defensive of criticism…and unlikable.
I once checked out a used strat-style Chapman at a local music store up in Northern California. It was merely okay. Basically a decent studio instrument, but it seemed like something that would gather dust instead of being played frequently(by me, anyways). I checked out some others during NAMM and they looked great but didn't have that 'feel' that I look for in a guitar. Rob is the face of the company, and he did a very bad job doing damage control years ago. He has a lot of homework if he wants to help his image and his brand.
I recently got the ML3 Bea Baritone and it's a thing of beauty, plays amazing und sounds very good. QC is top notch, build quality is definitly up there with my schecter and fender which are well above a grand... And the chapman was around 700 bucks! I got mine a few weeks before the announcment that Rabea is leaving, I was very sad about the news but I'm happy I got one for myself before they will end that line of guitars. I definitly know what you mean that they kind of vanished. Around 2017/2018 I was suppper into Chapman Guitars and the whole Andertons TH-cam-verse. I didn't have that much money back then and my dream guitar was always the ML2 Pro in this cool blue faded finish. After Rob started to appear less and less in the videos and it generally got quiter around them and the company I lost interest in Chapman. Just now as I was searching for a good baritone with humbuckers I started digging back into them and the Bea Baritone had all the specs I wanted and looked amazing so I pulled the trigger on it and haven't regret it since!
I think the biggest problem with them outside of Rob being a fairly polarising character is that the guitars just don’t look that exciting or special to me. They just look like standard copies of the classic shapes. Other brands have put their own spin on it (Solar have made slight tweaks to the classic shapes, and have a fairy recognisable headstock) whereas Chapman have just gone with a fret inlay and called it a day
I think their biggest issue at the moment is that they are moving away from their core audience - in my view they were always more budget-friendly but we'll built guitars. They're still mostly an online brand with a younger fan base that doesn't have a spare £3k to blow on a guitar. In my experience, anyone looking for a new guitar in the price range of where they are going is going to be more willing to pull the trigger on a bigger company (Gibson, fender, PRS) or a more boutique brand (suhr etc). If they went back to that more collaboratively designed, guitars for the people attitude, along with more signings they can come back around.
I wouldn’t say they got greedy as such, I think they just wanted to be playing at that top table and got carried away. I understand that they were ambitious but I agree that ppl shopping in the £3k + range only part with that kind of money for the right brand and Chapman don’t have that heritage to sit at that table. Historically it is hard to go from budget to heritage brand
@@adam-yk6yd They definitely got a bit greedy. I bought a ML3 for ~400 bucks and a few month later it was 899. No upgrades, exactly the same classic ML3 just with Pro in the name.
Well, if you remember that video KDH made, it would appear the biggest issue with Chapman guitars would infact be the QC and Rob himself. I'm not going to pretend to understand what all went on. You can venture down that rabbit hole yourself. The brand has been tarnished a bit, and I hope the boys can bring it back to the shiny jewel it once was. All I know for certain is that there are a lot of Chapman guitars that come up for sale on Craigslist and Facebook market place in my area and they all have some issue that wouldn't have passed QC if a shop would have set them up proper before selling. The Chapman brand is direct from the warehouse or factory most of the time. One of those American stores that briefly sold the brand had almost every guitar come back because of some flaw that shouldn't have passed, or they had to do major work to the guitars before selling. This is all documented in the KDH/Chapman rabbit hole I mentioned before. I'm not throwing shade, I'm a fan of Rob, and I wish him the best. I've bought several guitars because he reviewed them, one of which I've had for 10 years now.
Let’s be real here, a huge part of the guitar community (you know…the one buying guitars) basically hate Rob Chapman. Until the name is on the headstock I don’t think they’ll ever get back to what they once had
I own 3 Chappers and from my ML1 standard to my 2 ML3 Pros they have the same build quality and aesthetic. The pickups on the standard aren’t great but it looks and plays the part. To me they’re as well built as any major American or Japanese brand models.
I know that Rabea said in his video on the subject, that he thought long and hard about the issue, but that he doesn’t plan to stop playing his signature Chapman guitars, just that he doesn’t plan on working with the company anymore.
I got my ML3 Trad in 2016 from Riff City. I think they would have done so much better on this side of the pond if they would have stuck with them instead of the major chain they went with later. That chain guitar store totally undersold and downplayed Chapman in favor of the more legacy brands they carry. In Detroit when I went in there to try out the one ML2 they had, I knew more about the guitar then the sales staff. I'm still on the hunt for that MLB DH FF. Was not ready when they announced that #theinternetneedsmoredave .
If you happen to be referring to “that” big name box store for instruments, I am totally not surprised that you knew more then the employees know about their own products. I’ve been to one of the “big box” guitar shops just outside of Detroit also and they weren’t just clueless as far as the gear they were selling. They also didn’t really act like they gave a crap about anything really…it was almost like they could’ve cared less if I bought anything! Ended up going to a smaller shop in Detroit and they were beyond helpful and I bought a JazzMaster Acoustasonic that day. I’ve loved it too, as long as you get one of these without expecting it to be a perfect acoustic or a perfect electric either, and just enjoy it for what it is and the tones you get from it, then it’s a great guitar to just mess around with and see what you can do with it. It was “big boxes” fault for not selling me one…I’m sure they’ll survive, but I’m not spending anything more then a cable worth of money there.
When they started, as most of us know, they would make designs based off of customer polls. That was different. What are they now? Literally another import brand with guitars produced in the same factories as other import brands.
Yo X I think that’s a perfect way to put it and I agree them getting a big artist on the roster would help them a lot. The guitars themselves are great no doubt but they need a big artist. Great video! 👍🏼
Fish for a signature without saying it 😂. But in all seriousness, yea they need a huge boost. I remember when I got big on Rob and Lee and they announced Chapman I was excited, but slightly bummed. Nothing was really “for me”. So I waited and eventually they released a V. While cool, not quite to my taste as I’m picky on V proportions, and it seemed a bit too big in my opinion. They’ve waned over the years and to now come out with a pricey guitar range in the midst of their current reputation is a rough thing. Hopefully they bounce back, I never got into the details of whatever was going on with the internet drama so I’m clueless. That being said, I’m happy for Rabea but that is a huge hit to the company. With their guitars not speaking to me personally, his signature was the only thing I truly loved everything about and seriously considered getting one. Only time will tell.
They need to get them into the hands of some big 'mainstream' artists. Internet 'celebrities' are one thing, but they need to be more than an 'internet brand'.
Ya Rabea leaving chapman guitars was a very big deal for them for sure he is the reason I even know what a chapman guitar was. I have never played a chapman guitar but I would not mind trying one out. I know that Rob chapman has had a lot of controversy around him but like you said none of us were in the room when things happened.
This Decline All Started When Rob Chapman Started Ranting On You Tube About How Big He Was And How Powerful and Rich He Was...Big Mistake Over here in The UK, We Call That An Own Goal.. People Started Blanking The Andertons Videos ...Myself Included.... Nobody Likes an Ego head.
What Chapman needs, and I can’t emphasise this enough, is pickguards. Give me a deluxe telecaster. Give me a standard strat looking guitar but with the chapman headstock and all the modern features.
I think the move to guitar center from Riff City in the states was very shortsighted. Ppl bought into chapman because between the online personalities and crowd-sourcing design origins, it felt like a community, and RC were part of that community. Moving to GC really hit that sense of togetherness that helps push a brand forwards, and that, coupled with some rushed decisions to push into the top price brackets and subsequent PR disasters, undermined the whole brand. Coupled with what I can only assume are now strained relationships between Lee and Rob over gear videos moving to Anderton’s YT channel and the aforementioned bad decisions and PR blunders, I don’t see a way back sadly. It was good while it lasted though and I hope all parties go on to success elsewhere.
I've got a couple of used Chapmans I picked up quite cheap. A ML-2 Classic and a Ghost Fret Pro, both are decent but not worth the new retail price. Particularly when you remember that Schecter, ESP and Solar are using the same Korean and Indonesian factories (just Indonesia in the case of Solar) and are putting out better quality guitars at the same, or sometimes significantly cheaper, price point!
@@Narrowboat.and.offgrid.living How is a guitar (the pro series) that comes with roasted neck, rolled edges, stainless steel frets, seymore duncan pick ups, multiple carves on the body front and back, and locking tuners all for 1000 dollars (give or take a little) a ridiculous price. Thats alot of guitar for the money.
Im guessing you havnt played one of the new pro series. The new pros are not even in the same class as the old pros and are definitely a much better upgraded guitar than the classic series. In the 1000 dollar class i have always thought esp/ltd with there ec1000 series was the best guitar in that price range. but i have to say the new chapman pro series for the same money is just as good. I do own 2 of each and all are excellent guitars at that price point ($1000). I cant comment on any other series from chapman but the pro but i can say that none of those companies are putting out a better guitar at a cheaper price with the same appointments.
If you are not British, might I suggest you watch "Alan Partridge", a comedy character, on TH-cam. Chapman, it seems, is an IRL version of Partridge: at best a buffoon, at worst, he is serious.
