Chapman Guitars at NAMM

GoldenEraGuitars

Rob said a while back he wanted to go boutique. But come on... it has gone from collaborative design to low priced far eastern guitars to mid/higher priced far eastern guitars to this? 

These models are 3 x the most expensive current model which in itself is ridiculously expensive. And don’t forget the far eastern prices are kept low due to there being no middleman.

Id be keen to know...

1. Who are the luthiers?
2. Who is funding this?
3. Do they have prior knowledge of sales figures for guitars in this price bracket?

digitalscream

lonestar said:

2. Who is funding this?

The customers - they'll be made to order. Sure, there's the initial outlay for the display models, but they'll probably make that back after the first three or four have been sold.

Having looked a bit closer, there really doesn't seem to be anything special or unique about them apart from the striped finish (which anyone who's watched Crimson's staining videos could manage after a few test pieces), so I'd hazard a guess that if they sell for £3k, the luthier who makes them would be selling their own guitars at about £1.5k, so it's not a massive leap to think that CG will be buying them at about £1k.

Pretty much risk-free as business ventures go.

mbe

Maple tops look thin...just sayin'.

guitarfishbay

lonestar said:

Rob said a while back he wanted to go boutique. But come on... it has gone from collaborative design to low priced far eastern guitars to mid/higher priced far eastern guitars to this? 

These models are 3 x the most expensive current model which in itself is ridiculously expensive. And don’t forget the far eastern prices are kept low due to there being no middleman.

Id be keen to know...

1. Who are the luthiers?
2. Who is funding this?
3. Do they have prior knowledge of sales figures for guitars in this price bracket?

I'd wager Andertons has pretty decent knowledge of sales figures for expensive guitars - they stock Gibson/Jackson/PRS/Fender/Music Man/Gretsch in the £3k up price bracket

GoldenEraGuitars

Rather coy about showing the faces of the “luthiers”. 

Surely it would make more sense to say “these amazing handcrafted Chapman Guitars are made right here in the UK. Let’s meet the luthiers” or something to that effect? 

Whitecat

lonestar said:

Rather coy about showing the faces of the “luthiers”. 

Surely it would make more sense to say “these amazing handcrafted Chapman Guitars are made right here in the UK. Let’s meet the luthiers” or something to that effect? 

So much this. 

Even if the guy making the guitar isn’t the “head boy” on the luthier team, I at least want to know who is in charge and what their credentials are if I’m dropping that kinda coin. 

A YouTube mouthpiece is not good enough...

mbe

lonestar said:

Rather coy about showing the faces of the “luthiers”. 

Surely it would make more sense to say “these amazing handcrafted Chapman Guitars are made right here in the UK. Let’s meet the luthiers” or something to that effect? 

Then cut out the middleman?

axisus

Ho hum, another bash Chapman thread, how tiresome. 

Clashman

Expensive uitars are overpriced.

Nick

Good luck to him - they tried this before with guitars built to Rob's design by Jaden Rose (who by all accounts is a top bloke and excellent luthier).

Needless to say it didn't even work in principle, as the guitar buying populace didn't associate the Chapman brand to be worth anything more than around £200 per instrument. The project was shelved before it had a chance to trial.

Things have changed since then, and maybe there are people out there who are willing to pay the hefty upcharge to get a luthier to build them a custom "Chapman" instead of their own custom guitar. 

mburekenge

This is if equal or slightly less desirability as a 'premium' Marlin Slammer from a mystery luthier.

richardhomer

So in summary - we like the look of them and think they’ll be a roaring success?

p90fool

Looks awesome, must check my wallet for "Earth Credits". 

RMJ

axisus said:

Ho hum, another bash Chapman thread, how tiresome. 

This is a bash Chapman guitars thread. Not one mention of his hair so far

DrBob

Even aside from it being about Rob or Chapman guitars I think it’s a slightly flawed idea in that most brands have built their aspirational expensive model and then put out the “diffusion range” like Squier, Epiphone, PRS SE, ESP LTD ?  It feels a bit arse backwards doing the cheaper ones first and then launching more expensive versions of them,

I would however caveat that by pointing out that Rob has a successful business selling guitars and seems to be doing something he loves whereas by contrast I have a job I hate so who’s the clever one now ?

impmann

Why do we think that a UK based luthier can build a single cut better than a Korean one?

DrBob

impmann said:

Why do we think that a UK based luthier can build a single cut better than a Korean one?

Isn’t it as much about the perceived difference in quality between a guitar made on a production line and something lovingly carved by a kindly looking bearded man with rosy cheeks in a lovely workshop that is strafed with beams of sunlight ?

p90fool

DrBob said:

impmann said:

Why do we think that a UK based luthier can build a single cut better than a Korean one?

Isn’t it as much about the perceived difference in quality between a guitar made on a production line and something lovingly carved by a kindly looking bearded man with rosy cheeks in a lovely workshop that is strafed with beams of sunlight ?

I've never trusted that Werther's Originals guy and I don't want him making my guitars...

Lev

impmann said:

Why do we think that a UK based luthier can build a single cut better than a Korean one?

It's funny, this would be a ridiculous concept for any other product. Would you pay X4 the price for a British made TV, Phone or Car with almost the same spec?

I do think there could be a market for a local QA check and setup which in the case of Chapman could be done at Andertons for maybe a 15% additional premium on the existing range.

But I don't see anyone chosing a Chapman in this price bracket over a PRS, Suhr or Fender Custom Shop guitar.

DrBob

I wp90fool said:

DrBob said:

impmann said:

Why do we think that a UK based luthier can build a single cut better than a Korean one?

Isn’t it as much about the perceived difference in quality between a guitar made on a production line and something lovingly carved by a kindly looking bearded man with rosy cheeks in a lovely workshop that is strafed with beams of sunlight ?

I've never trusted that Werther's Originals guy and I don't want him making my guitars...

I should qualify that by pointing out that my local luthier is a bearded lunatic who seems to do a fair amount of his work in the dead ofnight clad in PJs and steel toe caps in an industrial unit on the edge of town.
So hardly the idyll then