Bea’s sig models were the only Chapman’s that appealed to me in any way. Their presence as a brand is definitely gone for sure as you mentioned. I wonder what will come out of the recent merger between Chapman and Guitarmory pickups / Cerberus guitars.
I have 2 of the early Chapmans, ML7T (the 7 string Tele) and one of the Blackout CAP10 (Lee's "signature" that came with Seymour Duncan Jazz/JB) and they are both solid instruments. Won't buy another after the way they basically put Riff City out of business/tossed them aside after Joe and family were the only US dealer to take a chance on Chapman initially. I bought a lot of gear from the Riff City folks and was very sad to see them go under. Best customer experience I've had from a music store.
I personally like the stuff Jericho guitars has been making. Fairly priced to. Clean, and sleek. And from a comment response I got on IG is they may be developing a RD version of their own. Granted it takes A LOT to grow because it takes a lot of online weight to move products and convince people to shell out $$$$ for non major brand gear. Music companies not taking advantage of social media is death. Reason why I went Meinl and left Sabian which sucks. You want to see companies do well but management can be SO detrimental.
Id have to disagree with fairly priced. I ordered a Soul Master from them and for 1700$ the guitar was RIDDLED with quality control issues. It looked more like a back stock with all the problems it had and when I emailed them about the issues their response was to try and pretend most of the issues I sent pictures of didn’t exist. They’re just another generic metal brand. Super flat fretboard and active pickups. For hwat I got id rather buy an LTD or Schecter at half the price with better quality
@@applesauceblues6952 Granted they definitely focus on metal but the prices recently have been around $1200 on sale. Definitely wouldnt buy above that lol. I would also recommend a Schecter or LTD/ Epiphone over them as well. And they do have a risky return policy which is normal for small boutique businesses. Even worse for drums and cymbals which is why I cant go non major brands. We pretty much only play Gibson, Fender, Gretsch and Schecter given the price range vs boutique or “custom”. You at least know what you’re getting. Hence why starting a small instrument business is a nightmare.
More retailers here in the US at least. Guitar Center where they already are is fine for local buying, but their online reputation isn't very good. Places like Sweetwater would be a good choice for selling them online in the US.
Definitely QC issues, particularly on the 2020 pro models. They’re not worth 900+ rrp. That being said if you buy any guitar direct rather than in person you’re taking a huge gamble.
Danish Pete has a signature guitar...... Nice. I will surely check one out once released. Danish Pete is more than adequate to replace Rabae, although I will miss his Baritone model.
How do I put my thoughts? They are going to be kind of scattered. The Chapman brand has always seemed poorly managed, I feel as if Lee Anderton does most of the heavy lifting, in my view Chapman is the house brand for Andertons. In the beginning, it was an interesting idea to have a democratically controlled design process, where most of the specs were put up for a public vote but in the last few years they have gone away from that and have been chasing trends instead of becoming the trendsetters. Almost all the guitars from every brand nowadays all basically have an equilivant of each other offering the same specs competing for the same market space, and Chapman always felt a year behind where the market was. I also think NOT having floor space at NAMM has hurt them in the past few years, at least in regards to public perception, being cheapskates and renting space at a nearby hotel is pretty weak. To me it screams, "we're a budget brand, all were ever going to is a budget brand, if you somehow find us here in the lobby in this random sea of hotels we rented instead of that Denny's down the street, we can show you what we can sell you for cheap." As far as signature artists, it's always felt to me like "Hey buddy, I have a guitar brand, want a signature guitar?" Most companies that offer signature guitars have high end custom shops that build the prototypes for artists, and that is something that Chapman has never been able to get off the ground, not to mention has lied about. Fender, Charvel, Jackson and Ibanez aren't giving the artists mass produced crap, they are giving them primo handmade (and in the case of Ibanez) exclusive work. What incentive would somebody like Guthrie Govan have to jump ship all of a sudden and join Chapman? I also don't see how Fender hasn't sued them for ripping off their headstock shape, if it were Gibson, Chapman guitars would be six feet under the grave by now. Rob Chapman is the biggest detriment to his own brand IMO. He has gotten lazy and it shows. His involvement with the Riff City Guitars debacle doesn't help his image any either.
hey mam, about the QC, I dont know how is it in UK or US but here in europe, I tried about 10-15 chapmans both hight end and low end, all were really badly build and there were awfull finish issues on guitars that are 1000€+ and I am talking huge stuff, I had several harley bentons and none had those type of blemishes or playing issues, and when i compare chapman to the same price category like Ibanez or Schecter... chapmans dont even stand a chance
Why would you buy a Chapman over a Solar, Harley Benton, LTD, Balaguer, Jackson, Charvel, Squier, Fender, Gibson, and or Epiphone? Because you like Rob Chapman. But I, and many others, don’t like Rob Chapman. So there goes the main reason to get one of their guitars. I think that’s their biggest issue.
I used to be a pretty big Chapman fan. These past few years have drained that though, mostly because the lineup guitars has become less interesting and more expensive. They used to be great value, and now they're nothing special.
I wish Chapman was doing better than they love the brand and Rob revitalized my interest in guitar many years ago. Sick colors coming up interested in the pete sig if it's anything like his tele. Wish they were available at long&mcquade in Canada one of the stores here in western Canada was selling B-stock guitars with a finishing error for full price. It was the unicorn finish ghost fret with a natural back instead of the black back like it's supposed to be.
Here in the UK.. a Chapman 'Made in England' guitar is listed a price point of 3.5k... no one is ever going spend that kind of cash on a Chapman when you can get an amazing PRS, Gibson or Fender for the same amount of money.. The Chapman brand just does not have the gravitas to command that price point... you'll just be pissing money down the drain. All the other Chapman guitar ranges are always sold at massive discounts at retailers, including Andertons... sadly this is a brand very much in decline
Thats not true. The high end models they offered a few years ago and are offering now are entirely hand built by experienced luthiers, customizable and have pretty much the same very high end parts the big brands would have. For 3k you wont get a customizable entirely hand made guitar from any of the big brands. Especially when it comes to it being customizable you will easily spend 4-5 k with other brands. And the "re-sell value" of big brands people keep mentioning is by far not as high as you would think. I just sold an American PRS Custom 24 30s anniversary for 1600€ after having it on sale for months and months. I bought that guitar new a few years ago for over 3300€. No one would pay more than what it eventually went for
i think you right, they need someone famous to endorse their guitars. and they should go back to the 'affordable guitar you're meant to customize', which IIRC is how they started out with fan poles and stuff on what people want, but also pushing people doing their own mods. i think Chapman left that behind years ago and decided to go for a more 'premium' guitar, which can be fine, BUT keep around those affordable, customizable guitars for the people who originally got the brand off the ground and new players looking for that as well. there's a hundred million guitar brands out there so the fact Chapman is even still in business after (10?) plus years is impressive. if i were Chappers id also have a beginners guitar bundle. cheap, but decent beginner guitar, with a cheap but beginner amp for like under 200 quid. cause we all know young kids are all about shredding (pretty much), so i think they would be more drawn to a Chapman vs the Eastcoast that I know Andertons put out a while back as a cheap bundle for the holidays. great idea, i just think they should do the same with the chapman. keep Eastcoast as the bottom of the line (my kid wont touch it after x-mas) kinda thing, and for a little bit more if you think Johnny will stick w/ it, or you know he loves metal, than that's where the chapman can fill in a niche. i also wish Andertons would go back to challenges like when Rob was w/ them. i think pete n lee have done a few but Chappers n the Captain have like a hundred different fun videos on the subject.
I owned a chapman for a short time and still don't understand the hype. The only props I can give is they have a somewhat modernized Tele option. To each their own though.
i got a chapman, the bloodred ML one, its ok. nothing exceptional, it was £400, 0 complaints really so cant fault it. just nothing incredible, also you should see i think it was KDH's video on chapman, because he goes into he history of the chapmans line of "custom shop guitars" that they are now bringing back, its kinda weird
rob chapman is into his new guitar villian bad guy persona with his black shirts, dark framed glasses and shaved head........and new line of metal guitars.......aaandthe absurdist moments where he bites unpeeled garlic and fresh broccoli in his recent video. i think its cool
Anything made at WMI in Korea is gonna be good - their low bar is higher than a lot of factories' best. I played (and briefly owned) some of the Indonesian guitars, and they were... well, not better than Squiers, IMO. That's no knock on Indonesian guitars - my Ibanez and Cort guitars are actually my favorites! I sold my Fender and Balaguer because I was only playing thje Cort - but whatever factory they were using was squarely in the IYV/Harley Benton level of product. Earts and Fireflys worked better for me. But yeah, they could be fine still. They just need to make stuff that people want, which shouldn't be too difficult to figure out. Their whole thing initially was crowdsourced design - maybe they should give that another look.
Xander, you say you don’t want to pass judgement but your thumbnail has their logo in a anti- sign and you say Rabea leaving is bad. Seems like a contradiction.
Something no one seems to acknowledge when discussing people leaving is Matt Hornby. He was on several videos for Chapman and Andertons but crucially he was also a part owner of Chapman Guitars - 20%. When he left - for whatever reasons, he sold up to Lee and Rob. Now Lee and Rob own 100% split evenly - albeit only 10% are in their personal names, 40% is in the company who own Andertons shop and 40% is in Rob's Monkey Lord company. (so essentially Lee and Rob). Since Matt leaving, their growth has really slowed down, I'm not sure they ever replaced him with someone driving it as much. Lee seems to be the financial side and the one leading the work with the British workshop series (Rob didn't even know the details in their own promotional video) and Rob's signature is never on any financial docs. I'm sure Lee has and is making money from it, but as soon as that starts to change he'll move for a sale I think - but unless Rob agrees to sell, I don't see another buyer - Gibson et al would want 100%. It will be interesting to see what happens, their money in the bank/debtors/creditors are still active, they'd be out of pocket if they just shut shop today. Pete is popular for the Andertons channel, he's obviously being used to pull people back to the brand. But what's the sig going to be? A vintage style tele in some new colours? Solar do something Chapman doesn't, and that's offer newer tech - you can get an evertune bridge or fluence pups etc, Chapman offers what is the best margin while trying to follow Harley Benton - but you're actually paying a premium for a Chapman guitar and that feels mad. There's nothing on a Chapman you don't get anywhere else for less. I think the QC issues they had was part of their save money model, no distributors just rely on the shops to solve any issues - we saw that's what caused some smaller stores to stop selling them. The wait time and support just wasn't there. So if it left the factory with a fault, often it ended up in the hands of the customer. They don't have their own factories but their cost saving measures arguably did cause these issues. If you bought in the UK, Andertons did used to inspect them in the early days. I don't know now, but yeah, no one in Chapman is a luthier and designing stuff, modify a shape, stick their name on copied hardware, bang - out the door. Too much competition for this now, several companies doing the same for less.
I think you overlooked the financial part a tad. The guitars are not really a good deal and have horrible resale value. If you could gamble on a Chapman or a Charvel what would you choose? Etc.
My issue is that those who are no longer fans very likely don't trust the brand. There's been quite a few competitions that I took part in where I couldn't find out who actually won. It was never announced as far as I could see. Then Rob's drive to market his products and himself have overtaken much of what endeared me to the brand in the beginning. This being a good guitar for an affordable price. Now suddenly the standard range is no longer available and the reason most likely is that they probably make more on the high end lines and it's just not worth it to push out a standard model. They also hype up their guitars to give the impression there is a high demand, which when it appears to be false and Rob showing off his luxury life further paints them in the light of having become disconnected from the relatable image of being approachable every day working musicians.
Sold my Chapman after Rob was outed as a bully, I don't think I am alone in thinking that any goodwill the brand had has been wrecked by the namesakes behavior.
I myself have never played a Chapman guitar. I've seen & heard good along with bad reviews on certain models. One feature that has been mentioned alot is the location of the volume, tone, pick-up switch. If anyone can clarify if this is BS or something that needs to be brought to Rob's attention.
I don't like Anderton's, I don't like Rabea. But I just got a ML3 and it's a good guitar, the quality is up there with any guitar that isn't made in US or Japan.
I don't think Chapman can back their artists like a bigger brand can. Rabea and rob scallon have so much potential to make big $$ with their advertising with bigger brands and I feel like Chapman wasn't able to really able to help their artists grow like a bigger brand.
What's the artist and customer service like at Chapman Guitars? If an artist is playing a show in Europe, or somewhere, and they need a replacement guitar for whatever reason, would Chapman Guitars be able to deliver the goods?
I've seen a couple of very nicely priced second hand Chapman models recently, one being Bea's model. Looks great, and I bet is sounds and plays like a dream, but I just don't see me playing a Chapman guitar in public. The name is tainted by Rob's online persona. As for their custom shop models, at £3,500 and up, I don't see who would buy one? There's a shed-load of amazing guitars out there for that price. Personally, if I had that sort of money, I'd buy two cheaper guitars :D
I bought an ML1 a few years ago and sent it straight back due to the poor quality. One of their guitar techs got back to me saying that the fingerboard was the worse dried up one he'd seen. They fixed it and sent it back with a decent setup. 14 months later the pickup selector switch failed, I hadn't gigged it or played it that much, but they wouldn't repair it. Well they would if I paid them. I bought a new switch, fitted it myself and sold the axe on eBay. Over hyped and under supported for aftersales. I won't be buying anything from them anytime soon. "Once bitten twice shy babe"
Rob's too cheap to pay a popular TH-camr, not happening. He probably promised his endorsers some sort of "commission basis" and no upfront signing bonus. His guitars were tanking so no surprise here, Scallion has jumped to SCHECTER and I won't be surprised if Rabea hops to LTD, YAMAHA or even Schecter. I am seeing absolutely NO FUTURE for this company other than to sink deeper in the next coming months. When Karma hits you, there's literally no escape
I'm calling it now, Rabea is going to Cerberus, something Chapman is owner of. It's a natural move forward with a more signature guitar instead of a tele clone.
thats bs marketing, and above all illegal. Promoting guitars for free, near the namm show, taking advantage of it, is prohibited, according to the namm's terms and conditions.. Then its disrispectful to all the brands and people who pay to display their brands at the namm show
Yes Gibson are killing it ...mainly killing smaller guitar companies with lawsuits. Chapman just went bad, they will probably disappear like Rob kinda disappeared from TH-cam-land. It's always sad when a guitar company disappears because a healthy market lives from different choices and competition but yea times change.
I've been playing for over 35 years and like to try different guitars by different brands as and when I can, but, I've never felt the urge to try one of theirs for possibly a variety of reasons. From the beginning it always felt like a bit of a con in that the marketing was always front and centre in the videos from Andertons and I hate a hard sell approach, no matter the chemistry of those doing the presenting. There didn't seem to enough intrinsic value in the instruments designs or concepts to stand out from the crowded market place either. I think the only exception to this was the model with the limited edition JB bridge humbuckers, harking back to a more eighties rock heritage. Otherwise they do come across as guitars built for a budget niche as opposed to a recognised trend or need for players per se. The loss of Rabea as a brand ambassador is a significant loss. They should have made him a partner in the business rather than letting him go. Obviously these are just my personal feelings on the topic but I do hope they continue and perhaps spread their wings and provide a more diverse range of instruments that reflect the personalities of players of differing genres rather than being so Djent or Metal pitched overall. The Tele/Strat/Gibson LP derivatives have been done to death by everyone. Time for a change in direction for my money. Easy for me to say of course! Plus another observation, in the UK as a 'tribe' we have a tendency to support the underdog and at some point the projection of success from Mr R C became a little distracting and unpalatable. I know it's a crazy thing to say or acknowledge but I believe it's true. The PRS ultra in your face marketing tone doesn't necessarily sit well with a UK audience in my view. Anyway for the sake of the staff, the manufacturer and all those dependent on the success of Chapman guitars I hope I'm proved wrong as I do respect what they've collectively achieved, it can't have been easy.
Probably going to go under. I know youtube creators gotta stay friendly with eachother and all but I'd bet behind the scenes everyones got a bad taste and probably are hesitant to do business with the company anymore. They COULD get some big signature artists but CAN they? WILL they? Can they pull a heavy hitter? In my opinion most likely not. The void of chapman is filled by solar in a way at this point. Two huge youtube creators with wildly different personalities. Who'd imagine the cocky, loud mouthed, condescending, manipulator would be surpassed in public perception by the swede who burps and chugs everything he can touch? lol great video
@@metalpuppet5798 I didn't say anything about drama between the two, I said people were possibly hesitant to robs company. Regardless of whether everything KDH PROVED is enough to satisfy you, everthing rob has done is completely open for you to see for yourself and chapman guitars is slowly unraveling because of it.
@@chuckplainview4085 KDH hasnt proved one single thing. Oh wait...he has. He has proved that hes a clout chasing money hungry inconsiderate twat! Everything he said about Rob is either not proven or a blatant lie
Honestly when Chappers moved away and stopped the vids in Andertons on a regular the whole thing kinda dropped off.. I have an ML3 pro Orange sparkle and love the damn thing . Sad to see artists moving on regardless…
Yep, Chappers and the Captain was the energy that gave them the opportunity. People love to support people they like. Rob playing Metallica riffs on a Gretsch semi-hollow and hamming it up with wonky pedals while wearing black-out goggles was the peak of his career. He left it behind and became more known for huge gaffs that started rubbing everyone the wrong way. The product is OK, but doesn't really sell itself, and the landscape is crowded with other options made at the same factories.
Rabea is a creative guy, amazing player and it must be hard to spread your wings creatively when tied to a brand. I expect he did not renew his contract or his name to products to pursue other challenges.
@@BeerandGuitars let me laugh even harder, you're killing me. So you must be all about corona light and first act guitars. I had amazing piece of toast today followed by an amazing cup of coffee.
@@BeerandGuitars Jeff Beck. You know the drill Hendrix, Page, Buckethead, Chet Atkins, John 5, Jimmy Herring, Robin Trower, Eddie Van Halen and the yong brothers(acdc) and many others. Mostly I went well with known. Obviously you don't have to be on these guys level to be called amazing, but you need to at least have some moments. All of this is my opinion though no wrong or right.
I think they make decent instruments, I just feel like Rob has a bit of a habit of promising things that they probably haven't set in stone or can't really deliver on and then kinda just going off the grid when people want answers. I understand there's a lot of moving parts in these kinds of industries but no one likes to feel like they're being strung along so I feel like they've damaged themselves a bit in that sense, not to mention some of Rob's other controversies (regardless of what the truth was) knocking the brand. Kinda strikes me a bit like Elon Musk and Tesla at the moment, I feel like he's definitely a big personality and the face of the brand but he's also not exactly doing the brand many favours of late.
only tried a couple of Chapmans at guitar shows and tbh I wasn't impressed especially for the price point, at one show I ended getting an Ibanez instead and the price was the same on both guitars and a whole world of difference in quality, but if Rob wants to send me one to demo I'd be more than happy too, but I will give my honest opinion haha
They just don’t standout in any way for me and I used to be a big Chapman and Andertons fan and that has waned over the years. I still tune into Andertons from time to time but Rob kind of lost me as a fan with his behavior the last few years.
AnderTons
I feel precisely the same way
@@billymurphy3 clearly not THAT big of a fan lol
Auto correct lmao
@@brandonbryson3317 haha we’re just having fun with ya bro. I’d guessed that to be the case.
No artists, no luthiers among the team, no offices and no production site. It’s gonna be hard to relaunch a brand that’s just outsourcing specs to a manufacturer. A brand based on one’s personality is a difficult endeavor. Good luck to them I say. Hopefully all works out.
On top of that most people who watched the Andertons never really liked Rob Chapman...The unmatured Peter Pan of the guitar...
Luthiers do not mean a hill of shit in the manufacture of solid body electric guitars, PERIOD. There wasn't a single luthier involved in the Telecaster or Stratocaster. The Les Paul was made by... LES PAUL originally.He had the final say on what a Les Paul was, or would never be. All Chapman needs to do is produce great guitars, first. Second, he has to make guitars in the 21st century, and embrace tech advances, whether it's new transducers, wood treatment, materials, hardware, and the basic physics and mechanics of the solid body guitar.
If it's gonna be the "same old, same old", just the highest of quality in the same old package, sure, he'll get some buyers, but there are already big companies doing that with $4000 guitars. Without breaking some eggs, and a lot of new ground, he'll have to decide if he's okay with a small shop for UK-produced, and another to produce budget, or if he is able to risk EVERYTHING
"No artists, no luthiers among the team, no offices and no production site." - You just described how Solar Guitars are being made. But it's not a problem. The only thing is, Chapman have an image problem that is Mr. Chapman. E.g. Rob Scallon also dropped off the roster being endorsed by Schecter now.
@@michaelcarey9359 There's plenty of information proving Les Paul didn't "make" the Les Paul guitar originally. He claimed the credit by not admitting that fact when questioned.
@@michaelcarey9359 Les Paul had absolutely nothing to do with the design of the single-cut arch-top. It was all Ted McCarty's work. Like Leo Fender and Seth Lover, McCarty was not a musician, he was a craftsman, designer and engineer.
I completely understand if I come across as petty and childish in saying this but, the whole drama with Rob a couple years ago still runs me the complete wrong way and turn me off of the brand forever. Not to say the guitars are bad I'm sure they are great, it's just he himself comes across as arrogant and annoying
“If it wasn’t for those meddling kids, sorry, KDH , I would have got away with this”. Rob Chapman.
I agree with your take. I never fully understood the hate. A TH-camr put out a negative video, Rob responded in a defensive manner, like most of us would and the guitar community lost their minds. I own a number of Chapman's. They are my favorite guitars I've played. I have personally had more qc issues with the big brands. But I hope they do well. I don't know Rob, and I don't know the business deals and I'm assuming most who are bashing him don't either.
" I have personally had more qc issues with the big brands"
The "big brands " that make guitars in Indonesia, and South Korea, have them built in the same factories that Chapman does. They are made by Cort for those brands. The difference is the way brands like ESP/LTD, Schecter, and other respectable brands treat their customers. They don't insult them, and make excuses for their QC issues like Chapman has. They take care of their customers, and treat them with respect. For the price LTD's and Schecters, are better spec'd, and the customer service is leagues better, especially if you are in the US. What "big brands" did you have QC issues with?
I’ve had minimal interaction with Chapman guitars as a company, but I did purchase a thinline ML3 used a while ago, and it’s an amazing guitar. I’ve played other Chapman guitars, and they haven’t resonated with me as much, but they have all been nice guitars. Hopefully they can keep the quality up through this transition.
I recently bought a Chapman ML1 Baritone and it's one of the best feeling guitars I've ever played
@@eded9202 Yep.
Same here
Same, ml3 BEA bari and it needed fret ends done and a mild setup. Once done, it’s now one of my favorite guitars
I love my ghost fret, plays great well built. I think that people’s dislike of Chapman guitars, centers around a general dislike of Rob Chapman, the person, & it’s being projected onto the guitars
He is massively unlikeable person though
Agreed. I just bought a new Chapman, and plan on another one down the line as well as a Solar. But they could use a better online presence to showcase them a bit more and keep them in the limelight and stay more relevant.
Or you could use a brain. Either way.
Rob himself isn't pushing content like he used to. I don't know how he's earning a living, but the days of a fresh video from him every day are long gone. Now down to one every two weeks at most, and the view counts are nowhere near what they used to be. He's done and the company is close to done too.
This company is so greasy, I think they'll struggle to attract big name artists. The negative PR follows this company around like a stink cloud.
Rob tarnished the name of the company honestly. I still love Andertons and Bea but Rob really ruined the companies reputation. If he had called them anything else they probably would have been fine.
doesn't help that Rob is basically a real life Jackie Daytona, regular human bar tender 🤣 dude's a caricature
the only thing rob chapman could do to get his name off the guitars he sells, to try to get the people forget the kdh/riff city/"online power"/etc etc stuff.., was to buy another brand and sell those guitars for his own profit which he did recently, he became the owner of the Cerberus guitars brand and guitarmony pickups... will his huge ego prevent him from ruining that other brand ? will he manage to remain discreet, behind the light, during the next namms/etc.. ? we will see, lol..
@@eded9202 Chapman is also co-owned by Andertons
@Ed Ed I had no idea he took those brands over. I dunno if that will be a good thing..
Chapman isn't really my thing, im more interested in ESP and Schecter.
BUT, i want to see good guitar companies succeed. I know about their reported QC issues, not a fan of Rob's behaviour in the past. But i've also heard people say good things about their Chapmans. Maybe a Chapman is someone's favourite guitar and that's cool for that person.
Im indifferent, they have some potential and i hope they don't set the bar too high.
Good on you for giving a look on both the good and bad and giving ideas about where Chapman could go. Really appreciate the positivity my dude
I think the problem with Chapman guitars is, Rob. He comes across all wrong . I think he needs to step back and let someone else be the face of Chapman. I had a ML2, loved it. I ended up swapping for a thinline Tele, love that more.
Unfortunately for Rob and Chapman as a Brand is that "old school" Rob and his apparent "charm" doesn't really exist for a lot of people now. He comes across as disingenuous after all the BS. TBH, I think he's doing it best by staying away from YT and social Media all together. I don't think too many people miss him online.
I got a ML1 special with Seymour Duncans last year and I love it. Great build quality, great playability, great tone, great looks.
I’ve played 3 different Chapman guitars and they were God awful…terrible fretwork…felt cheap
@@Narrowboat.and.offgrid.living
Doesn't count much if you want to play the guitar.
@@eded9202 We get it, dude. You hate Rob. Try contributing something instead of the same comment on every post.
@@cmc_96 how do you contribute? investigating others?
I had 2 for a bit. Original Korean ml3, 2nd run Indonesian ml1. Decent guitars but overall nothing special.
Interesting video. I live in the UK and whilst I haven't ever owned a Chapman guitar I've watched the development of the brand, which appears to have been inextricably linked to Rob Chapman, his relationship with Captain Lee Anderton and Rob's talented protege Rabeea, 6-8 years ago. Undoubtedly Rob's moving - or being removed - away from the Anderton's channel together with his YT activity and fallout with Riff City Guitars has damaged the brand.
A look at Chapman Guitars Ltd's company accounts which currently cover the period to February 2022, would indicate may be a 50-60% fall in sales over the past three years... and the growth in more powerful competitors such as PRS (SE line) and Harley Benton hitting the same SE Asian manufacturers will have impacted them, driving up quality (PRS) and driving down retail prices (Harley Benton). Lee Anderton - who along with Rob - is a major shareholder must also be under considerable pressure, as he can't be seen to be both poacher and gamekeeper in promoting Chapman when he has core-relationships for Andertons with Gibson, Fender, PRS etc. It would seem that Rob moved to Malta some time ago, so I can only assume that relationships with Rabeea and Lee must have been strained.
Taking everything in to account, Rabeea would be mad to not capitalise on his success and garner equipment deals from Fender, Gibson, PRS etc. and my guess is that this will be the death-knell for Chapman Guitars, who appear to be winding things down. 2023 accounts are not due out until the end of October but the downward trend is there for all to see.
Interesting comment thanks for posting
Yep, Chapman jumped the shark in 2018-19 and that killed the brand stone dead. Too much ego and ambition, not enough decency or loyalty. It could so easily have been so different, Riff City would still be in business, and Chappers would still be the loveable rogue I laughed myself silly at back around 2015...
When Rob left Andertons, it was doomed to happen. We all bought them because of Rob and Cpt Lee and sometimes Rebeah. When they split, Chapman guitars was doomed to fail and especially when I went to being a posh, upmarket brand was way too soon. They're fine, but just another brand without Rob AND Lee or AT LEAST Rabeahr and Lee lost the magic entirely. I don't think a comeback is even possible without Rob and Cpt Lee getting the band back together. That ship had well and truly sailed and the magic has gone. It's just another Chinese guitar brand now with,likely exact clones being rebranded by Chinese manufacturers coming soon. Their time has passed and ists just a downhill slide from here, but on the brightside. Lee probably made a few million pounds off of Chapman for Rebeah.
Pro series are made at WMI in Korea. Standard series in Indonesia. Nothing in China.
@@PaulCooksStuff Correct. Also Lee is still co-owner of Chapman guitars with Rob. Rob has never left Andertons because he never worked for Andertons. I don’t know what this comment is about…
The thing is Rob used to pretty good on Andertons and it can't be argued he has a lot of experience with gear etc. But the last few years he appeared there regularly it was like he was just turning up for a cash grab and become unwatchable. I prefer the channel without him tbh.
@@PaulCooksStuff China would probably be better than Indonesia. I watched their Indonesian "factory tour" which was basically talking heads yapping and stuffing their gobs with food, very little of the factory was shown at all, apart from final assembly. Was there something to hide? I've had some dealings with Indonesia being from Australia and it was and is a very corrupt country. I'd be very surprised if at least some of the wood used isn't obtained via dodgy means with false paperwork, that's just their style.
@@Tim_Duran Rob was under contract as an independent marketing and media promoter for Andertons. He pioneered the whole TH-cam guitar thing way back when this platform first started, and he approached Lee with the idea of doing a TH-cam review series at Andertons. Lee agreed, Rob was put on a salary or retained, and the videos initially got put mostly on Rob's channel (there wasn't really much of a thought-through brand strategy), until it was decided that Andertons needed to grow beyond the Chappers and Captain stuff and Andertons TV launched.
Company hasn’t been the same because people don’t see Rob the same anymore. Since the fallout from the KDH video, Whatever you thought of it, Rob’s reaction video did not paint him favourably (something I believe he has since acknowledged and regrets posting that video) but people won’t forget. There was another video in particular where he put the boot in on Reverend guitars and in particular the use of a standard neck plate on their bolt on guitars rather than sculpting it. That left a sour taste in a lot of peoples mouth’s a number of years ago now as it was just uncalled for to be so harsh on a brand. I do feel he was having an off day, but it’s still on TH-cam for posterity. Rob will turn it around, I have nothing but good vibes for him as he has shown growth on a personal level and is willing to learn from his mistakes. He’s just become part owner of two other brands so he can’t be this evil human that some corners of the web would have you believe he is.
As for Bea, dude is a total legend, one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and he will go from Strength to strength. A genuine, salt of the earth dude. I seem to say that on many videos regarding him haha.
"He’s just become part owner of two other brands so he can’t be this evil human that some corners of the web would have you believe he is"
I'm fairly neutral about my opinion of Rob, so I'm not saying he *is* evil or anything, but that's a massive non sequitur lol. Him starting/becoming part owner/whatever of new companies does not prove or disprove his "evilness".
yeah, his reaction to the KDH video did nothing but harm Rob's reputation and elevate KDH's (Kalen?) channel.
IMO acting like a dick is not an accident...it's who you are. We got a glimpse into who Rob really is with that video.
@@Andrew_182 that’s true, I perhaps should have worded it differently.
@@SEugeniusz far from ideal for many reasons, I agree.
So you two should get a room!
Chapman being a complete narcissist probably hasn’t helped.
I work in psychology and you nailed it. Tho, start a guitar company requires a strong belief in one’s self. Ie. PRS or Brian Wampler (threw a pedal on stage to Brad Paisley ha)
The difference is those guys believed immensely in their product and worked their ass off. Chapman has always been about Rob’s personality…and the support of his friends. After Andertons, he got lazy with his image and let himself go. Then became highly defensive of criticism…and unlikable.
I once checked out a used strat-style Chapman at a local music store up in Northern California. It was merely okay. Basically a decent studio instrument, but it seemed like something that would gather dust instead of being played frequently(by me, anyways). I checked out some others during NAMM and they looked great but didn't have that 'feel' that I look for in a guitar. Rob is the face of the company, and he did a very bad job doing damage control years ago. He has a lot of homework if he wants to help his image and his brand.
I recently got the ML3 Bea Baritone and it's a thing of beauty, plays amazing und sounds very good. QC is top notch, build quality is definitly up there with my schecter and fender which are well above a grand... And the chapman was around 700 bucks! I got mine a few weeks before the announcment that Rabea is leaving, I was very sad about the news but I'm happy I got one for myself before they will end that line of guitars.
I definitly know what you mean that they kind of vanished. Around 2017/2018 I was suppper into Chapman Guitars and the whole Andertons TH-cam-verse. I didn't have that much money back then and my dream guitar was always the ML2 Pro in this cool blue faded finish. After Rob started to appear less and less in the videos and it generally got quiter around them and the company I lost interest in Chapman.
Just now as I was searching for a good baritone with humbuckers I started digging back into them and the Bea Baritone had all the specs I wanted and looked amazing so I pulled the trigger on it and haven't regret it since!
Pretty sure people just don’t like Rob, not a like able person like Ola, that’s why solar is popular and has been since the start.
I think the biggest problem with them outside of Rob being a fairly polarising character is that the guitars just don’t look that exciting or special to me. They just look like standard copies of the classic shapes. Other brands have put their own spin on it (Solar have made slight tweaks to the classic shapes, and have a fairy recognisable headstock) whereas Chapman have just gone with a fret inlay and called it a day
ola is a cool dude unlike rc and his guitar shapes are interesting. I would buy solar but never chapman which is associated with insecure person.
I think their biggest issue at the moment is that they are moving away from their core audience - in my view they were always more budget-friendly but we'll built guitars. They're still mostly an online brand with a younger fan base that doesn't have a spare £3k to blow on a guitar. In my experience, anyone looking for a new guitar in the price range of where they are going is going to be more willing to pull the trigger on a bigger company (Gibson, fender, PRS) or a more boutique brand (suhr etc).
If they went back to that more collaboratively designed, guitars for the people attitude, along with more signings they can come back around.
I wouldn’t say they got greedy as such, I think they just wanted to be playing at that top table and got carried away. I understand that they were ambitious but I agree that ppl shopping in the £3k + range only part with that kind of money for the right brand and Chapman don’t have that heritage to sit at that table. Historically it is hard to go from budget to heritage brand
@@adam-yk6yd They definitely got a bit greedy. I bought a ML3 for ~400 bucks and a few month later it was 899. No upgrades, exactly the same classic ML3 just with Pro in the name.
I saw your channel for the first time today, you're probably the most wholesome metal guitar dude on TH-cam :)
Signature guitars for an Anderson's employee, Danish Pete, and an Italian nobody heard of. That's me convinced!
That Italian is from Lacuna Coil, a well-know European gothic metal band. If you don't know them, you live in another planet...
Well, if you remember that video KDH made, it would appear the biggest issue with Chapman guitars would infact be the QC and Rob himself. I'm not going to pretend to understand what all went on. You can venture down that rabbit hole yourself. The brand has been tarnished a bit, and I hope the boys can bring it back to the shiny jewel it once was. All I know for certain is that there are a lot of Chapman guitars that come up for sale on Craigslist and Facebook market place in my area and they all have some issue that wouldn't have passed QC if a shop would have set them up proper before selling. The Chapman brand is direct from the warehouse or factory most of the time. One of those American stores that briefly sold the brand had almost every guitar come back because of some flaw that shouldn't have passed, or they had to do major work to the guitars before selling. This is all documented in the KDH/Chapman rabbit hole I mentioned before. I'm not throwing shade, I'm a fan of Rob, and I wish him the best. I've bought several guitars because he reviewed them, one of which I've had for 10 years now.
Change is just to grow. Much success to Rabea's future.
I agree,,,10 years is plenty,,,,wow...change is a must,,,move the fuck on...DooooooD!.🎸🎸
Let’s be real here, a huge part of the guitar community (you know…the one buying guitars) basically hate Rob Chapman. Until the name is on the headstock I don’t think they’ll ever get back to what they once had
I own 3 Chappers and from my ML1 standard to my 2 ML3 Pros they have the same build quality and aesthetic. The pickups on the standard aren’t great but it looks and plays the part. To me they’re as well built as any major American or Japanese brand models.
I know that Rabea said in his video on the subject, that he thought long and hard about the issue, but that he doesn’t plan to stop playing his signature Chapman guitars, just that he doesn’t plan on working with the company anymore.
I got my ML3 Trad in 2016 from Riff City. I think they would have done so much better on this side of the pond if they would have stuck with them instead of the major chain they went with later. That chain guitar store totally undersold and downplayed Chapman in favor of the more legacy brands they carry. In Detroit when I went in there to try out the one ML2 they had, I knew more about the guitar then the sales staff. I'm still on the hunt for that MLB DH FF. Was not ready when they announced that #theinternetneedsmoredave .
If you happen to be referring to “that” big name box store for instruments, I am totally not surprised that you knew more then the employees know about their own products. I’ve been to one of the “big box” guitar shops just outside of Detroit also and they weren’t just clueless as far as the gear they were selling. They also didn’t really act like they gave a crap about anything really…it was almost like they could’ve cared less if I bought anything!
Ended up going to a smaller shop in Detroit and they were beyond helpful and I bought a JazzMaster Acoustasonic that day. I’ve loved it too, as long as you get one of these without expecting it to be a perfect acoustic or a perfect electric either, and just enjoy it for what it is and the tones you get from it, then it’s a great guitar to just mess around with and see what you can do with it.
It was “big boxes” fault for not selling me one…I’m sure they’ll survive, but I’m not spending anything more then a cable worth of money there.
When they started, as most of us know, they would make designs based off of customer polls. That was different. What are they now? Literally another import brand with guitars produced in the same factories as other import brands.
As soon as the Danish Pete Sig comes out, I’m getting one.
Yo X I think that’s a perfect way to put it and I agree them getting a big artist on the roster would help them a lot. The guitars themselves are great no doubt but they need a big artist. Great video! 👍🏼
Fish for a signature without saying it 😂. But in all seriousness, yea they need a huge boost. I remember when I got big on Rob and Lee and they announced Chapman I was excited, but slightly bummed. Nothing was really “for me”. So I waited and eventually they released a V. While cool, not quite to my taste as I’m picky on V proportions, and it seemed a bit too big in my opinion. They’ve waned over the years and to now come out with a pricey guitar range in the midst of their current reputation is a rough thing. Hopefully they bounce back, I never got into the details of whatever was going on with the internet drama so I’m clueless. That being said, I’m happy for Rabea but that is a huge hit to the company. With their guitars not speaking to me personally, his signature was the only thing I truly loved everything about and seriously considered getting one. Only time will tell.
They need to get them into the hands of some big 'mainstream' artists. Internet 'celebrities' are one thing, but they need to be more than an 'internet brand'.
You are light,Ray. Love the channel
Ya Rabea leaving chapman guitars was a very big deal for them for sure he is the reason I even know what a chapman guitar was. I have never played a chapman guitar but I would not mind trying one out. I know that Rob chapman has had a lot of controversy around him but like you said none of us were in the room when things happened.
If they make a V shaped guitar, I'll definitely check one out
Chapman MLV
@@mexicolacola thanks! Just checked it out and I think it's quite good looking:D
I wouldn’t touch anything rob chapman sells with a barge pole
The Chris Robertson PRS SE was pretty cool. Interested to see what they’ll do.
Have you heard about the new SE models? PRS is about to bring the guitar players realm by a storm. 😳
This Decline All Started When Rob Chapman Started Ranting On You Tube About How Big He Was And How Powerful and Rich He Was...Big Mistake Over here in The UK, We Call That An Own Goal.. People Started Blanking The Andertons Videos ...Myself Included.... Nobody Likes an Ego head.
What Chapman needs, and I can’t emphasise this enough, is pickguards. Give me a deluxe telecaster. Give me a standard strat looking guitar but with the chapman headstock and all the modern features.
I think the move to guitar center from Riff City in the states was very shortsighted. Ppl bought into chapman because between the online personalities and crowd-sourcing design origins, it felt like a community, and RC were part of that community. Moving to GC really hit that sense of togetherness that helps push a brand forwards, and that, coupled with some rushed decisions to push into the top price brackets and subsequent PR disasters, undermined the whole brand. Coupled with what I can only assume are now strained relationships between Lee and Rob over gear videos moving to Anderton’s YT channel and the aforementioned bad decisions and PR blunders, I don’t see a way back sadly. It was good while it lasted though and I hope all parties go on to success elsewhere.
I've got a couple of used Chapmans I picked up quite cheap. A ML-2 Classic and a Ghost Fret Pro, both are decent but not worth the new retail price. Particularly when you remember that Schecter, ESP and Solar are using the same Korean and Indonesian factories (just Indonesia in the case of Solar) and are putting out better quality guitars at the same, or sometimes significantly cheaper, price point!
@@Narrowboat.and.offgrid.living How is a guitar (the pro series) that comes with roasted neck, rolled edges, stainless steel frets, seymore duncan pick ups, multiple carves on the body front and back, and locking tuners all for 1000 dollars (give or take a little) a ridiculous price. Thats alot of guitar for the money.
Im guessing you havnt played one of the new pro series. The new pros are not even in the same class as the old pros and are definitely a much better upgraded guitar than the classic series. In the 1000 dollar class i have always thought esp/ltd with there ec1000 series was the best guitar in that price range. but i have to say the new chapman pro series for the same money is just as good. I do own 2 of each and all are excellent guitars at that price point ($1000). I cant comment on any other series from chapman but the pro but i can say that none of those companies are putting out a better guitar at a cheaper price with the same appointments.
If you are not British, might I suggest you watch "Alan Partridge", a comedy character, on TH-cam. Chapman, it seems, is an IRL version of Partridge: at best a buffoon, at worst, he is serious.
Bea’s sig models were the only Chapman’s that appealed to me in any way.
Their presence as a brand is definitely gone for sure as you mentioned. I wonder what will come out of the recent merger between Chapman and Guitarmory pickups / Cerberus guitars.
Me 2
I have 2 of the early Chapmans, ML7T (the 7 string Tele) and one of the Blackout CAP10 (Lee's "signature" that came with Seymour Duncan Jazz/JB) and they are both solid instruments. Won't buy another after the way they basically put Riff City out of business/tossed them aside after Joe and family were the only US dealer to take a chance on Chapman initially. I bought a lot of gear from the Riff City folks and was very sad to see them go under. Best customer experience I've had from a music store.
I personally like the stuff Jericho guitars has been making. Fairly priced to. Clean, and sleek. And from a comment response I got on IG is they may be developing a RD version of their own. Granted it takes A LOT to grow because it takes a lot of online weight to move products and convince people to shell out $$$$ for non major brand gear. Music companies not taking advantage of social media is death. Reason why I went Meinl and left Sabian which sucks. You want to see companies do well but management can be SO detrimental.
Id have to disagree with fairly priced. I ordered a Soul Master from them and for 1700$ the guitar was RIDDLED with quality control issues. It looked more like a back stock with all the problems it had and when I emailed them about the issues their response was to try and pretend most of the issues I sent pictures of didn’t exist.
They’re just another generic metal brand. Super flat fretboard and active pickups. For hwat I got id rather buy an LTD or Schecter at half the price with better quality
@@applesauceblues6952 Granted they definitely focus on metal but the prices recently have been around $1200 on sale. Definitely wouldnt buy above that lol. I would also recommend a Schecter or LTD/ Epiphone over them as well. And they do have a risky return policy which is normal for small boutique businesses. Even worse for drums and cymbals which is why I cant go non major brands. We pretty much only play Gibson, Fender, Gretsch and Schecter given the price range vs boutique or “custom”. You at least know what you’re getting. Hence why starting a small instrument business is a nightmare.
More retailers here in the US at least. Guitar Center where they already are is fine for local buying, but their online reputation isn't very good. Places like Sweetwater would be a good choice for selling them online in the US.
Never played a Chapman, but I have a feeling Chapman played everybody
Definitely QC issues, particularly on the 2020 pro models. They’re not worth 900+ rrp. That being said if you buy any guitar direct rather than in person you’re taking a huge gamble.
Damn, first they lost Rob Scallon and now Rabea.
Got a feeling Lee would cut ties if he could
Danish Pete has a signature guitar...... Nice. I will surely check one out once released. Danish Pete is more than adequate to replace Rabae, although I will miss his Baritone model.
Pete doesn’t have the following though. He’s a much more traditional player. Rabea because his own brand, basically and appealed the younger players.
Rabea wasn't exactly a huge name but Danish Pete is a nobody.
My Korean made ML3-RC and ML-7 s are the best guitars I ever played
How do I put my thoughts? They are going to be kind of scattered. The Chapman brand has always seemed poorly managed, I feel as if Lee Anderton does most of the heavy lifting, in my view Chapman is the house brand for Andertons. In the beginning, it was an interesting idea to have a democratically controlled design process, where most of the specs were put up for a public vote but in the last few years they have gone away from that and have been chasing trends instead of becoming the trendsetters. Almost all the guitars from every brand nowadays all basically have an equilivant of each other offering the same specs competing for the same market space, and Chapman always felt a year behind where the market was. I also think NOT having floor space at NAMM has hurt them in the past few years, at least in regards to public perception, being cheapskates and renting space at a nearby hotel is pretty weak. To me it screams, "we're a budget brand, all were ever going to is a budget brand, if you somehow find us here in the lobby in this random sea of hotels we rented instead of that Denny's down the street, we can show you what we can sell you for cheap." As far as signature artists, it's always felt to me like "Hey buddy, I have a guitar brand, want a signature guitar?" Most companies that offer signature guitars have high end custom shops that build the prototypes for artists, and that is something that Chapman has never been able to get off the ground, not to mention has lied about. Fender, Charvel, Jackson and Ibanez aren't giving the artists mass produced crap, they are giving them primo handmade (and in the case of Ibanez) exclusive work. What incentive would somebody like Guthrie Govan have to jump ship all of a sudden and join Chapman? I also don't see how Fender hasn't sued them for ripping off their headstock shape, if it were Gibson, Chapman guitars would be six feet under the grave by now. Rob Chapman is the biggest detriment to his own brand IMO. He has gotten lazy and it shows. His involvement with the Riff City Guitars debacle doesn't help his image any either.
I have a ML3 Pro Traditional semi-hollow. Made in Korea. And it's perfect. Best guitar I own.
hey mam, about the QC, I dont know how is it in UK or US but here in europe, I tried about 10-15 chapmans both hight end and low end, all were really badly build and there were awfull finish issues on guitars that are 1000€+ and I am talking huge stuff, I had several harley bentons and none had those type of blemishes or playing issues, and when i compare chapman to the same price category like Ibanez or Schecter... chapmans dont even stand a chance
Why would you buy a Chapman over a Solar, Harley Benton, LTD, Balaguer, Jackson, Charvel, Squier, Fender, Gibson, and or Epiphone? Because you like Rob Chapman. But I, and many others, don’t like Rob Chapman. So there goes the main reason to get one of their guitars. I think that’s their biggest issue.
I used to be a pretty big Chapman fan. These past few years have drained that though, mostly because the lineup guitars has become less interesting and more expensive. They used to be great value, and now they're nothing special.
I wish Chapman was doing better than they love the brand and Rob revitalized my interest in guitar many years ago. Sick colors coming up interested in the pete sig if it's anything like his tele. Wish they were available at long&mcquade in Canada one of the stores here in western Canada was selling B-stock guitars with a finishing error for full price. It was the unicorn finish ghost fret with a natural back instead of the black back like it's supposed to be.
Here in the UK.. a Chapman 'Made in England' guitar is listed a price point of 3.5k... no one is ever going spend that kind of cash on a Chapman when you can get an amazing PRS, Gibson or Fender for the same amount of money.. The Chapman brand just does not have the gravitas to command that price point... you'll just be pissing money down the drain. All the other Chapman guitar ranges are always sold at massive discounts at retailers, including Andertons... sadly this is a brand very much in decline
Thats not true. The high end models they offered a few years ago and are offering now are entirely hand built by experienced luthiers, customizable and have pretty much the same very high end parts the big brands would have. For 3k you wont get a customizable entirely hand made guitar from any of the big brands. Especially when it comes to it being customizable you will easily spend 4-5 k with other brands. And the "re-sell value" of big brands people keep mentioning is by far not as high as you would think. I just sold an American PRS Custom 24 30s anniversary for 1600€ after having it on sale for months and months. I bought that guitar new a few years ago for over 3300€. No one would pay more than what it eventually went for
Did you change your Channel to three first names?
Beauty doesn't make a guitar an instrument
i think you right, they need someone famous to endorse their guitars. and they should go back to the 'affordable guitar you're meant to customize', which IIRC is how they started out with fan poles and stuff on what people want, but also pushing people doing their own mods. i think Chapman left that behind years ago and decided to go for a more 'premium' guitar, which can be fine, BUT keep around those affordable, customizable guitars for the people who originally got the brand off the ground and new players looking for that as well. there's a hundred million guitar brands out there so the fact Chapman is even still in business after (10?) plus years is impressive.
if i were Chappers id also have a beginners guitar bundle. cheap, but decent beginner guitar, with a cheap but beginner amp for like under 200 quid. cause we all know young kids are all about shredding (pretty much), so i think they would be more drawn to a Chapman vs the Eastcoast that I know Andertons put out a while back as a cheap bundle for the holidays. great idea, i just think they should do the same with the chapman. keep Eastcoast as the bottom of the line (my kid wont touch it after x-mas) kinda thing, and for a little bit more if you think Johnny will stick w/ it, or you know he loves metal, than that's where the chapman can fill in a niche.
i also wish Andertons would go back to challenges like when Rob was w/ them. i think pete n lee have done a few but Chappers n the Captain have like a hundred different fun videos on the subject.
I owned a chapman for a short time and still don't understand the hype. The only props I can give is they have a somewhat modernized Tele option. To each their own though.
i got a chapman, the bloodred ML one, its ok. nothing exceptional, it was £400, 0 complaints really so cant fault it. just nothing incredible, also you should see i think it was KDH's video on chapman, because he goes into he history of the chapmans line of "custom shop guitars" that they are now bringing back, its kinda weird
I think Ray might be one of the most mature dudes . Class
rob chapman is into his new guitar villian bad guy persona with his black shirts, dark framed glasses and shaved head........and new line of metal guitars.......aaandthe absurdist moments where he bites unpeeled garlic and fresh broccoli in his recent video. i think its cool
Anything made at WMI in Korea is gonna be good - their low bar is higher than a lot of factories' best. I played (and briefly owned) some of the Indonesian guitars, and they were... well, not better than Squiers, IMO.
That's no knock on Indonesian guitars - my Ibanez and Cort guitars are actually my favorites! I sold my Fender and Balaguer because I was only playing thje Cort - but whatever factory they were using was squarely in the IYV/Harley Benton level of product. Earts and Fireflys worked better for me.
But yeah, they could be fine still. They just need to make stuff that people want, which shouldn't be too difficult to figure out. Their whole thing initially was crowdsourced design - maybe they should give that another look.
Xander, you say you don’t want to pass judgement but your thumbnail has their logo in a anti- sign and you say Rabea leaving is bad. Seems like a contradiction.
The only “Hip” we should be thinking about as we get older is Hip replacement 😂😂
I’m already two hip surgeries deep haha. I’m on my way
Lol brilliant 😂
Something no one seems to acknowledge when discussing people leaving is Matt Hornby. He was on several videos for Chapman and Andertons but crucially he was also a part owner of Chapman Guitars - 20%. When he left - for whatever reasons, he sold up to Lee and Rob. Now Lee and Rob own 100% split evenly - albeit only 10% are in their personal names, 40% is in the company who own Andertons shop and 40% is in Rob's Monkey Lord company. (so essentially Lee and Rob).
Since Matt leaving, their growth has really slowed down, I'm not sure they ever replaced him with someone driving it as much. Lee seems to be the financial side and the one leading the work with the British workshop series (Rob didn't even know the details in their own promotional video) and Rob's signature is never on any financial docs.
I'm sure Lee has and is making money from it, but as soon as that starts to change he'll move for a sale I think - but unless Rob agrees to sell, I don't see another buyer - Gibson et al would want 100%. It will be interesting to see what happens, their money in the bank/debtors/creditors are still active, they'd be out of pocket if they just shut shop today. Pete is popular for the Andertons channel, he's obviously being used to pull people back to the brand. But what's the sig going to be? A vintage style tele in some new colours?
Solar do something Chapman doesn't, and that's offer newer tech - you can get an evertune bridge or fluence pups etc, Chapman offers what is the best margin while trying to follow Harley Benton - but you're actually paying a premium for a Chapman guitar and that feels mad. There's nothing on a Chapman you don't get anywhere else for less.
I think the QC issues they had was part of their save money model, no distributors just rely on the shops to solve any issues - we saw that's what caused some smaller stores to stop selling them. The wait time and support just wasn't there. So if it left the factory with a fault, often it ended up in the hands of the customer. They don't have their own factories but their cost saving measures arguably did cause these issues. If you bought in the UK, Andertons did used to inspect them in the early days. I don't know now, but yeah, no one in Chapman is a luthier and designing stuff, modify a shape, stick their name on copied hardware, bang - out the door. Too much competition for this now, several companies doing the same for less.
Plus the fact that Chapman’s breath is all farty smelling.
I think you overlooked the financial part a tad. The guitars are not really a good deal and have horrible resale value. If you could gamble on a Chapman or a Charvel what would you choose? Etc.
I feel the controversy a few years ago really hurt his brand.
My issue is that those who are no longer fans very likely don't trust the brand. There's been quite a few competitions that I took part in where I couldn't find out who actually won. It was never announced as far as I could see. Then Rob's drive to market his products and himself have overtaken much of what endeared me to the brand in the beginning. This being a good guitar for an affordable price. Now suddenly the standard range is no longer available and the reason most likely is that they probably make more on the high end lines and it's just not worth it to push out a standard model. They also hype up their guitars to give the impression there is a high demand, which when it appears to be false and Rob showing off his luxury life further paints them in the light of having become disconnected from the relatable image of being approachable every day working musicians.
Sold my Chapman after Rob was outed as a bully, I don't think I am alone in thinking that any goodwill the brand had has been wrecked by the namesakes behavior.
Chapman doesn't have a reputation. It's like oxygen, it's there but nobody thinks about it.
I myself have never played a Chapman guitar. I've seen & heard good along with bad reviews on certain models. One feature that has been mentioned alot is the location of the volume, tone, pick-up switch. If anyone can clarify if this is BS or something that needs to be brought to Rob's attention.
I don't like Anderton's, I don't like Rabea. But I just got a ML3 and it's a good guitar, the quality is up there with any guitar that isn't made in US or Japan.
I don't think Chapman can back their artists like a bigger brand can. Rabea and rob scallon have so much potential to make big $$ with their advertising with bigger brands and I feel like Chapman wasn't able to really able to help their artists grow like a bigger brand.
I enjoy the two Chapman I have owned. They look and play great.
What's the artist and customer service like at Chapman Guitars? If an artist is playing a show in Europe, or somewhere, and they need a replacement guitar for whatever reason, would Chapman Guitars be able to deliver the goods?
I've seen a couple of very nicely priced second hand Chapman models recently, one being Bea's model. Looks great, and I bet is sounds and plays like a dream, but I just don't see me playing a Chapman guitar in public. The name is tainted by Rob's online persona.
As for their custom shop models, at £3,500 and up, I don't see who would buy one? There's a shed-load of amazing guitars out there for that price. Personally, if I had that sort of money, I'd buy two cheaper guitars :D
I don't see any problems here. Chapman is doing just fine.
I bought an ML1 a few years ago and sent it straight back due to the poor quality. One of their guitar techs got back to me saying that the fingerboard was the worse dried up one he'd seen. They fixed it and sent it back with a decent setup. 14 months later the pickup selector switch failed, I hadn't gigged it or played it that much, but they wouldn't repair it. Well they would if I paid them. I bought a new switch, fitted it myself and sold the axe on eBay. Over hyped and under supported for aftersales. I won't be buying anything from them anytime soon. "Once bitten twice shy babe"
Rob's too cheap to pay a popular TH-camr, not happening. He probably promised his endorsers some sort of "commission basis" and no upfront signing bonus. His guitars were tanking so no surprise here, Scallion has jumped to SCHECTER and I won't be surprised if Rabea hops to LTD, YAMAHA or even Schecter. I am seeing absolutely NO FUTURE for this company other than to sink deeper in the next coming months.
When Karma hits you, there's literally no escape
I'm calling it now, Rabea is going to Cerberus, something Chapman is owner of. It's a natural move forward with a more signature guitar instead of a tele clone.
Maybe rob saying see you at namm.then finding out he has a table setup in his hotel that's B's marketing.once you become tainted always tainted
thats bs marketing, and above all illegal. Promoting guitars for free, near the namm show, taking advantage of it, is prohibited, according to the namm's terms and conditions.. Then its disrispectful to all the brands and people who pay to display their brands at the namm show
Yes Gibson are killing it ...mainly killing smaller guitar companies with lawsuits.
Chapman just went bad, they will probably disappear like Rob kinda disappeared from TH-cam-land. It's always sad when a guitar company disappears because a healthy market lives from different choices and competition but yea times change.
I've been playing for over 35 years and like to try different guitars by different brands as and when I can, but, I've never felt the urge to try one of theirs for possibly a variety of reasons. From the beginning it always felt like a bit of a con in that the marketing was always front and centre in the videos from Andertons and I hate a hard sell approach, no matter the chemistry of those doing the presenting. There didn't seem to enough intrinsic value in the instruments designs or concepts to stand out from the crowded market place either. I think the only exception to this was the model with the limited edition JB bridge humbuckers, harking back to a more eighties rock heritage. Otherwise they do come across as guitars built for a budget niche as opposed to a recognised trend or need for players per se. The loss of Rabea as a brand ambassador is a significant loss. They should have made him a partner in the business rather than letting him go. Obviously these are just my personal feelings on the topic but I do hope they continue and perhaps spread their wings and provide a more diverse range of instruments that reflect the personalities of players of differing genres rather than being so Djent or Metal pitched overall. The Tele/Strat/Gibson LP derivatives have been done to death by everyone. Time for a change in direction for my money. Easy for me to say of course! Plus another observation, in the UK as a 'tribe' we have a tendency to support the underdog and at some point the projection of success from Mr R C became a little distracting and unpalatable. I know it's a crazy thing to say or acknowledge but I believe it's true. The PRS ultra in your face marketing tone doesn't necessarily sit well with a UK audience in my view. Anyway for the sake of the staff, the manufacturer and all those dependent on the success of Chapman guitars I hope I'm proved wrong as I do respect what they've collectively achieved, it can't have been easy.
So, when will we see your 30" scale, EMG + Floyd Chapman signature baritone? :D
haha a boy can dream
Probably going to go under. I know youtube creators gotta stay friendly with eachother and all but I'd bet behind the scenes everyones got a bad taste and probably are hesitant to do business with the company anymore. They COULD get some big signature artists but CAN they? WILL they? Can they pull a heavy hitter? In my opinion most likely not. The void of chapman is filled by solar in a way at this point. Two huge youtube creators with wildly different personalities. Who'd imagine the cocky, loud mouthed, condescending, manipulator would be surpassed in public perception by the swede who burps and chugs everything he can touch? lol great video
There is no drama between Rob and Rabea because the allegations against Rob are simply either blatant lies or not proven.
@@metalpuppet5798 I didn't say anything about drama between the two, I said people were possibly hesitant to robs company. Regardless of whether everything KDH PROVED is enough to satisfy you, everthing rob has done is completely open for you to see for yourself and chapman guitars is slowly unraveling because of it.
@@chuckplainview4085 KDH hasnt proved one single thing. Oh wait...he has. He has proved that hes a clout chasing money hungry inconsiderate twat! Everything he said about Rob is either not proven or a blatant lie
@@metalpuppet5798 Rob is that you?
Honestly when Chappers moved away and stopped the vids in Andertons on a regular the whole thing kinda dropped off.. I have an ML3 pro Orange sparkle and love the damn thing . Sad to see artists moving on regardless…
Yep, Chappers and the Captain was the energy that gave them the opportunity. People love to support people they like. Rob playing Metallica riffs on a Gretsch semi-hollow and hamming it up with wonky pedals while wearing black-out goggles was the peak of his career. He left it behind and became more known for huge gaffs that started rubbing everyone the wrong way. The product is OK, but doesn't really sell itself, and the landscape is crowded with other options made at the same factories.
Rabea is a creative guy, amazing player and it must be hard to spread your wings creatively when tied to a brand. I expect he did not renew his contract or his name to products to pursue other challenges.
Hah hah hah Rabeas good. Oh you were serious? Let me laugh even louder.
@@michaelfinnegan3805 no, amazing not good
@@BeerandGuitars let me laugh even harder, you're killing me. So you must be all about corona light and first act guitars. I had amazing piece of toast today followed by an amazing cup of coffee.
My pleasure :) who do you think is amazing?
@@BeerandGuitars Jeff Beck. You know the drill Hendrix, Page, Buckethead, Chet Atkins, John 5, Jimmy Herring, Robin Trower, Eddie Van Halen and the yong brothers(acdc) and many others. Mostly I went well with known. Obviously you don't have to be on these guys level to be called amazing, but you need to at least have some moments. All of this is my opinion though no wrong or right.
I think they make decent instruments, I just feel like Rob has a bit of a habit of promising things that they probably haven't set in stone or can't really deliver on and then kinda just going off the grid when people want answers. I understand there's a lot of moving parts in these kinds of industries but no one likes to feel like they're being strung along so I feel like they've damaged themselves a bit in that sense, not to mention some of Rob's other controversies (regardless of what the truth was) knocking the brand. Kinda strikes me a bit like Elon Musk and Tesla at the moment, I feel like he's definitely a big personality and the face of the brand but he's also not exactly doing the brand many favours of late.
only tried a couple of Chapmans at guitar shows and tbh I wasn't impressed especially for the price point, at one show I ended getting an Ibanez instead and the price was the same on both guitars and a whole world of difference in quality, but if Rob wants to send me one to demo I'd be more than happy too, but I will give my honest opinion haha